A bit of a high five?

Don't get too spoiled. If you were expecting this to revert back to a daily pounding of the keys, you will be disappointed. but here is what you get today ...

After welcome back piece I was provided a tidbit that there is a definite fifth contender for office. Low and behold, in The Fairhaven Neighborhood News latest addition, page 18, there is an announcement from who I thought was going to be #5, along with an announcement from one of the other candidates in the list. 

I remind everyone that the only definite at this point is in the nature of talk. People talk and Candidate talk. Until an individual pulls papers and returns them, it is conjecture. It gets a bit difficult to resist the temptation to run though once you make a public statement. 

However, since all we have is conjecture at this point, and since people seem to want to start silly season so early, well what the heck, right?

Let's assume when we have five candidates. What is that going to mean?

First and foremost it obviously means five candidates.  A crowd of contenders vying for office, presumably because they believe they can do the "job". People who have publicly stated they are running: Incumbent Geoff Haworth, Dan Freitas, Bernie Roderick, and Pattie Pacella. Potential #5 is Phil Washko. Washko has not issued a formal statement, at least not one I have seen or heard of. He has however recently done some stuff on his Facebook pages from his previous failed attempt for the office.

What else does it mean?  As far as candidates' nights it is going to mean either extremely limited "time" each candidate or a very long night. This would be especially so if there are other contested races, which early rumblings indicate there may very well be.

The biggest possibility will be for school committee. With one incumbent passing up re-election to seek a promotion of sorts, that would leave an open seat.  You know, the type of thing in part that drove the term limit concept that was advocated by some not that long ago.

Open seats tend to act like magnets as far as attracting candidates. Yep, one of the very reasons term limits were proposed. Also one of the very reasons that can tend to make one cringe at the concept. More on that another day, because I think that concept and a few others recently shot down with the force of a ton of bricks will be getting a whole lot of attention in the near future (bricks being another potential issue, by the way).

Hearing there may also be one on the BPW, an open seat that is Had last April's vote gone the way a very few assumed it would, might have been seeing five vacancies coming up. It is what it is, and thankfully it ain't what it could have been.  No point in wasting good salt on this one, best to save that for the stormy winter being predicted. Yes, best save the salt for pouring til then.

I have also heard of several names tossed about concerning a bid to unseat another incumbent.

Anyway, I digress a bit.  

If we end up with all five candidates for the high office on the ballot, it is going to be silly season indeed.  At least the prospects of the Government Access candidates' night being high jacked by the TGSC doesn't exist this year. First, the committee mercifully no longer exist.  There is also the fact that three of its former members would be candidates, if everything  stays the same. 

Five candidates also means an endless supply of blogging material.  No further need to expound on that .

Always keep in mind however just because election time is in many ways appropriately described as silly season, it should also be viewed with extreme serious thought. One of these people will hold significant sway over our town.

Okay, you can stop shivering from the chills running up and down your back after that thought. Do not wear yourself out too soon, and keep in mind things should heat up enough as time goes on so you can forget about the cold chills.

Speaking of chills, while a tad warmer that yesterday morning, still chilly enough in temperature and thought to get the teeth chattering.  

Until next time.