By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Three incumbents pulled nomination papers last week, and are running for re-election in the April Town Election.
Select Board Chair Dick Dalton pulled papers, and is running for a fourth three-year term on the Select Board.
“I have proudly served three terms on the Board and wish to continue my service to the community,” Dalton wrote in a Letter to the Editor published in this week’s Villager. “During my 40 years as a resident, I have also served 15 years on the Planning Board as well as serving the town on numerous other boards and committees. I have extensive experience in the private sector and have accumulated a wealth of knowledge in managing organizations. I served as COO, overseeing 3,500 employees and operations; CFO of a publicly held company; negotiated collective bargaining agreements with six different unions as well as negotiated sophisticated financial transactions. What my candidacy offers is an individual with a proven track record of public service combined with a successful career in senior leadership roles in the private sector. I have genuinely enjoyed serving the town of Lynnfield, and I look forward to being re-elected so I can continue to address the challenges and opportunities that will present themselves.”
Dalton said, “2025 will be a challenging year on several fronts.”
“State revenues are down and that may mean less funding for the cities and towns,” Dalton stated. “Tax revenue from new growth in town is minimal. The town’s and the school district’s collective bargaining agreements expire this year. The town needs a Select Board comprised of members who possess the institutional knowledge, experience and skill set to manage the town through challenging times and have the vision to secure the town’s position as a great place to live for generations to come. I respectfully ask for your vote on April 8.”
School Committee Chair Kristen Grieco Elworthy also took out nomination papers last week. After being elected to a one-year term on the school board during the April 2024 Town Election, Elworthy is running for a full three-year term this year.
“I am running for re-election to the School Committee to continue to be a part of the positive changes that we are making to an already high-performing school district that I’m proud to send my kids to,” stated Elworthy in an email sent to the Villager. “I believe we are well-positioned to manage the challenges ahead — in particular, meeting aggressive goals that will elevate the learning environment while also navigating the challenges of a tight budget. It’s been gratifying to be part of a committee that is laser focused on removing barriers to teaching and learning. This has included a new, stricter cellphone and smartwatch policy that removes the devices from the classroom, dress code updates and new handbooks for each building that are being worked on this year so that expectations and culture are more accessible and clearly communicated to families and students.
“As chair of the School Committee since September, I have been focused on problem-solving and collaboration — not just amongst our committee but with other boards in town, including the Select Board and Finance Committee,” Elworthy continued. “We have increased our opportunities to meet with other boards and with teachers and community members throughout the year. These open lines of communication will allow us to better anticipate challenges and ensure that the town understands the district’s needs and vision. I have also focused on building a strong relationship with our superintendent to ensure that expectations are clearly communicated and that the committee has various opportunities, such as workshops, to collaborate with our Administrative Leadership Team on vision and progress towards goals. Looking back at the past nine months since I became part of the School Committee, I’m amazed at how far we have come, and I look forward to continuing to be a part of a group that is working for the best interests of our students – hand in hand with our Administrative Leadership Team, teachers, paraprofessionals and staff. If re-elected, I plan to face the many decisions of the next few years with an open mind, thoughtfulness, collaboration and honesty.”
School Committee Vice Chair Jenny Sheehan also pulled papers last week. Similar to Elworthy, Sheehan was elected to a one-year term on the School Committee during the April 2024 Town Election.
“It was just under a year ago that I was elected onto the School Committee, but in that short time we hit the ground running to get LPS back on track, with a clear focus on regaining the high standards that Lynnfield has come to expect from its school system,” Sheehan stated in an email. “After years of mismanagement and poor oversight from the previous committee, this was easier said than done. However, from day one our guiding principle has been to empower the amazing teachers and focus on teaching and learning, the foundations of our academic success.
“First, we reconfigured Central Office so that we could move money away from what had become a bloated administration, and back into the classroom where it actually benefits our students,” Sheehan continued. “This began with formalizing Superintendent Geary’s contract, allowing him to hire the best candidates for the many open positions in our district. Secondly, we met extensively with teachers and school administrators to identify policies they believed were needed to achieve the highest levels of academic success. As a member of the Policy Subcommittee, I saw it as my duty to make sure the policies our teachers needed were researched, backed by data and vetted by a variety of stakeholders, so they could be ready and voted on by the committee before the upcoming school year. From this work, we were able to finally enshrine lower class sizes for our youngest learners; install a dress code that both students and teachers agreed would improve the learning environment for all; and institute a first of its kind cellphone policy that eliminates digital distractions during learning time.
“Along with the hard work by our teachers and administrators of LPS, I believe these actions are forming a strong foundation that will benefit students for years to come,” Sheehan continued. “However, as we begin negotiations with the LTA for the upcoming contract renewal, I am reminded that the work I have helped start is far from over. Our district is moving forward and I want to continue to push us to return to the peaks of academic success that LPS has always been known for. The schools are why I moved to Lynnfield years ago, and I will remain laser-focused on continuing to grow our district’s success and to serve the needs of our 2200 students and staff. It is with that in mind that I again ask for your vote in 2025.”
The April Town Election features six other offices on the ballot.
Planning Board member Ed Champy will be able to run for a second five-year term.
Library Trustees Faith Honer-Coakley and Richard Mazzola will each have the option to run for three-year terms.
Board of Assessors member Richard O’Neil Jr. is eligible to run for a three-year term.
Town Moderator Steve Walsh has the option to run for a second one-year term. He was elected town moderator during the April 2024 Town Election.
Housing Authority Board of Commissioners member John Nunziato will be able to run for a second five-year term in the April Town Election.
Town Clerk Amanda Haggstrom stated in the candidates’ guide for the Town Election that office hopefuls will need to receive a minimum of 50 signatures from registered voters in order to have their name appear on the ballot.
“Be sure to submit more than the required number, 50, for certification so you do not fall short in the event of signatures not certified,” Haggstrom stated. “All signatures and addresses must be legible and written substantially as registered. If the voter’s signature is illegible, you may ask them to print their name next to the signature. The law allows a voter to insert or omit a middle name or initial and still have the signature deemed valid.”
The last day to submit nomination papers is Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. The last day for candidates to have their name removed from the municipal ballot is Thursday, March 6 at 5 p.m.
Due to the $63.5 million public safety buildings and Town Hall project, the Town Clerk’s Office has been relocated to the Senior Center/Lynnfield Public Schools Central Office, 525 Salem St. The Town Election will take place on Tuesday, April 8.
For more information about the April Town Election, residents can visit https://www.town.lynnfield.ma.us/town-clerk/pages/running-office-lynnfield.
“Our office is here to assist you as you navigate the local election process,” Haggstrom wrote on the town clerk’s website.
