Monday, November 5, 2012
Democrat Eugene Quinn is running for School Committee.
Editor's Note: There are five candidates running for three seats on the EG School Committee. Four candidates responsed to these questions via email. Links to the responses of the other candidates can be found at the bottom. Why are you running? I received a first-rate public education paid for and administered by people who lived in the community where I grew up, and now it's my turn to step up and help ensure that the current generation of students has the same opportunities I had, or better. I believe strongly in public education and recognize that it faces many challenges in the current economic, political, and regulatory environment. To maintain the current level of excellence in the East Greenwich schools going forward, we will …
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Democrat Carolyn Mark is running for School Committee.
Editor's Note: There are five candidates running for three seats on the EG School Committee. Four candidates responsed to these questions via email. Links to the responses of the other candidates can be found at the bottom. Why are you running? I am running for School Committee because I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude to East Greenwich for providing my children with a great education. But, great school districts don’t just happen. They happen because of dedicated teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, and elected officials. I’ve done my part in a number of ways in our schools, including serving as a Character Counts Ambassador, volunteering for PTG events, co-leading a capital campaign to build the playground at …
Democrat Deidre Gifford is running for a second term.
Editor's Note: There are five candidates running for three seats on the EG School Committee. Four candidates responsed to these questions via email. Links to the responses of those other candidates can be found at the bottom. Why are you running? I am running for a second term because I believe there are few things more important than ensuring every child has an excellent education. I have acquired valuable experience in working with the Town, our finance committee and other committee members to maintain the educational programs in EG through some of the worst economic difficulties in decades. Public education is at an important juncture. Changes in public policy at the federal and state level need to be thoughtfully implemented at the …
Independent candidate Domenic Marcone is running for School Committee.
Editor's Note: There are five candidates running for three seats on the EG School Committee. Four candidates responsed to these questions via email. Links to the responses of those other candidates can be found at the bottom. Why are you running? I am running for school committee because I believe that with my educational background, I can help to foster and cultivate academic excellence through my experience in the educational field. I have been involved with budgetary issues, personnel issues and evaluations for personnel under my supervision during my tenure as an educator in the Rhode Island school system. Conflict resolution is one of my strengths and providing opportunities for social, moral and intellectual growth for all …
Friday, November 2, 2012
Mark Gee, who is also a Fire District commissioner, is running for a second term on the Town Council.
Mark Gee, who is running for a second term on the Town Council, is a genial person but he can be forceful too. As a town councilor and an EG Fire District commissioner, Gee finds playing the outsider a comfortable fit. He’s also something of a town meeting junkie – there is no other town official who attends as many meetings as Gee. “I have always been driven to serve,” said Gee in his response to the questionnaire sent out to all the council candidates. “The steady march of property taxes – onward and upward” is a big issue facing the Town of East Greenwich, Gee said. He is also very concerned with the growth of government spending and debt as well as unfunded liabilities for East Greenwich’s pension system and what Gee calls the …
Mike Kiernan, the only candidate who grew up in East Greenwich, is running for re-election to the Town Council.
Mike Kiernan wants to make sure East Greenwich can remain “home” for the people who’ve lived here all their lives. That’s why he’s running for a third term on the Town Council, he said in response to a candidate questionnaire emailed to all council candidates. “I want to try to help the people who love this town as much as I do be able to stay here,” he said. I want to help create an environment that understands that our community is as great as it is because of the work and care of the people who have been here for many years.” He said taxes are a big issue for people in East Greenwich. “The powers . . . that fight for every last dime for school programs seem to disregard our neighbors who don’t have kids in our schools. A $600 hike in …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Jean Ann Guliano is running for Town Council.
Jean Ann Guliano is the only non-Republican running for Town Council – she’s a member of the Moderate Party. In addition, she’s the only non-incumbent, and she’s the only woman. In response to the questionnaire sent to all six council candidates, Guliano said her focus if elected to the Town Council would be to “maximize ... resources specifically by utilizing cost efficiencies gained through shared services between town/schools, and with adjacent municipalities.” The former School Committee chairwoman continued, “In addition, I’d like to create a blueprint of collaboration between the town and our local businesses, ecumenical community, residents and charitable organizations. We should think of EG as one community … not just to save …
The first-term town councilor is running for re-election.
Jeff Cianciolo said he knows things are good in East Greenwich. He’s running for a second term on the Town Council to make sure they stay that way. “I believe that I can continue to improve how the Town interacts with and delivers services to the taxpayers,” Cianciolo said in response to a questionnaire emailed to all the candidates. “Although East Greenwich residents already benefit from high-quality municipal services and the best school district in the state, we must not be complacent in looking to improve efficiencies and how we spend taxpayer dollars.” For Cianciolo, consolidation – of both school and town functions and of the East Greenwich Fire District and the town – is of primary importance. As the councilman who put forward the …
Brad Bishop, who was named to fill the remainder of Henry Boezi's term on the Town Council, is running for his first full term.
Brad Bishop, who is running for a full term on the Town Council, served on the Planning Board for eight years, the last four as chair, before deciding to run for Council in June. After the death of Councilman Henry Boezi, Bishop was named to fill out Boezi's term on the council in July. So, while Bishop is now on the Town Council, this is his first run for elected office. A Republican, Bishop works in marketing for SmartPak Equine in Plymouth, Mass. He is running, he wrote in response to an emailed questionnaire, "to continue to serve the town, having been on the Planning Board for as many terms as were allowed. To me it’s an honor to be selected by my fellow citizens to act on their behalf and to volunteer my time to ensure the town …
Michael Isaacs, who has served as Council President for four terms, is running for re-election.
Michael Isaacs is running for re-election to a fifth term on the East Greenwich Town Council to continue what he calls the panel's "fiscally responsible policies," while holding down property taxes. In response to a questionnaire emailed to Town Council candidates, Isaacs said his overriding concern is to keep property taxes stable. "Personnel costs of the town and schools are the largest expenditures, so these must be given particular attention," he said. Isaacs also noted the importance of continuing consolidation: "Another priority will be continuation of structural changes in government, consolidation and shared services." A third area of concern for Isaacs is repairs for roads and sidewalks. "We need to address this by shifting …
Bill Pett
2:46 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012
I've known Gene for some time now, and his responses to the questions just remind me that his intelligence, good sense and background make him an excellent choice for the School Committee. more ›