Familiar faces in other North Stonington elections
Oct. 17—NORTH STONINGTON — In one of the few contested races in North Stonington for the municipal election on Nov. 2, treasurer Mustapha Ratib faces a challenge from former First Selectman Shawn Murphy.
The Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 in April 2020 to appoint Ratib, a Democrat, as town treasurer to fill the vacancy caused by Mark Donahue resigning due to relocation. Ratib, who was one of two applicants, is an accountant and served on the Board of Finance for 10 years.
"I think I am the right person for that position because of my background," said Ratib, 56. He said as treasurer, he has made changes to build a bridge between the Board of Education and Town Hall.
He said one of his priorities as treasurer is be to help people understand new software that's being implemented, something he pushed for while on the Board of Finance. He said another priority is to maintain transparency.
Ratib also serves as treasurer of the nonprofit North Stonington Education Foundation, and he provides accounting services for Keep North Stonington Affordable and the Wheeler Library.
Republican candidate Murphy, 64, was elected first selectman in 2015 and served one two-year term, after eight years as a selectman. He currently sits on the Zoning Board of Appeals, and previously served for two years each on the Board of Education and Board of Finance.
Murphy retired from the Navy in 1998 after 23 years of service and then worked at Connecticut College for 15 years.
He said of the decision to run for treasurer, "This will allow me to keep tabs on the town finances, and at the same time, possibly improve the transparency of the town budget and the town spending."
Murphy said he would create an open checkbook where townspeople could "go in and see what we paid to who and for what."
In addition to treasurer, three candidates are vying for two spots on the Board of Selectmen, and the only other contested race is for the Planning and Zoning Commission, where three candidates are running for two spots.
Anthony Mazzella is the Democratic endorsed candidate for the PZC, while the Republican endorsed candidates are Wayne M. Wilkinson and Priscilla Lewis, who are both currently on the commission.
Variety of education experience in Board of Education candidates
The Board of Education race is uncontested, with two current members and two newcomers running for four open four-year terms, and one current member looking to finish out the last two years of the term of a member who resigned earlier this year.
Board Chairwoman Christine Wagner, 52, has served on the board since 2014 and said, "I think we've been doing some really good work. I'd like to continue serving the town." She said the biggest priority coming up in the next year is the search for a new superintendent, as Peter Nero is retiring. Wagner is a State Farm insurance agent and has one child in the school system.
Jamie Towle-Weicksel, 37, joined the board this past summer, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Darren Robert. Towle-Weicksel, who has a second grader, said her priorities are advocating for safe in-person learning and working on "an inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students."
A chemistry professor at Rhode Island College, she said, "Typically my decisions are data-driven and science-based, and so I want to make sure that those types of values are passed on in policies."
Jennifer Welborn has served on the board for four years but opted to run to fill the vacancy for two years, saying she thought it better for the new members to have full four-year terms. Welborn, 57, has one child who is a sophomore at Wheeler High School and two who have graduated, and she teaches chemistry at Bacon Academy in Colchester.
Chet Stefanowicz, 43, is also a teacher, teaching social studies and Spanish at Preston Plains Middle School. He and his wife moved to North Stonington three years ago, having previously lived in Groton, and their two children are 7 and 2.
Stefanowicz said he would bring the perspective of someone who's on the receiving end of Board of Education decisions. He said his number-one priority is the superintendent search, finding someone who's "invested in the idea of being a small-town superintendent," and that he's also focused on COVID-19 policies and on issues of equity.
With three kids who graduated from Wheeler and are now married with families are their own, Lisa Mazzella has been involved with the PTO and Girl Scouts. She is now co-editor of the North Stonington Quarterly, and stresses the importance of communication and informing residents of what's going on.
Mazzella, 56, has served on the Board of Assessment Appeals for four years, is secretary and treasurer of the Republican Town Committee, and she works as a beverage server at Mohegan Sun.
Stefanowicz, Towle-Weicksel and Welborn are the Democratic endorsed candidates, while Mazzella and Wagner are the Republican endorsed candidates.
The two current board members whose terms are up but are not seeking reelection are Pamela Potemri and Dave McCord.
