With nomination papers filed, Scarborough voters will see some fresh faces vying for elected positions this fall, while Cape Elizabeth contests will feature a mix of political newcomers and veterans.

In Scarborough, three candidates – all new to town politics – turned in papers for two three-year three terms on the school board. They are Sam Cofone, John Cole and Brian Dell’Olio. Current board member Dianne Messer and former board member Jackie Perry will compete for the two-year seat left vacant by Jodie Lenardson.

Town councilor Ron Ahlquist will run uncontested to serve on the council for another year, filling Shawn Babine’s seat. Six candidates will vie for two three-year term vacancies on the council created by the resignation of Patrick O’Reilly and the end of Ahlquist’s term.

In Cape Elizabeth, current school board member Rebecca Millett’s term has expired, and she will run against Michael J. Foley and planning board member Jack Kennealy for one of two three year positions. Trish Brigham, who just finished her three-year term on the school board, will run uncontested for a one-year left open by the resignation of Kevin Sweeney.

Councilors Mary Ann Lynch and Paul McKenney will compete against Gregory Altznauer for two three-year terms on the council.

Here are the candidates:

Scarborough

School board

Three-year terms (two vacancies)

Sam Cofone

Cofone, who has two children at Scarborough High School and one who has graduated, said he would like to be more involved in the school system.

“I think we need some more common sense people on the school board,” he said. A member of the cheerleading, football and wrestling booster clubs, he believes the booster clubs are treated unfairly. Also, Cofone thinks the recently implemented Sports Done Right program is unnecessary because Scarborough athletes already practice sportsmanship.

Cofone, 44, and his wife own the Downeaster Motel on Route 1. He has been a deputy sheriff for Cumberland County for 15 years and has lived in Scarborough for a decade.

John Cole

Cole said timing has a lot to do with his reason for running for school board. He thinks the current board and administration are a proactive group of team players.

“I like the idea of being part of that team,” he said.

Cole, 55, has worked in information technology for Unum Corp., Fairchild Semiconductor and Duracell Battery. He lives in Scarborough with his wife and has five grown children. He would like to help serve the town and the students and, at the same time, hopes to gain a better understanding of how Scarborough works.

Cole said he is also interested in helping with the transition that will occur with the statewide consolidation plan.

Brian Dell’Olio

A 2001 graduate of Scarborough High School, Dell’Olio believes his recent experience with the school system will be a helpful addition to the school board.

Dell’Olio, 25, co-owns North Atlantic Securities with his father. After graduating from Marymount University in 2005, he worked as the director of the multi-cultural center at Beloit College. There, he said, he learned how to deliver excellent academics under a strict budget – something he believes is important for Scarborough school board members to do as well.

Dell’Olio said he thinks a good school board member is able to address a wide range of issues, and believes he can do that.

“I think Scarborough does an excellent job preparing students for college,” Dell’Olio said. “My goal would be to continue that.”

Two-year term (one vacancy)

Dianne Messer

Messer has been on the school board for the past three years. She said she has particularly enjoyed the past year and would like to continue serving on the board.

“I think we’ve come a long way,” she said. “I think we’re a much more accessible school board.”

Messer, 51, has lived in Scarborough for 15 years. She has had two children currently in the school system and two children who have been through the school system.

Messer currently chairs the policy committee. She believes policies should be in place for booster clubs and would like to see them implemented.

Jackie Perry

Perry has been on and off the school board since the 1970s. She decided to run again this year when she heard there would be an uncontested race if no one else turned in papers.

“I really believe in challenges,” she said. “I think it’s vital for the community, and it’s good for the process.”

Perry, 70, currently works at Ace Hardware in Oak Hill. She thinks this is a crucial time for the school board because of consolidation. She does not believe the budget should go to the voters and hopes to represent the contingency of senior citizens in town in order to come up with a budget that will pass.

“I think it’s going to take some finesse,” she said.

Town council

Three-year terms (two vacancies)

Jim Benedict

Benedict said he has noticed a lot of town officials have left their positions in recent years and would like to help change that trend.

“I feel there is a need of some sort for there to be a change in people who are elected to the council,” he said.

Benedict, 58, has lived in Scarborough for seven years and has three grown children. He worked in construction for 25 years and continues to work part time as a consultant.

Benedict is an original member of the Volunteers In Police Service in Scarborough and is a member of the Lions Club. He was involved in town government in Massachusetts.

“I’m not new to politics,” he said.

Richard Cervizzi

Cervizzi said he has been involved in the community for a while. He is involved with the chamber of commerce and considers economic development and more good jobs to be two important issues in the area.

Cervizzi, 62, who served in the Air Force Reserves and had a law practice in Scarborough until 2003, has lived in town since 1976. He has two adult daughters and five grandchildren, which, he said, make him sensitive to children’s needs and education issues.

According to Cervizzi, he has had dealings with town officials and has learned from them. Now, he said, he would like to be able to contribute.

Leroy Crockett

Crockett did not respond to multiple intervew requests by The Current.

Bob Pendleton

Pendleton has served in the Maine Legislature and on the Scarborough Planning Board. He said he’d like to try a his hand at the council “before I call it quits.”

Pendleton, 67, said he helped get his wife, Rep. Peggy Pendleton, involved in politics. He has worked for the state for 25 years in the Maine Forest Service, the Department of Labor and the Department of Corrections. Now, he works part time at Shaw’s and enjoys meeting people in town.

“There seems to be a lot of people who are unhappy with things as they are,” Pendleton said about the people of Scarborough. He would like to help be a part of the solution.

Judy Roy

Roy served on the council throughout the 1990s and wants to get involved again.

“I care about Scarborough,” she said. “I just basically want to serve the community.” Roy, 64, is a retired nurse who has lived in town for 55 years.

She said she has no “ax to grind” in town and is planning on meeting with department heads to get a handle on the issues that will be coming up in the near future.

“I’m going in with an open mind and we’ll see where we can go with it,” she said.

Mike Wood

Wood served on the planning board for nine years. Though he expected to enjoy more free time after leaving the board, he found that wasn’t completely true.

“I kind of missed being involved,” he said.

Wood, 49, works as a frontline manager for the Federal Aviation Administration. He lives in Scarborough with his wife and has three daughters, two still in the school system.

After several terms on the planning board, he believes serving on the council is “the next logical step.”

He said he has no agenda going in and always tries to keep an open mind. Wood thinks with the 350th celebration approaching, “it’s going to be a fun year.”

Cape Elizabeth

School board

Three-year terms (two vacancies)

Michael J. Foley

After growing up in Cape Elizabeth, Foley and his wife returned just over a year ago in order to get their young daughter into the school system.

“School consolidation concerned us greatly,” said Foley, who has been involved with the issue on the local and state level.

Foley, 35, is the vice president of sales and business development for Five County Credit Union. He is also a trustee for the Maine Credit Union League Insurance Trust and served on Westbrook’s Downtown Economic Development Committee.

“I feel as though I’m ready for this step,” Foley said. “I’m used to being involved in decision making.”

Foley believes the timing is right for him and that he is a good fit for the school board.

“It’s just important for us to be involved,” he said.

Jack Kennealy

Kennealy is a former member of the zoning board and a current member of the planning board. Along with the experience he has gained from these two positions, he believes his work in corporate management will also help prepare him to be a part of the school board.

“I think I bring a lot of experience to the table,” he said.

Kennealy, 66, now works as a photographer. He has two grown daughters and a son in sixth grade.

“I care very deeply about education, and I care very much about the Cape Elizabeth school system,” he said. Kennealy believes the quality of schools reflects on the quality of an entire town.

He said he believes he is attentive to people’s problems and would like to be the one to help figure out the solutions.

Rebecca Millett

Millett has served on the school board for three years and would like to continue working on the consolidation issue.

“Our school district is still going to be facing serious challenges,” she said. “I don’t think the issue of consolidation has been put to rest.”

Millett, 45, has lived in Cape Elizabeth for seven years and has two children in the school system. Her background is in finance, and she has done nonprofit work for the Children’s AIDS Society in New York City.

Other areas Millett hopes to continue working with the school board on are the Sports Done Right program and wellness initiatives in the schools.

Town council

Three-year terms (two vacancies)

Gregory Altznauer

Altznauer has lived in Cape Elizabeth for about three years, and believes his status as a “newcomer” could be helpful for the council.

“I have a lot of new thoughts and fresh ideas,” he said. “I think it’s very healthy to have turnover.”

Altznauer, who is in his 40s, has worked as a sales executive and software executive for his own companies for over two decades. He believes his experience in sales has made him a good listener and in tune to what people want.

He said he feels the comprehensive plan does not reflect the desire of the community and needs to be worked on.

With two children in the Cape Elizabeth school system, Altznauer believes schools are important and the school board works very hard to come up with an appropriate budget. He said he does not believe in a cap for the school board budget.

Mary Ann Lynch

Lynch has served on the council for the past six years. She chairs the finance committee and worked for the past two years on the comprehensive plan, which she hopes to help implement, as well.

“It’s truly been a privilege and a pleasure,” she said about working with both her fellow councilors and the people of Cape Elizabeth. Continuing the tradition in Cape Elizabeth of excellence in education and preserving of the natural environment are important to her, as well as trying to keep taxes as low as possible for the citizens.

Lynch, 51, lives in town with her husband and has three children who have gone through the Cape Elizabeth school system.

“We love this town, and that’s why I want to serve,” she said.

Paul McKenney

McKenney has served on the council since January 2005 and is currently the chairman. He is also the president of the Greater Portland Council of Governments.

“I think I’ve been able to make a positive contribution in the last three years,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed my time on the council.

McKenney, 47, lives in Cape Elizabeth with his wife Betsy with whom he works as a financial planner. He has three children who are all in the military.

McKenney said he has consistently supported the school budgets and reasonable tax increases. Important issues for him are maintaining the town’s rural character, recycling and improving efficiencies in town.

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