Thursday, May 23, 2013
Lori Scales has been a member of the Attleboro Special Education Parent Advisory Council for 10 years.
While the number of official city council candidates grows for Attleboro's fall election, the school committee races have been slow to form. Lori Scales became just the second certified candidate this week. She is challenging Brenda Furtado, who has represented Ward 4 for two terms and was certified for the election earlier this month . Two other women have pulled papers for the Ward 4 contest, but sources say neither is expected to return them. This will likely be a two-person race. Scales responded to four basic questions from Attleboro Patch this week about her candidacy: Attleboro Patch: Why are you running? Lori Scales: As a resident of Attleboro for 22 years and a parent of two children who have gone through the Attleboro public …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
She is the first official candidate for any of the school committee races.
School Committee member Brenda Furtado, who represents Ward 4, was certified for the fall ballot this week after submitting her nomination papers along with at least 50 signatures from Attleboro voters. She is the first person to qualify for a school committee race. Furtado is serving her second term on the committee. Three others—Kristina Piasecki, Diane Lynch-Bartek and Lori Scales—have pulled papers for the Ward 4 contest. Political insiders say only Scales is expected to return them and challenge Furtado. "I am extremely excited and look forward to continuing to represent Ward 4 on the Attleboro School Committee," wrote Furtado in an email to Attleboro Patch. "I will continue representing the parents and community with honesty and …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
City Councilors Frank Cook, Richard Conti and Jay DiLisio become official candidates for the fall contests.
Editor's Note: The original version of this article incorrectly stated Walter Thibodeau was certified for the election and did not include the fact Richard Conti was certified. This was due to an error on the status sheet at the city's Election's Department office. Office Manager Marianne Draine contacted Patch about the error after the story was published. She said Thibodeau "is a little short of 100 percent certified" and Conti was certified for the election. The story has been corrected. Three sitting Attleboro city councilors were certified Monday for the fall election. Frank Cook, Richard Conti and Jay DiLisio became official candidates when election officials confirmed they had collected enough signatures from local registered voters…
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Kevin Dumas is running for mayor and Brian Kirby is running for at-large city council. Both men are seeking a sixth term.
Attleboro's fall election has its third and fourth official candidates. Mayor Kevin Dumas and at-large City Councilor Brian Kirby qualified for the ballot this week after submitting candidate papers to City Hall along with the required number of signatures from Attleboro voters. They are both seeking a sixth consecutive two-year term and were first elected in November 2003. Dumas is the first candidate to qualify for the mayoral election. He could have a familiar opponent in Ronald Churchill. The former fire chief, who unsuccessfully attempted to unseat Dumas in 2011, pulled papers this month for the mayoral and at-large council contests. Churchill has declined to speak to the media. Dumas released a statement April 17. "I look forward …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Former Fire Chief Ronald Churchill pulls papers for a possible challenge against Mayor Kevin Dumas in the fall election. He also appears to be considering a run for city council.
Mayor Kevin Dumas could have a familiar opponent as he attempts to win a sixth term in office. Former Fire Chief Ronald Churchill, who lost to Dumas in the 2011 mayoral election, has pulled papers for this year's mayoral contest. He also pulled papers for the at-large city council contest. Dumas defeated Churchill in 2011 with 59 percent of the vote. Churchill, who retired the previous year after 26 years as fire chief, had been considered a worthy opponent by many people and Dumas' landslide win took some observers by surprise. Churchill's wife Natalie told Attleboro Patch Wednesday afternoon her husband was recovering from surgery and could not answer questions. Dumas did not directly respond about his possible opponent when questioned …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The former school committee member and current Attleboro Redevelopment Authority board member unsuccessfully ran for the seat in 2011.
This year's election to determine the Ward 2 representative on the Attleboro City Council could be a rematch. City native Rick Correia, who unsuccessfully ran for the seat in a 2011 special election, announced this week he would try again this fall. His opponent in the contest two years ago was current seat holder Mark Cooper, who has not said whether he would run for re-election. Correia, 63, served four terms on the school committee and currently sits on the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority board. Correia said this experience makes him a good person to be on the top governing board for a changing city. "We are in a new era of revitalization and redevelopment in Attleboro," Correia said. "The council would benefit from a new view to …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The mother of an Attleboro third-grader also ran for the position in 2011.
If Attleboro School Committee Ward 5 representative Fran Zito decides to run for a seventh consecutive term, she will have at least one opponent. Laura Dolan, who unsuccessfully challenged Zito for the seat in 2011, pulled candidacy papers Monday. She told Attleboro Patch she would definitely run in the fall election. "I have lived here my entire life and I am vested in my community," wrote Dolan in an email to Patch. "I have a son in the third grade in the district. If elected, I intend to serve with honesty, transparency and a solid work ethic. I feel a school committee member should always put the children of Attleboro and their families ahead of politics." Dolan is an active volunteer in the district. Most recently, she served on the …
Friday, March 8, 2013
She is the first official candidate.
Attleboro has its first official candidate in the at-large city council contest for the fall election. Attleboro Farmers Market manager Heather Porreca's nomination papers were certified Thursday, the Election's Department confirmed. "I am happy that my nomination papers have been certified and I will officially be on the ballot for city councilor at-large this fall," wrote Porreca in an email to Attleboro Patch. "I am encouraged and grateful for the support that I have received as I take the first step toward representing our community." She added, "It would be an honor to serve on the council and be a voice for the citizens as we make great strides and progress into the future. As many of you know, I am passionate about Attleboro and I …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Due to health issues, the seven-term councilor says he has not been able to focus on whether he would run for re-election.
If City Council President Frank Cook decides to run for an eighth term as the Ward 3 representative, he will have at least two competitors. Former Councilor John Davis and Planning Board member Ben Dowling say they will run for the Ward 3 seat this fall. Frank says health issues have prevented him from focusing on determining whether he would seek re-election. Dowling, who has served on the planning board since 2009, pulled nomination papers Tuesday. His father Tom challenged Cook in the 2011 election, and lost by a 62-38 margin. "I just think it's time for a fresh perspective on the council for Ward 3," Dowling said. "I'd like to be more actively involved in government. I think you can be more active by being on the council than you can …
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Mariann Crisafulli says "things need to change on the school committee." Ward 4 School Committee member Brenda Furtado has two possible challengers.
Two years after she retired from the Attleboro school district, former teacher and reading specialist Mariann Crisafulli is considering returning as a member of the school committee. She pulled nomination papers Friday for a potential run in the contest for three at-large seats. Crisafulli worked in the district for 26 years, including 19 as a first-grade teacher and the final seven as a reading specialist. She also has four adult children who went through the local system and graduated from Attleboro High School. Crisafulli remains connected to the district as a volunteer at Hyman Fine Elementary School and she said she follows the actions of the school committee. "I think things need to change on the school committee," Crisafulli said. "…
Pia
12:21 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
As long as someone beats Craw and Furtado, it's a good thing. And I hope that deplorable individuals (Enegren) has the decency to go away as well. A trio of incompetents that need to be put out to pasture! more ›