Wrentham Times

Brackets are Set for State Senate Race

The brackets are set. There are three candidates vying for the Scott Brown’s State Senate seat he vacated to head to Washington. On the Democrat side there will  be a primary with State Rep. Lida Harkins of Needham facing Peter Smulowitz, a physician from Needham. On the Republican side, State Rep. Richard Ross from Wrentham will sail through the primaries unopposed.

There was a fourth candidate, Richard Mitchell, an independent from Natick, that attempted to get on the ballot but failed to collected the 300 signatures necessary.

The party primaries will be held on Tuesday April 13, and the general election is set for Tuesday, May 11. Wrentham is also holding a town election on Monday, April 5th.

Board of Selectmen Change Leadership

Tuesday night, the Wrentham Board of Selectmen voted to replace Chairman Bob Cohen with Selectman Edward Goddard. The motion to remove Cohen was made by Selectman Bob Leclair after months of controversy and discord on the board. “I think that it is unfortunate that it came to a change very late in the current board's lifecycle,” wrote Selectman Steve Langley in an email. “I think that while we only had two meetings left, we still have important business to conduct and the board's atmosphere would have made it difficult to conduct that business.”

The change, according to Goddard, was emblematic of the board over the past 12 months. "The Board's decision was mostly a symbolic recognition that the Board was almost completely ineffective this past year," Goddard wrote via email.

Langley added, “There have been a lot of charges about the board being dysfunctional this year, and to some extent it was.  However, to put that all on the [Cohen]'s shoulders is unfair because it takes more than one party to contribute to or create a dysfunctional environment.  I also think that some of that may have been a holdover from the prior board's interrelationships and some folks inability to let go of some of that animosity.”

The board will have a big change come April. The town election is April 5th and there will be two new members since neither Goddard nor Zizza are running for reelection. Goddard said, "I look forward to having two new members replace John Zizza and me and hope the Board next year and the years following can deal with issues and not unnecessary controversies dealing with personal issues.”

Langley is optimistic the dynamics of the new board will make a difference in how the selectman work together in the future and collectively will do the job they were elected to perform. “I think that the board will regroup and move forward with the election of two new members,” Langley wrote.  “I also hope, and believe, that the remaining members of the board, myself included, will have to remember why we were elected which was to do our best to [do] what is right for our community.”

Cohen declined comment for this piece.

There is more about this move in The Sun Chronicle's coverage here.

Ballot is Set for Town Election

We have a ballot for the April 5th town election and there are a couple of interesting races developing for key positions for the town. The selectmen race has three candidates vying for two positions. Joe Botaish, Gail Pratt and Walter Yarbrough will run to replace John Zizza and Edward Goddard.

While the selectmen race doesn’t include any incumbents, the Assessor race does. Assessor Joan Dooley will run against newcomer Maggie Leavitt.

No one returned nomination papers for the Fiske Library Trustee or the KP School Committee 1 year position. The rest of the candidates will either run unopposed or the number of seats and candidates are the same.

Moderator – Keith Billian
Town Clerk – Carol Mollica
Planning Board – Thomas Wrynn
Planning Board – Bob Cohen
Constable - Stephen Hamlin
Constable - Richard Gillespie
Constable - Peter Preston
Board of Health - Debra Dunn
Housing Authority -  Marjorie Hooper
Housing Authority (4 year term) -  Margaret Peterson
Wrentham School Committee (3 year term) – Eric Greenberg
Wrentham School Committee (1 year term) – Kim Carr

Ballot Taking Shape

The town ballot for the April 5th election is taking shape with potentially three candidates attempting to win two open Board of Selectmen seats. According to Town Clerk Carol Mollica, Gail Pratt and Walter Yarbrough both took out papers for the selectmen seats and have until Tuesday, February 16th at 5:00 to return the forms with at least 45 signatures. Joseph Botaish has already completed the necessary nomination papers for the board. That means there will be a least two new faces on the board since it appears neither John Zizza nor Edward Goddard will run for reelection.

Other races taking shape include Maggie Leavitt potentially challenging incumbent Joan Dooley for assessor. So far, Keith Billian and Carol Mollica will run unopposed for the moderator and town clerk seats respectfully.

The Board of Health may have a race as well. Ravi Nadkarni and Debra Dunn have both taken out the paperwork but have yet to return the signatures. Papers have been pulled by Marjorie Hooper and Margret Peterson for the Housing Authority. Both Thomas Wrynn and Bob Cohen seek reelection on the planning board.

Others running for office include Eric Greenberg for the three year Wrentham elementary school committee position, and Kim Carr, running for the one year position. Steve Hamlin, Richard Gillespie and Peter Preston have all taken out paperwork for constable.

 

Ross to Open Campaign HQ

State Representative Richard Ross is opening his Wrentham Campaign Headquarters for his State Senate run to replace Scott Brown. The grand opening is Monday night at 7 PM. The office, located at 29 Franklin Street, will house 20 phone banks and soon will be operating for calls and sign distribution. The public is welcome.

2010 Continues to be an Election Year

Several key elected positions are up for grabs this April. In fact, there will be two separate election days in April, followed by one in May. The first on April 5th is when the town elections will be held. Then on April 13th, there will be party primaries for the state senate seat vacated by Scott Brown’s election to U.S. Senate. The special election to fill the state senate seat will be held on May 11th.

The ballot for the town election is taking shape, but several positions are still lacking candidates. Currently, there are more open seats than candidates for Board of Selectmen, Constable, Fiske Library Trustee and King Philip School Committee (1 year position).

Candidates vying for the state senate race are currently democrats Peter Smulowitz and Lida Harkins both of Needham. At the present time, Ricard Ross is the only republican candidate to have entered the race.

The town ballot currently looks like this, but this may change since there is still time between now and the February 16th deadline for submitting papers.

Moderator: Keith S. Billian
Selectman: Joseph F. Botaish
Assessor: Joan Dooley
Assessor: Maggie E. Leavitt
Town Clerk: Carol A. Mollica
Planning Board: Thomas P. Wrynn
Planning Board: Bob J. Cohen
Constable: Stephen R. Hamlin
Constable: Richard J. Gillespie
Board of Health: Dr. Ravindra M. Nadkamrni
Housing Authority: Marjorie V. Hooper
Wrentham Sch. Eric A. Greenberg (3 yr)
Wrentham Sch. Kim E. Carr (1 yr)

Video of Swearing in Ceremony for Senator Brown

Former Wrentham Judge Looks to Replace Ross

Now that Richard Ross has announced his intention to run for State Senate and not run for reelection as state representative, Norfolk republican Dan Winslow has tossed his hat in the ring to replace him. Winslow currently serves as the Town Moderator in Norfolk and previously served as the Presiding Justice of the Wrentham District Court. He also worked for former Governor Mitt Romney and Chief Legal Counsel to the Scott Brown for US Senate campaign.

In a prepared statement Winslow stated, “I will work hard to earn voters’ support as State Representative so we can get people working again, bring fiscal stability to local core services, and improve the quality of life for all our communities.”

Ross Running for State Senate

Wrentham’s Richard Ross made his run for the State Senate official Wednesday night before a packed room of supporters, friends, and family. In the community room within the North Attleboro Police Station, State Representative Ross ended speculation on a possible run to replace current State Senator, and now Washington D.C. bound, U.S. Senator Elect Scott Brown.

 

“This opportunity is far too great to pass," Ross said. "So I am here tonight to proudly announce that I am running to be your next senator.” He referred to the encouragement Brown gave him six years ago to run for State Representative and promised "to make myself available. To always be accessible. To do the best possible job for the Commonwealth and my constituents."

Ross explained that his perspective as a business owner gives him a unique "camera shot" to address the issues facing the Commonwealth. The biggest challenges he feels are jobs, the economy, and health care. Furthermore, he stated that the state's business model has to change to generate revenue and it is necessary to find a way to encourage businesses to stay in the state. He said the health care program Massachusetts currently operates is a good model for other states, but work has to be done to lower its cost.

 

Ross is a Wrentham native and has been the 9th Norfolk District Representative since 2004. He has served in various positions within the town government including Board of Selectman, Historical Commission, the Public School Building Commission, and Wrentham Board of Health. He’s also the president of the RJ Ross Funeral Home. You can usually catch him walking his dog on South Street, and he too drives a truck but it only has just over 99,000 miles.

 

Ross becomes the first republican to toss his hat in the ring for the state senate seat. State Rep. Lida Harkins, a Democrat from Needham, has said she is running. Other names being mentioned include Sherborn Selectman Paul DeRensis, Peter Smulowtiz, an emergency room physician, and Plainville Selectman Robert Fennessy, all Democrats.

Boston Globe's coverage here.

Sun Chronicle's coverage here.

Ross, Poirier to Discuss State Senate Seat

Tomorrow night assistant minority whip Elizabeth Poirier from North Attleboro and representative Richard Ross of Wrentham, both Republicans, will hold a press conference to discuss the State Senate seat soon to be vacant due to the election of Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate. Poirier and Ross have made comments in the press that they might be interested in running for State Senate although it is believed they would not run against each other. 
 
State Rep. Lida Harkins, a Democrat from Needham has said she is running. Other names being mentioned include Sherborn Selectman Paul DeRensis, Peter Smulowtiz, an emergency room physician, and Plainville Selectman Robert Fennessy, all Democrats.

The Wednesday night press conference will be held at the North Attleboro Police Station at 6 p.m.