Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Quick Article Index . . .
Spirlet wins; Prop 2 ½ soundly defeated.
Just Beer
sent a check for $3200 to Operation Warlords Homecoming!
Coffee,
Tea and Conversation with the Women's Fund.
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Spirlet wins;
Prop 2 ½ soundly defeated. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday,
April 14, 2010 Spirlet rides the wave of a national referendum on
fiscal conservatism to an overpowering victory in selectman’s race. The Proposition 2 ½ override ballot question was
defeated by a margin of 56.87 percent of the votes cast. This defeat will
cost the town 1.5 million dollars in additional property taxes needed to
provide level service funding for the upcoming fiscal year. Richard Spirlet was sworn in by Town Clerk
Marlene Samson Tuesday night as Westport’s newest selectman, replacing Gary
Mauk who decided not to seek re-election. Observing were his wife, children
and grandchildren. “This is the first time I’ve run for
a political office, and I won,” said the former New Bedford police captain
turned novice politician. “It’s a little overwhelming. We worked very hard in
this campaign, but you always have your doubts,” said the Westport
Conservation Commission member.
Riding
a populist movement of taxpayer rejection of excessive spending and expanding
government, Spirlet surprised many by the size of his victory. Westport
voters by turning back the Proposition 2 1/2 override will cause town boards
to scramble this week to balance budgets with drastic and painful cuts. Left:
Richard Spirlet, joined by his children and grandchildren, is sworn in by
Town Clerk Marlene Samson as Westport’s newest selectman. Better than
average turnout for an annual election in Westport. According
to Samson, you can usually expect about 3800 voters at a town annual
election. For one thing, polling hours are shortened, (10 a.m. to 8 p.m. vs.
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for state/federal elections), and there are a lot of
uncontested races (13 this year.) Click here to read the
Fall River Herald’s article on the election by Grant Welker. An
exit poll of voters at the Town Hall Annex, when asked why they had come out
to vote produced comments like: “it’s a make or break issue,” and “it is an
important election,” and “I think we’re on the wrong track.” “39.42
percent of Westport’s 11,518 registered voters went to the polls; good numbers
for an annual town election,” said Samson.
Both
selectman candidates ran a professional, courteous campaign, agreeing
beforehand to “keep the gloves off.” Various support groups on both sides,
however, were divisive at times, with rhetoric usually reserved for higher
stakes state elections. Liz
Collins, a retired registered nurse and a public service advocate, is well
respected in Westport, and serves on many volunteer committees. She joins the
Housing Authority in this election, running as an uncontested candidate. Collins, the head of the town’s democratic committee, was unavailable for comment after the election results were posted. The
former Westport selectwoman ran an exhaustive campaign, but was caught up in
the backlash of an electorate tired of excessive spending in Washington, the
prospect of higher taxes, and a stubborn national unemployment rate of 9.7%. The
same state dynamics that put a Massachusetts republican into a congressional
seat held by a popular democrat for over 30 years continue to influence
voters when the agenda supports government expansion and perceived wasteful
spending. Left:
Kevin Perry, voting for the first time, cast the last ballot of the night at
the Town Hall Annex under the watchful eye of his proud grandmother. Town Administrator Michael Coughlin, an outspoken advocate
for the override, has already proposed the date of June 22 for another
override ballot vote. There
are 4625 democrats, 1379 republicans, and 5453 independents registered in
Westport. Democratic candidate Elizabeth Collins received 1630 votes, and republican
Richard Spirlet received 2706 votes. Clearly many independents and more than
just a few democrats voted for Spirlet. The only other contested position among the 15 on
the ballot was Board of Commissioners
of Trust Funds with Ronald C. Costa squaring off against Charles W.
Nichols III. Ironically, Costa, who won the election 2059 versus 1236 for
Nichols, was rumored to have withdrawn from the race, however, according to
Samson he will assume the seat. Costa
said this will be his last three-year term. Many voters bypassed the uncontested seats and voted only
for the Selectman and Commissioner of Trust Funds, and the 2 ½ override. Both 3-year school committee candidates were beaten by the
combined total of blank votes! Selectman’s Race
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * blank ballots ** write-in Proposition 2 ½
Override – Question 1
Running
unopposed for town office were: Moderator - Steven W. Fors, uncontested – 3201 votes (1339
blanks) Assessor - Stephen Medeiros, uncontested – 3056 votes
(1484 blanks) Board of Health - Sean M. Leach,
uncontested – 3060 votes (1480 blanks) School Committee, 3-years -
Russell T. Kleber, uncontested - 2420 votes (see below) School Committee, 3-years - Eric
Larrivee, uncontested – 2498 votes (4162 blanks for both School Committee
candidates) School Committee, 2-year
unexpired term - James A. Bernard, uncontested – 2765 votes (1775 blanks) Fish Commissioner - Jason C.
Powell, uncontested – 2839 votes (1701 blanks) Trustees Of Free Public Library - Robert J.
Gormley, uncontested – 2460 votes (see below) Trustees Of Free Public Library - Majorie T.
Sandborg, uncontested – 2520 votes (4100 blanks for both Library Trustee
candidates) Landing Commissioner - Maxwell F.
Turner, uncontested – 2806 votes (1734
blanks) Housing Authority - Elizabeth A.
Collins, uncontested - 2400 votes (2140 blanks) Housing Authority - Veronica
Beaulieu, uncontested – 2788 votes (1752 blanks) Planning Board - Elaine
Ostroff, uncontested – 2719 votes
(1821 blanks)
Left: Candidate supporters at the High School. Right: More of the same at the Town Hall Annex.
Candidate Richard Spirlet
(kneeling second from left) with supporters at the Town Hall Annex.
Elizabeth Collins (center, in
blue) with supporters at the Town Hall Annex. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, April 15, 2010 The Westport Council on Aging
would like to thank Curves of North
Dartmouth for the generous donation of food they gave to the COA’s food
pantry. This year’s food drive was conducted from March 8 through March 20,
2010. Curves waived their $199
initiation fee for new customers in exchange for a full bag of
groceries. Last year they collected
1,400 pounds of food, and exceeded their goal this year of 1,500 pounds. Curves is the largest fitness franchise in the world with nearly
10,000 locations worldwide. Curves
Clubs can be found in over 70 countries, including the United States, Canada,
Europe, South America, The Caribbean, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa, Japan, and they are still growing.
They are the first fitness and weight loss facility dedicated to
providing affordable, one-stop exercise and nutritional information for
women. Just Beer sent a check for $3200 to
Operation Warlords Homecoming! EverythingWestport.com Thursday, April 15, 2010
Operation Warlords Homecoming is a huge operation, organized and run by parents and friends of the USMC 2/2 Warlords. 2nd Lt Josh Bruins and the rest of the 2/2 Marines are going to have wonderful welcome home gifts. Parents and friends are assembling laundry baskets of linens, towels, wash cloths, laundry detergent, lots of assorted toiletries, snacks, pop and restaurant gift certificates for each returning 2/2 Marine who lives on base at Camp LeJeune. Those who do not live on base will receive a gift card to a grocery store and some toiletries as well. The recent reports from the 2/2 are very encouraging. When these Marines first arrived, many areas were like "the wild west". Now schools are being built for both boys and girls, trade is returning and the area heading towards the return of prosperity. The 2/2 Marines have "performed indescribable acts of bravery, lived through moments that seemed like hours of sheer terror, chased enemy fighters across chest deep canals, provided life saving medical support to a young child, opened markets, refurbished mosques, built bridges, pulled IEDs out of the ground, and on, and on, and on…every single day." http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/11/marine_marine_beer_112909w/ See the story in the Marine Corps Times Coffee, Tea and Conversation with
the Women's Fund. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, April 15, 2010
Discover how Women's Funds are making a difference in the world, why it matters, and how you can become a part of a powerful movement towards social justice and equity for women. Kate Fentress, Executive Director, will share the history of this southeastern Massachusetts regional Women's Fund, its mission, vision and values, and why you should consider becoming involved. If you plan to join us, please RSVP to the Women's Fund at (508) 717-0283 or kfentress@cfsema.org
1. Our beautiful sterling silver logo pendant, designed by Sarah Morse.
2. A free entry into our 4th Annual Mother's Day Tiara Classic 5K walk/run Road Race! The Women's Fund
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When
Harry Smith and Bill Russell (brewers of Westport's tiny Just Beer brand) brewed
Semper Ri, they did it wanting to help 2nd Lt Josh Bruins and his men of the
2/2 USMC during their deployment in Helmand, Afghanistan. Comforts of home,
chocolates for Valentine's Day and more made the way to the distant
Afghanistan with the help of funds raised by selling the Semper Ri beer.
Soon, the 2/2 USMC Warlords will be returning home and Semper Ri has helped
again. This week, Just Beer sent a check for $3200 to Operation Warlords
Homecoming!
On April 28th at 3
p.m. the Women's Fund at the Community
Foundation invites you for coffee, tea and conversation at Partner's
Village Store, 865 Main Road, Westport, MA.
Bring
a business card or something with your name on it, and you will have the
opportunity to win two door prizes: