The first Naugatuck Candidate Forum

On November 3, 2015, Naugatuck will be segued into a new era under the leadership of newly elected town officials. On election day, when we’re in bed sleeping late, the adults in the community will be off to the polls voting for a new mayor and Board of Education members, among others.

On Wednesday October 14, 2015 the Parent Student Council (PSC) with the support of Naugatuck Youth Services hosted a Candidate Forum. The two mayoral candidates as well as eight Board of Education candidates were in attendance as well as over 100 spectators. The Candidate Forum was organized in order to increase public knowledge of the candidates and their platforms as well as including Naugatuck’s youth in the conversation on the future of Naugatuck.

The Democratic candidate is “Pete” Hess, a Naugatuck High School graduate who went on to attend the University of Boston. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration however after Boston he moved to California where he studied law at the University of San Francisco. When given the choice of living and working in San Francisco or in Naugatuck, he gladly chose his hometown of Naugatuck and has not regretted his decision. Since then he has opened up his own law firm in town and has served on the Board of Education for Region 16.

The Republican candidate is Tamath Rossi, a graduate from the New York Military Academy and Russell Sage College. She has been involved in Naugatuck’s politics for many years. She has been the Deputy Mayor since 2003 as well as a self-employed paralegal for her own business for twenty years. She has served on numerous committees in town including the Naugatuck Fire Commission, Business Merchant’s Association, and the Borough wide IT committee, which she is the chair of. The forum was covered by The Greyhound and by The Naugatuck Patch and Nancy Sasso Janis.

The questions that were asked of the candidates were submitted online, collected by Mrs. Buckmiller’s Teen Leadership class, and discussed by Naugatuck Youth Service’s Leadership Lounge participants. The mayoral candidates discussed topics ranging from business to the perception of our town. When asked the wild card question: What is your superpower, Hess stated his superpower was resilience while Rossi chose determination.

The Board of Education candidates were also asked questions submitted by the community. These included their area of focus, parental involvement in Board of Education matters, and the unequal support of athletic teams compared to the arts. And of course, they were also asked the wild card question: What is your superpower?

Jason Celozzi, a brand new Board of Education candidate stated that his focus is to raise test scores and securing grants. His superpower is that he is a triple threat: a parent, a teacher, and a taxpayer.

Glenn Connan talked about the benefits of starting high school later in the day. His superpower is that he is a fighter.

Ethel Grant, a former principal at Kaynor Technical High School, stated that her superpower is that she is, “a supporter with a smile.”

Next comes Jill Mahoney. She is interested in involving more students in the community. Her superpower is that she is an advocate.

Diana Malone is focused on extending communication to parents as well as applying for grants, as Jason Celozzi is. Her superpower is love.