By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Select Board voted 2-1 on Nov. 4 to present the Daniel Townsend Award for Excellence to two residents.
The Townsend Award recognizes residents’ volunteerism. The award is named after Daniel Townsend, who perished on April 19, 1775 in the first battle of the Revolutionary War.
Select Board Chair Dick Dalton said residents submitted Townsend Award nominations for stonemason Tony Tropeano, Historical Commission Chair/Conservation Commission Vice Chair Kirk Mansfield, Tree Committee Chair Jane Bandini, former Finance Committee Chair Chris Mattia and Veterans Services Officer Bruce Siegel.
Dalton nominated Tropeano for the Townsend Award. He said Veterans Memorial Committee Chair Joe Connell submitted the nomination for Tropeano due to his work on the new Veterans Memorial on South Common Street.
“Tony became involved very early in the construction planning phase of the project with remarkable insight, expertise and dedicated hours to ensure this memorial would be like no other in the state,” stated Connell. “Tony and his team volunteered and dedicated his entire company to put the veneer of the face of the memorial for a three-week period. In addition to putting the stone veneer on the memorial, Tony and his team attached the six service crests and the Lynnfield seal at no cost to the town. Once the veneer and service crests were attached, Tony has stayed involved and has met weekly with the committee to make sure the remaining project tasks were completed with his expertise and additional volunteer time.”
Connell also noted that Tropeano and his company, Tony Tropeano and Sons Artistic Masonry, undertook work on other aspects of the project that included mounting the “All Gave Some, Some Gave All” bronze plaque located on the Veterans Memorial’s pedestal.
“Tony has been monumental in making this memorial the best that it could be,” stated Connell. “He has helped provide for us a memorial that is a place of dignity and reflection, memorializing and paying tribute to our veterans and their extended families that they can visit at any time as well as increasing public awareness of which United States armed forces that have fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice around the world. Tony’s insights to the project made this site second to none. It has already become a center of attention.”
Dalton said Tropeano and his company donated “tens of thousands of dollars” for the new Veterans Memorial.
“When we talk about the Townsend Award, which is based on volunteerism, I think this is a great example of someone stepping up to have this beautiful memorial come to fruition,” said Dalton.
Select Board Vice Chair Phil Crawford nominated Mansfield for the Townsend Award. Conservation Commission Chair Don Gentile and Historic Lynnfield, Inc. Vice President Karen Nascembeni both submitted nominations for Mansfield.
“I have had the privilege of serving on the Lynnfield Conservation Commission with Kirk for several years,” Gentile wrote in his nomination. “I have been chair since 2021 and Kirk has served as vice chair. I can speak firsthand of Kirk’s dedication, devotion of time and professionalism when dealing with his fellow commissioners, applicants and the public. I have seen him go above and beyond on numerous occasions, committing his free time and juggling his professional commitments in order to further the business of the commission.”
Nascembeni’s nomination for Mansfield praised his work leading the Historical Commission.
“I can’t think of a more deserving, hardworking public servant in town,” wrote Nascembeni. “His passion for the preservation of the history of our town is exemplary. Kirk handles all of the contracts for (Meeting House) rentals, all of the cleaning and opening/closing for events, working side-by-side with the town on finances. Over the past three years, he has brought in over $40,000 in rental revenue. Another passion project was installing all the new signs marking historic and current significant landmarks. Kirk worked with State. Rep. Brad Jones to secure $25,000 to start the restoration of Lynnfield’s historic cemeteries. Kirk was also responsible for putting history back into the Meeting House, with approximately 50 photos depicting the history of Lynnfield spanning over a century of memories as well as interesting memorabilia in the Meeting House showcase.”
Select Board member Alexis Leahy nominated Tree Committee Chair Jane Bandini, who was nominated by Tree Committee member Melanie Lovell.
“Jane has been a tireless advocate for environmental preservation in Lynnfield for over a decade, serving as chair of the Tree Committee,” said Lovell wrote in her nomination. “Her tireless commitment to protecting our town’s natural beauty is evident in not just her efforts to ensure that Lynnfield not only maintains its existing Tree City designation, but that it also protects its existing tree canopy and cultivates a thriving future by planting new trees for our children and grandchildren to enjoy. Jane has been a vocal and active participant in local government, attending countless Town Meetings and speaking up at the Conservation Commission and Planning Board meetings to advocate for tree preservation. She is a naturally shy person and these public declarations are not easy for her. Her leadership was instrumental in the passage of the Scenic Roads Bylaw and the Tree Preservation Bylaw, which have significantly strengthened our community’s commitment to environmental stewardship.”
Dalton recalled that the Select Board has presented the Townsend Award to multiple individuals in previous years.
“Each of the three are deserving and are important members of our community,” said Dalton.
Dalton said he supported giving the award to Tropeano for “what he has done” for the Veterans Memorial as well as Mansfield “for what he does all the time throughout the entire year.” He said Mansfield has “made an amazing difference in the Town Common and the whole Historic District.”
“I would cast a vote for both of them,” said Dalton.
Crawford said Tropeano’s nomination is different than past nominees because he has “done so much in one year to give back to the town” while previous Townsend Award winners have given back for longer periods of time. He said Tropeano’s work on the new Veterans Memorial was “fantastic.”
“The amount of time and effort he put in and his generosity is incredible,” said Crawford.
Crawford also said Mansfield is deserving of the Townsend Award.
“He has done far more than these two letters have mentioned,” said Crawford.
Leahy said she felt “a little bit differently.”
“I understand the benefit of doing a whole lot in one timespan,” said Leahy. “I see the benefit of what Jane has done, why Lynnfield looks the way it does and why we have these amazing green spaces. It’s that tireless advocacy that is a very important aspect of how this town looks.”
Dalton said Leahy made “excellent points” about Bandini. He said she and the other nominees could be nominated again next year.
“I look at this as a hall of fame vote,” said Dalton. “There is so many to get in each year, but then the next year is their turn.”
After the discussion, Crawford and Dalton voted to present the Townsend Award to Tropeano and Mansfield. Leahy voted no.
“It’s hard not to support any of these individuals because they have brought so much to the town,” said Leahy.
In addition to Tropeano, Mansfield and Bandini, two other longtime community members were nominated for the Townsend Award. Finance Committee member Gene Covino nominated former FinCom Chair Chris Mattia for the Townsend Award for the second straight year. Ryan Road resident Nancy McCarthy nominated Veterans Services Officer Bruce Siegel.
The Select Board will be presenting the Townsend Award to Tropeano and Mansfield at Fall Town Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Lynnfield Middle School auditorium.
