Vallarelli tops Selectmen ticket
Published on April 4th, 2007
STONEHAM, MA - In what many town officials described as a call for change, Stoneham citizens overwhelmingly backed the candidacy of Birch Street resident Frank Vallarelli this Tuesday, while ousting the most tenured incumbent on the Board of Selectmen.
Although Selectman John DePinto, the second incumbent, retained his seat on the board, Vallarelli trounced the competition, capturing 41 percent of all votes cast in favor of a candidate - almost 490 votes more than the runner-up and 700 more than veteran Selectman Tony Kennedy.
According to unofficial election tallies by Town Clerk John Hanright, Vallarelli topped the Selectmen's race ticket with 2,045 votes, DePinto captured 1,557 endorsements, and Kennedy received 1,350 votes.
Based upon those same unofficial figures, while a total of 6063 ballots were cast in the Selectmen's race - the 3,032 voters chose two candidates - 1,084 entries were left blank. The remaining balance of votes were write-in candidates, with 27 total being made.
"I'm floored as to the number of votes I got," said Vallarelli, during his victory party at the Montvale Plaza on Tuesday night. "I feel that the results were accurate in [illustrating] the way that people feel today."
"I like Tony, but I think he's been there long enough to do something, he had his chance, and he didn't get it done. John hasn't been on the board that long," added the newest Selectman, saying that he felt the electorate sent a clear message that they want more action from its officials.
The only Selectman candidate to sit within Town Hall when Hanright released the election results, Kennedy, his watery eyes betraying his feelings, appeared stunned by his loss.
Shaking the bad news off and congratulating the two victors, the ousted veteran Selectman vowed to stay involved in town affairs, but after he took a little time off.
"It's hard to know," responded Kennedy, when asked what he attributed last night's defeat to. "As an incumbent I was challenged by someone who felt he could do a better job. And he was able to convince the people. It was a pleasure to serve on the Board of Selectmen."
"I was a little surprised tonight by how strong Frank was," added the Janice Lane resident, who lost his own precinct to the newcomer by close to 140 votes. "But to his credit, he worked hard."
During his own victory party at Gaetano's restaurant, Rebecca Lane resident John DePinto thanked Stoneham's votes for their confidence in him.
According to DePinto, now entering his second term on the board, he wasn't surprised by Vallarelli's finish, but he did recognize that Stonehamites were issuing a clear mandate to its elected officials.
"Am I surprised? Probably not. I think with the condition the town is in, the time was right for a non-incumbent to win," the certified public accountant said. "Obviously, the town sent a clear message that the Selectmen have to do a better job."
According to Town Clerk John Hanright, who himself won reelection this Tuesday in an uncontested race, he wasn't particularly surprised by the results.
However, given the negative press and publicity Stoneham has received in large Boston media outlets in recent weeks - mostly over the possibility of slashing all high school athletics - the Town Clerk was a little shocked and disappointed at the 3,032 voter turnout, an equivalent of 21 percent of the town's number of registered voters.
Prior to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the Town Clerk was particularly dismayed at the participation figures, as it looked as if Stoneham might not even reach 2,800 votes for the day. As of noontime on Tuesday, a dismal 947 residents, or 7 percent of registered voters, had arrived at the polls.
However, between 4 and 8 p.m., a surge in participation occurred, with an estimated 65 percent of all ballots being cast during that span.
"You're never happy with the turnout. You always want more. And people have to realize that this is an election and that there's a candidate out there for them," Hanright commented Tuesday night. "But [the low numbers] are no different than anywhere else in the country. It's voter apathy."
"I would like to thank my staff. Without them working diligently, we would have never gotten this [election] accomplished. It's what I call great teamwork."
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