East Longmeadow School Committee candidates to debate

The debate is sponsored by East Longmeadow Community Access Television.

EAST LONGMEADOW – A debate for the only contest in the annual town election will be held Thursday at East Longmeadow High School.

The debate, put on by East Longmeadow Community Access Television, will give the candidates an opportunity to discuss important issues facing the school department.

Candidates for reelection include current School Committee members Gregory Thompson and Angela Thorpe. They are being challenged by Richard L. Freccero, who was principal at East Longmeadow High School for 23 years and parent William Bednarzyk, Jr. The four are vying for two three-year seats on the committee.

This will be the first and only debate for the candidates before the April 12 election. The candidates did participate in a candidates forum at the Pleasantview Senior Center last week.

Courtney Llewellyn, the editor for ELCAT News, a program of East Longmeadow Community Access Television, said the debate will give residents an opportunity to hear what the candidates have to say.

"The candidates forum is a nice way to introduce the candidates, but the debate will give them a chance to get into the drive behind their campaigns, she said. "It will also help ELCAT fulfill the duty of informing the residents about the only contested race this year."

The debate will be moderated by high school teacher Ed Polk. Panelists asking the candidates questions will include Llewellyn, parent Herb Tryon, ninth-grader Alexi Cohan and Republican reporter Elizabeth Román.

The candidates will answer a series of questions created by the panelists with suggestions from students and residents.

The debate, which will be taped, will begin at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium and is open to the public.