Wilmington School Committee Member Backs Fasulo, Sullivan

WILMINGTON, MA — Rob Fasulo and Suzanne Sullivan, two of the four challengers running against incumbent Selectmen Kevin Caira and Greg Bendel in the April 27 town election, picked up a key endorsement Friday. School Committee member M.J. Byrnes and her husband Joe endorsed Fasulo and Sullivan in a letter sent to Patch and other media outlets that cover Wilmington. The complete text of their letter follows:

Dear Fellow Residents of Wilmington,

As our family knows, serving one’s community is one of the most honorable and rewarding ways of giving back and investing in opportunities and securities that all families can benefit from and are entitled to. As we’ve seen in recent years, there are also many challenging times that can leave the most seasoned volunteer/official daunted and exhausted. Especially when crises emerge and those you serve are laden with criticism and frustration. We’ve come to learn, how one responds to such discourse is a true test of leadership and democracy.

As Wilmington continues to evolve and we tackle how to balance the need for increasing commerce with the quality of life of residents, we need strong leaders, who will advocate for the best interest of the residents by listening to its residents. We need leaders, who will back up their words with actions – “actions” being the key word.

With another Town Election fast approaching, we challenge each resident to ask one question of each candidate – “What actions have you taken to ensure the best interest of residents and their families are protected”? It’s without question that the candidates for Selectman have, and continue to be, active volunteers within their individual organizations. But, how have they contributed to ensure Wilmington continues to retain that small town feel, protected the cherished values and traditions of our community and ensure a transparent government?

In recent years, we’ve seen groups of residents banning together, one after another, to fight against controversial projects that were being forced into their neighborhoods, projects which were not harmonious to the neighborhoods and detrimental to the quality of life (eg. Global Gas, 362 Middlesex Ave., Olin Site). Only two candidates stood with their fellow neighbors in these fights!

That is why my wife and I are encouraging fellow citizens to join us and vote for Suzanne Sullivan and Rob Fasulo for Selectman on April 27th. Rob and Suzanne have a strong command of the issues that are threatening our town, and have spent countless hours researching and attending meetings to lend their voices to these concerns. As private citizens, they’ve dedicated themselves in advocating and demanding that local government be transparent in their roles and operations in these volatile issues.

Results of this dedication can be seen in Suzanne’s 20 + year involvement in the Olin project and the recent success in the EPA making it their high priority in the clean-up of that site. This is a huge step in a long fight.

As a local businessman and life-long Wilmington resident, Rob has a strong understanding of the economics of his community and has worked tirelessly for transparency in local government.

It’s with this in mind that we encourage you to join us in casting votes for Suzanne Sullivan and Rob Fasulo for the Board of Selectmen.

Sincerely,

Joe and MJ Byrnes