Westport voters will head to the polls this coming Tuesday, April 11, to make their pick for a host of boards and town positions. Here is a little bit about each:

Select Board (two open seats)

Steven Ouellette, a facilities director for a South Coast school system, has lived in Westport all his life and is no stranger to public service here.
A member of the select board for 21 years, he also chairs the Economic Development Task Force, the Route 6 Infrastructure Committee, the Westport Pedestrian Bike Committee, and is Westport's Selectman commissioner for SRPEDD. He said he is running for re-election because there is more  to be done in Westport.

"I just want to keep doing what I'm doing," he said. "The key thing right now is infrastructure on Route 6, water and sewer, and safety improvements. We're trying to improve safety and pedestrian and bicycle access, because right now there's spots (on Route 6) that don't have sidewalks at all. People have to walk or ride their bikes on Route 6. Improving the area would also connect Westport with the bike pathway that goes from Rhode Island to Cape Cod.

Ouellette said his time in town, and familiarity with Westport's government, is valuable.

"I'm familiar with most aspects of every department and committee in town," he said. "I've been on numerous committees, public safety is my niche, and that's usually my top priority. But in Westport we have to take baby steps — right now we need more of a tax base to alleviate the burden on the taxpayer.

Manny Soares, seeking one of two seats on the select board, is no stranger to public service in Westport. He was elected to the planning board three years ago, and has served on the Technical Review Committee, Economic Development Task Force, Tax Incentive Committee and Infrastructure Oversight Committee. If elected to the select board, he said he will continue to serve on the planning board.

"I will commit to helping Westport move forward in a fiscally responsible way," he said. "I am familiar with our community's pressing needs in education, public safety, and water quality. I support smart economic growth while maintaining our town's rural character. If elected to Selectman, I will continue my service on the planning board, improving coordination between town boards, department committees, and commissions. A vote for me is a vote for a positive future for our town. I will welcome your input and will listen, communicate, and dedicate myself to maintaining and improving the town we call home. "

Soares' wife Michelle is a lifelong resident of Westport, and he has worked for 40 years in site remediation and redevelopment, operating a civil construction company for 35 years on the South Coast.

Christopher Thrasher is one of three candidates for two open seats on the select board.

A small business owner, UMass Dartmouth graduate and law student, he has a background in public policy and non-profit management and currently serves as Commissioner of Trust Funds for Westport.

"I’m running to bring a balanced approach to the Board of Selectmen," he said. "I believe in fiscal responsibility: That does not mean slashing and burning through the town budget — it means finding the balance between providing the services needed, and making sure to limit the tax burden on Westport families."

Thrasher said he believes it is crucial to find a balance between preparing for future growth and maintaining the town's natural beauty and character.

He also believe in accountability and transparency, he said — "We need to know exactly how our tax dollars are being spent, what revenue is coming in, what decisions are being made, and how, when, and where they are being made. As of today, there are no annual reports available from 2021 or 2022. This is totally unacceptable. I’m running to make sure that there is real transparency in our town government."

Besides accountability and transparency, he said he wants to help create long-term, sustainable solutions to the town's challenges.

"This includes working with town departments to find more grants available to meet their funding needs, and working to develop a plan of action so that we can best utilize town buildings like the old high school."

Town Clerk

Kristin Stinson, Westport's Assistant Town Clerk, is running for the seat vacated by the retirement of outgoing town clerk Bernadette Oliver.

Stinson has lived in Westport for five years, and built her home two and a half years ago.

"I am interested in becoming the Town Clerk because I really enjoy serving the community I live in. I believe that my previous career experiences have really prepared me for this position. My time in public housing property management has taught me to navigate government regulations, my hospitality management has led me towards patience and understanding the importance of customer service, and my office management experience has taught me systems, efficiency, collaboration, and other relatable skills. When combined with my training as the current Assistant Town Clerk, I feel I am a really great fit for Town Clerk. I am also highly focused on positive experiences for residents whenever they enter the town hall.

If elected, she said, she will work to streamline and update procedures. Though the clerk position does not make policy, she said, "I am motivated to work with the appropriate boards to help the town be more efficient and make things smoother for residents."

Kayleigh Vieira, a seven-year resident of Westport, is one of two candidates for the town clerk position.

A bookkeeper, Vieira said she wants to bring Westport's public systems up to date and streamline the town clerk's functions.

"This is a great opportunity to make a difference for current and future generations," she said. "I feel that it is time to bring Westport up to date regarding technology within the Town Clerk's office. As the keeper of vital records and the person responsible for issuing licenses and permits, I feel that it is important that technology be up to date to ensure that in addition to having hard copies documents are backed up and secured on a server and available to all residents upon request."

She said that for many like her, who work nine to five jobs, having beach applications and other important town forms and procedures available online is a big plus.

They should "be available to be completed online, while still offering mail or walk in options," she said. "I also would like to see some changes made with the current poling places. I would like to combine the five precincts into one building that is accessible to all residents."

Library trustees (two seats)

Paul Cabral, who previously served on the board of trustees for about a decade, is running again for a seat. Retired after working 28 years in human services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts — 10 with the Department of Children and Families and 18 in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, he has lived in Westport for 31 years.

Cabral said he is running again because he believes "strongly in the mission of the library to provide useful services to our community and, importantly, how much the library contributes to the quality of life in our town. 

Paula Feitelberg is a tutor at the Fall River Deaconess Home, a private, non-profit agency offering residential treatment, group living, and community-based support and stabilization for youth ages 11-22, and their families. She and her husband John purchased their home in Westport last year, moving from Fall River, where they lived for more than 30 years.

"Once settled and acclimated to Westport I looked for places to be involved. The library happened to be a place of interest," she said. "Libraries are an integral part of a community. Regardless of age or interest the library has something for you. It is a place to retreat or a place to advance.

Though she has not served in Westport, she worked for many years in customer service for a public utility, and previously worked as a Real Estate title examiner — "these professional practices will support my ability to work with and enhance the current board," she said.

"I am running ... to be part of a dynamic board that oversees and supports the Westport Free Public Library, as it is today and as it moves forward. It would be an honor and a privilege to join the current board members and collaborate for a strong future for this vital town service."

Pauline Dooley, who has lived in Westport for 49 years with husband Sean, is retired and has served as a trustee for the library for 25 years — "there is always something going on at the library," she said, adding that the board is "continually working to provide the best services to the community."

One of the more recent initiatives she has been involved with is the creation of an outdoor ampitheater for children.

"During the pandemic the library was closed to the public (and) the need for an outdoor space was a concern," she said. "The staff was able to provide curb-side pickup for our patrons, for adults as well as children who were isolated at home due to the closure of the schools."

"Memorial benches were gifted, the landscaping is done, and a fence protects the area. We are currently in the process of creating an ADA walkway to the site."

School committee (one seat)

Evan Gendreau, a public policy consultant who has lived in Westport for 15 years, is running unopposed for one open school committee seat. If elected, it would be his first term as an elected official here. He currently serves as chariman of the Westport Republican Town Committee, and previously ran for state representative in the 8th Bristol district.

"While I have not yet served in an elected role in town, I am proud to be involved in our community," he said. "I am running to serve our community and invest in the future of our town. Improving programs for students, pursuing funding opportunities, and supporting college and career programs are among my priorities. I look forward to working with other members of the School Committee, school administration, and members of the community to address issues and expand offerings.

Chief among the issues he expects to face if elected are policy-making and budget oversight.

"Regarding funding, there are ways to pursue additional opportunities, particularly with grants. I will also support the expansion of programs aimed at improving retention rates and college and career readiness.

Planning board (one seat)

John Bullard, a planning board member for seven years, is seeking re-election and is running unopposed.

He is a former Mayor of New Bedford and is retired from NOAA fisheries, where he was a regional administrator. He has lived in town for 11 years.

Apart from his service on the planning board, Bullard chaired the East Beach Corridor Study Committee and is the current chairman of the Westport Climate Resilience Committee. He serves on the Westport Open space Committee and is a board member at the Buzzards Bay Coalition, representing Westport.

He said he is running because "It is a way for me to continue to learn about what is still my 'new' hometown and to serve it and its people. Westport, like all of SouthCoast, is growing and changing. Through the planning board, we can try to channel that growth to protect what we all love about Westport and discourage development that robs us of our heritage. One of the biggest issues is helping farms to stay in business. Another is understanding and dealing with all the relentless impacts of climate change.

If elected, he said he would like to see more engagement, especially from younger residents, on climate-related topics, and with the resilience committee "so we can get good ideas about how best to manage climate change in Westport."

Board of Health (one seat)

Donna Amaral is running unopposed for her seat on the Board of Health. She has been a member of the board for three years and said she hopes "to continue to work to protect and promote the health and well-being of the Westport community."

"I have supported and participated in our COVID vaccine clinics, helped educate residents by writing articles in the Shorelines, and fully support BOH efforts to address and push back on the Department of Environmental Protection’s plan to require all residents to upgrade their septic systems to nitrogen reducing technologies."

Amaral has been a registered nurse for more than 43 years and has lived in Westport since she was nine years old. She left for Washington DC after earning her nursing degree, and returned to her childhood home after 22 years at the Georgetown University Medical Center.

As a Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist and community advocate, she said, her concern for the mental and physical health and well-being of individuals and families "has guided my clinical practice and extends to my role as a member of the BOH. I will continue to address the importance of mental health as a public health issue by organizing events during Mental Health Awareness Month. I will also continue to push for education and outreach regarding public health issues as well as address environmental issues that negatively impact the health and wellbeing of our residents and the value of our homes."

Landing commission (one seat)

Wendy Henderson, who has lived in Westport for 58 years, is running unopposed for one open seat on the landing commission. She formerly served with the conservation commission.

Her aim, she said, is to help provide and maintain safe, useful public town landings so residents can launch their small craft and recreate along the shoreline. Another big issue for her is the landing at Hix Bridge.

The landing's upgrade is "a current priority of the commission on behalf of the select board," she said. "In addition the Westport Point Landing, on the northeast side of the “cul de sac,” needs to be addressed,  with expected repaving of the area.

Constable

Arthur G. Caesar is one of two residents running for two Constable seats.

Currently the chief of Security at SecurityRI in North Providence, he is also an armed security officer at the Tiverton Grand Casino. A retired deputy sheriff with the Bristol County Sheriffs Office, he will mark 50 years of residency in Westport this July. He has served on the beach committee for six years, and on the Board of Registrars for close to a decade, having served as chairman twice.

"I enjoy serving the citizens of Westport in this position (and) providing professional service," he said. "This is unique that both town constables are graduates of a law enforcement academy.

Omissions

The following candidates either did not respond to the Westport Shorelines for this article, or their email addresses, provided by the town clerk's office, were out of date and bounced back: Assessor candidate Peter McGarr, Regional school committee candidate Paul Jennings, Fish commissioner candidate Sean Leach and constable candidate Marshall Ronco.