Campaign Notebook

Wednesday, October 19, 2005
[The brief about Pat Duffy is towards the bottom, under the heading, Union leader in race, and is highlighted in bold]

Sullivan took 61 percent of votes

HOLYOKE - In the Oct. 11 preliminary election, Mayor Michael J. Sullivan grabbed 61 percent of the citywide vote for mayor, compared to 36.3 percent for Ward 6 City Councilor Mark A. Lubold and 2.7 percent for Joseph F. McCormick, who was eliminated from the Nov. 8 ballot.

While Sullivan beat Lubold in every precinct and ward of the city, his narrowest margins were in wards where the fewest votes were cast.

In Wards 1 and 2, where the turnout was 13 and 9 percent respectively, Sullivan's combined lead over Lubold was 26 votes.

The mayor's biggest margin, 503 votes, came in Ward 7, where almost 40 percent of voters - who also voted for a City Council seat - cast ballots. In Ward 5, where 21 percent of registered voters cast ballots, he won by 195 votes.

Lubold's largest vote totals came from Ward 3 (358 votes), Ward 7 (293 votes) and Ward 5 (255 votes).

O'Neill leads Ward 7

In the three-way Ward 7 City Council race, John J. O'Neill came in first with 54 percent of the vote, compared to 31.6 percent for Rebecca Lisi, and 14.4 percent for Stephen F. Donoghue, who was eliminated. Turnout in the ward was more than 33 percent.

In Ward 4, incumbent Councilor John P. Lecca came in first with 150 votes. Mildred G. Santana placed second with 125 votes and Thomas W. Hart got 124 votes. Hart called for a recount last week. The ward's turnout was 18 percent.

More officers sought

In a prepared statement, Ward 2 City Council candidate Denise Salgado, 30, of 346 Elm St., who faces longtime incumbent Councilor Diosdado Lopez, listed four major campaign points.

Salgado called for restoring community policing, including bicycle patrols, and opposed privatizing the sewer department. She called for more youth activities and support for businesses in the ward.

"I believe the commitment and passion that I have for the city of Holyoke will make me an effective city councilor," said Salgado, director of the after-school program for the Teen Resource Project. "I will bring new energy, new ideas and new leadership."

Pluta cites experience

At-large Councilor Elaine A. Pluta, of 72 Berkshire St., one of 14 candidates for eight at-large council seats, highlighted her decade as a councilor in prepared remarks.

Among the projects she cited: fundraising efforts to open Pouliot Pool, co-sponsoring an anti-litter ordinance, requesting "Madvac" trash machines, and support for the CanalWalk project.

Pluta said she supports keeping low sewer rates, shifting ambulance coverage to the fire department, keeping outdoor dining regulations, ensuring low rates and adequate programming for cable TV and maintaining City Council checks and balances.

Whether or not voters always agree with her, Pluta said, "I trust that they believe as I do that I have been a committed and faithful servant that they can count on."

Union leader in race

Patricia A. Duffy, of 18 Florence Ave., a union organizer who is seeking one of the eight at-large City Council seats, has called for more police foot patrols and community policing meetings to help make the police department "an integral part of every neighborhood in the city."

In her prepared statement, Duffy said the city should attract a variety of businesses to downtown that will vow to stay here, provide good jobs to Holyokers and invest in the city. "A downtown that attracts the whole community is good for every neighborhood in Holyoke."

She said that maintaining public utilities like the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department - which "delivers excellent service because it is answerable solely to" city residents - "is a standard we must maintain," she said.

Whelihan runs again

Longtime At-large City Councilor John E. Whelihan, of 34 Merrick Lane, who is seeking re-election, has called for all city property owners to share equally in annual tax increases and vowed to "remain your advocate for fair and reasonable taxes."

In a prepared statement, Whelihan said homeowners in Wards 3, 5, 6 and 7 have paid an unfair share of new taxes because the assessed value of their homes has soared and resulted in tax hikes of 18 to 30 percent. "This is not what Proposition 21/2 was supposed to achieve," he said.

By charging all property the same annual tax increase, said Whelihan, the city can stop "powerful people" from "using Holyoke as a real estate investment gimmick having a quick profit turnover at the expense of Holyoke's taxpayers."