Sanford candidates vying for City Council, School Committee square off in debate

SANFORD, Maine — Voters will settle contested races for seats on Sanford’s City Council and School Committee during the municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Incumbents Bob Stackpole and Michael Termath are facing challenges from political newcomers Oliver Jones III and Peter Tranchemontagne in the race for two three-year seats on the Sanford City Council.

With incumbents Jonathan Mapes and John Roux opting not to seek reelection, the Sanford School Committee is certain to have two new members after all the ballots are counted next month. Thomas Miscio, who served on the committee in previous years, and newcomers Melissa Simpson and Kelly Termath are running for the two three-year seats.

What Sanford needs to do

Stackpole, Termath, Jones and Tranchemontagne all participated in the annual Candidates’ Night at Sanford City Hall on Oct. 12. Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy organized the event, and local reporters Tammy Wells and Shawn Sullivan moderated.

During the forum, the candidates shared their thoughts on what Sanford needs to do to achieve a long-term vision of a revitalized downtown.

Stackpole, a retired educator who has served on the local School Committee and Charter Commission, said the city needs to revitalize its local mill yard first, if it hopes to improve the downtown. The mills have been a blight in the downtown ever since they closed decades ago, he added.

“We really can’t do much with the downtown area, successfully, without successfully dealing with the mill yard and its hindrance on the community,” he said.

Stackpole referred to the recent awarding of a federal grant that will provide Sanford with $25 million to improve infrastructure and mobility in the downtown. He added his idea of a revitalized downtown would include more businesses, such as restaurants and shops, and a fuller connection with the city’s trails network.

Termath, a 25-year combat veteran in the U.S. Army and a member of the council’s solid waste subcommittee, said Sanford needs to bring back jobs to the community.

“Right now, we’re a little upside-down when it comes to that topic,” he said. “We have jobs, but we need to diversify a little bit more.”

Tranchemontagne, a business owner, focused on the local business climate and infrastructure as keys to a revitalized downtown.

“We need to make Sanford-Springvale more business-friendly, which it currently is not,” he said.

Tranchemontagne compared Sanford to Wells, noting that there is less of a tax burden on Wells residents because their community has a lot of businesses and companies. That makes a “huge difference,” he said.

Tranchemontagne also said roads into Sanford “need to be opened up” and made easier for commerce. He said Route 109 should have double traveling lanes on each side, from the Route 95 exit in Wells to “at least the airport.” The Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport is about five miles from downtown Sanford.

Tranchemontagne said Sanford is sometimes compared to Dover and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, both of which have highway access.

“We don’t have highway access,” he said. “That’s a huge thing we need to look at.”

Jones, a Navy veteran, said he would like to see more businesses and family-friendly events in the downtown. He suggested that students at the Sanford Regional Technical Center could play a key role in revitalization efforts.

“There’s plenty of things they can do to modernize the city and revitalize it too,” he said. “Just getting the community involved will bring businesses, money, people, and everything here to Sanford.”

The candidates also gave their views on transparency in local government – particularly when it comes to the council’s subcommittees – and budget concerns. To see the Candidates Night forum in its entirety, visit WSSR-TV’s channel on YouTube.

On school curriculum

Miscio, Simpson and Termath took part in the Oct. 12 forum, as well. The candidates shared their thoughts on how subject matter should be taught in schools and on what they would like to see schools emphasize.

Termath said she would like to see such classes as woodworking and home economics introduced to seventh- and eighth-graders, like they were for her when she attended the local junior high in the early '90s.

“They could get a taste of what they can possibly do when they get to high school,” she said.

Miscio said how a subject is presented in the classroom is important. A subject should be taught in a way that is age-appropriate, he said.

“If you’ve got a health class, it should cover sex ed, but it should cover sex ed in an age-appropriate way,” he said.

Miscio said parental involvement is needed when it comes to curriculum.

“Being able to come to a school committee or a teacher or a principal and expressing their concern, and then having it addressed, is what’s important,” he said.

Miscio said he would like to see civics and history be emphasized more in school than they currently are.

“Given the current climate in our nation and in Maine, students learning about their civic obligations, the history of our state as well as our nation, and really appreciating that, should be emphasized more,” he said. “Understanding our nation’s history and how our government is put together is an important part of being an active member of society and really appreciating the freedoms we have.”

Simpson also used sex education as an example of how certain subjects should be handled in local schools. She said she would like to see students have a signed permission slip to attend a sex education class. She also suggested setting up alternative class space for students whose parents do not agree with part of the curriculum being taught.

Simpson also said she would like to serve on the School Committee’s curriculum committee if elected.

“I would like to see more emphasis on life lessons,” she said, citing budgeting as an example.

The candidates also discussed how they would approach budget cuts in the months ahead, should the need arise, given some economic forecasts. They also stated whether they feel certain limits should be placed on what books should be allowed in school libraries. To see the School Committee segment of the forum in full, visit online at the WSSR-TV channel on YouTube.

Becky Brink running unopposed for mayor

Elsewhere on the ballot, Becky Brink, a current city councilor, is certain to succeed Mayor Anne-Marie Mastraccio as the next leader of Sanford. Brink is unchallenged in her mayoral bid. Mastraccio, who decided not to seek a second term as mayor, is instead the Democratic candidate who is facing Republican Pamela Buck for the District 142 seat in theMaine House.

Candidates for the local water and sewerage boards of trustees are also uncontested.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Sanford City Council, School Committee candidates square off in debate