Published in the March 23, 2017 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — Candidates running for the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee in the April 25 Town Election had an opportunity to introduce themselves to local voters at a forum at The Savings Bank last night sponsored by the Democratic Town Committee.
School Committee candidates went first, with four of the five announced candidates attending. Incumbent Christopher Callanan along with challengers Ashley Shae Chase, Anne-Marie Fortier and Gregory Powers outlined their reasons for running and fielded questions from the 50 or so people in the audience. Former School Committee member Evan Kenney did not attend.
A 12-year veteran of the School Committee, Callanan talked about the difficult decisions that school committees are called upon to make while assuring the fewest negative effects on education. He said the School Committee tries to live within the town’s means and work with the Town Administrator and the Finance Committee to find the proper balance.
Callanan stressed the need to do something about the Wakefield Memorial High School, which faces a threat to its accreditation due to building issues.
Chase said she has lived in Wakefield for seven years. She talked about her background in special education, working in many school districts as a consultant. She said that she is currently working toward a doctorate in behavior analysis. She maintained that Wakefield has “the best teachers” and she wanted to make sure that they are supported.
Fortier said that she has spent 25 years working in education and administration. She is the parent of two students in the local schools. She said that she was a “fierce advocate” for public schools.
“The strength of our community is largely based on the strength of our schools,” she said.
Powers said that he has lived in Wakefield for 17 years and has two children in the school system. He talked about his community involvement as a member of the Independence Day parade Committee and the Commission on Disabilities. He has also coached youth sports for years.
Powers said that someone who goes into teaching is “a special person.” He said that recruitment of good teachers is largely a function of the district’s reputation. He noted that the town and its taxpayers answered the call with the new Galvin Middle School and that local parents have rallied to support the schools.
Fortier maintained that it was easier to retain good teachers than to recruit new ones. She said that professional development is important to that effort. She said that the community’s commitment to its schools was evident in the new school buildings.
Callanan said that the way to retain teachers is by having an overall strategy, which he said that the School Committee has developed. He said that the School Committee has negotiated contracts with the teachers that make them feel that they are respected and supported.
Chase stressed the need to have an open dialog with teachers regarding what they need and what will keep them here. She also emphasized the need to work with other communities and employ best practices.
Regarding the risk to the high school’s accreditation, Callanan said that Wakefield continues to show that it is working to address the problem. He noted that the town has already reapplied to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for state assistance next year in addressing the problems with the high school building. He said that an alternative to addressing the accreditation problem could be to construct a separate science building.
Powers suggested that part of the problem was not enough attention to routine maintenance of school buildings. He said that the town should not rely on state funding but should have a plan to take care of the buildings so that they don’t run into problems like the ones at the old Galvin Middle School.
Fortier said that the question should be reframed to go beyond just the physical plant to having an environment for 21st century learning. However, she acknowledged that the high school has structural deficiencies that need to be addressed.
Selectman candidates Daniel Benjamin, Mehreen Butt, Stefan Chase, Edward Dombrowski and James Lapery participated in another discussion. Selectman Phyllis Hull did not attend.
Benjamin noted that he is a Wakefield native and a Vietnam War veteran. “No one loves this town more than me,” he claimed. He said that he would like to see the town move forward with the Rail Trail project. He also called for tax relief for veterans and seniors and advocated revitalization of the downtown and Greenwood.
Butt said that she is employed as the director of Public Policy at Rosie’s Place, a homeless women’s shelter in Boston. She is a member of the Charter Review Committee and the Hallmark Health Board of Trustees. She stressed the need for fiscal responsibility and continuing progress toward transparency and efficiency in town government.
Dombrowski cited his background as an attorney and a small business owner. He has served on the Finance Committee for several years. He emphasized the need to balance reasonable development with maintaining the town’s quaint New England feel. He said that property values and strong schools are directly correlated.
Lapery said that he grew up in Wakefield. He has served on the Board of Public Works, the Cable Advisory Committee and the permanent Building Committee. He said that he wanted to continue working on behalf of the town as a member of the Board of Selectmen.
Chase described himself as a “fiscal conservative.” He cited his background in finance and real estate and maintained that growth and attracting new residents is essential for sustaining the town’s fiscal stability.
He maintained that the downtown area has “no coherent architectural strategy,” and that detracts from efforts to attract new businesses. In addition to reaching out to downtown landlords he suggested that the town should also be seeking to link landlords with developers in who may be willing to buy properties and improve them.
The candidates were asked about how they would approach revitalizing the Greenwood business district.
Butt, Lapery and Dombrowski stressed the importance of addressing Greenwood issues as part of a comprehensive approach to the whole town.
Butt noted that the new Hallmark Health medical building will bring 200 new employees to Greenwood who will eat and shop in Greenwood.
Dombrowski said that he has spoken to Greenwood business owners who stressed parking concerns. He said that he felt that there was plenty that could be done and would be willing to work with all of the players to come up with a plan.
Lapery agreed that parking is an issue but maintained that in some ways Greenwood is developing faster than the downtown area. He said that comparisons to Melrose ignore the fact that Melrose has more off-street parking lots than Greenwood or downtown Wakefield have.
Chase maintained that more mixed-use properties were the way to go in Greenwood and in the downtown. He also suggested making Greenwood more bike and walker friendly with improved and uniform lighting.
Benjamin insisted that it would take time for revitalization efforts in Greenwood and the downtown to bear fruit. He called for a new Master Plan for the town. He suggested giving groups like the Main Street Program time to implement improvements in the downtown and Greenwood.
