Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Quick Article Index . . .
Pacheco, Duarte win three-year terms on School
Committee.
Westport State Rep. Paul Schmid appointed to key committee
chairmanship.
|
Westport electorate on a slim margin approves appointing
future Highway Surveyors. Pacheco and Duarte win 3-year school
committee seats. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday,
April 15, 2015
Write-ins carried four
races, and voter turnout reached a new low with only 13.79 percent of
Westport voters coming out to make their voice heard. Inset: Former selectman,
election news commentator, and insurance guru James Coyne shares a laugh with
Town Clerk Marlene Samson as they announce the election results over the
town’s cable station. 1560
ballots were cast, representing a meager amount of the town's registered
voters, a disappointing turnout considering there was a heated school
committee race, and the highway surveyor question was provocative from the
start. But
there was little illusion that voters would turn out in large numbers
considering the number of uncontested races and four contests with no
declared candidates. Question 1 passes;
newcomer Pacheco wins pole position in a three-way race. By
the slimmest of margins, Question 1 managed to garner enough votes (665 to
611) to approve appointing the Highway Surveyor, changing a 226 year
tradition of electing the town’s overseer of public roadways.
A
last minute email campaign against Pacheco failed to dampen the enthusiasm
for the UMass employee with the MBA as she was the race’s top vote-getter;
but it did affect the vote in Precinct E (High School) where Pacheco trailed
Duarte and Rioux. Inset: Newly elected
school committee member Melissa Pacheco (left) is sworn in and congratulated
by Town Clerk Marlene Samson. In
an otherwise uneventful election, incumbent Chairman Robert Gormley (851) and
newcomer Sharon Hanover (685) beat back Andrew Gaboury (551) to win the two
seats on the Trustees of Free Public Library.
Left: The Duarte and Rioux campaigns canvassed the High School
while the Spirlet and Pacheco troops waved at passerbys in front of the Town
Hall Annex. David
Cole (945) handily won the three-year seat on the Planning Board, defeating
write-in candidate Michael P. Sullivan. Wayne
Sunderland was the top write-in candidate for the five-year planning board
seat vacated last year by John Montano, gathering 143 votes over his nearest
challenger, Michael P. Sullivan with 48. All
races with uncontested candidates were, as you might expect, won by the
uncontested candidates. A
groundswell of public disapproval over the PCB-laced Middle School helped
sweep Melissa Pacheco onto the school committee. The
UMass business manager ran a campaign of putting her finance and MBA skills
to work, determined to consolidate schools and close the Middle School, and
provide more accountability with the school district’s level-service budget.
Above: The extended Spirlet family was in attendance as the now
two-term Selectman, Richard Spirlet, is sworn in at Town Hall. Moderator Steven Fors top
vote-getter; Denise Leonardo wins a five-year seat on the Housing Authority
with only 17 votes. Town
Moderator Steven Fors was top vote-getter with 1183. Unopposed Chairman of
the Board of Selectmen, Richard Spirlet, was second with 1023 despite a last
minute challenge by write-in candidate Timothy Gillespie (71) to unseat him. The
April 19th election results are as follows: The
Town Hall Annex, Precinct B, had the highest turnout at 16.45 percent (396);
the Legion Hall, Precinct A, the least with 11.13 percent (240). There
are 4345 (4423*) democrats, 1337 (1345*) republicans, 5572 (5523*) unenrolled, and 60 (69*) others registered in Westport,
for a total of 11,360 registered voters, up from last year’s 11,297. *Totals from 2012. According
to Assistant Registrar Dottie Sylvia, "There has been a mild increase
overall in total registrations over last year.” Left: Jim Coyne interviews School
Committee candidate Nancy Rioux just prior to the
posting of the election results. Right: Town Clark Marlene Samson
swears in new school committee member Melissa Pacheco. Question 1: Shall the Town
vote to have its Highway Surveyor become an appointed Highway Surveyor of the
town?
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Selectman 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-ins Treasurer 2-Year
Unexpired
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Assessor 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Board of Health
3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. School Committee
3-Year; two seats
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Fish Commissioner
3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-ins Library Trustees
3-Year; two seats
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Landing
Commissioner 3-Year; two seats
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Housing Authority
5-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-ins Planning Board
5-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-ins Commissioner
Trust Funds 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-in Schmid Excited
in role as Chairman of Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and
Agriculture. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday, April 15, 2015 State Representative Paul A. Schmid (D-Westport)
has been appointed to serve as House chairman of the Joint Committee on
Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture by Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. The Joint Committee on Environment, Natural
Resources and Agriculture has the responsibility to consider a wide-range of
important issues that impact our use and conservation of the land and the
waters of our Commonwealth. The committee hears and deliberates on
legislative matters concerning oceans, beaches and waterways, inland and
marine fisheries, boating, farming, forestry, hunting, state parks and
recreational areas, air and water quality, sewer and septic issues, hazardous
waste, land policy and climate change.
Above: Chairs of Joint Committee on Environment,
Natural Resources and Agriculture: Senator Anne M. Gobi (D-Spencer) on left
with Representative Paul A. Schmid (D-Westport). In the last session, the committee was assigned
nearly 300 bills, including a comprehensive environmental and energy bonding
bill that authorized the state’s borrowing for capital projects and programs. “The committee is a terrific fit for me”, said
Schmid. “Our two granddaughters give Tina and I much reason to be concerned
about the world and the environment we leave them. Our state’s natural
resources include Horseneck Beach and the fishing, scalloping and lobstering that are so important to Westport. And, of
course, farming is a passion for me.” Schmid added “I also hope to have a greater
impact in advocating for environmental issues and projects throughout Fall
River, Freetown and New Bedford. I know there are projects in the pipeline
for areas such as Fall River city pier, Freetown/Fall River State Forest and Sassaquin Pond to name a few that I would like to see
come to fruition.” In conjunction with Schmid’s
leadership, the Committee will be also staffed by a team of individuals in
the House of Representatives. Anthony Veilleux,
a longtime Aide of Representative Schmid’s, will
serve as Staff Director of the Committee. Additionally, Serafina Zeringo will now serve
as Research Director, Robert Libin will continue
his services as General Counsel, and Stephanie McCarthy will assist in
constituent services and communications and media relations as a Legislative
Aide. “I am so grateful to have an experienced staff
with me this session,” said Schmid. “We are prepared and ready to assist my
constituents of the 8th Bristol district in the best way possible.” Representative Schmid and staff can be reached
weekdays in the Boston office at 617.722.2210. As a reminder, the Fall
River district office will remain open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on
Mondays and Fridays. For more updates, follow Rep. Schmid on Twitter at
@reppaulschmid. - - - - - End - - - - - ©
2015 Community Events of Westport
All rights reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
