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Candidates for Election - April 2011 Steven J. Ouellette announces re-election bid. EverythingWestport.com Friday, April 01, 2011
As Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and Economic Development Task
Force, I continue to search and assist in bringing low-impact business to
town. Currently, we are focusing on the Route 6 "Narrows" section
of town. Ongoing projects include supporting utilization of the old
Alhambra's site on Route 177, and light manufacturing locations within our
business zones. "I continue to search and assist in bringing low-impact business
to town." - Steven Ouellette Westport has been in the spotlight many times lately. We were named
nationally by the National Weather Service as a touchdown spot for a
hurricane, flooding invaded our homes and property, blizzards needed to
addressed, and several fatalities occurred that were heartfelt in our
community. As Chairman, I feel our team leadership handled these situations
well, and I hope to continue being part of this team. This experience is a critical element to serve on your Select Board now
and in the future. I need your vote to continue doing so. For more
information on my candidacy, please see ReElectOuellette
on Facebook or visit www.ReElectOuellette.com
. Thank you, Steven J. Ouellette, candidate for re-election to the Board
of Selectmen. Antonio Viveiros announces his candidacy for the three-year Westport School
Committee seat. EverythingWestport.com Friday, April 01, 2011
"The 2012 proposed budget does not bring back teachers that were
let go last year." - Antonio Viveiros
Stephen J. Medeiros announces his intention to
run for Highway Surveyor. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, March 03, 2011
Steve Medeiros auctioneering off a quilt in support of the
Rock, Rhythm and Blues Festival and a Wish Come True. Growing up on a dairy farm in Westport with my family, my father,
George Medeiros who served on many Westport boards and civic organizations
over the years, instilled a commitment to community service in all his
children. I am currently Chairman of the Westport Board of Assessors, and Vice
President of the Bristol County Assessors Association. As a former owner/operator of High View Farm and High View Sales and
Service, we sold and serviced farm machinery for many area farmers. Later in
my career, I was employed by Russell Family Farms at the Westport Rivers
Vineyard and Winery, then transferred during the construction phase of
Buzzards Bay Brewing, going on to work in production and sales for them. When distribution of Buzzards Bay was given to Branded Whitehall
Distributors, I serviced Southeastern Mass. and Cape Cod as a sales
representative for the company. Wanting to return to my roots of being around
heavy equipment, I became Bristol County sales representative for Schmidt
Equipment, a John Deere construction equipment dealership, and later, with
Bobcat of Cape Cod. I was approached by my current employer, who was a long-time client, to
assist in the sales and management of their growing company, Site Ready
Materials and Construction, a recycling facility for excavation materials. We
recycle asphalt and concrete into gravel; turn leaves and grass into compost;
transform stumps and brush into mulch; and also process crushed stone from
ledge. These materials are supplied to local businesses, homeowners, and many
local Highway Departments and state Department of Transportation facilities. My other responsibilities include being the transportation coordinator
for a sister company, LAL Construction, working on a daily basis with four or
five crews, superintendents, and foreman to provide them with their trucking
and equipment needs. These life experiences of management and dealing with the public on a
daily basis have greatly prepared me for the office of Highway Surveyor. My
leadership and social skills are greatly needed in this position, which many
townspeople feel is currently lacking. "My assessing career has given me the opportunity of gaining a
tremendous knowledge of the town and the needs of the taxpayers, and also working
in harmony with other boards and departments, skills definitely needed for
the Highway Surveyor position." I have given my time to many civic organizations including the Westport
Fair, coaching boys basketball and baseball, Wish Come True, and Kenny's
Connection, which is a non-profit organization my family started after the
loss of our grandson Kenny Griffin, who worked with autistic children;
raising money to assist families with children with autism in the surrounding
communities in his memory. My part-time auctioneer's business has helped me achieve goals for many
local charities, schools and churches in the area. This has provided an
extremely satisfying and rewarding experience of working with others to
organize and achieve success. In the past I have thought of running for the position of Highway
Surveyor, but this year was approached by many townspeople asking me to run.
As I do, they feel there is a need for change of leadership for this
department. My integrity, work ethics, knowledge of heavy equipment, and
passion for obtaining positive goals will be an asset to the Town of
Westport. I respectfully ask for your vote on April 12 for Westport Highway
Surveyor, and thank you in advance. Stephen J. Medeiros Westport resident Donna Lambert
announced today she will run for re-election to the Board of Health. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Her parents, Richard and Barbara Lambert, built their home on Old Bedford
Road over 35 years ago, and it is where she resides today along with her
parents and son, Brendon. She graduated Westport High School in 1981, and has a background in
Animal Sciences. As owner/operator, Donna ran City View Stables, Feed and Tack Shop for
over 30 years. She is a former 4-H leader and past President of Westport
Business to Business. "For over 20 years I have been dedicated to our Town, taking pride
in my work," Ms. Lambert said. "My involvement includes
participation in the Zoning Board of Appeals (current member for over 10
years), Board of Health (current member for over 9 years), Town Building
Committee (recording secretary), School Building Committee (recording
secretary), Equine Regulation Committee (chairman), Organic Recycling
Committee (chairman), Board of Health (recording secretary), Farmers
Association (member), and Personnel Board (recording secretary)," she
said. According to Ms. Lambert, she is "knowledgeable with MGL, Chapter
40A and the State Environmental Code, 310 CMR." She is also a member of the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards
(MAHB), and has attended seminars and completed online courses as they have
become come available. She has also completed courses regarding Hoarding,
Bioterrorism agents, conducting hearings, Board of Health Legal Authority and
more. "I attend seminars and classes that pertain to the Zoning Board of
Appeals," she said. Ms. Lambert is on the Emergency Response team, and has completed
Incident Command System classes. She is a member of the Animal Control
Officers Association of Mass (ACOAM), and is a member of the State of
Massachusetts Animal Response Team (SMART), being pro-active with the animals
in disaster team and a State Certified Animal Inspector. She is currently the town's interim Animal Control Officer. "I will continue to be pro-active in tracking non point source
pollution to our beautiful rivers and waterways, and I will remain pro-active
regarding our transfer station," Ms. Lambert said. Ms. Lambert said she "is listening to your phone calls, and will
continue to work to address your concerns." "I have no ax to grind with any of the boards in town, so I have
no personal agenda. I do attend all meetings with an open mind, and my
decisions are educated and non-biased. My attendance for all meetings is in the public record,
and you should not be misled about my ability to attend and serve with as
much enthusiasm now as I have had over the last 20 years," she said. "I respectfully request and look forward to your continued support
on April 12th," Ms. Lambert concluded. James Coyne announces intention to run for one-year
unexpired selectman's seat. EverythingWestport.com Friday, February 11, 2011
And he has announced his intentions to run for the one year remainder of Selectman Paul Schmid’s
term. Schmid is resigning in April of this year after haven been recently
elected last November as Westport's state representative. Schmid agreed to
stay on as selectman for $1 to avoid an expensive special election to fill
the vacancy created by his election. The 35-year resident and candidate is a veteran, having served as a "It is my belief the one year term of Selectman will give me an
opportunity to serve the Town of My past experience and education should qualify me to be a member of
the Board. With the many appointed
boards and commissions I would like to review the charge and activity of
each. It would be helpful prior to
re-appointment to review the accomplishments and disappointments of the
members." He was the original chairman of the Westport
Cable Advisory Committee and was formerly a member of the Westport Personnel
Board. He is an at-large member of the Disability Review Committee. He is
also a former executive director of the Westport Housing Authority. In 1980 with his wife Janet, Coyne opened the Midway Casualty Insurance
Agency now known as the Coyne and Powers Insurance Agency Inc. located at the
He is a member of He is also a member of "With the most recent population notice that more than 40% of our
citizens are 60 years and older, it is a clear indication that our seniors
(and I am one) will require increased consideration. Coyne also said he would like to review the
charges and activities of town boards and committees, and review their
accomplishments prior to reappointment. The Town of I am in no position to know all the duties of The Board of Selectman,
but I am a quick learner and have time to devote," Coyne said. It is Coyne's belief that the Town should not be in the real estate
business as to housing or housing developments. "It is my desire that we consider our Town as one entity, and not
separated by municipal or school government.
The formula worked on was a 60/40 split and I think it should be by
need, not by percentages," Coyne said. Coyne also said he would like to review the
charges and activities of town boards and committees, and review their
accomplishments prior to reappointment. Mr. Coyne is a 1960 graduate of Mauk announces he will run for Highway
Surveyor. Thursday, February 10, 2011. I, Glenn E. Mauk, announce my candidacy for
Highway Surveyor in Westport. I am 45 years old and live at 5 Princess Pine
Way with my wife Sandi and our two sons, Ben and Jake. I attended Westport
Schools and hold a BS degree in Civil Engineering and a JD in Law. I am a
licensed Professional Civil Engineer, Professional Land Surveyor, Real Estate
Broker and Attorney. Additionally, I am a certified Title V System Inspector,
Soil Evaluator and hold a Hoisting Engineer's License. I have worked over 20
years in private practice as a civil engineer, land surveyor and attorney. Over the years, the qualifications needed to properly perform the job
of the Highway Surveyor have changed. That change is apparent from the
difficulties in which the department has been involved in during the past six
years— including employees being severely injured, serious safety violations,
improper employee hiring and firing actions, failure to obtain required
environmental permits, unauthorized sale of town property, and prohibited
awarding of municipal contracts. Westport cannot continue to waste taxpayer
money on attorney fees, lawsuits, increasing insurance costs and settlement
payments for avoidable situations. As Highway Surveyor, I will use my engineering and legal experience and
education in supervising the department. In addition to overseeing the
day-to-day road maintenance activities, I will address: ·
The personal
safety of employees and the public will be my highest priority. I will
immediately complete a thorough review of the work performed by the department
and the safety measures used to protect its employees and the public. I will
require 100% adherence to all recognized safety standards and practices. ·
Repair of the
town road network is the responsibility of the Highway Surveyor. I will
prepare a Pavement Management Program to prioritize the most cost effective
allocation of money for maintenance, repair, restoration and reconstruction
of town roads. This program involves the documented assessment of the entire
road network, existing pavement condition, and anticipated use. Public input
will be sought in preparing this program. Prioritizing repairs lends itself
to advance planning and coordination with other utility projects to avoid
disturbing newly-paved roads. ·
Storm water
runoff is an important element of road repair. I will perform a storm water
engineering study to identify roads that do not have adequate storm water
drainage and locations prone to flooding. Input from stakeholders including
the public, property owners, Conservation Commission, Board of Health,
Planning Board, Stormwater Management Program
Committee, and the Westport River Watershed Alliance, will be included. I
will focus future storm water drainage improvements on critical locations
that have the most traffic and the worst drainage problems. ·
Traffic patterns
are the most important aspect of effective removal and treatment of snow and
ice-covered roads. I will perform traffic studies throughout town to gather
information on the road network, and use these studies to develop the most cost
effective snow removal and ice treatment routes, to prepare the Pavement
Management Program, and plan other maintenance activities. ·
In response to
the requirement for major repairs to Highway buildings, I will perform an
engineering inspection of the structures, prepare a detailed structural
condition report, preliminary repair plans and estimates, and provide
professional advice to Selectmen and Town Building Committee on these
structures. ·
I will create a
computer database of town roads, a geographical information system (GIS) to
gather, store, and manage information about the road network. As more
information is added, it will allow for the most efficient use of resources. ·
I will prepare a
complete record of all existing department property, describing the item,
age, amount of usage, physical condition, and expected life cycle. "The above work will be
performed by me or department employees under my supervision, at no
additional cost to the town beyond the current budget. I will use available
Chapter 90 transportation aid in a more cost effective manner to increase the
life span of town roads." As Highway Surveyor, I will offer my services to other departments on
engineering, land surveying, construction permitting, and legal matters, to
the extent permitted by Selectmen and Town Counsel. I respectfully ask for
your vote on April 12. Thank you for your consideration. Brian Valcourt announces re-election campaign. Saturday, February 05, 2011
Since 2008, he has diligently worked towards restoring civility and
professionalism to town government, reducing law suits, seeking alternative
revenue streams, preserving the quality of life through pro-environment and
land conservation projects, as well as developing healthy and productive
relationships with the schools and other town committees toward an effort to
better serve the citizens of the Town of Westport. Brian is grateful for the overwhelming support of the voters in the
last election and humbly asks for your support in order to continue working
for the people. Brian is committed to another term as he feels there is yet
more work to do for the advancement of Westport. "Brian is committed to another term as he feels there is yet more
work to do for the advancement of Westport." To find out more about the candidate or to volunteer, visit the
campaign Facebook page: Re-elect Brian Valcourt or email ReElectBrianValcourt@Gmail.com. Kimberley (Jennings) Fernandes
announces candidacy for Board of Health in Westport Saturday, February 05, 2011
I've listened to the voices of many of you and what you expect from a
Board of Health member. I am knowledgeable of your concerns regarding septic
systems, Title V and the Westport River, to mention a few. I believe you, the
people, deserve a presence on the Board of Health. You deserve a member who
will not only attend meetings but will be active in going to site visits and
functions where Board of Health members are wanted. "I will give the people what they want and need. I am dedicated to
the cause. Westport is my home too! I want to do whatever I can to help the
people and the town achieve the best solutions for all. I respectfully
request your vote on April 12th!" Reason for running: To provide a presence for the people; help improve
our community; attend site visits, activities and functions that would need
the presence of BOH. Key issues also include addressing septic system and
Title V issues, and protecting the Westport River by preventing pollution so
we can better enjoy the river ourselves and for generations to come. Personal Info: Married to Brian G. Fernandes for over 20 years, and
mother to four children— Eric, Matthew, Evan, and Carrie. Employed at
Lighthouse Computer Services, Inc. in Lincoln, RI., as a contract
administrator; also a self-employed, licensed real estate broker, GRI,
working on a referral basis only. Mrs. Fernandes is a graduate of Westport High School, Class of 1976, a
graduate of Diman Regional Technical Institute Dental
Assisting Program. She is a regular member of the Westport Zoning Board of
Appeals, serving a five year term, having served two one-year terms as an
associate member. Mrs. Fernandes is a volunteer for the American Cancer Society
"Notes to Neighbors" campaign, participating in the American Cancer
Society charities as well as hospice. She also participates in the
Adopt-A-Child Christmas program sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society;
and is an animal advocate with concern and care for stray and feral cats. She has also initiated neighborhood cleanup plans several times a year,
including the Alice A. Macomber School play yard. Antone (Tony) C. Vieira Jr. announces candidacy. Thursday, January 27, 2011 photo/EverythingWestport.com
"My father and grandfather never graduated from high school, but I
believe I learned as much from my parents and grandparents as I have from the
academic world. They taught me values, the importance to listen when one
communicates, and why this town called Westport is such a special
place." In addition to being a farmer, I hold a doctorate in education and work
for the I chaired the Westport Community Preservation Committee for five years
and served on the Westport Finance Committee for the last three years. Last year, I was the Chair of the Westport
Finance Committee. For many years, I coached soccer, basketball, and baseball
in our Town athletic leagues. In addition, I serve on numerous boards,
commissions, councils, task forces, and committees in I am running for Selectmen because I want to improve the efficiency,
accountability, and transparency of our town government. At the same time, I
want to preserve and respect our historic past, respect the folks responsible
for it, and support the potential we can achieve to move our community
forward. As My father and grandfather never graduated from high school, but I
believe I learned as much from my parents and grandparents as I have from the
academic world. They taught me values, the importance to listen when one
communicates, and why this town called Westport is such a special place. The quality of life for our neighbors, our children, and our
grandchildren will be determined by the decisions of our elected and
appointed town officials. As residents, we all have opinions, concerns, and
particular interests. Nevertheless, I believe our town government and the
town’s decision making process need to be more open and transparent. I will work to ensure the
economic, social, and financial stability for our town. I have spent many
years reviewing budgets, goals, special project proposals, and established
town priorities. Leadership from the Board of Selectmen is needed in
representing what is in the best interest of the whole town, given Over the next three years, Special interests need to be
considered and weighed against its impact on the overall town-wide needs,
wants, and priorities. Sometimes the right decisions are hard decisions to
make. I believe most elected officials
try to do what they believe is best. Nevertheless, all residents and
taxpayers deserve the opportunity to decide on our priorities going forward.
If elected, I pledge to begin that process. Thank you, Antone C. Vieira
Jr. Elaine Ostroff announces candidacy. Friday, January 7, 2011 photo/EverythingWestport.com
Pledges
Impartial, Thoughtful Leadership Left: Elaine Ostroff (right) with
Martha Sears at the first bench dedication in Central Village. Elaine Ostroff, a long-time
advocate for seniors and disabled people, and Long active in "I believe in listening
to the people of Westport, voters and non-voters alike, whose children attend
our schools, depend upon our police and firefighters for public safety, drive
our roads, enjoy our beautiful beaches and rivers, farm our fields," she
said. "I want to hear their ideas on meeting these challenges and
exploring opportunities." Ostroff has served as an
elected member of the Planning Board since 2008. She also chairs the
Commission on Disability, and serves on the Affordable Housing Trust and
Affordable Housing Partnership Committee, the Central Village Public
Improvements Committee, and the board of Westport Business to Business. She
is also a former chair of the Westport Cultural Council. Since 2003 she has been a
volunteer instructor in the osteoporosis prevention program at the Council on
Aging. She is an internationally
acclaimed expert in universal design education and the recipient of numerous
awards for her work in accessible and universal design. An experienced
manager, she cofounded the Boston-based Elaine Ostroff is the mother
of three and the grandmother of four. She was married to her late husband
Earl Ostroff for 52 years. She grew up in The town election is April
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