2nd Worcester Special Election - Meet Candidate Dennis Venuto

I have been trying as much as possible to publish information as I get it about the candidates for the 2nd Worcester special election as there is not a lot of newspaper coverage about the election. I understand that there are candidate profiles in the recent Gardner News (subscription required).

Joining democratic candidates Rice, Ellis and McCallum is the Independent candidate Dennis Venuto. Mr. Venuto was unable to collect enough signatures to have his name placed on the ballot, so he will be running as a write-in candidate.

Mr Venuto is originally from New Jersey. He has lived in Gardner for the last 10 years, having moved to Massachusetts from Texas. He is married with six children and he is a self-employed contractor.

I recently had an opportunity to exchange e-mail with Mr. Venuto and he was kind enough to answer a few questions:

Susan M: What is your background in public service?

Dennis Venuto: The only public service I have done has been as a firefighter and when I have donated time to help the community that I live in. I have 20 years service as a firefighter in 4 states. Also back in 2004 when Gardner was struck by 2 major house fires, putting about 8 families out of their homes, I started collecting donations of clothes, housewares and other items they might need to re-establish their way of life.

SM: What motivated you to enter this race?

DV: I ran for mayor of Gardner this year and during that campaign I found out that the majority of the problems facing the city were caused due to the lack of funding from the state. Also over the past few years I have been involved with a local issue where a builder wanted to put 100 homes into the neighborhood I reside. There were many concerns with this including open space. After everything was said and done this builder went ahead and cleared some land that was to remain untouched. The way the current laws and ordinances are written there was nothing that could be done and now that part of the open space is gone forever.

SM: What issues are important to your campaign?

DV: The issues that I feel are important are:

• Returning monies that were cut to the communities.
• Strengthing the Open Space laws to give the communities more power to control what happens in their areas.
• Supporting the fire and police departments.
• Support of programs that benefit the elderly and children of the communities.

SM: What do you want people in the 2nd Worcester district to know about you and your campaign?

DV: I moved to the Gardner area in 1994 and stayed because, like many others that have moved to this area, this area has a certain type of appeal to raise a family and it needs to be perserved at all cost.

My campaign is a sticker/write in campaign so I will be going around to all communities knocking on doors and trying to meet as many people as possible.

The first debate will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2006 at 5:30 PM at Mt. Wachusett Community College.