NORWALK, Conn. – An abundance of political neophytes are seeking an electoral opportunity in District A.
That includes Nicol Ayers, Joe Perella, Yvel Crevecoeur and, according to First Taxing District Commissioner Elsa Peterson, Sarah Lemiuex vying to become the Democratic Board of Education candidate in the district. Jalin Sead is looking to become a Common Council candidate, as is Laoise King, who has a lot of experience in the political sphere as an attorney but has never run.
(See videos of potential candidates at end of story.)
Almost all of them introduced themselves at Thursday’s District A meeting, where Ayers touted her energy and ability to work with others, Perella said his two daughters have taught him about different perspectives and Crevecoeur spoke of his background as a teacher. Incumbent Councilwoman Eloisa Melendez (D-District A) also made a pitch for her re-election; the district will recommend two in-district Council candidates and one at large candidate. Steve Serasis is interested; former Town Clerk Andy Garfunkel is playing it coy about what his plans might be.
King is profiled in a separate story.
Ayers said she struggled with submitting her name as a BoE candidate.
“I don’t want to just throw my name out there to muddy the waters. I want to throw my name out there because I believe through my experience, I believe through my passion, I believe through my professional background that I have a perspective that has not yet been seen at the Board of Education…. It’s OK to disagree, it’s OK to have changing opinions, but when comes to something as serious our children, we need to find common ground,” Ayers said.
She spoke of statistics regarding Norwalk’s third-grade reading levels and said Norwalk can be great.
“I’m excited. I’m passionate. I’m vibrant, I have energy, all the things that young people have, all things that kids have, all things that we need to have, but I am professional and I am going to get the job done,” Ayers said.
Perella, who lists his profession as Packaging Graphics Commercialization for Diageo Wine and Spirits – managing all packaging-related artwork for the company’s North American Supply chain – said he was born and raised in Norwalk, and decided to buy a home here after looking long and hard at the school system.
His two daughters are on different ends of the spectrum, as one excels and the other struggles, he said. “I really started to realize there is a challenge from every perspective, the teachers, the administration, the parents, even the students themselves, and that’s really what it comes down to,” Perella said.
Norwalk isn’t getting enough from the state, he said. A new Board coming in with the next election “is a huge opportunity to make strides, take it to the next level. I think there’s too much put on the negative side of things within the school system, I think we need to look at more positive things,” Perella said.
His role in the corporate world, occasionally negotiating contracts and dealing with budgets, gives him the experience he needs to be on the Board, he said.
Crevecoeur said he grew up in Stamford and moved here in 2004. He was a teacher in Stamford but left to get a Ph.D. because, “If I could help the teachers, and train the teachers, I could help more students and make them have better opportunities in the future,” he said.
He works at City College of New York in Manhattan, where he has learned that no matter what the size, urban school districts have things in common, he said.
“One of the biggest things for me is how we can use funds more effectively and more efficiently,” Crevecoeur said. “I believe my background and experiences in education will help me understand what we need in terms of the system. Not only for the students but for the adults that support the students.”
“I think we should just run all three,” Tod Bryant quipped.
At that point Peterson reminded everyone that Lemieux is also interested.
Moving on to Council hopefuls, Melendez said everyone knows her, and kept it short and sweet. She has learned a lot, which was part of her goal, and she and Mayor Harry Rilling have shared the experience of being new to politics together, she said.
As a fulltime Norwalk Community College student at 21, she hears the perspective of young people and their vision of the future, she said. That is “really important to me because as we know, change takes time, so I hope to raise my family here and have them be go through of the school system to be part of Norwalk’s growth, something that is really important to me,” Melendez said.
Newcomer Sead said he is 22, going on 23.
“This city has a beat to it,” Sead said. “If you walk around this city, you get to know the regular faces of the community, you will feel that beat. I just love it. It’s diverse, you get to meet the people, and I see the city changing in a way and I just want to make sure that I can be the voice of the people … to help the city grow and transform it in a way that is beneficial to everybody.”
He wants to learn, and he said Melendez told him that her role is to listen to constituents.
“I am a listener,” Sead said. “… I am not somebody that wants to put my own will onto something, I just want the best, what’s best for District A, what’s best for the city of Norwalk.”
District A meets July 22 with the intention of choosing candidates to recommend to the Democratic Town Committee. The DTC will vote July 23.
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