RICHARD L. CANALE

RICHARD L. CANALE

Name: Richard Canale
Office Sought: Town Meeting Member Precinct 9
e-mail address: richard.canale [at] me.commichaelschanbacherlexpb [at] gmail.com (
)phone number: 781-799-5279

Community Activities: 

  • TOWN OF LEXINGTON elected representative Town Meeting Member 1987-present.

  • TOWN OF LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD, Chairman (1995-1996 & 2011-2013), 1993-1998 & 2005-2021
  • HATS Four Town Master Planning Committee (Lexington Town co-representative) 2000 2011
  • Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS), Planning Board Representative 1991-2011 A State Growth and Development Policy Committee (M.G.L. C40 Sec 4(I))
    • HATS Environmental Sub Committee, Co-Chair (1999 - 2015).
    • HATS Hanscom Field Environmental Status and Planning Report Review, Co-Coordinator, 2000-2003
    • HATS Hanscom Field Generic Environmental Impact Report Committee, Coordinator, Public Participation 1996-1998
  • METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COUNCIL, 1997-2022
    • Town of Lexington Representative 2001-2022
    • Executive Committee, 2005-2019
    • Legislative Committee, 2007 – 2019
    • Strategic Planning Task Force, 2004
    • Nomination Committee 2010-2014, Chair, 2010-2012 & 2014
    • MAPC MetroFuture Project 2002-2010
    • Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination (MAGIC) subregion of MAPC, Lexington Representative 1997-2020; MAGIC Chair 2006-2008; Vice Chair, 1999-2001 & 2004-2005. Representative to Boston MPO Regional Transportation Advisory Committee, 2000– 2011; MetroFuture Regional Visioning Workshop Planner/Facilitator, 2004
  • BOSTON METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATION (MPO) 2001-2003 and 2011 - 2021
    • Boston MPO, Elected Member Representative for the 78 MAPC Towns (2011 - 2021)
      • Advisory Council Representative (Ex-Officio) 2002-2003 Alternate Ex-Officio Advisory Council Representative, Voting Member of the Planning and Programming Committee
      • Congestion Management Committee (2012 – 2019)
      • Finance & Administration Committee; TIP Criteria Committee; Boston MPO Public Participation Committee, (Chair, 2002-2003)
    • Regional Transportation Advisory Council (RTAC) MAPC/MAGIC Representative. 2000-2011
      • Chair, 2002 – 2003; Vice Chair, 2001 – 2002; Past Chair, 2003 - 2004
      • Nominating Committee, (Chair, 2004-2007)
      • Program Committee, Chair 2004 - 2011;
      • Advisory Council Regional TIP Plan, UPWO, and Plan Committees.
  • The Battle Road Scenic Byway Project & Committee (Initiator, Chair of BRSB Committee, and Lexington Representative) 2005 – present. Initiated idea of a state and Federal designated scenic byway, co-wrote, and promoted successful application for Federal National Highway Administration Federal Scenic Byway designation (Federally designated as an America’s Byway 2022) and state Bill that was approved and gave the official state scenic byway designation. Co-wrote successful MAPC Federal grant proposal for the Corridor Management Plan. Organized a session at the 2007 National Roads Conference.
  • FREEDOM’S WAY HERITAGE ASSOCIATION, INC. DEVENS, MA 1993-2004
    • Founding Member (1993), Board Member (1993 – 2003) & President (1999 – 2002)
    • Part-time Volunteer 1993 - 2001 | Full-time Volunteer 2001 - 2002

 

Article 43 on the 2024 Town Warrant is asking if the Town will authorize and request the Select Board to petition the General Court of the Commonwealth for Home Rule Legislation to allow any citizens in the Town of Lexington, who have reached the age of 16 or older, to register and vote in municipal elections within the Town, or to take any action in relative thereto. Would you support this article? Why or why not?

I definitely support passage of this Article.
I am an educator for Community College students teaching freshmen in ethics matters and in being socially responsive. Persons at 16 years are able to think and act responsibly in voting matters. By age 16, young adults are mature enough to engage in community affairs. It will be really helpful if they can engage at this point in civic responsibility that can carry over throughout their lives.