Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

Desrochers, Humphries named to School Committee

Date: 10/11/2011

Oct. 10, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

LONGMEADOW — For the first time since June 27, the School Committee will have all of its seats filled for its next meeting.

The School Committee and the Select Board voted to appoint James Desrochers and Owen Humphries to the two open seats on the school committee that were vacated by Thomas Brunette and Gwendolyn Bruns, both of whom submitted their resignations earlier this year.

Both men will serve on the committee until June 2012 when the town will vote on two candidates to complete the terms of Brunette and Bruns. Brunette resigned with two years remaining on his three-year term and Bruns had just been re-elected to a three-year term.

“I’ve been a resident of Longmeadow for the past 17 years and I have followed both of these committees closely, so I feel that I have a very good understanding of what will be expected of me as a member of the School Committee,” Humphries said.

Desrochers said his first foray into public service has started out on an intriguing note with the lengthy interview process involving both committees.

“It was very interesting. It’s my first time doing this kind of thing, so I think I was able to learn a bit about the committees based on the questions that were asked,” he said.

Desrochers said as a member of the School Committee, he hopes to add a perspective that helps solidify support for science and math, while still maintaining a strong liberal arts curriculum.

Humphries said he believed his work in municipal government with the city of Hartford, Conn., made him a well-qualified candidate for the position.

“I have a strong history in working with municipalities and I’m hoping that I can bring my expertise to the table when it comes to the budgeting and negotiating side of things,” he said.

The Select Board and School Committee conducted the vote through a roll call, as was required by state law. The candidates were required to capture six votes, a true majority, in order to win a seat. If after the first roll call, no candidate had six votes, any candidates who had zero votes and the candidate with the lowest number of votes were eliminated and a second vote would be taken.

Five voting members picked Humphries in the first round of voting for Brunette’s seat. In the second round of voting, he took seven votes, beating out James Kiernan and Daniel Zwirko.

Desrochers earned votes from five members in the first round of voting for Bruns’ position, then captured eight votes in the second round of voting against Zwirko and Kiernan.



Bookmark and Share