Shahady formally announces council bid

By Alicia Petska

Published: March 17, 2008

Ward I Lynchburg City Council candidate Tom Shahady made his official campaign announcement from the shores of College Lake this morning.

Shahady, an environmental science professor at Lynchburg College, pointed to the lake’s receding waters as an example of the city’s overall ecological strife.

“You used to be able to launch a boat from this point,” he said from a dock on college property, where the water now stands less than knee deep. “In another four years, it could be dry ground. You’ll come out here and it will be all cattails.”

Shahady, 46, has made environmental preservation his No. 1 campaign issue. He also listed support of education and a commitment to refurbishing Lynchburg’s aging infrastructure among his top priorities.

He’s running for the Ward I seat against one-term incumbent Mike Gillette and retired car dealer Jim Martin. Each candi-date has filed as an independent.

Specific projects mentioned by Shahady included a new climate initiative and environmental development checklist, both of which are being written by the Natural Resources Advisory Committee, of which Shahady is a member.

He also said the city needs to work with builders to strike a balance between development and preservation.

“We’ve got to tell businesses this is what we value in this community, this is what’s important to us. Let’s work together, with the natural features of the city, to incorporate what you want to do,” he said. “The more we do that, the more people will be able to enjoy the city.”