Dems Pledge To Use Individual Strengths to Carry Out 9-Point Plan

This article appears in full on the September 18, 2007 online edition of the Manchester Journal-Inquirer (emphasis mine):

By: Kimberly Phillips, Journal Inquirer

MANCHESTER - In unveiling a nine-point campaign platform today, local Democrats said that the goals play on their individual strengths, even though the slate of six pledges to work as a team.

"We run because we want to better the community," incumbent Kevin L. Zingler said during a morning press conference. "We want to help out the people who are the neediest."

At the top of the platform is making the town safer through the immediate hiring of additional police officers so they can gain experience before the town loses numerous others to retirement.

That's something incumbent John D. Topping has taken the lead on, Democrats say, given his background as a former Hartford police officer: "The town is safer, the town is a better place overall," he said of Democratic leadership.

Newcomer Pamela Cranford said she decided to run for the board based on the "people aspect" of political work and because her employment with the state Department of Children and Families makes her the best advocate for the next prong in the platform: planning for outreach to at-risk youth.

That's achieved through locating a youth center on Spruce Street and developing a plan for alleviating overcrowding at Mary Cheney Library, another part of the platform, they said.

Whether that means building a new library or reusing another town facility, candidate Jason E. Doucette, who's running for his first term after being tapped to fill a board vacancy last year, said a plan for the library is "one of the obvious challenges for the next board."

"We don't let things get to the point where we have to play hero," incumbent Lisa Paggioli O'Neill said of Democrats' "constantly and quietly" planning for the future.

O'Neill, given her occupation as an engineer, will be called on to provide insight into future municipal and school building projects, incumbent David M. Sheridan said, especially since continued focus on the schools makes the list.

"It's interesting, the platform does accentuate the talents of our team," Sheridan said, adding that Zingler watches out for the town's oldest residents and Doucette has an interest in working smarter and spending wisely, another two tenants of the platform.

"We just know what we have to do as a governmental leaders, and we get it done," Sheridan said.

Topping said Sheridan's strength is exemplified in each of the points, since his work as a lawyer makes him adept at fleshing out others' proposals to make them fit with both the law and what town staff want.

The platform is rounded out with pledges to maintain roads, sidewalks, bridges, and other town facilities; acquire more open space and look to making the town "greener" through environmental conservation; and work to improve the town's emergency services.