Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Thursday,
March 21, 2013
photos/EverythingWestport.com
Quick
Article Index . . .
Westport seniors meet the
candidates.
Westport HOPP program can provide up to $80,000 for a
first time home buyer.
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Westport
seniors meet the candidates. EverythingWestport.com Thursday,
March 21, 2013 Photos/EverythingWestport.com Click here for
video of School Committee candidates’ opening remarks at the Westport Senior
Center. “Abandon the
Middle School; expand the High School,” echoed School Committee candidates at
Wednesday’s Meet and Greet the Candidates Forum sponsored by Westport’s
Council on Aging. Westport seniors
attending a monthly soup and sandwich luncheon at the Senior Center got up
close and personal with many of the candidates running for office in the
upcoming April 9th election. The forum was
headlined by a very strong field running for two spots on the School
Committee.
School Committee candidates. School Committee Chairwoman Michelle Duarte, who is seeking her first full
term after being appointed to a vacant seat in October, 2010 and winning
election for that unexpired term in April 2011, spoke of her record of
dealing with the issues challenging the school district. Duarte will face
stiff competition from two very-qualified aspirants for her job and that of
current School Committee member Eric Larrivee who
chose not to run for reelection. Michelle Duarte
is running on her record. Reading from a prepared statement Duarte said, “I
am running for reelection because I want to make a difference. I am running to
create a school system for School Committee that will provide all of our
students with the resources and education to allow all students success, so
that they may lead us into the future.” “We have been
faced with many challenges over the last few years,” Duarte said. “Only two short
months after my election we learned of the PCB problem at the Middle School.” That issue looms
large, and has dogged Duarte and the School Committee to this very day. PCB
contamination is a major issue both for budgeting and student safety. “With sound
fiscal management we have been able to decrease class sizes. We have added
much needed technology giving our students the tools necessary to become
college and career ready,” Duarte said.
Above, left: Michelle Duarte. Center: Melissa Pacheco. Right: Nancy Pacheco. Melissa Pacheco, candidate for School Committee
said, “I am here today because of all of my many life experiences, both
personal and professional.” Pacheco believes
in the accountability of the School Committee, and believes in a
goal-oriented approach to manage school-based criteria and policies. “As a School Committee
we must have a clear vision and detailed goals for our schools, including
administration and the committee itself.” “The board must
be responsive to the community it serves,” Pacheco said. “Today I think it’s
imperative that our students be educated so that they can seek additional
education whether it be technical or at a university setting.” Pacheco added
that “Most people in town understand that budget is an important aspect of our
schools and funding is very limited.” “I believe we
need a transparent budget that everyone understands and relate to,” Pacheco
said. “We must seek to utilize all funding options and resources that are available
to us.” “I believe that
my experience in project management, proposal development, report writing and
negotiations provide a background that will prove to be an asset.” Candidate for school
board, Nancy Rioux, an educational psychologist
in the New Bedford school system, said all students are diverse students. “All children
learn differently, and whether they require traditional structured or
specialized instruction, I support the philosophy that every child has the
capacity to learn,” Rioux said. “I’m running for School
Committee because I genuinely have a passion and a deep commitment to make
sure that all students are able to reach their full and individual potential,
and I want to make sure that they are given every opportunity to do so.” “With
consideration of all aspects, that the Westport school system can actually
exceed its own expectations in meeting a quality education while still
remaining fiscally sound,” Rioux added. Abandon the Middle School. “Abandon the
Middle School; expand the High School,” echoed all the School Committee
candidates when asked which of five options, discussed in the past by the
School Superintendent and School Committee, would be their first choice in
resolving the Middle School PCB issue:. ·
Abandon the Middle School and put up a new building. ·
Abandon the Middle School, Macomber
Elementary and the High School. Build a new junior/senior high and expand the
Westport Elementary. ·
Abandon the Middle School and build an addition to
the High School to include the 6th through 8th grades. Expand and renovate Macomber and Westport Elementary schools. Turn the Middle
School over to the town. ·
Renovate the Middle School and the High School. ·
Continue to monitor PCB levels at the Middle
School and remediate as necessary. Many of the
uncontested candidates also made an appearance at the forum. Candidates in
contested elections were given three minutes for opening remarks, and then responded
to previously submitted questions from the audience; each candidate was give
two minutes for their answer. There was limited
debate by the audience regarding the Highway Surveyor question. Write-in campaigns promise to dominate
April 9th election. Two surprising
announcements for write-in campaigns were announced. Former Planning Board member
Wayne Sunderland and current School Committee member Michael P. Sullivan
announced their intentions for write-in campaigns for the Planning Board; Sunderland
for the vacant five-year slot, and Sullivan to contest current Planning Board
member David Cole who was recently appointed to the position vacated by John
Montano, and is now running for the 3-year unexpired seat. Sunderland yielded
to friends and community members pressuring him to run for the position. Sullivan set the
campaign tone for the by challenging Cole, saying if he so interested in
serving on the Planning Board why didn’t he run for the 5-five-year seat. Sullivan had
originally pulled nomination papers for the seat, but failed to return them
to Board of Registrars before the deadline. Acting COA
Director Jennifer Wagner said an extra van driver will be available to
transport seniors and disabled voters to the polls. School Committee
member Michael P. Sullivan unexpectedly announced his write-in candidacy for
the 3-year Planning Board slot, sparking a mild skirmish with opponent David
Cole. EverythingWestport.com Friday, March 22,
2013 This is also school
vacation week, so remember that the Library has Museum discounted entry
fee passes which can be reserved in advance for The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Science Museum, and the New Bedford Whaling Museum. DVDs and books
for all ages. The Friends of
Westport Library are enhancing the offerings for the week: ·
In addition to the permanent shelves of Bookstore in the Library, there
will be more tables of books in the entryway including a ‘mysteries’ section,
an often requested idea. Books are still $1.50 - $2.00. ·
FOWL members will be on hand for a few hours each day to chat with
patrons and sign up new members. ·
Copies of Volume 1 of newsletter “@theLibrary,” a new joint venture of the Library and
FOWL. ·
Thursday, April 18th at 7 p.m. - “A Celebration of Books.” Barry Press, Director of Living Literature
RI, and Anne Scurria, popular actress with Trinity
Rep Theatre, will present dramatized readings observing the various roles
books play in our lives. Featured authors are Ray Bradbury, David Eggars, Annie Lamott, Grace
Paley, and Carlos Ruiz Zafon. One quote from
Annie Lamott – “Reading and books are medicine.”
This is a short, charming program (about 40 minutes with Q&A) that will
lift your mood. All are welcome, and there is no admission charge. Westport Public Library, 408 Old County Road,
Westport. For more information please call the Library during normal working
hours at 508.636.1100. Westport HOPP program can provide up to $80,000 for a
first time home buyer. The application deadline for the program is Tuesday,
May 28th by 3:00 p.m. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, March 24,
2013 Click here to print the Housing Opportunity Purchase Program information and
application. PDF Westport’s
Affordable Housing Trust Fund is seeking first-time homebuyers to increase
the town’s percentage of affordable housing through an innovative initiative
called the Housing Opportunity Purchase Program. The program, funded
through state grants to the town’s Community Preservation Committee, can
provide up to $80,000 for a first-time home buyer. Currently there is enough state
funding to assist as many as three first-time Westport homebuyers. “This is an
opportunity for first-time homebuyers,” according to Elaine Ostroff, a member of the Westport Affordable Housing
Trust said. “But you have to be eligible to obtain the assistance.” Applicants have
to be prepared to do all the leg-work themselves, according to Ostroff.
An informational
session for those interested in the program will be held at 7 p.m.,
Wednesday, April 10, at the Macomber Primary School,
155 Gifford Road, Westport. The program helps
first-time income-eligible homebuyers “close the gap” between the money they
have to buy a house and the money they need to buy a house. An informational session for
those interested in the program will be held at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 10,
at the Macomber Primary School, 155 Gifford Road,
Westport. The program is
driven by state-mandates that require Westport reach 10 percent of all
housing to be deemed as affordable. Westport is currently well below that
percentage. The HOPP program
will also reimburse qualified buyers for up to $1,000 in home inspection
costs. Ostroff added that houses purchased
with financing from the program will be deed-restricted as affordable housing. Income
eligibility ranges from $40,250 for a single-person to $66,700 in yearly
income for a family of six. Maximum household assets are limited to $75,000. The application
deadline for the program is Tuesday, May 28th by 3:00 p.m. An informational
session for those interested in the program will be held at 7 p.m.,
Wednesday, April 10, at the Macomber Primary
School, 155 Gifford Road, Westport. Applications and
information are available at the Westport Town Hall, 816 Main Road, and the
Westport Public Library, 408 Old County Road. Click here to print the Housing Opportunity Purchase Program information and
application. PDF © 2013 Community Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
