Dracut Election - Deeb Out!
Dracut election: Deeb’s charge against Espindle likely backfired
DRACUT — He stumbled to the finish line.
He made gaffes along the way. He missed the only candidates’ debate and never offered a clear explanation. He sent out very little literature to the folks in town. He missed the deadline for filing his campaign finance report.
Rookie mistakes.
But at the end of the day, 29-year-old Matthew Sheehan managed to squeak by the polished, consummate politician Dennis “D.J.” Deeb by 27 votes — 1,783 to 1,756.
Many factors that contributed to his victory.
During his three-year tenure on the board, Deeb alienated 27 more people than he should have. Deeb had been consistently critical of Superintendent of Schools Elaine Espindle and was seen by many as the the catalyst behind her decision not to renew her contract.
Shortly after being elected in 2005, he voted to give the School Committee the authority to hire a business manager. Deeb tried to hire Matthew McLaughlin even though McLaughlin’s qualifications were called into question. The job went to Terry Wiggins.
Deeb moved to privatize the district’s cafeteria workers. He challenged Espindle over incoming High School Principal James Generoso’s three-year-contract. The exchange took place during a televised meeting while Generoso was in attendance.
“He was disconnected with the parents in the schools,” said resident Barry Myers. “I consider D.J. a friend, but I couldn’t vote for him. … I don’t think it mattered who was running against D.J.”
Overall, there has been a lack of support from the committee for Espindle, and Deeb’s face is the most recognizable. He was sole member up for re-election this year.
Deeb often railed against the district’s dropout rate, low SAT scores and poor MCAS results.
“Almost every time you heard him speak, he was bashing the schools,” Myers said. “People started getting tired of it.”
It was a year ago when Deeb led the charge replace Espindle and began the search process for a new superintendent. Parents targeted him.
On Monday night, after the votes were tallied, Deeb, a high-school teacher in Reading and an adjunct professor at Bunker Hill Community College and UMass Lowell, said he stands by every vote he has taken in the last three years.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said, adding that he plans to teach a college course in the fall. “My Monday nights will be freed up, and I’ll make an extra $10,000.”
For his part, Sheehan has said that many of his votes came from people who were dissatisfied with Deeb.
“There were friends I didn’t know I had. At least 27 of them,” said the 29-year-old Sheehan, who works as a chef at Lenzi’s Catering and Mill House in town.
Incumbents in all other races were returned to office, including Selectmen John Zimini and Robert Cox, who fended off a strong challenge by Ted Kosiavelon.
Both men say they benefited from the work of Town Manager Dennis Piendak, who has balanced the budget with no loss of services, kept residential tax rates among the lowest in the Merrimack Valley and managed to have a modest surplus of $1.9 million.
May 7th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Deeb was a tool anyways. He hinder progress in Dracut more than helped progress.
May 7th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I didn’t vote for him, he is a teacher at UML now teaching Local politics. Looks like he has a lot to learn!
May 7th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Like Myers said “i didnt matter who was
running against him.” Thats true. It could
have been Deeb vs. Tree Branch….”the votes
are in…Tree Branch by a land slide!!”
May 7th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Tree Branch!
Tree Branch!
Tree Branch!
Tree Branch 4 more years!
Tree Branch 4 more years!