Our survey is now closed.

We received close to 500 responses and results will be published in this week’s edition of the Canton Citizen (March 26).

Thank you to all who took the time to respond.

“This practice is as old as our democracy. Avoiding the facts — fearful of the truth — a malicious opposition charged that George Washington planned to make himself king; that Thomas Jefferson planned to set up a guillotine under a French Revolutionary form of government; that Andrew Jackson soaked the rich of the Eastern seaboard and planned to surrender American democracy to the dictatorship of a frontier mob. They called Abraham Lincoln a Roman Emperor; Theodore Roosevelt a Destroyer; Woodrow Wilson a self-constituted Messiah.”  –President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sept. 29, 1936, Syracuse, NY

The great irony of the above quote is that in 1940 the Democratic President, FDR, ran for an unprecedented third term and in 1944, incredibly enough, for a fourth term. No president has been elected more than twice before or after FDR. Indeed, FDR was first elected in 1932 and died in office — he was elected for life!

And yet today’s barking protesters think they are so clever and profound using this silly and absurd theme to protest President Donald Trump. The Democratic Party fully supported FDR’s repudiation of the first president of the United States and hero of the Revolutionary War, George Washington, who decided not to run for a third term and thus set the precedent for “No Kings.”

Later, when FDR couldn’t get his way with the Supreme Court, he tried to pass a court-packing plan. This would have increased the number of Supreme Court justices from nine to 15. Guess who would have nominated all the new justices? FDR. With 76 Democrats in the U.S. Senate in 1937, it would have been a walk in the park for FDR to stack the court. Fortunately, reason prevailed and this kingly attempt was squashed.

Similarly, many of today’s Democrats, such as senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, both of Massachusetts, support this despotic expansion of the Supreme Court. Like FDR, they don’t like the recent decisions. When D’s lose, they say, “Change the rules!”

FDR went on to issue a massive amount of Executive Orders (3,728). Among the “kingliest” were the internment and relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans (EO 9066) and an order forcing American citizens to sell their gold to the government (EO 6102). FDR also initiated, through then Attorney General Nicholas Biddle, a mass trial of 32 dissidents. The trial became known as the Great Sedition Trial of 1944. Widely condemned by Harvard professors and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), it came to an end when the judge died and was declared a mistrial.

Wow! The No Kings protesters of today, since virtually all of them are Democrats, should revisit history and realize that their great hero, FDR, was the closest the U.S. has ever been to having a king.

Fortunately, the Republican Party took control of both houses of Congress in 1947 (led by Speaker Joe Martin of North Attleboro) and quickly passed the 22nd Amendment limiting the president to two terms.

Which party is pro-king?

But this absurd mantra continues as reported by C-Span on August 28, 2025: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he believes President Trump is serious about running for a third term, something that’s prohibited by the 22nd Amendment. “I don’t think Donald Trump wants another election,” he said at a summit hosted by Politico in Sacramento. “This guy doesn’t believe in free, fair elections … You think he’s joking about 2028?” Newsom asked the audience. “Who spends $200 million on a ballroom at their home and then leaves the house?”

And Newsome’s the leading Democrat for 2028?

Newsome has received 28 “Trump 2028” hats to feed his and the No Kings hallucinations. Anyone can buy one for $50 at the TRUMP store. Future No Kings protesters, to make their beliefs clearer, should “Don” a TRUMP 2028 hat … I may even join you!

Larry Overlan is an adjunct professor of economics and government at several Boston area colleges, a longtime resident of Canton, and the current chair of the Canton Republican Town Committee. The views expressed in his column are solely his own.

Candidates for Select Board are pictured at a forum held at Orchard Cove. (Hebrew SeniorLife photo)

At least one newcomer will join the town’s top executive board next week as Canton voters head to the polls for Tuesday’s annual town election.

In addition to a mail-in option for those who formally requested a ballot, a three-day, in-person early voting period was also offered to residents at Town Hall on March 28, 30 and 31. Those who submitted a vote-by-mail application by the March 31 deadline will have until the close of polls on Election Day (April 7) to return their completed ballots.

According to the Town Clerk’s office, more than 1,400 people had already cast their ballots as of yesterday, April 1, with the bulk of those being done via mail-in voting.

While most of the 11 seats up for grabs this year are uncontested, a notable exception concerns the race for Canton Select Board, where four candidates are vying for two open seats with three-year terms. The field includes one incumbent, current board chair John “JR” McCourt, and three first-time challengers: Julie Beckham, David Clough, and Gregory Murphy. (The other Select Board member with an expiring term, Chris Albert, opted not to run for reelection.)

A lifelong Canton resident and veteran of several local boards and committees, McCourt is seeking his second term on the Select Board after defeating then-incumbent Lisa Lopez in a three-person race in 2023. With a background in construction and facilities management, he has worked for more than three decades as a maintenance supervisor with the Canton Housing Authority and has played a key role in the planning/construction of several major town projects, including the recently rebuilt Bolivar Aquatic Complex as well as the ongoing “Next Chapter” renovations at the Canton Public Library.

While none of the other three challengers has held elective office before, all have served on appointed boards and committees in town.

Beckham, a Canton native and CHS graduate, was formerly the vice chair of the town’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and previously served on the boards of the Hansen School CAPT, the Canton Alliance for Public Education, the CHS School Council, and the Canton Cultural Council. A former working actress and drama studio owner, she later moved into the banking industry and currently serves as AVP/financial education development and strategy officer at Rockland Trust.

Murphy, an IT professional who consults for the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, currently serves on several town committees, including Capital Planning, Economic Development, and Sustainability & Climate Action, while also serving as the CPC representative to the Building Renovations Committee. Murphy’s platform is built on a framework he developed called the “Canton Nexus,” which aims to synchronize the town’s “infrastructure, finances, and long-term planning.”

Clough, a former finance professional who went on to start a successful national e-commerce company, served for a total of six years on the Canton Finance Committee and previously served on the Police Audit and Capital Planning committees.

In addition to running for a seat on the Select Board, Clough is also simultaneously challenging longtime incumbent Gene Manning for his seat on the Board of Assessors. While town bylaws permit a candidate to run for more than one office in the same election, he or she can only hold one seat, meaning that if Clough were to win both races, he would have to decide on which board to serve.

As a candidate for the Board of Assessors — which is responsible for determining property valuations for taxation purposes — Clough has advocated for “re-balancing” the tax classification system by shifting even more of the burden away from homeowners and onto commercial property owners. (Canton, like many other area communities, uses a split-rate system with higher rates charged to business properties.)

Manning, meanwhile, is seeking his fourth consecutive term as an assessor, during which time he has helped the town establish the lowest residential tax rate in Norfolk County ($9.75 per thousand valuation in FY26, with Norwood being the next closest at $9.82 per thousand). A senior executive at Marriott International, Manning has served for more than two decades on the town’s Economic Development Committee and is a past president of the Canton Association of Business and Industry (CABI).

Other incumbents running for reelection this year besides Manning and JR McCourt include Kimberly McCourt and Sonja Grauds for Canton School Committee, Dr. Julie Goodman for Board of Health, and George Comeau for the Library Board of Trustees.

Also appearing on the 2026 ballot are two longtime residents who are running unopposed for their first elective office: Robert Maffie, who is seeking a full five-year term on the Planning Board, and Elizabeth Emhardt, who is running for a three-year term on the Library Board of Trustees. Additionally, Rob Fichman, husband of Select Board member Susan Harrington, recently announced that he is running as a write-in candidate for the third open library trustee seat. Those who want to vote for Fichman for that seat should clearly write “Rob Fichman, 45 Spruce Ln” on the write-in line and then fill in the oval on the same line.

For the final seat on this year’s ballot — a three-year Planning Board vacancy — no candidates stepped forward, meaning that the vacancy will remain unless a viable write-in candidate emerges or until such time that the Select Board and Planning Board jointly appoint a member to serve until the next town election in April 2027.

For additional information about the town election candidates as well as the duties of the offices up for grabs, voters are encouraged to visit cantonmavoterguide.com, which also includes links to individual campaign websites as well as videos of recently held candidate forums co-hosted with the Canton Lions Club and broadcast on Canton Community Television (cantoncommunitytv.org).

For more information about the April 7 town election, including a precinct map and polling locations, visit town.canton.ma.us/259/Town-Clerk or call 781-821-5013.

Gifford Cruz has a background in law enforcement and previously served under Daniels with the Oxford PD. A military veteran, he oversaw the training and development of approximately 350 personnel aboard the USS Gonzalez, a guided missile destroyer. Daniels said he brings experience in law enforcement supervision and management, including operations, training, and organizational oversight.

As deputy chief, Gifford Cruz will be responsible for administrative functions, including accreditation, policy and compliance, internal affairs oversight, records management, and training coordination.

Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, in preparation for the impending retirements of Fire Chief Wendell Robery and Town Administrator Charles Doody, the Select Board voted to appoint Canton Deputy Fire Chief Ed Freitas as interim fire chief and Assistant Town Administrator Jen Kemalian as interim town administrator.

Robery is set to retire tomorrow, April 3, and the public is invited to stop by Canton Fire headquarters to wish him well during a luncheon event planned for 12-2 p.m.

Doody also announced the two finalists for the fire chief position: Jamie Meier, a current CFD captain, and Jeffrey Ricker, a deputy chief with the Sharon Fire Department. The Select Board plans to interview both finalists at its meeting on Tuesday, April 28.

Doody’s last day, meanwhile, is set for Friday, April 10, and Kemalian will handle all administrator duties until a permanent appointment is announced. Jody Middleton, the town’s human resources director, is working to hire a consultant to help the board advertise the position and narrow down the search. The details and timing of the search will be finalized by the Select Board following Tuesday’s annual town election.

With Canton Finance Director Randy Scollins also recently announcing his retirement plans, the Select Board voted two weeks ago to expand the duties of Town Accountant Allyson Podgurski to become the new finance director effective July 1. As part of the reorganization of the department, the board also voted to establish a new budget analyst position, and on Tuesday they approved a job description for the role while promoting Sue Desjardins from assistant treasurer-collector to treasurer-collector.

In other personnel news …

See this week’s Citizen to continue reading and for more highlights from the March 31 Select Board meeting. Click here to order your subscription today.

Hundreds of local children gathered at Pequitside Farm on Sunday for the annual Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Canton Parks and Recreation Department. See this week’s Citizen for more Egg Hunt photos by Cynthia Rosina. Click here to subscribe today!

* Photos from the annual Easter Egg Hunt by Cynthia Rosina

* Protesters gather for Canton’s 3rd ‘No Kings Day’ event

* Highlights from the March 31 Select Board meeting

* Childhood friendship brings Pulitzer Prize-winning historian to Orchard Cove

* Youth Risk Behavior Survey finds strong wellness indicators, but bullying still a concern at GMS

* Galvin Middle School to present The Addams Family Musical

* Guest Column: A Promise Broken and a Debt Deferred

* Two Canton teachers honored for excellence by TEC

* Spring cleaning your property title

* Canton High spring sports season gets underway

Also, don’t forget to check out our many weekly features, including:

* Police & Fire News Notes

* Senior Corner and letters to the editor

* Cable Guide, Citizen Around Town, and much more

* House of the Week and more local real estate resources

Not a subscriber? Click here to order your subscription today, or check out our new digital edition, the e-Citizen.

While reading last week’s edition of the Citizen, I was concerned by a statement made by David Clough during the recent Select Board candidates forum regarding his desire to eliminate the Building Renovations Committee, which he described as a group of “special-interest volunteers.” This depiction of both former and current members could not be further from the truth.

Having witnessed the committee’s work firsthand, I have seen the extraordinary dedication of its members, the countless hours they contribute, and their consistently thoughtful and unbiased approach to evaluating projects. Their focus has always been on the best interests of the community, not on advancing any particular agenda.

Reducing their efforts to “special interests” dismisses the integrity and public service that these volunteers bring to their roles. Our town benefits greatly from their commitment, and their work deserves recognition and respect.

Voters should consider whether this perspective reflects the kind of leadership and appreciation for community involvement that Canton needs.

Mike Armando

Registered Canton voters have two votes for select board members. Use them wisely on April 7.

Julie Beckham brings a unique perspective to Canton — local roots with a greater viewpoint sharpened by 10 years of outside experience. She grew up here, spent a decade in New York City, and made the intentional decision to return to make Canton home where she raised her children.

As more young families move here and for longer-term residents alike, Julie understands that a stronger town starts with broader participation. She wants to diversify the voices shaping Canton and make local government less intimidating and more accessible by helping residents understand how it works and how they can get involved, especially through committees that directly influence the town’s future.

As a financial educator, she has made inroads ensuring that financial literacy should not be treated like some niche skill reserved for adults in crisis. It should be part of how we prepare Canton residents of all ages to navigate real life, from little kids with piggy banks to older residents who still prefer paper checks over banking apps.

Julie is thinking of Canton pride, pursuing “Canton Historical Town” status to honor our town’s heritage. She sees a pathway toward a resilient Canton based on planned sustainable growth and economic vitality. She supports attainment of Climate Leader Community status for Canton by adopting the Specialized Code, which ensures energy affordability and consumer protection. Canton can join 57 towns and cities like Norwood, Newton, Dedham and Needham to move ahead with energy independence, innovation, and funding opportunities.

As an assistant vice president at a $51 million charitable foundation, Julie knows exactly how to blend the cooperative leadership, fiscal responsibility, and environmental foresight that is essential to serving Canton and limiting reliance on its local tax dollars.

As a Cantonian born and raised, Julie will serve her hometown with the passion of a Hansen CAPT vice president and the spirit of “Team Mom” for the CHS girls volleyball team.

Please join me in voting for Julie Beckham for Canton Select Board on Tuesday, April 7.

Angela Chan

Effective local government depends on capable, community-minded leadership, and Julie Beckham truly exemplifies both. That is why I’m pleased to express my enthusiastic support for Julie for the Canton Select Board.

I have come to know Julie through years of witnessing her consistent volunteer presence across our community. At school, town-wide, and youth sports activities, Julie was ever-present and volunteered with boundless energy.

I also had the opportunity to serve alongside Julie on a town committee, where I saw firsthand how thoughtful, focused, organized, and respectful she is when working through issues both big and small. More recently, Julie and I both participated in a year-long leadership program, where her intelligence, energy, and collaborative approach once again stood out.

Julie brings a combination of perspectives that would serve the Canton Select Board well. She has a creative side and a deep appreciation for the arts, while also possessing strong financial and management experience from her career in banking, where she has been responsible for overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets and providing financial counsel, among other things. Julie’s blend of creativity and fiscal discipline is rare and valuable in public service.

She also offers a balanced perspective shaped by both deep roots in our community and meaningful time spent living outside it. That combination allows her to appreciate what makes our town special while also bringing fresh ideas and broader context to local decision-making.

Our community benefits from people who are willing to step forward and serve thoughtfully and constructively. Based on my experience with Julie, I believe she would do exactly that.

Sincerely,

Christine V. Colmey

Senior JT Norton drove in the go-ahead runs in Friday’s win over Attleboro. (Mike Tureski photo)

CHS junior Dean Madden struck out nine over fine innings and walked just one batter despite chilly conditions. The talented junior changed speeds, displayed a hard fastball, and had good command and control of his pitches, allowing just one unearned run on a passed ball. Senior Teddy Shuman came on in relief and threw two scoreless innings to seal the win for the Bulldogs.

After jumping out to an early 3-1 lead behind RBI singles from seniors Graidy Carr and JT Norton, Canton broke the game open with a five-run surge in the home half of the fifth. Senior Liam Connolly drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run of the inning, and then junior Tommy Rose stole home to make it 5-1. Carr and Will Young followed with back-to-back singles, and then Carr came home on a wild pitch to up the lead to 8-1. Connolly added an RBI single in the sixth inning for Canton’s ninth and final run of the game.

Rose paced the offense with two hits, including a double, and also stole a base, while Carr had a pair of hits to go along with two RBIs.

CHS head coach Dave Walsh is entering his fourth season and has high hopes for this year’s group, which is coming off its best spring in a decade and returns all but two starters. “Our players should know what it takes to win and compete,” noted Walsh.

After a six-win campaign in 2024, the Bulldogs improved to 11-9 last year and finished third in a very competitive Davenport Division while qualifying for the state playoffs.

Among the returning veterans are a pair of reigning league all-stars in Shuman, who led all Hockomock hitters last season with a .423 batting average and was dominant as a reliever (1.24 ERA), and senior Andrew Gillis, who batted .367 while leading the league in stolen bases and finishing second in runs scored.

The Bulldogs also boast a talented pitching staff led by Madden, who paced the team last year with 44 strikeouts, and senior Chris Pirrera, who was injured for part of the season but was solid across several starts (3.82 ERA). The team is also expected to lean on Rose and Young, both promising juniors, with Shuman anchoring the back end of the bullpen.

After games this week against Foxboro and Sharon, the Bulldogs will next head to North Attleboro to take on the Rocketeers on April 6 before returning home to face Milford next Wednesday, April 8, starting at 4:15 p.m.