Selectmen candidates vie for seats

Selectmen candidates vie for seats

Arundel

Tom Danylik and Michael Drew are running for one three-year term on the Arundel Board of Selectmen.

Name: Tom Danylik

Age: 65

Address: 112 Bittersweet Drive, Arundel

Occupation: Attorney

Marital status: Married

Children: Two

Education: BA, Maryknoll College; JD, Boston University School of Law

Organizations-activities: Director York County Community Action Corp.; basketball coach, Arundel Recreation Department; assistant baseball coach, Thornton Academy.

Previous political experience: Former member Arundel Board of Appeals; present member Arundel Board of Selectmen.

Why are you running for office?

A desire to assist my town, and by extension my neighbors, in resolving the issues that confront it and them on a reasoned, fair, creative and equitable basis, all in an effort to make the town of Arundel a safe, affordable and harmonious place to live.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. Property tax burden: Obviously this is not an issue unique to Arundel. However I believe that Arundel is particularly vulnerable due to the availability of high school choice and the limitation placed on business growth due to the lack of infrastructure in our commercial areas. While there is no easy solution to this problem, particularly at the local level, I will continue to invest time and energy into the exploration of all options.

2. Arundel Fire and Rescue: For a number of years a restructuring of the status and organization of AFR has been discussed with no action. However, it appears the time is upon the town to decide its future. I believe that a town fire and rescue department is important, not only for the increased level of safety it provides, but also because it is an integral part of a community’s identity and thus deserving of the taxpayer’s support.

3. Regional School Unit 21: Whether to remain a part of the RSU or to withdraw from it (when and if allowed) is, and may well continue to be, one of the most divisive issues the town has experienced. I have not taken a position on the issue as I believe the lack of information on the consequence of withdrawal prevents me from doing so. However, I remain willing to listen to both sides and encourage those invested to present their cases in the context of civil discourse and against the backdrop of what is in the best interest of the children of our town.

Name: Michael Drew

Age: 40

Address: 21 White Pine Drive, Arundel

Occupation: Firefighter-paramedic

Marital status: Single

Children: None

Education: AD, para-medicine

Organizations-activities: Maine Federation of Firefighters, gardening, snowmobiling, ice fishing.

Previous political experience: No previous political office.

Why are you running for office?

My goal in running for selectman is to bring some new ideas and new direction to the board. In the past many of the positions on the board have been held for repeat terms. This is not a place for “politics as usual.” I believe the town and ultimately the citizens would be better served with some new faces that can make decisions based on what is best for the town in the current situation rather than the way it has always been done.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. Taxes. As with many communities this is a top priority. I think we have gotten away from the roots of Arundel in recent years. It’s important to keep the budget in check and make the difficult decisions between what we want and what we need. These are the same decisions most families make in their own household budget every week and month.

2. Town infrastructure maintenance. We have all seen the town hall falling into disrepair over recent years. This year’s board should place a new emphasis on making plans for the future. If a new town hall is on the horizon, planning and budgeting should begin soon. If not, the current building that has served us well for many years should be adequately maintained to avoid huge repair costs later that could have been avoided with proper upkeep.

3.Volunteerism in town. The town of Arundel relies heavily on volunteers. Many organizations in town are truly grass roots operations where our own neighbors provide the work force. The fire department, recreation department and historical committee are only a few on the long list. It’s concerning to see empty seats on town boards and (positions) go to election with nobody seeking the seat. We as a town need to entice citizens to get involved and help out. The board of selectmen can play a huge role in this effort.

Kennebunk

Deborah A. Beal and William A. Ward Jr. are running unopposed for two three-year terms on the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen.

Name: Deborah A. Beal

Age: 43

Address: 3 Portage Way, Kennebunk

Occupation: customer service representative at TD Bank

Marital status: Married 22 years

Children: Twin girls, Erin and Erica, 19 years old, attending the University of Maine Farmington

Education: 1986 Kennebunk High School graduate, 2007 University of Southern Maine graduate

Previous political experience: Two years on board of selectmen.

Why are you running for office?

I want to continue to serve the town. I have enjoyed the past two years on the board. As a lifelong resident, I believe I have the best interests of the town in mind. I want to make sure Kennebunk is a town where our children want to come back to live in.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1, 2 and 3: Economy.

Today’s economy is affecting our citizens in multiple ways. Taxes across the board (from federal on down) keep increasing but sources of income don’t keep up with the pace of the increases. We are being asked to do more with less and for less. How to address the issue of economy – I can only do my best to make sure that tax dollars are spent wisely, expenses are controlled and budgets are adhered to.

Name: William A Ward Jr.

Age: 55

Address: 7 Lords Point Road, Kennebunk

Occupation: Owner, Arundel Computer Service

Marital status: Single

Children: None

Education: I graduated high school from Governor Dummer Academy, Byfield, Mass., in 1974. I attended Nasson College in Springvale 1974-1976 as a business major. After years in the airline and clothing businesses I attended University of New England from 1990-1996 as a business major.

Organizations/activities: Chairman Kennebunk Budget Board, non-voting member RSU 21 Finance Committee.

Previous political experience: I have run for selectman three times.

Why are you running for office?

Several challenges face us in the next few years. I believe my experience on the budget board from 2004 until present equips me with background knowledge to help and make a positive difference.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

I want to preface my remarks by noting that anyone elected is part of a seven-man team. I am a conservative and have no interest in seeing property taxes raised. Too many members of our community are struggling under the weight of taxes, the source of which is school funding. Selectmen unfortunately do not control the school budget but we can limit growth of the town budgets. In short we need to be as efficient as possible while still delivering vital services.

1. Maintain as close to a flat budget as possible by working on both town management and budget board. The budget should be reasonable but avoid being penny wise but pound foolish. One key area is energy efficiency. We need to look at any areas that can help control cost. We also need to make sure that those in trouble have energy assistance available.

2. For the next three years our budget will be strained by debt repayment. I want to slow the growth of new debt unless the funding source can truly come from a tax increment financing zone.

3. We need to look at ways of sharing resources and avoid the us vs. them mindset. I want to explore what if any ways might exist to share resources with the RSU and other towns to benefit Kennebunk residents. I define benefit as reducing cost or adding greater service value. This could mean purchasing as a group or sharing service delivery. I do think any such plan should be carefully reviewed. Nothing should be rushed. In rough economic times all local governments and school districts are in a lifeboat together. Occupants of a lifeboat do better when they find ways to cooperate. In short, look for win-win situations.

Kennebunkport

Mathew J. Lanigan is running unopposed for one three-year term on the Kennebunkport Board of Selectmen.

Name: Mathew J. Lanigan

Age: 47

Address: 69 Mills Road, Cape Porpoise

Occupation: Sales

Marital status: Married

Children: Three (ages 7, 5 and 2)

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management

Organizations-activities: Consolidated School Parent Teacher Association, Kennebunkport Business Association, Kennebunk/Kennebunkport Chamber of Commerce, KEMS Board of Directors, Kennebunkport Safety Committee.

Previous political experience: Selectman for the town of Kennebunkport for seven years; previously on Kennebunkport Budget Board and Growth Planning Committees.

Why are you running for office?

First, because I enjoy it. Second, because I feel I make a difference in a town I love. Third, because people have asked me to continue to run.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. School funding-renovation plans: I want to be sure that any renovations and funding include appropriate plans for upkeep and renovations of all of the schools that need the work. I especially am concerned that any plans include maintenance of Consolidated School. I want to be sure the actual plans are reviewed and discussed thoroughly so that the final plans are encompassing the needs of all of the schools without going overboard.

2. Road-sidewalk maintenance: Although as a town we do a good job at keeping up with our road maintenance, the major problem roads in town are state roads. I intend to work with Town Manager Larry Mead to continue to press the state to repair those roads that are their responsibility (not ours). I also want to continue to expand the sidewalk system within our own town.

 3. Public access: I will continue to work with the board of selectmen and the town manager in protecting all existing public access points to the beach and water throughout town as well as continuing to allow and protect public use of the beach at Goose Rocks.

Board Adjusts 2012 Budget Proposal & Warrant Articles

Please be reminded of the importance of casting your vote at the RSU 21 District Budget Meeting on Tuesday, June 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Kennebunk High School (Gymnasium).  This will be the second attempt to approve an operating budget for the 2011-2012 school year, and your vote is critical to this process.  

Following the defeat of the initial proposed budget, the Board made adjustments of approximately $768,000 ($100,000 in spending reductions and $668,000 in carryforward adjustments).   You may also access the RSU21 website (www.rsu21.net) for additional budget information.

Following the vote on June 7 we must hold another referendum on June 14, where you will be asked to vote at your local polling place between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.  Please participate in both votes.  We understand that this can be confusing, but state law mandates this two-step approval process, and your vote on both dates is critical.

You may click on the title of this post to be redirected to the RSU21 website for additional budget information.

RSU unveils adjusted budget as printed by SeaCoast Online.com

RSU unveils adjusted budget & Sets district budget meeting for Tuesday, June 7

 

Kelly Hearn photo Members of the RSU 21 Board of Directors listen to residents speak about the proposed budet on May 27. The initial budget vote failed, so the board discussed further changes.

By KELLY HEARN

yccs@seacoastonline.com

June 02, 2011 2:00 AM

KENNEBUNK — A newly-proposed RSU 21 district budget that decreases the local tax burden by approximately $768,000 will be put before voters during a June 14 referendum.

The amended $35.7 million budget was passed by a 6-5 vote during a contentious RSU 21 Board of Directors meeting Friday, May 27, at the Kennebunk Elementary School.

District voters rejected the proposed budget May 24, along with the Thornton Academy Middle School contract buy-out and a new cost sharing agreement. Only the budget — which lost by a slim 51 percent to 49 percent margin — is being put back before voters.

The new proposal's revised impact on taxpayers: Arundel would see a 4.54 per cent increase or $59.87 per $100,000 of assessed value, and Kennebunk a 1.15 percent increase, or $16.45 per $100,000. Kennebunkport would see a decrease of 1.33 percent, for a drop of $8.41 per $100,000.

The board made two adjustments at the May 27 meeting. First, it reduced health benefits by $100,000, a move made possible when the district's health insurance provider lowered its projected rate of increase from 10 percent — the figure used to calibrate the original budget — to 6.5 percent. The change will not eliminate any staff or programs.

The board also wants to apply $1 million from the district's undesignated fund balance to next year's budget — a stop-gap measure that reduces by $668,347 the amount raised by local taxes but pulls down the undesignated cash reserve to what some say is an unacceptably low level.

Originally, only $339,900 would have been applied to next year's budget, saving $1.2 million in the fund for the TAMS buy-out.

Finance Committee chairman Kevin Knight told the board that the new figure was chosen because it leaves $500,000 in the undesignated reserves.

"And we felt $500,000 is a reasonable number," he said.

RSU 21 Superintendent Andrew Dolloff warned that reducing the undesignated fund will cause "a significant challenge to next year's budget process."

Director Jack Reetz said the board should retain somewhere in the range of 3 percent of its budget in the fund, a figure recommended by the state of Maine, to deal with probable restrictions in state and federal funding in the year to come.

"Taking a one-time pain relief pill for this year is not prudent or financially responsible," he said. "We need to look longer term."

The meeting took a confrontational turn after Director Dan Pleva indicated that using undesignated funds was preferable to asking taxpayers to pay more. He then questioned whether the board had taken a hard enough look at staffing issues in the context of falling enrollment.

"Those are kind of hard choices we have to spend time looking at," he said. "I don't believe we did those things."

Chairman Norm Archer asked Pleva if he was suggesting that the board had simply "been whistling Dixie until the election."

Director Matt Fadiman said hundreds of hours had gone to long-term planning.

Fadiman then said he "didn't know if drawing down the positive fund to only $500,000 is responsible," saying, in addition, that the undesignated positive fund balance "is not just a piggy back that we can draw from when we need to."

Director Ed Geoghan called for using the $1.2 million that would have gone to Thornton Academy to offset current tax demands. He read from a 2010 audit stating that the district is in good financial health with an "unrestricted" fund balance of over $5 million.

Several board members protested, saying that an unrestricted fund is simply a snapshot way to say how much money is in the bank at a give time — money that gets used to pay salaries, for example. Undesignated funds accrue over time and are used to mitigate unforeseen cash flow problems.

"You're just taking numbers out of context to make it sound like we have deep pockets that we don't have," Knight told Geoghan.

Director Bob Domine then took aim at Pleva, while ignoring calls to order.

"It's very frustrating to have you sit here, Dan, and ask questions as though you've never ever been here," Domine said.

Domine then told Geoghan he was giving him a free accounting lesson, and proceeded to explain the nuances of fund accounting.

"Frankly if we can't get this board to understand this stuff and if we can't communicate it to the electorate, then our votes mean frankly nothing," he said.

Domine continued, "If anybody here thinks the budget or TAMS vote was a referendum by the entire community then you've got rocks in your head. This vote was about politically who was better at mobilizing a group of people to come and to vote at the polls."

He said the TAMS issue should be put back to the voters and community members with school-age children rallied to support it "rather than a slice of the community that frankly has nothing better to do."

Pleva at one point suggested the board had a communication problem.

"The fact that the townspeople of Arundel in part were not listened to by the board did drive them to vote the way they voted," he said.

Director Leia Lowery said the board had bent over backwards to be transparent and to invite public participation.

"We have to budget sensibly and sometimes that means putting in some padding so that we protect the very students that we are supposed to be representing on this board," she said.

Diane Robbins, a candidate for an RSU seat, spoke up from the audience saying that the board's actions have been irresponsible, and that many area residents don't have the money to shoulder increased taxes.

There will be a budget validation meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at Kennebunk High School.

How to respond to online haters

By Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich, Special to CNN June 1, 2011 6:59 a.m. EDT | Filed under: Social Media

You have the potential to invoke someone's wrath with every blog entry, Facebook update and tweet.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• A good and bad thing about the Internet is that it encourages everyone to have an opinion
• Unfriend passive-aggressive Facebookers who aren't really your friends
• As a general rule, don't engage trolls who send you a mean e-mail or flame you on your blog

RELATED TOPICS

• Facebook Inc.
• Twitter Inc.
• Etiquette and Manners

Editor's note: Brenna Ehrlich and Andrea Bartz are the sarcastic brains behind humor blog and book Stuff Hipsters Hate. When they're not trolling Brooklyn for new material, Ehrlich works as an associate editor at Mashable.com and Bartz is news editor at Psychology Today. 

(CNN) -- It's an empirical fact: There are people out there who hate you.

It doesn't matter how nice you are, or how many smiley face stickers and free hugs you dole out, there are probably a couple of people out there who rue the day you were born. (Likely us, if you do, indeed, dole out "free hugs.")

And never is this animosity so evident as it is on the Internet.

Think about it: Before the advent of the Web, the average person lived in blissful ignorance of the ire of others, only catching whispers on the windblown grapevine of malcontent.

Now, you have the potential to invoke someone's wrath with every blog entry, Facebook update and tweet.

So how does one respond to this digital dislike? Read on, dear readers (10% of whom we likely disdain, and vice versa):

In the event of a passive-aggressive Facebooker

There are more than 650 million people on Facebook, and unless you're a solid adherent to Dunbar's Number and have carefully restricted those friend requests, you're probably "friends" with a couple of people you wouldn't actually call "friend" in real life.

You know: high school classmates/tormentors, exes, former friends with whom you've had a falling out. If you were to run into said people on the street, they would probably do the whole, "I'm staring at this poster for a children's yard sale that occurred three weeks ago very intently and therefore do not see you" thing.

On Facebook, some do the virtual equivalent: They block your access to photos and wall posts, (likely) remove you from their news feed and immediately toss out a "Not Attending" four seconds after you send them an invite to your "Sock Puppet Sock Hop."

Yup, you're trapped in "I'm being polite, but I hate you" limbo, dear friend, and it's time to go on to the next world: one in which only friends dawdle in the sweet groves of amity. Translation: Unfriend those people posthaste.

You have to grudgingly tolerate co-workers, extended family and B.O.-ridden elevator-sharers on a daily basis; don't let that same lenience spread into the realm of America's Favorite (Eye-glazing) Pastime.

In the event of a Twitter war

Twitter wars have become the modern-day equivalent of the battles between Roman gladiators -- epic, public clashes that seem staged for the delight of a packed arena of rapt onlookers.

We've seen some pretty intense examples in the realm of the celebrity (Kanye West, Courtney Love and various and sundry reality stars are repeat offenders), and, on a less buzzed-about scale, between friends and acquaintances.

"Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter may bring (animosity) out more because of the massive and ready audience they supply," says Elias Aboujaoude, M.D., a psychiatrist and author of "Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the E-Personality."

While the worst thing that could happen to a gladiator was being ripped limb from limb and possibly consumed by a lion, Twitter warriors face a much more dire (although less fatal) fate: an eternally damaged reputation.

(Remember, guys, all of your tweets are being stored in the Library of Congress as we speak.)

Why? Because Twitter fights are not courageous -- they're tacky. If someone slights you in 140 characters, we suggest sending them a Direct Message (if you give a damn about their opinion), or just blocking them and sticking to straight-up schadenfreude when it comes to entertainment.

In the event of an all-out war

If you have a blog, YouTube channel or prominent place on an online forum dedicated to live action role-playing, you're going to have to fortify your gates against the trolls.

The wonderful thing about the Internet is that it encourages everyone to have an opinion -- and the horrible thing about the Internet is that it affords everyone the ability to express it.

As a general rule, if an under-the-bridge dweller sends you a mean e-mail, flames you in the comments section of your blog or pontificates on your unattractiveness under your latest cat grooming tutorial on YouTube, just don't engage.

Said bumpy-faced one is looking to get a rise out of you, and executing a counterstrike will only result in more wholly eloquent zingers in the "YOUUUU SUKKKK" vein.

Sports columnist Jeff Pearlman decided to track down and confront his trolls for a CNN column and found the whole ordeal to be an exercise in futility.

"It's sort of like stomping out ants with your foot," he says. "It works temporarily, but then the ants come back even stronger. Truthfully, you're better off pretending these people don't exist. Because they're crying to be noticed; to have the platform you have. Engage them, you make their wish come true."

Still, that doesn't mean you have to suffer in martyred silence all the time.

"We should remember that any information attached to our name, whether it's accurate information we supply ourselves without thinking or mean-spirited and inaccurate statements made about us by haters, is going to stay online forever," says Aboujaoude. "That is why standing up to hecklers can be an important part of maintaining our online reputation."

A simple fix is simply deleting any outright racist, rude or misogynistic comments from your own personal domains, or flagging abusive sentiments on the domains of others, and then contacting the webmaster. Or, you could be a little more creative.

There have been some instances in which folks have stood up to trolls in a manner that entirely obliterated the original slight.

For example, after one commenter posted a scathing -- albeit horrifyingly misspelled -- rant under a game on content creation site Newgrounds, the actor who voiced the game teamed up with a graphic designer to create a video dramatizing the venom-tinged words in all of their grammatically incorrect glory.

That video, "dot dot dot," went viral, in no small part because it was a clever retort to an impassioned troll, rather than a messy attack. The troll in question even "Favorited" the video.

Sure, you can't make everyone on the Web like you. But grudging respect is sometimes more satisfying than blind adoration, anyway.

School candidates to compete for seats as reported by the Kennebunk Post

School candidates to compete for seats

http://blog.kennebunkpost.com/2011/05/26/school-candidates-to-compete-for-seats.aspx

Leia Lowery and Diane Robbins of Arundel are running for a three-year term on the Regional School Unit 21 Board of Directors.

Name:  Leia Lowery

Age: 38

Address: 35 Jeffs Way, Arundel

Occupation: Coordinator for the Trust in our Children Program for Kennebunkport Conservation Trust

Marital status:  Married for almost 15 years

Children:  Three; a 12-year-old girl, a nearly 10-year-old girl and nearly 6-year-old boy

Education: Undergraduate and masters degree in vocational and technical education from Virginia Tech in liberal arts and sciences.

Organizations-activities: Lay speaker and chairman of the SPRC at West Kennebunk United Methodist Church; substitute at Kennebunk Free Library; former Kennebunk Parks and Recreation program leader; member of curriculum committee at Regional School Unit 21. 

Previous political experience: I don’t see myself as a real political entity. I was asked to run for school board based on my active involvement with the regional planning committee.

Why are you running for office? 

I am running for office because I am passionate about education. I truly believe one of the most important jobs we have as a community is to ensure the future generation is up to the task of leading our country and taking on the difficult situations they surely will face.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. First and foremost is creating a sustainable education for these communities. We are facing more and more cuts from the state and we have to come up with creative ways to offset the rising cost of education. I don’t believe that we can have everything we want but I think that as a board we can come up with innovative ways to get what we need without putting the total burden on all the taxpayers which includes me.

2. Dealing with the physical schools and their issues. I don’t believe that we have to have state of the art schools in order to have great learning communities, but the reality is that if the physical plant is inhibiting education in some way it needs to be addressed. I believe that is the case with the high school. It is a delicate balance between what we can afford and what we deem necessary versus what we would love to see. 

3. Creating community. We no longer live in a society where all of us have grown up here for generations and there seems to be a disconnect. I think getting the community involved and having them see what our students are doing and creating that connection between the schools and our community members will help everyone. After all, every taxpayer should have a vested interest in our schools.

Name: Diane C. Robbins

Age:  55

Address: 12 Days Mills Road, Arundel

Occupation: Senior excess loss specialist

Marital status: Single

Children: None

Education: Graduated high school and trained to be a surgical technician in the operating room at Maine Medical Center.

Organizations-activities: I teach Junior Achievement classes; have participated in the United Way Day of Caring for at least seven years.

Previous political experience: Town of Arundel Comprehensive Plan Committee; strategic plan committee; cost sharing committee; Central York County Communications Advisory Committee; Arundel Budget Board and charter committee.

Why are you running for office? 

I am running for office because I had members of my community request that I do so because they felt that not everyone was represented with the current board. They felt that I would be of benefit to the town as a member of this board.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. Stabilize the tax increases to the towns.While I understand that the state is not funding the schools to the level we would like to see, we are also dealing with a student population that is dropping. But the costs do not appear to be dropping with that decrease. This current budget was done, voted on and finalized with the board admitting it did not see line items. While the board cannot deal with every line it would have been useful to see of the budgets what had and had not been spent and how that compared to other years. 

2. Find a way to improve relations between the three towns. This is a big job but if the RSU is to continue the current board needs to take all members of the community seriously and today that does not happen. They have called people concerned with the budget names, they made faces and laughed at the hearing for the budget and this type of disrespect needs to be stopped. It is unprofessional and disrespectful to all of the communities involved. We need to treat each other with respect at all times.

3. Communications between the board and the public needs to improve. Many of the communications go out to families with children in school and while I know there is another method to get the communications, I don’t believe this has been made public enough. I also think we need a better method developed and put in place to allow members of the general public to get issues addressed by the board.

Ed Karytko and Brad Huot of Kennebunk are running for a one-year term on the Regional School Unit 21 Board of Directors.

Name: Ed Karytko

Age: 67

Address: West Kennebunk

Occupation: I am retired and spent most of my life in the printing industry.

Marital status: I am married 41 years to my wife, Susan, a former educator.

Children: I have four children, all of whom graduated from Kennebunk High School and college. I also have 5 grandchildren.

Education: I have an associate of arts degree; U.S. Army technical and teaching training; attended an engineering college and countless technical seminars and courses associated with the lithographic industry.

Organizations-activities: I am a member of St. Martha’s Knights of Columbus; Vietnam Veterans of America; and Greater Portland Men’s Senior Softball League.

Previous political experience: I have been a school board member and athletic booster at a private high school; served on the Kennebunk High School Athletic Booster Board; hosted three foreign exchange students from Japan and Mexico; helped operate an in-home day care; and was home provider for an individual with a mental disability.

Why are you running for the school board?

I am deeply concerned about our country’s global standing regarding the education of our youth. Considering my past experiences, I believe I can have a positive effect in helping all the children in RSU 21 have a quality, world class education.

What are three top issues and how would you address them?

1. RSU 21 cannot succeed without each of the towns in the district working together. I can help foster an open dialogue with each community toward resolving the problems that face our school district.

2. The economic downturn surprised everyone. I would advocate for programs that are focused on achieving our district goals while keeping and eye on cost effectiveness through a more detailed budget process.

3. Building maintenance and repair is an important issue. I would promote sensible, responsible programs to protect our district’s investments in existing and future facilities.

Name: Brad Huot

Age: 35

Address: 9 Rivers Edge Drive, Kenne-bunk

Occupation: Physician

Marital status: Married

Children: Maggie (7), Izzy (5), Max (1)

Education: Massabesic High School (1993); B.S. in Biological Chemistry, Bates College (1997); M.D. University of Vermont College of Medicine (2001); residency in internal medicine, University of Virginia Health Systems (2004).

Organizations-activities: Maine Medical Association; American Medical Association; Southern Maine Medical Center Medical Executive Committee; parent volunteer, Mrs. Curran’s first-grade class, Kennebunk Elementary School; Partner in Prevention; Child Abuse Prevention Council of York County.

Previous political experience: None

Why are you running for office? 

Continuing to promote foreign language instruction in the elementary years, expansion of the International Baccalaureate program and improvement in test scores at the middle and high schools are my highest priorities. I also think I can help with the true consolidation process by helping to economize the district. I believe we can limit the tax burden to citizens and maintain instruction programs at the same or higher levels if we cut down on what we pay for the maintenance of schools that are half full.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. School consolidation and economization: I think we need to seriously consider consolidating our district into fewer schools, resulting in smaller fuel and electricity bills and fewer maintenance costs. With fuel costs continually rising, paying to maintain half-filled and outdated, inefficient schools is a waste of taxpayer money that could be used for instruction and for lowering taxpayer burden.

2. Public awareness of the school board process: I believe there is a disconnect between what the school board does and the public perception of the process of putting together a budget. I think it would be helpful to all to make this process more transparent and hopefully get more of the public involved in the entire process.

3. Expansion of the International Baccalaureate program: I believe that expansion of this program into the elementary grades would encourage students to reach for the stars. Encouraging young students to succeed from an early age gets students to love learning and nurtures their inherent curiosity.

Robert Higgins, Kevin Knight and Art Leblanc of Kennebunk are running for two three-year terms on the Regional School Unit 21 Board of Directors.

Name: Robert J. Higgins

Age: 64

Address: 22 Woodside Drive, Kennebunk

Occupation: Retired

Marital status: Single

Children: Daughter, University of New Hampshire graduate

Education: Kennebunk High School, class of 1965

Organizations-activities: U.S. Army Veteran; member of Disabled American Veterans; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; St. David’s Church.

Previous political experience: Six years as a member of the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen and prior to that was an active citizen-taxpayer participant in various Kennebunk town boards and meetings.

Why are you running for office?

I am running for the RSU Board of (Directors)as a common sense, independent director who will represent the entire taxpaying community. It will be my objective to pursue excellence in education and, at the same time, working to develop a cost effective, sustainable budget. Excellence in education and a cost effective budget are not mutually exclusive.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. School budget: To look for ways to reduce spending and continue to maintain and approve the quality of education of our student population. As an example, this would involve working to see if we can adopt a merit pay process for teachers similar to what has been done in Portland and other communities throughout the country. This is being advocated by the U.S. Secretary of Education. Salaries and benefits account for 75 percent of the budget.

2. Transparency: This would involve working to ensure that all RSU board deliberations are conducted in an open and transparent manner. As an example, I would propose that all budget items are discussed and approved on a line item basis.

3. Communication: Work with York County legislators to make sure that they know that every dollar we don’t receive in state aid has a direct and adverse impact on the three RSU communities.

Name: Kevin Knight

Age: 39

Address: 21 Canterbury Circle, Kennebunk

E-mail: kknight@rsu21.net

Occupation: Marketing research

Marital status: Married

Children: one son

Education: BA in mathematics and economics, Lafayette College; MA in economics, University of New Hampshire.

Previous political experience: RSU 21 Board of Directors

Why are you running for office?

I am running for re-election because I believe that I offer a reasoned, balanced perspective to a board that will continue to face some difficult decisions in the coming years.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. One major challenge currently facing our district is the need to address some of the issues with our facilities while minimizing the impact on our academic programs and services. I do believe we need to make some changes with the high school facility, as the current structure is not adequate, but it will be important to be sensible with our choices, to ensure that we put a plan before the taxpayers that is reasonable.

2. Currently, our district faces a great deal of divisiveness, particularly around some of the emotional issues surrounding consolidation. I believe as a board member, it is important to be respectful of the emotions and opinions on both sides of issues. It is then important to focus on making decisions that are driven by facts and what we believe will be best for the district in the long run. 

3. Another constant challenge for our schools is how we improve the quality of the education that we are providing. From a board perspective it is important that we hire strong leaders and hold those leaders accountable for the performance in the schools. We must also support these leaders as they work to hold the staff accountable.

Name: Art LeBlanc

Age: 50

Address: 10 Alewive Farms Road, Kennebunk

Occupation:Director of controls, EchoFirst Inc., responsible for software and control hardware of Internet, iPhone and Home Area Network-connected solar systems.

Marital status: Married 28 years to Holly, a graduate of Kennebunk High School.

Children: Alexander, Cameron, Margaux and Maxim.

Education: Master of Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 1984; Bachelor of engineering, Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College 1984; Bachelor of Arts, Dartmouth College, 1982.

Organizations-activities: Coach youth lacrosse, skiing; photography; member of the board of private manufacturing company; former board member York County YMCA.

Previous political experience: Maine Ambassador for Business under Angus King; school board member MSAD 71, RSU 21            

Why are you running for office?

The publishing of the Maine Learning Results served as my original motivation to run for a school board seat as I was amazed that the Legislature could condense K-12 education into a PowerPoint presentation. I am running again to continue improving our schools, particularly in science and technology, address drug and alcohol use, budget with declining state support and finish the facility renovation programs.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

 1. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).STEM is a recognized priority nationally and is gaining momentum at Kennebunk High School as this year’s graduating class formed a core group who enrolled in honors biology as freshmen, opening the door to taking more advanced sciences during their four years at KHS.  Not only did those students excel, but they showed that the STEM goals are achievable. 

Kennebunk High School students should be able to reach a level that is nationally competitive as they prepare for further study in colleges and universities. 

2. Provide opportunity for all students. More students should be encouraged to pursue more challenging courses that will help them achieve their goals in whatever occupation they choose to pursue. 

If a student wants to study home construction or a particular trade, a solid knowledge of math and science will go a long way to understanding how to program the latest CNC machine, install renewable energy systems, or know the chemical benefits of  blown foam insulation. 

3. Financial Management It is critical that school boards hire and set the agenda for top quality management to make the most of their budgeted dollars.  The hiring of Andrew Dolloff as the Regional School Unit 21 superintendent has brought real leadership that has just begun to address core issues within our district. 

The largest part of our school budget is expended on salaries and benefits.  The accountability and performance appraisal process must monitor teacher performance in the classroom. 

If we are not getting the best performance of our teachers in the classroom we are not maximizing our hard earned funding from the taxpayers of this community.

Maureen King and Alicia Kellett of Kennebunkport are running for a three-year term on the Regional School Unit 21 Board of Directors.

Name: Maureen King

Age: 54

Address: 135 Guinea Road, Kennebunkport

Occupation: Mom, 21 years experience; retail management and restaurant management, 17 years experience

Marital status: Married to a wonderful man who has been very supportive of my school board service.

Children: Two – a senior at Kennebunk High and junior at Olin College of Engineering.

Education: Bachelor of Arts from Mary Washington College; completed the Institute for Civic Leadership’s year-long course in collaborative leadership; Leadership Intensive, in 2008-2009.

Organizations/activities: President of Maine School Boards Association; member of MSBA Board of Directors since 2006; librarian for Congregation Etz Chaim, also has served on the board of directors of Etz Chaim since 2003; weekly volunteer in KES kindergarten classroom; communication committee for Cape Arundel Golf Club; board of advisors for PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) International Foundation; Personal activities include golf, gardening, knitting, reading and P90X.

Previous political experience: 10 years on MSAD 71 Board of Directors, chairman for five years; two years on RSU 21 Board of Directors, chairman for one year; served 10 years on Kennebunkport’s Growth Planning Committee, six years as chairman; have spent this year testifying before Maine legislative committees on behalf of the Maine School Boards Association.

Why are you running for office?

I’ve always considered the education of children to be our most important job as a society. With my 12 years experience on the board and the exposure I’ve had to state and national discussions of education, I feel that I have a lot to offer the district. I think it’s critical to the health and futures of our communities to have excellent, strong and strongly supported public schools led by locally elected school board members who are passionate about educating our children to the best of our communities’ abilities.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. High school renovation: Engage the community in tours and discussions about the needs for upgrading the high school facilities and improving the curriculum offered. We have more work to do in the science/math/engineering/technology area to make sure our students can be competitive when they leave KHS. As we have upgraded our other facilities, it is time to make sure the high school students have the lab spaces and technology they need to be competitive in colleges and in the work place.

2. Other facilities issues. (A) Upgrades at Consolidated School and Mildred L. Day School: These buildings have excellent programming but need to have life/safety/code issues addressed. (B) When the current KES building can hold all K-5 Kennebunk resident students, we should move all those students to the KES building.

3. The communities and board have crafted an excellent strategic plan for continued improvement of the district’s schools. The strategic plan provides clear guidelines for teaching and learning, accountability, high performing staff, financial and facilities planning and monitoring and reporting district progress. Following our strategic plan will be key to our future successes.

Name: Alicia Kellett

Age: 39

Address: 64 Mills Road, Kennebunkport

Occupation: Branch manager, RepubliCash Financial Center

Marital status: Single

Children: Elizabeth, 9, and Patrick, 7

Education: Lawrence Academy; Wheaton College (two years); licensed foster parent

Why are you running for office?

I have always been a strong advocate for children. I have been a foster parent for over 12 years and have been blessed with two children (who) attend Consolidated. Even though I decided to be a single parent and raise children I knew I could do it because of the love and support from my family as well as it truly takes a village to raise a child. I believe I can add a fresh and fair representation of the concerns and needs of all students no matter their background or abilities. I am eager to spend the time and energy to listen, learn and communicate for the greater good of our whole community in order to procure the best public education for all of our children.

What are your top three issues and how would you address them?

1. I will be a resource and an advocate for students, parents and teachers. I am committed to providing the best education for all our students no matter their background or ability. 

2. I will listen, learn, convey and work collaboratively with the other members of the school board to communicate the needs and concerns of the entire community and advocate that they are carried over into the decisions of the administration. As well as communicate the needs and the concerns of the board and/or the administration to the community.    

3. I will support the improvement of a clearer budget so that voters can better understand it and its impact on the fiscal health of our community and town. We all support education but no matter how difficult the issues, full disclosure to the voters will result in positive solutions and support.