Published May 2, 2019
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Candidates’ Night, a forum open to all candidates for elective office in the May 7 town election, drew a respectable sized crowd at Kitty’s Tuesday night.
The nonpartisan event hosted and organized by the North Reading Republican Town Committee (NRRTC) drew live participation from four candidates while statements were read on behalf of three candidates who were unable to attend. Two opted not to participate, but neither have an opponent.
Organized largely by NRRTC Chairman Jeff Yull and other members of that group, there was plenty of media coverage as well. In addition to the presence of the Transcript, the event, which lasted about 90 minutes, was lived streamed via Facebook by NORCAM, Advanced Photo/North Reading News, and the Transcript and video of the event will also be posted by NORCAM starting on Thursday.
A pair of local third grade Girl Scouts from Troop 62798, Isabella Rom and Elizabeth Ayer, presented the colors and led those gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moving a cappella rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by North Reading High School’s NOTEtorious.
Recognition was also offered by Yull to retiring Select Board member Bob Mauceri, who was in the audience, for his 47 years of volunteer service to the town on multiple elected and appointed positions
Yull paused the event midway through to offer a moment of silence in honor of Charles E. Jones, who had passed away on Tuesday. The beloved former Middle School history teacher and vice principal who brought history and civics to life for generations of North Reading students, whether in the classroom, on the battlefield at Gettysburg or on his epic 4- to 6-week cross country camping trips, was 80.
A rising generation
As Yull pointed out, although there is but one contested race, for School Committee, with three candidates for two seats, the fact that out of the eight elected offices and nine candidates, town government could see as many as five people holding their first elected office in the 2019 election.
The incumbents are Town Moderator John Murphy, who is running unopposed for his 15th consecutive one-year term; James DeCola, who is seeking his second consecutive five-year term on the Housing Authority; Janene Imbriano, who has completed two three-year terms on the School Committee; and Warren Pearce, current chairman of the Community Planning Commission (CPC) who has served on that board since the 1990s.
Murphy and Pearce were unable to attend and did not provide statements to be read.
The newcomers are School Committee candidates Chris Pappavaselio and Tracy DeGregorio; CPC candidate David Rudloff; and Select Board candidates Liane Gonzalez and Rich Wallner.
Housing Authority
Due to a prior commitment, DeCola was unable to attend the forum but NRRTC member Hugo Wiberg read his statement. DeCola, the current Chairman of the Housing Authority, explained that the board consists of four elected officials and one state appointee.
“The primary purpose of the Housing Authority is to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing to families, elderly and/or disabled persons of low income at affordable rent. The Housing Authority oversees 40 one-bedroom units and four family units.” DeCola also noted in his statement that he retired as the town’s Building Commissioner last April, he enjoys serving on the Housing Authority and would be “honored to serve another term.” For those seeking more information on the Housing Authority DeCola recommended they visit their website (www.NorthReadingHA.org).
Community Planning Commission
Community Planning Commission (CPC) candidate David Rudloff also could not attend but Yull read his statement.
Originally from Natick, Rudloff stated his wife grew up in North Reading and they have lived in town for the past 10 years; their two daughters attend the Batchelder School. His wife’s family was active locally and he mentioned that his father-in-law had served on the Planning Board in town in the 1970s.
Rudloff’s background is in design and construction. He holds a B.S. from Northeastern and a Master of Architecture from Boston Architectural College. After working for large firms he started his own design and consultation business in 2006. “I am Owner Representative and Project Manager for the majority of my clients. In the past 13 years I have managed over $300 million in design and construction projects, both commercial and residential across the country and outside it in Mexico and England.”
Rudloff concluded by stating: “If elected I first intend to listen and learn from my fellow members of the Commission, our Planner, and the residents of North Reading. I plan to make decisions that adhere to the current Zoning Bylaw passed by the town’s residents. i promise to treat each applicant with respect. When appropriate I will work along with other members and the applicant to find solutions that are mutually beneficial. I will always come down on the side of what is best for the town. I look forward to helping North Reading continue to vibrantly grow in a direction that is supportive of both families with children and older residents in their retirement years.”
Remaining five candidates
All five other remaining candidates have also submitted Candidates’ Statements to the Transcript which are printed elsewhere in today’s paper. This is a service the Transcript has always provided to candidates seeking elective office.
Select Board
Liane Gonzalez
Although their race is not contested, Select Board candidates Liane Gonzalez and Rich Wallner will have big shoes to fill with the departure of both Bob Mauceri and Mike Prisco who between them leave with 24 years of experience on this board.
Liane Gonzalez thanked everyone for attending the forum on a night when there was a trifecta of Boston sports taking place with Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins all competing for their attention. She stated that three years ago both she and Rich Wallner had run for the same two seats. “We worked really hard but we lost to the incumbents. Now we get to walk right in.”
She highlighted her business background and described herself as “fiscally conservative.”
“I have been a business person my entire adult life. By the age of 24 I owned my own hair salon in Hull where I grew up. I had several employees,” she said. After moving to North Reading she worked at The Cutting Room for 20 years and also continues to manage “multiple salons today.”
Her husband is a retired state trooper and they raised two children in town, having moved to North Reading in the mid 1990s. Their daughter is currently a trainee at the Mass. State Police Academy and their son is a drummer in a rock and roll band.
Gonzalez is also a former longtime CCD teacher at St. Theresa’s, was a Girl Scout troop leader for eight years, currently serves as the Vice Chair on Housing Authority board and is a member of the NRRTC.
When asked way she wants to run for Select Board she says: “I feel like it is time for me to give back to a town that has given a lot to me and my family and would really like to contribute my ideas and my business background; try to think outside the box, and find some ways to promote some tax revenue and try to keep those tax dollars down so we can all survive here.”
Rich Wallner
Rich Wallner stated he has lived in town since 1991 where he and his wife raised their son who is now in college.
“We’ve had a great experience with our school system, our neighborhood and the community that surrounds us, but like many empty-nesters we are now faced with a new challenge, do we stay or do we go? Did we come to North Reading to just take advantage of the schools or will we stay and improve our community? We decided years ago we are committed to staying.”
Wallner stated that through the volunteering he has done he has come to understand “we have challenges we need to address if we want to improve the quality of life for our dedicated residents.” His volunteer background includes joining the Martins Pond Association 25 years ago, serving as Vice Chair on the Council on Aging since 2012, Chair of the CIT’s Social Services Action Team since 2013 and a member of the Economic Development Committee that shepherded the $30M Pulte development at the former JT Berry, as well as service on multiple study committees associated with the CPC initiatives such as the Housing Production Plan, among others.
He is also proud of their work on the 10 year strategic Master Plan for the town which will soon be released.
A chief area of concern for Wallner is the town’s aging demographic. Currently 25% of the town’s residents are 60 or older; in 10 years that percentage will increase to 40%. As a member of the board he wants to help usher in the changes that will be necessary to properly meet the needs of an other population
He will also use his financial background to be a “diligent steward” of the town’s financial resources especially when it comes to managing the town’s capital needs; he would like to bring traffic calming measures along Rte 28 corridor to make the town’s business center more of a destination and believes one way to achieve this will be smaller package treatment plants such as those in use at Edgewood and Pulte that will be ready to tie into the sewerage system eventually destined for Rte. 28.
“I don’t have all the answers but I know how to listen, ask questions, and take action when it makes sense to do so,” Wallner said.
School Committee
Janene Imbriano and Chris Pappavaselio were both able to be in attendance at the forum. Candidate Tracy DeGregorio was out of the country on business and had a two page letter read on her behalf, much of which reflected the statement she previously provided to the Transcript in the candidates’ statement section. Her passions include “helping shape the future of North Reading education” as well as “exploring opportunities of social media productivity connecting our community with the School Committee and administration, and school start times.” Regarding school start times, DeGregorio stated: “While I don’t have answers or a fully formed opinion on this issue, and I understand there are feasibility and budget considerations that comes with such massive change management, this is a worthy pursuit and one that I would like to take on.”
Janene Imbriano
Incumbent Chairwoman Janine Imbriano stressed the value of her experience in the role gained over the past six years, which will now make her the senior member of the board at a time when they will be asked to do their most important task — choosing the successor to Superintendent of Schools Jon Bernard who announced a few weeks ago his intention to retire on Jan. 1, 2020.
She pointed out that after herself, the next most senior member, Scott Buckley, has two years’ tenure and the remaining two members, Rich McGowan and Dyana Boutwell, have just completed their first year on the board.
Volunteers are currently being sought to create the search committee, with the parameters discussed Monday night by the committee and spelled out in a memo published as a letter to the editor in this week’s Transcript. Those interested must submit their request for consideration by May 10.
“Each of my races were contested,” Imbriano noted. “My first one I was a successful write-in candidate. I am very grateful for the fact that we were able to build a new high school and middle school. I sat on the Secondary School Building Committee since 2004 so I saw that come to fruition,” Imbriano said.
She and her husband moved here in 1995 and raised three children. She also has a long resume of volunteer service in town, including teaching CCD at all grade levels, and the Hood School Parents’ Association.
“I still believe there is a great love of learning that the children have regardless of their faces when they come home from school, and our teachers and administrators do a very good job and I’m glad to support them in their efforts,” she said.
Although she does not relish public speaking she is not shy about speaking up to fight for more money for the school district and she thanked both Rep. Brad Jones and Sen. Bruce Tarr for their efforts in helping garner grants for the schools. “They have done an incredible job working with us,” she said.
Chris Pappavaselio
Chris Pappavaselio grew up in town and chose the teaching profession as his calling. He is a Latin teacher at Wakefield Memorial High School. He and his wife, who is also a teacher at WMHS, have a nine-month-old son.
Standing before the audience telling them why he chose the teaching profession as a career was bittersweet for him because of the passing of his mentor, Charlie Jones, whom he said was the reason he became a teacher. “He was my teacher in eighth grade and he has been a really good friend to me for the last 15 years of my life,” he said, adding he hopes to bring his teaching expertise and “what makes for a good school and what makes for good support of teachers, and how a town can go to supporting the schools, and the schools can go to supporting the students, and students can grow up to become people that support the town… and complete that circle.”
Pappavaselio said Superintendent Bernard has “made it an interesting election. After everyone announced they were going to run he announced his retirement. I can’t stress enough — the quality of the superintendent is incredibly important and how to pick a superintendent …has got to be one of the most difficult, stressful and high-impact singular decisions a School Committee makes. It can change, make or break the direction of a town for upwards of a decade or more.”
He said he has insight into the role of a superintendent because he is the treasurer of school teachers’ union and therefore “works regularly in a school system as well as with a superintendent… and sees how he communicates with us, as the faculty, and how he interacts with students, and what makes for a positive work experience.”
Another matter of importance to Pappavaselio is the cost of full day kindergarten in town. He said that North Reading is one of only 45 communities in the state that charges a fee for full-day kindergarten. “Roughly 300 charge nothing. To put it in perspective, we are the fifth most expensive town in the state for what we charge for kindergarten. As a result only 80-83% of our students take full day kindergarten vs. the state average of 97 percent,” he said.