Personalities May Rule Norwood Vote-September 3, 1976

With a dozen candidates vying for a single vacant seat on the Board of Selectmen left open by the death of Charles L. Rich, the upcoming October 5 special election is shaping up to be a contest driven heavily by personalities rather than a single unifying platform. Notably, more than half of the 12 hopefuls are making their very first bid for public office, and no candidate has advocated for radical systemic changes; instead, most cite a general desire to contribute and leverage their personal qualifications.

Voters are navigating a diverse array of localized concerns raised across the campaign trail—ranging from school busing and inadequate trash collection schedules to soaring crime, teenage drinking, loitering, expanded services for senior citizens, and maintaining a stable tax rate.

Overview of the Candidate Field

• Paul R. Angelo (33 Longfellow Road): A lifelong Norwood resident, father of two, and owner of the Olde Colonial Cafe on Savin Avenue, Angelo is making his political debut. He identifies crime as the primary local concern, advocating for stronger citizen backing for the police department alongside upgraded business districts, enhanced elder services, and expanded youth recreational programs. “This is a great town and people don’t realize how lucky they are to live here. Because I like the town, I wanted to get more involved,” he noted.
• James A. Barss Jr. (175 Gay St.): A veteran town meeting member of nine years and electronics technician with Northrop Corp., Barss is making his fourth bid for the selectman’s seat. The father of four emphasizes community support for local law enforcement and strict enforcement of the town’s public drinking prohibition. “I am not a politician, but I’d like the chance to put my voice in,” he stated.
• Walter J. Dempsey (76 Prospect St.): A seasoned political figure with 24 years of service as a selectman prior to stepping down in January 1974, Dempsey proposes transforming the vacant Norwood Arena site into a modern industrial park. He advocates constructing a connecting thoroughfare from the arena grounds and surrounding 300 acres directly out to Route I-95 and Neponset Street, utilizing the Neponset River frontage for conservation and recreation, and mandating smoke detectors in all residences.
• Maria A. Gil (1120 Washington St.): A political newcomer and co-owner of Dundulis’ Lunch in South Norwood, Gil draws on her dual perspective as a businesswoman and mother of an 11-year-old son to prioritize municipal fiscal discipline. She champions a balanced town budget and urges a frequency upgrade for residential trash collections, arguing that current once-a-month pickups are entirely insufficient.
• Allan D. Howard (431 Nahatan St.): An insurance auditor, finance commission veteran, town meeting member, and father of three boys, Howard points to community anxieties surrounding teenage drinking, vandalism, potential airport expansion, and nightlife friction involving South Norwood bars. He stresses the overarching need for innovative, proactive leadership on the board.
• Derek V. MacKinnon (634 Normandy Drive): Assistant manager and rental agent at Norwest Woods Apartments and a father of two, MacKinnon is a newcomer advocating for heightened community backing for local police officers. He maintains an open-minded approach and views South Norwood bar owners as blameless for street-level incidents.
• John J. O’Day Jr. (27 Rosemary St.): A lifelong resident, attorney, and father of two making his first run for public office, O’Day stated he has “no particular torch” but wishes to dedicate his free time to public service, monitoring issues surrounding airport expansion and youth behavior.
• Paul Poznick (Norwood resident since 1969): A quality control engineer for Sylvania Inc. and father of four, Poznick focuses his campaign against the threat of suburban school busing and advocates for robust municipal home rule. Skeptical of state and federal financial entanglements, he contends that Norwood contributes more tax revenue to the state than it receives in return, arguing that busing expenditures would be far better allocated toward upgrading local schools. “If the object is quality education, busing is a farce,” he asserted.
• Thomas A. Riolo (45 Driftwood Circle): Planning board chairman, 15-year town meeting member, and insurance agent with Metropolitan Life, Riolo centers his platform on tax stabilization, senior housing development, youth programs, and opposing airport expansion. “I want to serve, and will match my record against anyone’s,” he declared.
• Joseph S. Stonis (87 Sumner St.): A retired Norwood firefighter with 32 years of municipal service and a current town meeting member, Stonis emphasizes fiscal tax restraint and expanded senior citizen services. A former town constable 30 years ago, his campaign manager is his son, who currently serves on the fire department.

Rounding out the initial filing pool were Thomas F. Cavanaugh (42 Windsor Road) and Richard E. Fenton (56 Winslow Ave.), though neither could be reached for comment prior to the deadline. Nomination papers submitted by the Tuesday evening deadline remain subject to formal signature verification and potential challenges.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger