Dolan holds on to his seat on board
Published on April 7th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - It was a wake up call, of sorts, for Planning Board candidate Kathleen Danieli. In her first bid for political office, Danieli lost by a very slight margin (187 votes) to incumbent Kevin Dolan, a Crystal Drive resident who has served on the board since 1986.
In terms of the closeness of the race, Danieli was pleased; but, in terms of the sometimes muddy waters of the political pool, she was sincerely disappointed.
"Right now I'm hurt. I felt pretty good today. I didn't stand outside all day like a lot of the candidates," she said. "I went to work, worked my eight hours and then came home and fed the kids. I wish Kevin Dolan all the luck in the world only because it's the future of our town (at stake)."
If you think you sense a little tension in reading the last sentence, you're not mistaken. Danieli, a resident of Summer Street, said that she felt her character and reputation were hurt by a sign which had been stationed in the parking lot of the Stoneham Arena in past days which read: "Kevin Dolan - The only qualified candidate for Planning Board born and raised in Stoneham."
"That hurt," she stated soon after the election results were in. "To have it in Stoneham Arena, that really bothered me. It was pretty personal.
"I think he played on that (her inexperience)."
Dolan denies the charge saying that the sign was put up not by him, but by other political backers.
"It was made and done before I even knew it," he said. "Certainly, I didn't mean to hurt her feelings and, if I did, I apologize."
Dolan took four of Stoneham's six precincts to secure his fourth term on the board while Danieli managed to take precincts 2 and 6.
"I'm delighted that voters sent me back for a fourth term," said Dolan. "It's an exciting time for Stoneham. I ran on my record. She didn't really have a record. The voters saw fit to send me back for another term and I'm happy."
Danieli said she was grateful to the residents who showed their confidence in her.
"I was stunned to get 46 percent (of the popular vote). It was my first time and I think I might have jumped in too quick," she told the Independent. "I plan on staying involved, but I have to take a few days to step back and think about things."
Both candidates pointed out that the lack of voter turnout (2,752 of 15,244 registered voters) was one of the most disappointing aspects of the day.
"Only (18 percent) of people turning out, I guess that's what really hurt. These are the people who are representing you," Danieli said of Stoneham residents. "I've always voted. I may not have been involved in politics, but I always voted."
Dolan voiced a similar concern.
"The voter apathy was pretty apparent and that's too bad. I would have liked to have seen a bigger turnout," he stated.
As for the future of Stoneham, Dolan sees some big things happening, especially on the campus of Boston Regional Medical Center and on Montvale Avenue.
"It's sort of a time for redevelopment now. It's really something where we haven't even got to the drawing board yet, but I think it's important that we look at what we put in there and make sure it doesn't overtax our infrastructure."
Danieli said that, at present, she would not consider running for another office.
"If you ask me now, I'd say no. I wouldn't run again," she explained. "Nobody likes to lose."
In other Planning Board news, Frank Vallarelli, a long time member of the board, stepped down from his seat earlier this week. The replacement will be determined by a Board of Selectmen selection process.
In other election news, Board of Health Chairman Michael Rolli topped all vote-getters with a total of 2,055. Rolli, a Crescent Avenue resident who has been involved in Stoneham politics for decades, ran unopposed.
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