Opinion: Wilmington Election Season Heats Up

WILMINGTON, MA — With nine candidates running for three seats on the Wilmington Board of Selectmen, residents are bound to have opinions. And Wilmington Patch is here to share those opinions with our readers. The following are letters to the editor and endorsements for candidates in the April 27th town election we've received in recent days.

Bendel, Caira Have Kept Campaign Promises

It’s essential when we vote that we vote for someone we trust, so I’ll be casting votes for Greg Bendel and Kevin Caira for selectmen on April 27th. Over the past three years we have witnessed that they have kept their campaign promises by listening, representing, being present, and conducting themselves in an honorable and civil manner on behalf of the residents of Wilmington.

The commitment to the Board of Selectmen is far more than most realize and it has been admirable to watch them both balance their personal commitments and all of the commitments that being a selectman entails, especially beyond the board meetings.

In addition to their recent tenure on the Board of Selectmen, they both have an impressive record of volunteering throughout our community and at the foundation of some of the most important non profits in our community including, but not limited to the Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, Sons of Italy, Local Heroes, Brady’s Foundation, Relay for Life, Wilmington HS Sports Alumni, Shawsheen Alumni, and much more.

I am confident, as a lifelong Wilmington resident, marketing executive for a Fortune 50 company, and fellow volunteer across several organizations including Relay For Life of Wilmington (11 years - founder & leader), Brady’s Foundation (2 years - volunteer), We’re One Wilmington (5 years - former board member and VP), WHS track & field (5 years - former assistant coach), and others, that entrusting both Greg and Kevin for another three years is the right move for Wilmington residents.

So don’t forget to vote for both Greg and Kevin - I know they are the candidates that will be checked on my ballot on April 27th.

Joe Martiniello

Wilmington

School Committee Member Says Bendel, Caira And O'Mahoney Have Contributed To The Community

This year voters will cast a total of three votes in two separate Board of Selectmen races. I offer my support to reelect Greg Bendel and Kevin Caira for the three-year term, and to elect Jomarie O’Mahoney for the one-year unexpired term.

There are a lot of reasons to vote for these individuals, but my first inclination is always to look at how a candidate has contributed to the community before seeking elected office. Long-term positive community involvement indicates a love for this town and an intention to work toward its betterment. There is no question that these three pass my initial litmus test.

Kevin Caira has been an integral member of the Wilmington Sons of Italy for decades, including having served as President. He has been, and continues to be, at the forefront of most of their fundraising efforts. He put in countless hours serving as Vice Chairman of the Yentile Farm Recreational Development. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, was a founding member of the Wildcat Athletic Alumni and Friends Association, has coached our youth in baseball and basketball. Those examples only touch the surface of his devotion to this town.

Greg Bendel was a member of the Wilmington 4.0 Committee, which advocated for passage of the new high school. A member of the Knights of Columbus, he has also volunteered for many other Wilmington community organizations – such as the Rotary Club, Local Heroes, and Relay for Life. A graduate, and now a teacher, at Shawsheen Tech, he is an active member of their alumni committee.

Jomarie O’Mahoney founded We’re One Wilmington in 2010, which became one of the busiest and most effective service organizations in town. She has been a member and past-president of the Wilmington Educational Foundation. She has volunteered at her children’s schools and has coached youth soccer and softball.

As a School Committee member, I also weigh heavily a candidate’s support for education. Both Caira and Bendel have consistently supported the district’s need for appropriate funding, and they both supported the construction of a new high school. O’Mahoney’s support of the schools is abundantly clear from her volunteer service.

Perhaps paramount to my voting decision is the candidate’s honesty and integrity. Very often I must make a guess based solely on that person’s public statements. That’s not the case this year. I have known Kevin Caira for close to 20 years. I have known Greg Bendel for nearly ten years. And I have known Jomarie O’Mahoney for nine years. Despite what political adversaries may, or may not, say about them; I know that each of them is honest, earnest, and devoted to our hometown. I’m proud to cast a vote for each of them, and I encourage my friends and neighbors to do likewise.

Sincerely,

Stephen Bjork

Wilmington School Committee

Former Selectman: O'Mahoney Can Restore Civility In Wilmington Politics

We encourage the Wilmington voters to support Jomarie O’Mahony for the office of Selectman. Jomarie possesses strong family values and morals. We admire particularly how she and her husband do so well in raising four great kids, being very active in their lives, coaching and volunteering, while working as attorneys. And on top of that, Jomarie dedicates her time, energy and talents to making our community better with her work in the great organization that she founded, We’re One Wilmington (WOW).

In Wilmington, and regrettably, in much of society today, civil discussion, collaboration, and sometimes respectfully agreeing to disagree are in rare supply. It seems like we are at a crossroads where we can ether give up and accept that government and citizens view each other as adversaries, or resolve ourselves as a people to break that trend and get back to listening to each other and learning how to talk with each other. Jomarie exhibits that very quality, strong in her convictions and opinions, yet respectful in the manner in which she conveys them. We are confident that Jomarie will not only serve the residents of Wilmington well, but will also serve as an example to all of us of how we should treat each other.

Jomarie O’Mahony has already shown herself as a leader and as someone who loves her neighbor. She is a true friend to many! Placing her on our Board of Selectmen will benefit all of us. We are excited to cast our vote for her on election day and urge all of Wilmington to do the same.

Thank you,

Doreen and Michael Champoux

Michael Champoux is a former member and chair of the Wilmington Board of Selectmen.

For Younger Maselli, Father Knows Best

I am the eldest son of Mark Maselli, writing on behalf of his candidacy. I am writing this letter to tell the voters of our town that my father will be a Selectman that cares about the interests of the residents and our future as a community.

My father has always been a hard worker both professional and personally. He has been a proud and hard-working small business owner for nearly 20 years. Going the extra mile is something my dad always strives to achieve when it comes to taking care of our family and his business.

Many voters and residents may see my father as a stark outsider to the race, and that’s OK. However, he’s tired of being a bystander and watching poor decisions being made in town government. It terrifies me when I see some of our elected officials failing to answer basic questions and taking vague positions that affect residents the most. It is time for someone - a common voice like his - to stand for common-sense government and to be a voice for the residents of Wilmington. I couldn’t be prouder of my dad for taking a courageous position for a better future for every single resident of Wilmington. He very much wants our town to begin moving in a more positive direction. Put simply, he is concerned about the future of Wilmington.

NOW is the time for unity and action in our town. My father wants to promote a path of action that ensures EVERYBODY comes together. The town is becoming increasingly divided on issues that hold us back from moving forward, which won’t help us out down the road. We need to collaborate on issues instead of fighting and welding disagreements that polarize the residents. My father is determined to help lead Wilmington by uniting, not dividing.

I humbly ask the voters of Wilmington to vote for my father, Mark Maselli, on April 27, for one of the two, 3-year seats on the Board of Selectmen. I hope all reading this will consider putting their support behind a new voice for our town - a voice that brings Wilmington together and turns talk into action.

GET THE VOTE OUT - APRIL 27th!!!

Sincerely,

Joe Maselli

Wilmington