Representative Christina Minicucci (D- Haverhill)
Representative Minicucci grew up in a family that believes service to community is a way of life. She has always been civically involved, sitting on boards or commissions, volunteering her time to various organizations, and helping out on political campaigns. When this State Representative seat opened up in 2018, she did not intend to step up and fill it. However, when she took a step back and realized that joining the legislature is truly an extension of the work that she has always done for her community, it seemed like a logical next step, and a good fit for her.
Q:
With citizens being asked to stay at home more during the pandemic, access to clean drinking water and proper management of wastewater is critical. Please give us your thoughts relative to the importance of maintaining water, wastewater, and utility infrastructure.
A:
I first realized that clean drinking water was a privilege when I was in middle school. In the mid-80s North Andover’s drinking water was contaminated with giardia. For close to nine months, we had to boil our tap water before drinking it. In October of 1986 the town invested in two ozonation systems as an interim solution, but the long-term fix took close to four years to complete. Fast forward a decade, and I moved to Quito, Ecuador for a year. Even in the capital city, tap water was not safe to drink without boiling and purchasing bottled water was prohibitively expensive for most. I used my time there to learn about water and sewer infrastructure and the negative impacts lack of potable water and wastewater capacity had on public health and economic development. These experiences informed my legislative commitment to ensuring our drinking water stays clean. Even before I was elected, I was concerned with the health of our town drinking supply, thankful that the scare of the 80s instilled a sense of stewardship amongst residents and town leadership. Additionally, keeping the Merrimack River clean has been a priority of mine, focusing on the importance of separating combined systems and increasing holding capacity of wastewater treatment plants with CSOs that discharge into the River in storm events. JULY, 2020
Q: A:
What do you believe will be the biggest challenges for your district and region with regard to economic recovery?
This question is a tough one. Covid-19 has hit Essex County hard, Lawrence being one of the hardest hit communities in the Commonwealth. There are going to be many layers to this recovery and the speed with which we are able to move forward is going to be entirely dependent in the short-term, on our commitment to wearing masks, following good hygiene and social distancing protocols to contain the virus. Long-term recovery is going to depend on finding an effective treatment and possibly a vaccine. Small business is the economic engine of my district, business partnerships, and Federal and State programs designed to help these businesses weather the storm are going to be the key to keeping our economy alive. Personally, I am a Shop Local Everything kind of gal, and I am hopeful that others will join me in keeping our dollars here in the Merrimack Valley to help our small businesses make it to the other side of this crisis.
Q:
As we recover from this crisis, please give us your thoughts on how the state will continue to support local aid to cities and towns to help support basic municipal services, specifically water infrastructure.
A:
Right now, public health is center stage in the fight against this pandemic. Maintaining continued on page 21
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