The candidates for Windham’s town council and school committee elections next month appeared on State Sen. Bill Diamond’s (D-Cumberland) cable access show “Speak Out” last Friday to discuss the issues.

In attendance were town council candidates Blaine Davis and incumbent Michael Shaughnessy, who are running for the same seat; Kaile Warren who is running unopposed for the North District position; and Donna Chapman, who is running for the South District seat. Her opponent, Michael Wozich, was unable to attend because he was out of state for family reasons.

Also present were school committee candidates Marjorie Govoni, Jeffrey Vermette and Mary Wassick. They are running for the two seats currently occupied by Vermette and Wassick.

The evening, broadcast live from the town office, was noted for its civil interactions between the candidates. Diamond lobbed questions phoned in from viewers at his guests, such as their feelings on the school consolidation issue or the loss of the town’s leaf and brush pile.

Regarding the proposal to consolidate school districts in Maine, Vermette said “the meat of the consolidation has been ripped out” in its intention to remove excessive administrative positions. He said school boards can be “meddlesome.”

“We get in the way of high-paying professionals doing their job,” he said.

Chapman said she opposes the consolidation and said it would eliminate jobs.

Warren said if he were a councilor he would want the school board to draft an opinion because it was their area of expertise.

Davis and Shaughnessy exchanged glares over an alleged comment that was made in a recent phone conversation between the two. Davis alleges that Shaughnessy told him his lack of a college degree would hurt his campaign.

Shaughnessy said he never made the comment, and that it was not the sort of thing he would say. Neither candidate raised their voice or had an emotional reaction and the two were seen talking civilly after the hour-long show ended.

“I was getting a little scared… because I only have a high school education,” said Warren, the chief executive officer of the Rent-A-Husband handyman national franchise and a former homeless resident of Portland. He said at the meeting that he has seen the best and worst of capitalism.

The election will be held in the Windham High School on Tuesday, June 12 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check the June 8 edition of the Lakes Region Suburban Weekly for more campaign coverage.

Candidates1: Bill Diamond glances to see from his producer if Speak Out, his public access show, is ready to start while town council candidates Blaine Davis and incumbent Michael Shaughnessy talk. Both candidates are running for the same seat.Candidates2: Town council candidates Blaine Davis and incumbent Michael Shaughnessy, both running for the same seat, talk civilly after the taping of the Speak Out public access show last Friday.