Two contested races as the Mattapoisett Town Election approaches
MATTAPOISETT — As the May 20 town election approaches, there are two contested races on the ballot, with two candidates running for one seat on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee and two candidates vying for one seat on the Board of Health.
Both candidates for the Old Rochester Regional School Committee seat are newcomers who share some similar goals such as budget transparency.
Nina Datschkovsky-Ennis chose to run for the Old Rochester School Committee to address the community’s concerns, including the school budget and how money is being spent, improving the curriculum and encouraging more parent involvement.
Datschkovsky-Ennis said that it’s important to have financial transparency so residents know where money is going and how it’s benefiting students.
She also suggested establishing programs that would strengthen students’ critical thinking and civic skills and incorporating more immersive language classes as ways to improve the curriculum.
Datschkovsky-Ennis noted that when she attends School Committee meetings she is often one of the few people there.
“I think it’s important to make parents get involved and question everything,” she said.
Datshkovsky-Ennis said she thinks people need to be asking the School Committee where money is going and how they can foster a healthy environment for students.
“I am here to be a voice in the School Committee, and a voice that will make them understand that they are heard and that everything matters,” she said.
Betsy Stewart said she is running for the Old Rochester School Committee because she would like to improve the schools, improve students’ experiences and to ultimately improve the community.
Stewart said her priorities include “accelerating learning growth, lowering the town’s burden from budget reform, investing in civics education, ensuring student safety and increasing civil discourse.”
She would focus on responsible budget management, stating that her experiences as a small business owner have prepared her for how to help manage the school district’s budget.
Stewart said that if she is elected to the Old Rochester Regional School Committee she would work to keep discussions open with the public to hear people’s questions and “actively listen to what [their] concerns are.”
With an understanding of the community’s opinions and concerns, this would enable the School Committee to make things better for both students and staff, she said.
“Ultimately you want children, families and teachers to feel they’re supported,” she said.
Schneider, who is running as a way for him to give back to the community, said his experiences as a civil engineer and professional land surveyor make him well-suited for the position.
While Schneider said he doesn’t have a specific agenda other than maintaining the work the Board is currently doing and making sure things flow “properly and smoothly,” he said there are some issues that need to be addressed.
This includes tackling new regulations set by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection that require denitrifying septic systems for certain areas.
Denitrifying septic systems are designed to filter out nitrogen from treated wastewater.
According to Schneider, the town has to implement a wastewater treatment master plan to cover denitrification, adding that luckily a lot of the town is already sewered
Bernier cited her experiences on the Board of Health and her knowledge of septic systems as reasons for why she would be able to handle the new regulations.
She also said she is running for a second term because she has “a few irons in the fire that we’ve started the last three years, and I’d like to continue to work on them and see them to fruition.”
This includes a new 40-yard roll-off septic container that needs to be transported and disposed of septic tank waste.
"That hasn't come in yet, so I want to keep pushing away at the terms of our contract to make sure that our new waste haulers are complying with the terms we put in our contract," Bernier said.
One Select Board seat, one Board of Assessors seat, two Mattapoisett School Committee seats, two Trustee of Public Library seats, one Moderator seat, one Tree Warden seat, one Herring Inspector seat, two Constable seats, one Planning Board seat, one Water/Sewer Commissioner seat and two Community Preservation Committee seats are also on the ballot, with contenders running unopposed.
The election will be held at the Old Hammondtown School, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information about the election, visit the Town of Mattapoisett website.