Cheshire to Decide Race for Selectman on Monday
CHESHIRE, Mass. — E. Richard "Dick" Scholz is trying again for a three-year seat on the Board of Selectmen, this time hoping to oust longtime incumbent Carol Francesconi.
Francesconi, currently chairman, has served on the board since 1989 and said she's not ready to leave.
"I have lived in Cheshire my entire life and I feel like I can continue to contribute," she said.
Francesconi is a retired registered nurse and certified women's health-care nurse practitioner. She was also a president of the Berkshire County Selectmen's Association and was distinguished as the Massachusetts Unsung Heroine in 2006.
She touts her broad experience and says as a lifetime resident, she wants to do what is right by the citizenship.
That occurred when she was first elected, she said, when the town fought for the traffic light on Route 8 installed.
"When I first came on the board we worked to get the stop light up here on Route 8," she said. "That was huge; we had to do all kinds of permits and studies for the state."
Other accomplishments were installing a new water system and winning several grants for education.
"I work hard to keep up with concerns for education and the children," she said. "I try to keep up to date on the best ways to keep our children in school and to improve the quality of their education."
She said the survival of Cheshire Elementary School will be a big concern of hers moving forward if re-elected. The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District is considering closing one of its two elementary schools.
"My major concern at this point right now is Cheshire School and getting the best use of the money that we give to the school district," she said. "Also, to make sure that whatever happens with the school is in the best interest of Cheshire students."
She added that the town budget will also remain a concern and pledged to strive to maintain services under the constraints of Proposition 2 1/2.
"We still must strive to provide services necessary, maintain a balanced budget and yet keep the tax rate at a figure that will be affordable for all of its citizens," Francesconi said.
Scholz first ran in 2014 against current Selectman Paul Astorino.
"I want to go from 20 miles per hour to 150 miles per hour. Things move much to slowly in Cheshire considering the challenges we face and I would like to create more opportunity," Scholz said. "I have a lot of energy and a lot of ideas."
He grew up in Cheshire and, after graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a degree in electrical engineering, moved to the Boston area. He worked in telecommunications throughout the world and moved back to his hometown in 2004. He now serves on the Cheshire Advisory Board.
Scholz said he wants to use his technical knowledge to broadcast Selectmen's meetings and provide more information online to involve more people in town government.
He also has pushed to expand the select board from three members to five.
"I am running to broaden the ability of Cheshire people to participate, and I have been harping on this three-to-five selectmen thing for a long time," Scholz said. "When you have more people solving the problem you solve it more quickly and you do a better job on it."
However, he added afterward that three can still work if they are the right people — and there are term limits.
Scholz said he wants to work toward a stronger sense of community and he, too, would fight to keep Cheshire School open.
"I will be looking at ways to revise the district because ... if you lose an elementary school you are no longer a town," he said.
He added that he would like to seek grants and invest in the town's infrastructure as well as look for opportunities to revitalize the town's historic yet deteriorating housing stock.
He said he would also like to capitalize on the history and natural beauty of the Cheshire to make it a tourist destination.
"We have some of the best geography and some of the best natural features in this town," Scholz said. "Once you can start a tourist-based economy and you get some attractions we can get downtown looking good and you build momentum."
The town election will be held on Monday, May 2; polls at the Senior Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tags: election 2016, town elections,
