SWANSEA – Jim Carvalho is back for his 10th term on the School Committee.
It was a town election Monday in which the incumbents for school board and library trustee won handily and the two challengers battled it out for the second available seat in each race.
“I worked very hard,” Carvalho said after retiring Town Clerk Susan Taveira announced the precinct totals in the high school gym shortly after polls closed.
Unofficially, Carvalho had 920 votes and Albertina “Tina” Bell, of 285 Barneyville Road, defeated third-place Alanna Solitro, of 30 Murray Place, 527 to 470, a 57-vote margin.
Similarly, for library trustee, incumbent Bonnie Braga, of 2 Mount Hope Ave., received 865 votes to gain the first seat, while the two challengers, Judite Carey, of 104 Andrew Court, had 450 votes to finish 64 votes ahead of Cheryl Ann Bogle, of 47 Mohill Ave., who had 386 votes.
The library trustee positions are particularly critical during this period. That’s because they need to replace the library director, Cynthia St. Amour, who began a new job in Brewster two weeks ago, while continuing to seek town support for an expanded and renovated town library.
Retiring Town Clerk Susan Taveira said unofficially 1,230 voters turned out, a 10.7 percent turnout. Last year’s was 8.7 percent.
“I’m very excited,” Bell said after contacting her friend Carey by cell phone to tell the new library trustee she also won a seat after being involved with the board for several years.
Both offices are three-year terms.
Bell planned to wait until getting home before telling her husband, Paul, and their sons, Byron, 11, and Cameron, 10. “They’re going to be excited,” she said smiling.
Bell said she plans to observe the School Committee operate before jumping in with ideas. She listed safety and special education as two priority areas.
Of Carvalho, Bell said, “I had no doubt he would get first,” and added, “all of the candidates were well qualified.”
Carvalho said he put up signs, mailed postcards and did robo-calls to supporters to get out the vote.
“I knew it was not going to be a big election (turnout) because there was no selectmen’s race, and I think all that hard work paid off,” Carvalho said.
The longtime incumbent said his 38 years working for the town water and highway helped him meet a lot of voters over the years.
His priorities include some of the topics Bell raised, along with finding land for a new school within the next four or five years.
There’s a lot of work to do so we’ll tackle them one at a time,” Carvalho said.
Solitro, an occupational therapist, congratulated the winners and was in good spirits after the close race.
School Committee member Eric Graham offered encouragement to the two members he will be serving with.
"I would like to congratulate my friend and colleague Jimmy Carvalho on his re-election to the Swansea School Committee, as well as extend my congratulations to Tina Bell for winning a seat. There will always be a place for a mother's voice on the School Committee. I am, and I'm sure my other colleagues as well, looking forward to working with her so that we can continue forward with the excellent working relationship the committee has had over the period of the past eight years," Graham said.
He added, "I would also like to acknowledge and thank outgoing School Committee member, Dr. A. Keith Carreiro and Town Clerk Susan Taveira, both of whom have served Swansea with honor for many years," he said appreciatively.
The biggest election change is Diane Pelland elected without opposition as town clerk with Taveira’s retirement.
Pelland, of 31 Cliff Ave., has worked for past 15 years as assistant to the Westport Board of Selectmen and as a confidential clerk.
Prior to that she worked in Swansea government for seven years, including the town clerk’s office. She is currently clerk and alternate member to the Swansea Zoning Board of Appeals.
Taveira had worked in the town clerk’s office for 25 years, the past 15 heading the department during a 45-year career working for the town. She will leave her job after Friday to ease the transition and completion of the town election.
She expected Pelland to be sworn in Friday to her new office.
All of the other candidates, most of them incumbents, were unopposed.
They included second-term Selectman Christopher Carreiro, board chairman, 21 Lands End Way; Board of Assessors, Wayne Gray, incumbent chairman, 34 Clark Lane; Diman Regional School Committeeman, incumbent Jeffrey Begin, 120 Old Fall River Road; Community Preservation Committee, Matthew Beane, 800 Gardner Neck Road, replacing Pamela Kirkpatrick who did not seek re-election; Park Commission, incumbent Robert Wilson Jr., 1228 Sharps Lot Road, and Planning Board, incumbent Scott Adams, chairman, 734 Reed Road.
Boards may be reorganizing after the town election. All of the terms are for three years except for the Planning Board and Park Commission, which are for five years.
Email Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com or call him at 508-676-2573.