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CCW members meet the candidates at forum

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



WILBRAHAM Just because many of the positions available for election this year are uncontested doesn't mean the candidates don't have to work hard to reach their voters. The Concerned Citizens of Wilbraham (CCW) hosted a "Meet the Candidates Night" on Thursday at Wilbraham Middle School and eight office seekers appeared to speak to interested residents.

CCW Chair Robert Page began the discussion by introducing the eight candidates who could attend the event, announcing that this was the group's third "Meet the Candidates Night."

Wallace Kisiel of the Wilbraham Housing Authority told those in attendance that volunteerism brought him to the authority six months ago and that he wants to be re-elected. He spent 21 years working with the Springfield Housing Authority providing decent, safe and sanitary housing for those who needed it. Wilbraham currently has approximately 60 units of low-income housing.

"I think it's good to have someone on the team who's been around the block a few times," Kisiel said.

John McCarthy of the School Committee shared his philosophy for education for the 21st century during his remarks. A graduate of Classical High School in Springfield, the Rochester Institute of Technology and UMass Amherst, McCarthy believes the schools constantly need to re-educate themselves when it comes to technology.

"Education doesn't end with graduation from Minnechaug," he stated. "It's just the beginning. Maybe that's why they call it commencement."

His goals as a member of the School Committee include keeping up with new technologies, upping the student to computer ratio from about 10:1 closer to 1:1, finding a development director to pursue grants and other outside funding sources, creating a more expansive language arts program in the high school and developing a new school policy which may include instituting a student uniform.

"We want the best possible school we can get while living within our means," McCarthy concluded.

Water Commissioner Thomas Pilarcik said he was appointed to his position in February 2006 before being elected to his first full term. He said he's lived in Wilbraham since 1967 and like two-thirds of the town, is using town water in his home.

"I feel my background [work experience at Solutia] provided a good preparation for being the water commissioner," Pilarcik said.

He noted that the Wilbraham Water Department was ranked in the top five percent of the state's systems by the Department of Environmental Protection in 2007 and has consistently been a top-ranked system for the past 14 years.

Wilfred Renaud, Cemetery Commissioner, has not been included on the ballot for the upcoming election but asked voters to write him in for the position. "Some people don't know why or who we are," Renaud said. "We carry out a particular mission. We are not a business but a service to those who find themselves at the darkest times of their lives."

He explained how Native Americans view burial grounds as sacred, and used the letters of that word to spell out what the Cemetery Commission provides: service, availability, compassion, respect, entrusting members and dedication. He added that the goal of the commission is the preservation of historic record and its monuments.

Ted Stevenson of the Planning Board said he's been a resident of the town since 1980 and since then, has spent one year with the Zoning Board of Appeals and 26 with the Planning Board. He said the board's goal is to protect both property owners and neighborhoods by being proactive about certain bylaws.

"Other Planning Boards will tell you what you can't do," Stevenson stated. "We tell you what you can do."

Chair of the Board of Selectmen James Thompson answered the unasked questions. "Why be a selectman? I blame my parents. I was raised knowing public service was mandatory, not optional. I enjoy serving the residents of Wilbraham and working with a team to solve the community's problems."

The final candidate present, John Wesolowski of the Board of Assessors, said he wants to give back to the town. He has served as an accountant and vice president of a company and while being an assessor isn't "the most exciting and glamorous job," he finds satisfaction in trying to reasonably allocate the expenses of running a community.

When the question and answer session began, one resident asked how Thompson viewed the CCW and the ways he sees the selectmen and the group working together.

"I see you [the CCW] in a positive way," Thompson responded. "For a town government to work, you need different points of view and people who are willing to participate. You're part of the equation and I think we're working together already."

Wesolowski was asked if the downward trend in real estate sales will affect his work.

"You're asking how it will affect the town," Wesolowski stated. "There is very little new growth in town right now, but the growth in services will affect residents unless some [real estate] growth occurs. It puts pressure on the town to control its expenses."

Residents also asked Thompson about community preservation act funds and McCarthy about the money spent on the "spin company" concerning the spread of information about the renovation or building of a new high school.

"I think the evening went really well," Page said when the forum ended. "The participation of the crowd was good. You learn a great deal from the people who came to the table and we learned more about the this way even though many positions are uncontested."

Phil Hamer, treasurer of the Cemetery Commission, said he thought the "Meet the Candidates Night" was important because "there's no other outlet for candidates like this in town."

The Wilbraham elections will be taking place May 17.