Three more who would be councillor

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Residents of Paradise go to the polls Tuesday, April 30 to elect a new councillor to replace the late Elizabeth Laurie.

The race has attracted four candidates vying for the remaining year-and-half left in the current term of council. Last week, The Shoreline profiled candidate Jennifer Hiscock. This week we profile the three other candidates, Tommy Maher, Tony Kelly and Erin Furlong.

Tommy Maher
Paradise resident and business owner Tommy Maher made a name for himself last winter after taking it upon himself to groom local trails with his own machinery.
Maher said he received a lot of support from residents before and after being ordered by the Town to halt his operations, including more than a few suggestions to run for council.

With a byelection set for the end of this month, he’s doing just that.

“I feel like it’s time for me to give back,” Maher said. “I just want to bring forward my knowledge and expertise.”

Infrastructure issues are top of mind for Maher, given his years-long experience with excavation and snow clearing in the community. He said his company, Maher’s Excavation, has dug the foundations for more than 600 homes in Paradise over the past 20 years, as well as connecting homes to water and sewer lines.
“That seems to be the problem area in any town, snow clearing and construction on roads,” he said.

Snow clearing was a concern on a number of streets in Paradise this past winter, and while Maher said he can’t personally fix all of the Town’s snow clearing problems, he can help some people using his own resources.

“That’s one thing I can bring forward. I can help out that way in a lot of cases,” he said. “I have the opportunity to do that, you know.”

In addition to promoting outdoor activities and the mental health benefits they provide, Maher said he would also represent small business interests in the town, if elected to council.

“I want to bring business savvy to the council, fostering growth and innovation aimed at creating more jobs and more opportunities for the people of Paradise,” he said.

Maher said he’s been a passionate entrepreneur since childhood and aims to put that same passion into the town if elected councillor.

“I have a genuine desire to serve and give back to a community that has meant so much to me and my family,” Maher said.

Tony Kelly
While most of the candidates for the Town of Paradise’s byelection are experiencing their first run for a seat in the chamber, Tony Kelly has got them all beat when it comes to campaign experience.

The retired environmental health officer has been seeking office in Paradise nearly every election since his first one in 1997.

“I believe I have something to offer and I believe I can make a difference,” Kelly said. “I’ve got a lot of skills that I’ve been blessed with. I don’t want to just sit around and not do anything; I want to contribute.”

Kelly and his wife Geraldine moved to Paradise in 1987 where they built a house and raised two children, Christopher and Chantelle.

In the following years, Kelly joined committees for environment safety, school bus safety, and municipal recreation and other community volunteer groups.

He retired just last year from the provincial government, but has worked in numerous other fields through his life including manufacturing, retail, and research.

“I’ve got a really good outlook on life,” Kelly said. “I understand the young, the old, the in between. I just feel that I should do something to help out, to continue to make Paradise a great place to live.”

Kelly cited his experience on various committees such as NAPE, the NL Federation of Labour, and the Newfoundland & Labrador Public Service Pensioners Association as offering a wide range of contacts in various government departments that could be a boon to him as a councillor.

“I’ve got a backload of experience and knowledge that will help wherever I go,” he said.

Kelly said people should look after each other, and he wants to bring this philosophy to Paradise council. He said he is open for dialogue with residents and is willing to come to a resolution with those who call him looking for help.

“In my heart, I always believed in stepping up, using my knowledge and skills to contribute,” said Kelly. “I believe that if you can, you should do that and try to make the world a better place.”

No matter what their station in life, Kelly said he’s there to listen and represent the concerns of people in the community, whether it be a resident, a business owner, or otherwise.

“We’re all in this together, and we just have to all work together to make sure Paradise is a great place to live,” said the council hopeful. “To make sure we’re making the best decisions we can at the time.”

Erin Furlong
Erin Furlong was raised in Baie Verte, and like many Paradise residents, moved to the town to start a family after graduating from post-secondary school.
Since relocating to Paradise in 2013, Furlong has helped out with a number of community groups including the Octagon Pond Elementary School Council and Paradise Minor Hockey Association, and is now putting her name on the ballot for Town councillor.

As an active member of the community and the mother of a family of four, Furlong feels she is an accurate representation of the interests of the town’s residents.
“You kind of feel like home when you’re in Paradise, because it feels like the majority of people were from around the bay at some point,” she said. “Statistically, we’re essentially the stereotypical family from Paradise.”

When she’s not volunteering and raising a family, Furlong is a behavior management specialist in long-term care at Eastern Health.

Furlong said she considered putting her name in the political hat for some time, as she enjoys being involved in everything that her family is a part of in Paradise.
“On a larger scale I wanted to be a part of the Town Council because I feel like Paradise has such a huge potential,” she said. “I want to be somebody who can represent those people in Paradise, I want to hear their voices and I want to be able to bring that to the Town Council and the decision-making table.”

Furlong said she’s not afraid to rock the boat a little when she needs to.

“I’m somebody who’s not afraid to go against the norm. I’m not afraid to speak up when it needs to be done,” she said.

Furlong is also the chairperson of the Committee of Parents for Paradise High School, which recently obtained a promise from the provincial government to build a high school in the community.

Her involvement with the group meant so much to her that she would have forfeited her bid for council if it was deemed a conflict of interest, Furlong said.
“That is something I am extremely passionate about, and it’s something that I want to see through to the end,” she added. “I feel like that truly does show that I am committed and I am passionate.”

Furlong is confident that her involvement in the community will benefit Paradise if she comes out on top at the end of this month.

“I’ll be able to have that connection with people in the town and I think that would give me a better ability to represent them,” she said.