Gorham endorsements
Gorham voters will have plenty of choices when they go to the polls Nov. 8. Five candidates are vying for two seats on the Town Council, and six candidates are running for three seats on the School Committee.
Last year, although four candidates ran for two seats on the School Committee, none of the incumbents on the Town Council faced opposition. This year voters will get to pick between at least two candidates for each open seat on both the School Committee and the Town Council.
Having so many candidates is a sign that people are engaged with town affairs or, at least, have an interest in getting involved. It also encourages discussion of the challenges and opportunities the town has.
All of these candidates deserve credit for volunteering their time and subjecting themselves to a public vote. We hope the candidates who do not get elected will find other ways to get involved or consider another run for office some time in the future.
The American Journal recently finished sitting down with each of the candidates to talk to them about their stances on the issues and their priorities. This week we offer endorsements in all of the races.
With three new candidates running for council seats, voters have a good opportunity this year to elect someone new to a Town Council that has many members who have been serving together for years. A new councilor could bring new ideas and perspective. We recommend Shonn Moulton as someone who could make a contribution to this council.
An owner of a dance studio in the village and a member of the Gorham Business & Civic Exchange, Moulton would be a good representative of the business community on the council. He would offer a strong and insistent voice in favor of pushing for money for the second phase of the bypass and for addressing parking congestion in the village. He has also promised to get out to as many public events and make himself as available, by e-mail and phone, as he can.
Our second endorsement for town councilor goes to Michael Phinney, who, unlike Moulton, has a lot of experience on both the council and Planning Board. Phinney spoke knowledgeably about many of the issues facing the town – traffic, parking in the village and taxes.
Phinney hasn’t shied away from controversial issues. He voted in favor of a consolidation of the town’s emergency dispatching services with the county and still supports that position. Phinney admitted he had struggled with whether or not the town had proceeded in the best way after the council’s vote – moving quickly to consolidate with the county – but said, ultimately, he understood why town administrators proceeded as they did – partly to relieve tension at Town Hall.
His response was an honest assessment of a tough situation. His ability to make it is a sign of a leader.
Deciding who to endorse for three seats on the School Committee was difficult. All of the candidates running for these seats were qualified, intelligent, articulate and possessed a true desire to participate in the schools.
Our first endorsements go to two incumbents who have done a good job – Stephen Morin and Steve Caldwell. Caldwell is seeking his second term on the board. When he was first elected, he thought he would find a lot of waste in the budget. Once he started combing through the budget, however, he discovered there wasn’t much waste at all.
That’s not unusual. Many elected officials learn a lot in their first terms. Caldwell deserves another term to apply what he’s learned about the schools. His conservative approach to budgets is a healthy one to have for any school committee.
Morin has gained our respect for his willingness to speak out, even when his views might be unpopular. He led the fight to overturn the council’s decision to consolidate the town’s dispatching services with the county.
If re-elected, Morin said he wouldn’t be afraid to bring up a couple of subjects others might not want to talk about. He’d like to talk about what books are appropriate to include in the school curriculum and about keeping cultural influences, such as inappropriate clothing and language, out of the schools. We might not agree with all he has to say, but we admire his willingness to say it.
Our final endorsement goes to newcomer Janet Williams, who had a particularly keen grasp of some of the issues facing schools. She spoke knowledgeably about two complicated challenges for schools, the No Child Left Behind Act and the new state school funding formula, known as Essential Programs and Services.
Williams has experience serving on a school board in New York, where she lived previously. In Maine, she has served on the board of directors of United for Education and the Maine Advisory Council of the Education of Children with Disabilities. She could bring a lot of expertise to this board.
Regardless of whether you agree with our choices, please get out and vote on Nov. 8.
Brendan Moran, editor
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