Voters call for change; Gregorio, Carino are in
Published on April 2nd, 2008
STONEHAM, MA - Stoneham citizens voted for a change in leadership during this Tuesday's municipal elections, sweeping Finance Board veteran Richard Gregorio and political newcomer Dr. Christine Carino into office.
In an election that drew little interest - just 2,200 Stonehamites cast a ballot at the polls - Gregorio suprisingly ousted Selectman incumbent George Seibold by capturing the majority support from every voting precinct across Stoneham.
The Crystal Drive resident, who finished with 1237 votes to Seibold's 901, gained the endorsement of nearly 58 percent of voters in Tuesday's election.
I'm surprised, said Gregorio, upon learning at Town Hall that he had unseated Seibold. That was much bigger than I thought it was going to be.
I don't know how to gauge that, the Finance Board veteran responded, when asked how he felt about capturing each of the town's seven voting precincts. I guess people pay more attention to Town Meeting than I thought.
Gregorio later thanked Seibold for his service to the town, saying that the incumbent always tried to accomplish what was best for the town.
According to both Seibold and the Crystal Drive resident, unlike some election contests where candidates are at each other's throats, he and Seibold shared a mutual respect for one another.
I think George is a good guy. He bled Stoneham blue. I don't think it was me versus George, it was about the Town of Stoneham. I have a lot of respect for George, the new Selectman commented.
I want to thank the people who supported me. The people spoke and they want different people in office. I wish good luck and best wishes to Richard, said Seibold.
In a much tighter race, Carino topped Board of Health incumbent Traci Mello by a slim 77 votes. The pharmacist, a newcomer to the Stoneham political arena, finished with 1087 ballots cast in her favor.
Mello, a one-term incumbent like Seibold, received 1010 votes in the election. The Board of Health incumbent could not be reached for comment after the results were released last night.
We're very, very happy with the results, said Carino, who celebrated her victory at Gaetano's restaurant on Tuesday night. I'm very excited and looking forward to bringing new things to Stoneham.
I was a little surprised, said the pharmacist. But we worked a very hard campaign and I've been out there since I signed my nomination papers.
About a half-hour before the polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, the candidates had differing opinions about how the low turnout would effect their election chances.
Surprisingly, both Carino and Gregorio suspected that the low turnout would benefit the incumbents, while Mello and Seibold were unsure of what the turnout indicated.
That's the one question, said Seibold. Just before the polls closed. I'm very, very curious to see how people voted. Hopefully the like what I brought to the table.
I don't know, said Mello. It must have hurt me, because we needed parents to come out and vote.
With just under 2,000 votes cast by Stonehamites at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Town Clerk John Hanright expressed his disappointment with the low turnout.
Hanright, who pointed out that 7,400 people turned out for the presidential primaries, believed that the town needed to do more to encourage citizens to participate in municipal elections.
I'm disappointed. And we need to do more to make people aware of town elections. They're just as important in our backyard as they are on the state and federal levels.
With voters unseating popular incumbents for a few election cycles now, Hanright believed the trend was part of the country's larger climate.
The Town Clerk later congratulated Gregorio for his victory, and hoped that citizens recognized Seibold for his service to the town.
I'm sure Richard will do a good job. His intentions are always for the town at heart, said Hanright. And I think the town owes a debt of gratitude to George Seibold for what he's accomplished.
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