By Kim Siebert MacPhail
At Tuesday night’s Town Caucus, 13 citizens stepped forward to vie for 14 seats on 9 different Town boards. Although most of these citizens are incumbents, running to return to positions they already hold, three newcomers tossed their hats into the ring while two seats emerged from the process unclaimed. By the end of the proceedings, only one race was contested—that of Regional School Committee Member. Papers can still be taken out from the Town Clerk’s office for any elected position, including the ones with Caucus nominees. These petitions must be returned by January 20 with 50 valid signatures.
The two seats that emerged from the Caucus without candidates are: one three-year term on the Planning Board and one three-year term on the Library Trustees. It should be noted that colleagues on the Library’s Board of Trustees have stated that current Trustee Howard Cohen intends to run to regain his current seat, but that he opted to take out papers since he knew he would be out of town on the night of the Caucus.
Below is the list of affirmed Caucus nominees in the order in which they were approved, with short quotes or descriptions taken from the proceedings:
Assessors, 1 opening, three-year term
Robert Bruce Murphy, 435 Concord Road.
Murphy’s nominator, wife Lora Goldenberg, says that Murphy strives for the “fair and equitable treatment of all taxpayers, residential and commercial” and that he truly enjoys the work of the Board of Assessors.
Murphy stated that he wants to make sure that the Assessor’s practices “reflect the marketplace” and that all valuations represent “the full, fair cash value” of the property.
Board of Health, 1 opening, three-year term
Beatrice Brunkhorst, 135 Page Road
This would be Brunkhorst’s fifth term on the Board of Health, although the terms were not entirely consecutive. Brunkhorst stated that she “really looks forward to serving again” and that her vision of the Board of Health is “helping neighbors live healthy lives,” with particular attention to the underserved.
Brunkhorst’s nominator, Board of Health colleague Thomas Kinzer, called Brunkhorst “the heart and soul of the Board” and observed that they rely on her for her expertise in biosafety as a professional in the biochemistry industry.
Housing Authority, 1 opening, 5-year term
Eugene Clerkin, 46 Elm Street
Housing Authority colleague Jane Puffer nominated Clerkin, saying he is a “wonderful addition to our committee and we’re thrilled he wants to continue” after finishing the second year of a partial term.
Clerkin says that the work of the Housing Authority— managing 100 senior, family, and special needs units in the town—is important and that he enjoys the intensive work, which includes chairing the Community Preservation Committee. Clerkin says that the Town’s housing is ably managed, so he “tries to chip in with special projects.” He is currently working on a social services issue to prevent homelessness that he hopes will gain traction in the near future.
“What we’re trying to do is teach life tools, serve as mentors for families, and trying to guide residents to success. It’s a great mission; it’s a tremendous group to work for,”Clerkin said.
Library Trustees, 3 openings, three year terms
Abigail Hafer, 260 Davis Road
Nominated by fellow Trustee Lorrie Dunham, Abby Hafer, if re-elected, would be entering her third term as Library Trustee. Hafer is a senior lecturer of Anatomy and Physiology at Curry College and a writer.
Hafer said at the Caucus, “It is my pleasure to run again for Library Trustee. [During my years of service], I was pleased to see that the Library had several years of record circulation, all the while engaging in the general budgetary belt tightening that all Town departments had to do.
“In fact, Public Libraries tend to be counter-cyclical. That is, we use our libraries most when economic times are toughest. The Bedford Library is run extremely well, so well, in fact that people from other towns come here preferentially because the staff is so friendly and helpful.
“I’m proud to be on the board of an institution that has served this town so well and I’m asking for your vote so I can return to the job that I view as the best job in Bedford.”
Lorrie Dunham, 13 School Avenue
A retired minister, Dunham was elected to the Library Trustees to complete an unexpired term.
Nominator Abby Hafer said that Dunham “has graciously more than fulfilled the duties of a Library Trustee.” She has frequently served as Clerk for the group and she contributes “wisely and intelligently” no matter what the topic of discussion might be.
Moderator, 1 opening, three-year term
Betsey Anderson, 64 Wildwood Drive
Polly Herz nominated incumbent Betsey Anderson for another term as Town Moderator, citing Anderson’s service on numerous boards and committees and “outstanding contributions to Bedford’s community and civic life” as qualifications for the job in which Anderson “has served with distinction since 1999.”
In her speech, Anderson said, that open Town Meeting is one of the best things about Bedford. “If you want to impact what’s happening here, you do not have to stand frustrated on the sidelines. Open Town Meeting is the only form of government where every voter can participate directly. Your opinion will be heard and your vote will make a difference.
“As the Town faces ongoing financial pressures and complex decisions that impact the present and future residents of Bedford, Town Meeting remains important to all of us.”
Planning Board, 2 openings, three-year terms
Shawn Hanegan, 5 Hunt Road
Shawn Hanegan has served seven months on the Planning Board, appointed to finish Margot Fleischman’s unexpired term when she became a Selectmen last March. Newly arrived from Billerica, Hanegan played many public roles there before he and his wife decided to move, selecting Bedford above all other towns.
Nominator Sandra Hackman, also of the Planning Board, said that Hanegan is clearly committed to public service. When he was named to fill Fleischman’s seat, Hanegan “impressed [the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen] with his insightful comments about the concerns of residents and the critical need to ensure sustainable development and to promote a strong tax base while considering traffic and other trade-offs.”
Regional School Committee, 1 opening, three-year term
Donald Drouin, 4H Ashby Place
Nominator Ron Cordes said that Drouin “has served with great capacity in this job for 16 years and served Bedford very well.” Cordes added that “there is no one that I know who is more dedicated to Shawsheen[Technical High School] than Don Drouin and the services it provides our students.”
Following his nomination by Cordes, Drouin said that he believes in the training that Shawsheen’s students receive and the focus is on jobs and making connections. Drouin added that last year’s valedictorian was accepted to MIT and that he is proud of the work the high school does to prepare its students.
Deborah Kostas, 2 Sweeney Ridge
Kostas is a newcomer to Town boards, entering the field as a mother of four with more flexibility now that her children are older. Her background is in vocational education as an alumna of Lowell Vocational Technical High School, as a former business educator and as a former corporate trainer.
Kostas cites her preparation at Lowell Voc as being crucial to her career successes and believes that her work ethic and organizational skills prepare her for the job of Regional School Committee member.
School Committee: 2 openings, three-year terms
Brad Hafer, 1 Selfridge Road
Hafer is running to retain his seat on the School Committee. He cites a positive vision; objectivity, balance and pragmatism; and passion and commitment as qualities that make him a valuable member, as well as his facility with numbers and budgets.
Nominator Ann Guay characterized Hafer as “a quick study” who listens to differing points of view. “Brad gets updates at the dinner table from three schools every night from his three sons,” she added.
Michael McAllister, 9 Notre Dame Road
A newcomer to the Town board arena, McAllister is nonetheless an alumnus of Bedford High School and former Bedford Day Camp counselor who has returned to town to raise his family. An elementary school principal in Belmont, he “understand[s] public education very well.“It’s something I’ve dedicated the last fourteen years of my life to and something I plan to dedicate the next twenty years to,” McAllister said.
“There’s a lot to learn [as a new committee member] but my day-to-day world prepares me pretty well for it. While one school is never exactly like another. . .I speak the language [of education] pretty well.”
“I’m running for this position because Bedford is my community. It’s where I grew up, it’s where I met my wife, and it’s where I chose to educate my children. I’m fortunate to have options when it comes to their education: as an employee of the Belmont public schools, I can bring them with me to Belmont, where I believe they would receive a world class education. But I send them to Bedford because I believe it’s a system that’s equally excellent. . . .Fundamentally, I’m running because I feel the responsibility that comes with being a community member. Democracy, as they say, can’t be a spectator sport.”
Selectmen, 2 openings, three-year terms
William Moonan, 18 Crescent Avenue
Moonan is an incumbent who has served one term as a Selectman. Nominator Abbie Seibert said that Moonan has been active on town committees for much of his 36 years residency, that he is an analytical problem solver who listens and that he is not afraid to change his mind when the circumstances warrant it.
For his part, Moonan said that despite his deep involvement in the town, it wasn’t until he became a Selectman that he understood what it meant to truly be involved. In his role, he also acts as liaison to 7 or 8 different committees and says that his job is to “go to listen and work to resolve problems.”
With many large financial decisions and complex questions facing the Town, Moonan said that he will work to develop creative solutions that keep Bedford on a forward course while preserving its character.
Caroline Fedele, 27 Gray Terrace
Fedele currently serves on the Recreation Commission and is also Vice President of the Bedford Elementary Schools Together (BEST) PTO. She grew up in Bedford and is the youngest daughter of current Citizen of the Year, Bobbie Ennis.
A 12-year employee of Sprint, the telecommunications company, Fedele says that through her job she has developed a work ethic as well as the ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders to tackle complex issues and arrive at workable solutions with affordable price tags— skills that prepare her well for the role of Selectman.
Fedele cited several areas she is excited to tackle: the Middlesex 3 regional development collaborative effort; safety, energy efficiency and “green” groups such as the Bicycle Advisory Committee, Trails Committees, Transportation Advisory and Energy Task Force; Council on Aging; and the encouragement of civic participation, particularly for those with young families.
Nominator and former Selectman Walter St. Onge said of Fedele: “I am confident that Caroline will serve the town well. She is well aware of the commitment she is making. . . .I admire her desire to step forward. . . .No one has the answers to every problem—indeed sometimes it may seem as if we don’t have answers to any problem—but one of the most important qualities for a Bedford Selectman is the willingness to listen to all sides of an issue and to consider fairly the different points of view that exist.”
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