Pembroke Candidates Clash Over Pride Flags, Development at Forum
School Committee and Select Board hopefuls debate hot-button issues as election approaches
PEMBROKE - May 8 - Candidates for Pembroke's Board of Health, School Committee and Select Board present sharply different visions for the town's future during a Chamber of Commerce forum, with debates over pride flags in schools and downtown development drawing the most heated exchanges.
The forum, moderated by Fraser Townley, gives candidates two minutes for opening statements, followed by five prepared questions with 90-second response times, and concludes with one-minute closing statements.
Paige Graziano, a veterinarian, business owner and mother of four, faces Katrina Scarsciotti, a human resources professional and mother of two, in the race for School Committee.
Both candidates outline their qualifications and priorities before addressing questions on topics ranging from vocational education to pride flags in schools.
"I am Paige Graziano. I am a veterinarian, business owner, mother of four, and 24-year resident of Pembroke," Graziano says in her opening statement. "I've been watching or attending school committee meetings for about four years now, and I've not missed more than two or three in-person meetings since the fall of 2023."
Scarsciotti introduces herself as a Pembroke native who attended the town's public schools and now raises her family there.
"I had absolutely no intention of running this year, but when I saw how politics and culture wars were being woven into our schools, I knew I had to stand up and do something," Scarsciotti says.
When asked about the roles and responsibilities of a school committee member, both candidates demonstrate understanding of the position's core functions.
Graziano explains that the committee hires and supervises the superintendent, handles budgeting, approves educational curriculum, conducts long-range planning, and negotiates with the teachers' union.
Scarsciotti emphasizes her experience with collective bargaining, noting, "In my professional career, I actually sit on the other side of the table with the union every day, so I understand the grievance process, the arbitration process, and at times the challenging collective bargaining process."
The candidates share similar views on vocational education, with both strongly supporting Pembroke joining South Shore Technical High School in Hanover.
"I 1000% support us joining the vocational technical high school in Hanover," Graziano says. "I will be voting for it personally when we get that opportunity in the fall."
Scarsciotti agrees, stating, "I do support the voc tech. And it's not just something that I say support, it's how I live my life."
The candidates diverge significantly on the topic of COVID-19 school closures. When asked about their position on the extended school disruptions during the pandemic, Graziano takes a firm stance against the measures taken.
"I think we need to learn from the COVID lockdown experience. It was a very, very bad idea to lock our students down," Graziano says. "My plan for the future would be to avoid a lockdown at any cost."
Scarsciotti offers a more measured response, acknowledging the challenges of decision-making during uncertain times.
"Hindsight's 20/20, right? So today it's so easy to say, no, I would not lock down the schools. But at the time we did what we had to do," Scarsciotti says. "I think we were pretty status quo. I think we did what everyone was doing because we were all doing the best we could at that time."
The most contentious exchange occurs when candidates address a question about pride flags in schools. The question references a previous school committee discussion about limiting flags in schools and removing pride flags.
Graziano states, "I do not believe that the pride flag belongs in our public schools. It does not belong there, placed there by the school or its representatives."
She adds, "Although every LGBTQ person is deserving of respect and has the right to live their life as they see fit, there is no way that men can become women and women can become men. And that we need to protect our young girls in the school locker rooms and in their sports."
Scarsciotti takes the opposite position, defending the presence of pride flags in schools.
"The flag is not political. It does not align with any side. It's just there as a symbol to say, here when you're at school, you're safe and you're accepted regardless of what happens out there," Scarsciotti says.
When moderator Fraser Townley asks directly if the pride flag is political, Graziano responds, "Unfortunately, what started out as something that represented a group of people who were not being treated with respect, it's been taken over by a group of people who are extremists."
Scarsciotti counters, "The thing about the pride flag is it doesn't care if you're a Republican or Democrat. It doesn't care if you're a liberal or conservative. You're still respected under that."
In the Select Board race, incumbent Steve Ciciotti faces challenger Sean Keegan, with both candidates addressing downtown development and mixed-use zoning.
Ciciotti, running for his second term, emphasizes his experience in management across various industries including IT, finance, accounting, construction, supply chain and data analytics.
"I continue to bring an ever-growing set of skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table that few others can," Ciciotti says.
Keegan, a 28-year veteran of the Massachusetts National Guard and IT manager, positions himself as a unifying candidate.
"We've stopped truly listening to each other. We've lost sight of the fact that we're neighbors first, and we all want the same thing, a strong and bright future for our town," Keegan says. "I'm running to restore balance, rebuild trust, and refocus our energies on what matters most."
Both candidates address the need for development in Pembroke's town center, particularly with the departure of Stop & Shop.
Ciciotti points to zoning challenges in the center historic district that make development difficult. "That zoning does need to be revisited, and that's something that we identified in the master plan," he says.
He highlights the new development at the Old Shepherd's Funeral Home, which will include a tavern, as a positive step for the center.
Keegan agrees on the need for revitalization. "I'd love to see us work with Stop & Shop to see if we can come to some agreement and get something into that building," he says. "I would really like to see something community-based done with the firehouse when they move out to the public safety building."
The candidates also discuss the future of town buildings that will be vacated when the police and fire departments move to the new public safety building.
Ciciotti suggests the police station could become a town hall annex, while the fire station might be sold for commercial use, possibly as a "firehouse brewery." For the Council on Aging building, he notes the library has expressed interest, and there's also a proposal for a community center.
Keegan emphasizes community-focused uses for these buildings. "I want to see the center revitalized that brings more people into the center. More community-based uses," he says.
On the topic of recreational marijuana, both candidates support bringing the issue to town meeting despite previous votes against it.
"This is one thing that I think culturally, socially we've moved forward from," Ciciotti says. "We should not restrict something that's between consenting adults as far as I'm concerned as well, and there's still potential revenue to be had there."
Keegan notes that circumstances have changed since the last vote. "A lot of data has come in. People were concerned about bringing dispensaries into towns. They didn't know how it would affect the town with crime, drug use, all kinds of things. We have lots of data to show that it doesn't cause problems."
When asked about the diversity of views on the current Select Board, Ciciotti defends the board as balanced.
"We have a centrist Democrat on the select board. We've got a centrist Republican on the select board. We've got, I would say, a centrist unaffiliated on the select board," Ciciotti says. "I am a very libertarian leaning Republican on the select board. And we've also have a more conservative Republican on the select board."
Keegan disagrees, suggesting the board is dominated by one perspective. "All I hear from people is our voice is not being heard. We're not part of the conversation," he says. "I just want everybody to be heard."
In a rapid-fire question round, the candidates revealed differences on several issues. Ciciotti believes dissolving the DEI committee was a good idea, while Keegan does not. Ciciotti considers pride flags political, while Keegan does not. Both agree the Turner House should be removed.
When asked about Pembroke's biggest challenge, Ciciotti points to budget constraints. "Managing prop two and a half constraints in our budget while trying to develop meaningfully while protecting the character of our town," he says.
Keegan focuses on inclusivity. "I think it's getting back to every voice being heard and everybody being part of the process," he says.
In his closing statement, Keegan emphasizes his military values. "Loyalty. Duty. Respect. Selfless service. Honor. Integrity. And personal courage. These are the core values of the United States Army, and for the last 30 years, they've been my core values."
Ciciotti highlights his experience and commitment. "I have worked diligently to return what some might call balance to the Board of Selectmen while helping refocus our priorities," he says, also noting his opponent's limited attendance at board meetings before deciding to run.
The Board of Health race features incumbent Maureen Jasie against challenger Melissa Killham, with fluoride in the town water supply emerging as a key issue.
"I want the town to be delivered a new opportunity to revisit their decision from 1969 and have an informed consent," Jasie says regarding her support for removing fluoride.
Killham strongly supports keeping fluoride, citing its health benefits.
"It costs $10,500 a year. And we have about 7,173 housing units. So it's less than a dollar per household while we improve 25% outcomes," she notes.
Their views on mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic also diverge sharply. Jasie firmly opposes them, stating she'll never vote for any mask requirement. Killham sees masks as an effective barrier, drawing parallels to personal protective equipment used in healthcare settings.
Both candidates express concern about environmental health issues, particularly microplastics in water. Jasie acknowledges the problem but admits she needs to learn more about potential solutions. Killham links environmental health directly to public health and wants to promote sustainability practices.
Pembroke's town election is scheduled for May 17, with early voting already underway.