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Veteran Selectman Kevin Greeley beat back a tough challenge from Maria Romano in the annual town election Saturday, April 10, as Kirsi Allison-Ampe and Judson Peirce won seats on the School Committee.
In unofficial totals, Greeley received 3,232 vote to Romano's 2,313. Allison-Ampe was the town's top vote-getter, with 3,257 and Pierce 2,988. Third in that race was Kurt Fusaris, with 1,692.
Trailing for selectman was newcomer Nathan Bosdet, an economic analyst, who received 366 votes.
For School Committee, Teresa Bottoni, a substitute teacher who ran unsuccessfully for School Committee in 2001, came in fourth in a race for two seats, with 1,422 votes. Choosing not to seek reelection after one term were Denise Burns and Ron Spangler.
Allison-Ampe is a physician and researcher; Pierce is an attorney. Fusaris is a speech-language pathologist and science teacher who has taught in the Arlington school system.
Winning reelection for uncontested seats were John Leone, moderator (4,555), James Doherty, assessor (3,978), and Teresa Walsh, Housing Authority, 4,082.
An Election Day push by Romano supporters, touting opposition to the Mass. Ave. Corridor project, appeared to attract some votes. Yet the challenger, a 31-year Arlington business woman won only in those precincts where her signs dotted lawns. In Precinct 6, Romano topped Greeley, 152 to 98, as well as in 7, 131 to 102.
Overall, Greeley won by 919 votes in a Town Election marked by sunny skies -- and a relatively low turnout. Town Web site figures show that 6,068 voted, or 20.4 percent.
In races for Town Meeting, two veteran members lost reelection bids -- Lyman G. Judd Jr. in Precinct 9 and Joseph S. Daly in Precinct 20. The former is know for his long-winded queries; the latter for his pithy quips from the back of the hall.
Winners, losers: What they say
Candidates in contested races were asked for statements following the April 10 election. Comments from those who have responded are published below.
The selectmen candidates were asked: Please let the public know what direction you believe your campaign led Arlington.
Kevin Greeley
“I was humbled to be elected again to the Arlington Board of Selectmen, I know I could not have done it without the fantastic support of friends and family.
"I was overwhelmed that over 500 citizens took an active part in my campaign and I thank them for their efforts. I hope my campaign, and my two decades of public service has helped to keep Arlington moving forward.
"I learned many things in the past two months, most importantly that listening is perhaps any elected official’s greatest strength. I believe Arlington is the most accepting, tolerant and progressive community in Massachusetts, and I believe one of the best run – by its elected officials including Town Meeting and by its incredibly tireless and activist citizenry.
"There is nowhere else that I would want to live and raise my family and I could not be more proud to be part of the process that make us great.â€
[NOTE: Nathan Bosdet has promised a statement. Maria Romano has not responded.]
Three candidates for School Committee were asked what impact their campaigns had to shape the new School Committee (Bottoni does not have e-mail and has not yet been reached).
Kirsi Allison-Ampe
"Because two respected members of the School Committee were not returning, a new composition was inevitable. With my campaign, I have tried to work toward shaping a Committee that will work together, that will listen to everyone, that will make good decisions collaboratively on behalf of our children.
"Our family lives near the geographical center of Arlington in a neighborhood that doesn’t even have a name. It has been good to get out of our corner and broaden my horizons a little. My favorite part of the past few weeks has been going all over Arlington and talking to different people. I have heard a lot of opinions and ideas, whether I was at Thompson, at Peirce, at Dallin or Brackett, at playgrounds or grocery stores, or at the post office in the center. I have been heartened by how many people care about our schools, and hope to continue hearing from you all in the future.
"In addition, I have learned from the other candidates, listening to their views as we answer debate questions or talk together. I look forward to serving with Judson Pierce, and the rest of the School Committee, and greatly appreciate Kurt Fusaris and Teresa Bottoni for putting in the time and energy to run for office and speak up for our schools.
"I am also very grateful to all the people who helped me over the past two months. So many did so much, it awes and amazes me. Many thanks too to our voters, no matter whom they chose to vote for. Without you, we could not do anything.
"Going forward we all face a rough road. The hard work of the coming years has begun. I truly believe that by listening to one another, and working together we will be able to surmount the challenges we face."
"Thank you, Arlington, for your faith in me."
Judson Pierce
"My first meeting is tonight [April 13]. I am looking forward to working on this Committee. I believe it will be a good and hard-working committee and that we will work well together.
"My campaign was about listening and being open and responsive. I want our Town to have trust in its elected officials.
"We all share a collective question: How do we ensure that our children have a quality 21st- century education when resources are limited?
"Our dreams and aspirations are in our children as they are our future. I have two young children myself, and I believe in our public schools."
Kurt Fusaris
 "I want to take this time to thank all of those who came out on a gorgeous Saturday, on April 10, to vote in our Annual Town Election. I want to congratulate Judson Pierce and Kirsi Allison-Ampe on their election and for keeping the campaign engaging and constructive. Over the course of the campaign I got to know them and I would look forward to the chance to serve with them should I be successful in a future election.
"I also congratulate Kevin Greeley in the Selectman's race, whom I supported early on. However, I also need to congratulate Maria Romano on an incredibly strong showing.
"I am humbled by and deeply grateful for the support I received, and even though it was not enough to secure enough votes for a seat on the School Committee, I was pleased with the results. I chose to run a grassroots campaign, making myself as accessible as possible through my public coffees and my bicycle campaign stop tour.
"I listened to parents, teachers, students, seniors, life-long residents, and people new to town. I met with Democrats, Republicans, and independents. The more I talked to people the more I was convinced that keeping class sizes small was critical going forward. I also learned that many people were with me on my call to protect the arts, ACE, METCO, and other great programs in our schools. I am hopeful that the School Committee will make those a priority.
"It is my belief that a good School Committee member should be a representative for all the stakeholders in our school system. I will stay proactively engaged in the process and remain committed on behalf of educational and cultural issues in our town.
"I am still keen to meet with anyone for coffee at anytime to hear their questions and perspectives. In addition, I will be taking copious notes at School Committee meetings, listening to you, speaking up about critical issues on behalf of all stakeholders, and offering constructive solutions. You will be able to find all these discussions on my blog at www.kurtfusaris.wordpress.com, which is my former campaign site.
"I want to thank Nicole Laskowski, Andy Metzger, and Betsy Lawson of The Arlington Advocate, as well as Arlington Community Media, Inc. and Bob Sprague of YourArlington.com, the League of Women Voters, and Vision 2020, Menotomy Beer and Wine, and the Town Clerk's Office for the contributions they have made to keep the public informed and to promote the democratic process. I also want to thank those who supported me from the beginning and committed themselves to working on my campaign. We have worked very hard and come a long way. I look forward to continuing my commitment to Arlington's students. Thank you, Arlington!"
This story was first reported at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 10, and updated several times after that.
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Meet Kurt Fusaris, a candidate for School Committee, on Thursday, April 8 on the Minuteman Bikeway during what he calls his Kurt's Bicycle Stop Campaign Tour.
An atmosphere of voter dissatisfaction lurked among the estimated 150 people who attended the March 25 Candidates' Night, sponsored annually at Town Hall by the Arlington League of Women voters and Vision 2020. The event traditionally launches the relatively brief political sprint to the Town Election, set for April 10, and provides voters glimpses of how hopefuls stand on issues.
Grab some Medford news -- it's at your fingertips. To find out what this local-news Web site devoted to Medford news is up to, click here >>
Boston.com has expanded its successful hyperlocal network of Web sites, Your Town, to two more Massachusetts communities -- Arlington and Dedham -- and is linking regularly to stories published at YourArlington.com. See www.boston.com/yourtown/arlington/.
What's going on just up Mass. Ave. in Cambridge? Find out at Cambridge Day, a site of news and opinion managed by Marc Levy. Advocate readers may recall Levy, a reporter for the weekly in 1994-95.
YourArlington.com is an experiment in community journalism dedicated to reporting news about Arlington, Mass., and the Arlington-related views of its residents. The experiment not unique but is part of a nationwide movement called "citizen journalism." The phrase gained currency through We the Media, a 2004 book by Dan Gillmor. This kind of journalism encourages members of a community to write about that community. The writing may be reporting, or it may be opinion.
