Two vying for Nahant selectman seat; election, Town Meeting set for Saturday

NAHANT – Polls open in less than 48 hours and there is only one contested race on the ballot this year.A relative political newcomer is hoping to upset a 15-year veteran selectman on Saturday. Robert Scanlon and Selectman Michael Manning are vying for one spot of the Board of Selectmen in the only contested race on the ballot.Manning is a senior scientist with the Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing, a NASA-funded Commercial Space Center at Northeastern University. He got involved in town politics in 1982 when he moved to town and volunteered to serve on a committee studying the future needs of town-owned buildings. He went on to serve on the Personnel Board, Finance Committee and has been a selectman since 1995.”I enjoy serving the town,” Manning said. “I have almost two decades of service and experience in town. I think a lot of things in Nahant are working they way they ought to. I would like to continue my service to the town.”Manning, who doesn’t use lawn signs when running for office, said his campaign is based on personal relationships.”I attend community events and talk to residents on the street,” he said. “That’s how relationships and trust are forged. It’s not about waving at high speed traffic and standing on a corner holding a sign.”Scanlon, who is a 1970 graduate of Lynn Classical High School, is a marine surveyor. Scanlon campaigned at the Nahant Rotary with signs this week, but repeatedly refused to speak with The Daily Item.According to his campaign Web site, he professes to be “Nahant’s Selected Man with Intelligence and Concern of a Dedicated Selectman.”If elected, Scanlon vowed to “return discipline to the Nahant Police Department” and make changes to the Fire Department and Department of Public Works,” but he did not offer any specifics on what changes he believes need to be made and how he would implement the changes.Scanlon promised to eliminate the fees for beach parking stickers if he is elected but Manning pointed out the fees for beach parking stickers were set by Town Meeting.”It’s not something one selectmen or even the whole Board of Selectmen can eliminate,” he said. “Parking stickers were the will of Town Meeting and it would take a vote of Town Meeting to rescind them.”Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturday. The annual Town Meeting will get underway at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.