Campaigning into the home stretch

John Howell
Posted 10/30/14

The city’s future is at the heart of this year’s race for mayor.

All three candidates are talking about a better Warwick, with incumbent Scott Avedisian, now the city’s longest serving mayor …

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Campaigning into the home stretch

Posted

The city’s future is at the heart of this year’s race for mayor.

All three candidates are talking about a better Warwick, with incumbent Scott Avedisian, now the city’s longest serving mayor with 14 years in office, saying it is already happening and his two challengers claiming there needs to be a change in leadership for it to happen.

Both his challengers, Kevin Eisemann running as an independent and John “Jack” Kirby, the endorsed Democrat, have sought the office previously.

Eisemann ran in 1994 and is back in the hunt for the job at this time because, as he said in the recent Pawtuxet Village Association candidates forum, “I’m just so fed up with taxes, lack of quality jobs and foreclosures.”

Kirby, ccc, who operates the drain-laying Kirby Construction company, has run for the office on multiple ccc both as a Democrat and independent. His message has been consistent. With the airport occupying so much of the city, he says he would pursue additional revenues from the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. He would also look to lower taxes for businesses, which are taxed at a higher rate than residential, and work to enhance programs at the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center. Kirby says the city could save taxpayer dollars if it did more of its own road repaving and sewer construction work.

Both Eisemann and Kirby say it’s time for a change.

Listening to Avedisian, more good change is already coming for the city.

At the Pawtuxet Village forum held Oct. 16 at the William Hall Library, Avedisian talked about the recently announced plans for the conversion of the Rhode Island Mall into an outlet mall, the sale of Pontiac Mills and soon to be announced developments at the former Leviton Manufacturing property on Jefferson Boulevard.

To get a feel of what voters are thinking and talking about, we followed Avedisian and Kirby on the campaign trail. We crossed paths with Eisemann at the re-opening of Rocky Point on Saturday.

If the voters of Ward 1 – at least those found at home the afternoon of Oct. 18 – are a reliable indicator, people are focused on local issues, such as the appearance of the neighborhood and what was happening about recent threats to elementary students resulting in an increased police presence at schools.

The exception was Bob and Linda Whittaker, who asked the mayor and Colantuono into their living room. This wasn’t a quick stop, but rather a discussion that ranged from the leadership of Warwick schools, to the chances of Buddy Cianci winning his bid for mayor, to whether we should have a Constitutional Convention and even English furniture.

This was not the typical “walk the ward and meet the voters” stop.

The Whittakers expressed their surprise that Avedisian hasn’t run for higher office, such a governor.

“Why would anyone want to be governor?” he asked.

“You’d be a good governor,” Linda replied.

Bob expressed his annoyance with some candidates for posting their signs on city property and he had praise for Avedisian.

“Honest leadership is rare. We’ve had it so long – honest, effective leadership.”

A half hour later, after looking at photographs and prints, the Republican duo was back on the road, ringing doorbells, leaving flyers in those doors that weren’t answered, and even calling on state Democratic Committee Chairman Rep. Joseph McNamara. McNamara wasn’t home, but his wife Dianne was. She laughed at seeing the pair.

“Are you from that other party, the party of others?” she quizzed.

They moved on, encountering a man walking with his granddaughter. The man asked if she knew who Avedisian is. She shook her head and he introduced the mayor. She shook his hand.

“Don’t waste your time in this neighborhood,” the man said, suggesting Avedisian already had everybody’s support.

Avedisian’s high recognition puts him at an advantage, but so, too, does his ability to remember names and events, as was the case when talking to the Sjogren family about Baptist churches in the city and their pastors. At another stop, he ended up talking about bamboo, its invasive nature and what needs to be done to get rid of it.

At the steak fry at the Greenwood Fire Company, people were more interested in talking Patriots than politics. Kirby handed out a few palm cards that people appeared to take more out of courtesy than out of curiosity. Ward 3 Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson introduced Kirby around, although most knew he is the Democratic candidate for mayor.

Liz Anderson stuck with Kirby. She said she has known him for some time.

“I like the things he says,” she said.

Resurrecting the company’s vintage Mack fire truck was on the minds of many waiting for their steak orders and not the condition of roads that Democrats have targeted as an issue. The mayor’s response to the call for added road repair funding is a $5 million bond issue, which, ironically, has yet to gain endorsement of the Democratic-controlled City Council.

If the condition of roads is of high concern to voters, it didn’t come up often as we accompanied either candidate. And if there is voter dissatisfaction, it didn’t surface.

Comments

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  • ..

    Doesn't Whittaker work FOR THE CITY OF WARWICK?? Wow, Mr. Howell---you really are scraping from the bottom of the barrel!

    Thursday, October 30, 2014 Report this

  • rtwhit55

    Wrong Whittaker

    Friday, October 31, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    the two RINO's campaigning together---2 RINO peas in a pod

    Saturday, November 1, 2014 Report this

  • ..

    @citizenkane. You are right, Linda Whittaker does not currently work for the city she has apparently retired. BUT, her sister DOES work for the city and Bob Whittaker? He, at one time, was the campaign manager for Steve Colantuono.

    Saturday, November 1, 2014 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    @sabrinav so you were wrong with your accusation and still continue to slander this family? Get a clue. For 14 years the people of this city have voted to shut people like you up. Why is it taking you, Bob cote, Roy Dempsey, Bob Cushman and now this new clueless face stacia so long to figure out that we all see you for what you are - idiotic, misinformed, slanderous, crackpots?

    Saturday, November 1, 2014 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    Your little "candidate" stacia doesn't even know that when a police officer is on detail outside of Dave's market place that Dave's market place pays for that detail. She has stated that "tax payers should not have to pay for those details". Well guess what? They don't. She also would have rather given out the tidewater dr bridge contract to a company who has been in business for less than 2 years. Rather than cardi, who has done work state wide for generations. I still have yet to hear her develop any kind of plan for if she became mayor. Her campaign is completely based around slandering our current mayor with MADE UP "facts" that her and Roy Dempsey fabricate. If you support her tactics and actions, I truly feel sorry for you and anyone else who believes in her. It's an absolute joke to this city to see her running against a honorable person such as scott avedisian. Please save yourself embarrassment and don't respond to this, the citizens of warwick are tired of hearing from you and people like you. Get the point, either leave the city or just keep your asinine statements to yourselves.

    Saturday, November 1, 2014 Report this

  • coolmoose

    SabrinaV. How do you know so much about the Whittaker family? It's boarderline creepy! I'm sure you have their phone number to, do you mind giving it to me so I can warn them of a stalker? I'm sure they all work hard for their money unlike you.

    Saturday, November 1, 2014 Report this

  • Reality

    Hey Clueless aka Scottie......everything Stacia said during the campaign is factual. If you took the time to review the info you would see she is correct. Too bad Scottie the truth hurts.....Scottie your tenure has been horrible.

    Sunday, November 2, 2014 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    While I can promise you I am not "scottie" the fact that you call your mayor "scottie" shows how childish you and your thugs that slander him are. Mr. Avedisian is too busy running a city (something stacia knows nothing about) to have time to reply to uneducated fools such as yourself.

    Sunday, November 2, 2014 Report this

  • Bob_Cushman

    From the October 23 beacon article:

    Responding to the May 1 request of Ward 9 Councilman Steve Merolla to “verify the numbers” of a financial analysis prepared by former Ward 1 Councilman Robert Cushman, “I can confirm to the best of my knowledge, the Cushman analysis of the pension and healthcare liabilities is accurately stated.”

    Vindication by the city hired pension expert. I look forward to presenting my analysis before the city council in the near future. Clueless, hopefully you will show up. You might learn something.

    Sunday, November 2, 2014 Report this

  • Scal1024

    No wonder newspapers are a dying industry. It's because of people like John Howell that have to inflict their own opinions into everything. Mr. Howell you are a hack. Please stick to the Rocky Point pieces you trot out every year as "new", and leave city issues to the adults. I would be embarrased to put my name over these stories, do us all a favor and resign. You lost your fastball 20years ago, and it ain't coming back

    Monday, November 3, 2014 Report this

  • Stacia Huyler

    @clueless, @SabrinaV --- this is Stacia Petri here. Whoever Sabrina V is--thank you for your support and paying attention to the truth that I will dutifully continue to share with the public. You are so correct, both Colantuono & Avedisian are an insult to the Republican party & why I stand by my not supporting phony politicians. Clueless--- that you certainly are. I'm flattered that you even took the time to express your cluelessness. As far as the Warwick Beacon is concerned---the public is realizing more and more every day how biased this newspaper is---in fact it's so obvious that the Beacon should all be ashamed of themselves. Whoever else is reading this (most likely few) that votes and lives in Warwick, feel free to write my name in tomorrow and don't forget to connect those arrows! Thanks! :)

    Monday, November 3, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    StaciaForMayor how would you cut taxes with 1 billion looming over the city?

    Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    StaciaForMayor what is the largest budget you have managed? Have you ever negotiated with unions? What is your plan to solve the pension issue you based the campaign on?

    Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Report this

  • GaspeeStrong

    Stacia is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the fringe warwick tea party. I equate her to someone like Erin Andrews on Fox Sports. She has no clue or actual qualifications but she's moderately attractive and the people pulling her muppet strings think people will like her. Luckily, the people of Warwick defeated her in a primary where the mayor was vulnerable because of the governor primary. If Stacia was running in the general she'd get beat 4-1. Stacia Petri is a fraud and nothing more than a ventriloquist DUMMY for some seriously warped minds.

    Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    Typical stacia petri. Don't address the inaccuracies of your campaign, or even try to formulate a plan for how you would be able to handle running a city. Just reply sarcastically. You are flattered? You should be embarrassed with yourself.

    Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Report this

  • RoyDempsey

    @Clueless. The numbers accurate. At this time you should be asking Avedisian what is plan is. He has got us into this mess.

    Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    This city is much better off than most cities in this state and even this country. The voters of this city have consistently made it clear that people like you, Roy dempsey, are on the fringe of society. You lack common sense. Continue with your comments of "14 years" this and that. For 14 years and counting this city has been happy with the leadership scott avedisian has provided. I do not need to ask scott avedisian what his plan is because he has a proven track record of making this city into a desirable location in our state. You, and the rest of the sheep like you, have absolutely no clue what it would take to run this city.

    One of your main supporters is Bob cote. A man who dumped gallons of gasoline down the drains into the cities sewer system. Blatantly endangering the lives of warwick residents. He has now turned his attention to the cities public employees. Making up claims and piecing together videos to try and bring down public works. People see through him. Our city workers are there 24/7 during snowstorms, hurricanes, floods and whatever else we need them for. I wouldn't expect you, stacia or Bob cote to ever mention that though. You will continue to fabricate numbers and piece together false accusations, all while completely forgetting the fact that people are not going to care because you, not the whittaker's from this article, are "bottom of the barrel" as sabrinav would say.

    Tuesday, November 4, 2014 Report this

  • RoyDempsey

    @Loser. First, I believe the "bottom of the barrel" comment was directed at the Beacon not the Whittaker's. Secondly, if you are a city worker, you had better watch what the Mayor does very carefully. The numbers, as I indicated, are accurate. Even with a wage freeze, $3.6 Billion was taken out of our surplus to balance this year's budget. Our tax base has decreased and our population has declined. There has been no to limited growth in the Rhode Island economy. As I indicated, a Stacia Petri plan is not important at this point. You should press for Avedisian's plan. I can only look at his track record.

    Wednesday, November 5, 2014 Report this

  • RoyDempsey

    Sorry about that $3.6 Million.

    Wednesday, November 5, 2014 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    "A stacia petri plan is not important at this time"... that is all that needs to be said to understand the type of people you are. A stacia petri plan was apparently never important at ANY time, because she never developed one. The fact remains warwick has continued to bring in businesses and grow our infrastructure. You pick and choose what you want to shed light on, and then ridicule a newspaper outlet for doing the same thing. Develop how you would run the city, in a well thought out plan, and then maybe people will take you seriously.

    Wednesday, November 5, 2014 Report this

  • RoyDempsey

    @Clueless. This is the last point I will make. The numbers are clear and accurate. Avedisian has been in office for 14 years as Mayor and 20 overall. The city has financial difficulties as the current budget shows where $3.6 Million from our surplus was used to balance the budget. The tax base is declining as the capital budget indicates and the city population is declining. I have no idea of where there has been growth in our infrastructure as you state. So far, just a lot of BS with noting to show for it. There is nothing going on in the Station District, and there are numerous vacant storefronts on our main roads, those being Post and Warwick Avenue. From what you are saying, an Avedisian plan is not needed, thus, you are apparently willing to accept more of the same.

    Wednesday, November 5, 2014 Report this

  • StaciaClueless

    And this is the last point I will make - 21,000+ voters came out last night to prove, yet again, that you are on the fringes of society. The last point you should make should be to round up stacia, Cushman and cote and leave our fine city. You serve no purpose. Get it through your thick skull that warwick does not need you or you fabrications.

    Wednesday, November 5, 2014 Report this

  • CameronClueless

    62,000+ registered voters in Warwick and a quarter voted, bravo! Mostly Avedisian cronies (no surprise). Stacia, a no name, got 34% of the R. primary vote in a 2/1/2 month campaign timeframe. Amazing! if she only had more time. Her message of reality spread loud and clear and will continue!

    Sunday, September 13, 2015 Report this