Sheils appointed to School Comm. For one-year term
Published on May 2nd, 2001
STONEHAM, MA - Although he lost the election, Collincote Street resident David Sheils found himself on the winning end last week as he secured a seat on the School Committee after all.
By a majority vote of the Selectmen and School Committee members last Wednesday, Sheils captured the seat vacated on April 3 by former School Committee member Mary Pecoraro when she won a position on the Board of Selectmen.
Just one seat was up for grabs at election time, that belonging to Mary Carey, who chose not to run for re-election. Sheils vied with Tamarock Terrace resident Daniel Moynihan for it and lost. Moynihan captured over 400 more votes than Sheils.
But Sheils got another crack at joining the committee. Pecoraro had one year left in her term as a School Committee member when she chose to move on. That seat automatically became an appointed, rather than elected, one and residents were encouraged to submit letters of interest to the town. The decision would be made by the Board of Selectmen and School Committee.
Both Sheils and Charles Street resident Thomas Noonan expressed their interest and both appeared before the joint board last week.
Noonan said that his interest in the seat, which is the one he ran unsuccessfully for in 1999, is based on his desire to represent the taxpayers of the town by contributing new ideas to the committee.
While his own children have attended religious schools rather that Stoneham Public Schools, Noonan stated that this should not be looked on as a negative and that if a potential committee member is required to have children in the town's public schools, that would "cut out three quarters of the taxpayers" from eligibility.
Noonan also made reference to the very public campaigning for Sheils by some School Committee members.
"The voters made a clear statement on April 3 ... Maintaining the status quo is not desired by the public," he said, referring to the fact that Moynihan "outdistanced the School Committee's preference."
That, along with the content of a private e-mail message sent by a School Committee member to friends on election night and disseminated by a third party, drove Noonan to push for a special election where the voters would make the choice for the next member, rather than the panel.
"I am concerned that this combined board may be hindered in making an unbiased decision," he stated.
But Town Counsel William Solomon advised that such would be impossible due to the timing required under Massachusetts General Law.
Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello stated that it is not unusual for political figures to campaign for each other. While he campaigned for Moynihan during the election season, he stated that he came to the evening's proceedings with an open mind.
According to Sheils, procedures for filling the appointed seat have been met thus far. He sent letters to each of the combined board members expressing his interest in the seat and asking for his or her consideration.
The board agreed and cast its vote. Noonan got affirmative nods from Selectmen Darin Leahy and Bob Sweeney, and School Committee member Marc Grimaldi. But Sheils prevailed with five votes from Selectmen Cosmo Ciccarello, Anthony Kennedy and Mary Pecoraro and School Committee members Jeanne Craigie and Marie Christie.
In his decision to abstain from voting, newly elected School Committee member Dan Moynihan stated that he did not consider the process of selection a fair one.
The seat that Sheils is now filling has one year left in its term and will be up for re-election next year.
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