hard deadlines

John McDaid (D), candidate for Portsmouth school committee with former Hathaway principal Dr. Christina Martin. Photo by Andrew Katzman.

Dr. Christina Martin, recently retired principal of Hathaway Elementary school, announced her support for John McDaid in the Portsmouth School Committee race. The ten-year veteran of Portsmouth's schools issued the following statement:

"John McDaid is a perfect candidate for the Portsmouth School Committee. He is truly schooled in the strengths and challenges of the school department, the sort of in-service training that all school committee members need to make informed decisions."

"During the last four years I have seen John's commitment to the education of his son, Jack, a student at Hathaway, and to all Portsmouth students."

"He is a proven communicator who has covered Portsmouth on his local news blog, where I've often read his coverage of school committee and town council meetings."

"John is a knowledgeable and committed participant in the process of leading our schools into the future. He was a participant in the Future Search workshop -- held at Hathaway -- which developed a strategic vision for the schools. As an appointed member of the facilities committee, he came to Hathaway with the engineers and we toured every corner of the building as they were developing their recommendations."

"His service on the district technology committee shows his dedication to the improvement of our schools. He worked with many teachers -- not just at Hathaway -- to assist in implementing the district's new web site. And I worked with him directly on the search team for our technology integration specialist and found him to be a thoughtful and engaged participant."

"Elected officials are charged with making decisions that impact the lives of all of us, so they need to really know the nuts and bolts of the organizational life intimately. John brings a deep understanding of the challenges and an admired dedication to the schools — he will make a great school committee member."

"I am honored to receive this significant endorsement," McDaid said. "Dr. Martin has been a leader in Portsmouth education for a decade, and as principal of Hathway, her tireless efforts on behalf of our children have earned her the respect of students, parents, and the community."

John McDaid is running as an endorsed Democratic candidate, on a slate with David Croston, Andrew Kelly, and Marge Levesque.

Related links
John McDaid campaign Web site: http://johnmcdaid.com
See the announcement on Portsmouth Patch

Full disclosure: It's pretty clear that I'm in candidate mode from here to November. And yes, this one is from a press release.

Guests enjoying last year's event.

The annual Portsmouth Democratic Clamboil is scheduled for Sunday, September 12, and everyone is welcome at what promises to be an awesome afternoon of traditional food, amazing auction bargains, and election-year opportunities to chat with local, state, and national political leaders and candidates.

The Clamboil is hosted at the Portuguese American (PA) Citizens Club at 35 Power Street, just off East Main Road. Tickets for the event are just $30/adult, $7/kids under 12, and include all-you-can-eat chowder and clam cakes at 1 pm, with the traditional New England clamboil — fresh clams, chourico, sausage, hot dogs, onion, potato and corn on the cob — served at 3 pm.

But it's not just about the food — each year, dozens of local businesses and supporters provide items for raffles and an auction (featuring incomparable auctioneer DJ Dennis Canario!). This year, there are more than 50 great items up for bid — just take a look at the list below. And new this year, there will be a 50/50 raffle, with tickets $1/each or 6 for $5. You could go home with a full stomach AND wallet.

And of course, in addition to the food and bargains, there's plenty of time for meeting and talking with the elected officials and candidates who drop by to connect with the voters. You can be sure all the local and state folks will be there, and this year, the Clamboil is just two days before a heated primary race in the first Congressional district, so you never know who might stop by...

Tickets are available at the PA Club, Allen's Wine and Spirits, Ferreira's Package Store or by calling Chuck Levesque at 847-2510. Proceeds from the event go to the Portsmouth Democratic Town Committee. This is the Town Committee's major fundraiser going into the Fall election, so it's a great opportunity to have some fun, bid on some neat items, and support local Democrats.

Preliminary list of auction items:
$25 gift certificate, 15 Point Road restaurant
Two kitchen design books, Beyond The Woods
$500 in legal services, Atty. Bob Silva
$15 gift certificate, Carmella's of Portsmouth
Plant, Carlone's Florist
Gift certificate for 1-hr session, Center for Therapeutic Massage
$20 gift certificate, Ching Tao Restaurant, Middletown
2 gift certificates for breakfast for two, Cindy's Country Cafe
Gift Basket, Coastal Roasters, Tiverton
Two bottles of wine, County Liquors of Middletown
Gift basket, Custom House Coffee
Free will, Atty. David Fox
2 $5 gift certificates and t-shirts, Frosty Freeze
2 bottles of wine, Gleeson's Package Store
Foursome with carts, Green Valley Country Club
Case of Skipping Stones wine, Greenvale Vineyards
One-month membership, Kettlbells Gym
Assorted shrubs, Hoogendorn's nursery
Two $50 gift certificates (Irving, Geo's, BossMan), Irving Gas Station
$10 gift certificate, Irving's Shoes
Plant, Island Garden shop
Three yards of screened loam, JAM Materials
Framed picture, other prints, Joe Matose, artist
5 $10 gift cards, Leo's Ristorante, Bristol
$25 gift certificate, Maplewood Farms
Two 12-packs of Ale and beer, Moriarty's Liquors
Quartz candleholder, Natures, Inc.
Tool box, NAPA Auto Parts of Middletown
Dinner and show for 2, Newport Playouse and Cabaret Theater
Gift certificates: Oil change, car wash, Newport Toyota
Tour and Tasting for 4 and 10, Newport Vineyards
Gift certificate for 1-month membership, Peak Fitness
2 $10 gift cards, Pizza Wave, Bristol
2 gift certificates for hair cuts, Quic Kutz
RI State Flag, Sec. of State Ralph Mollis
Cheese Trays, RI Credit Union
Two plants of your choice, RI Nurseries
Gift certificate for oil change, Sacucci Honda
$40 gift card, Scampi Restaurant
$25 gift card, Stop and Shop Middletown
Free month of dance and dance bag, Stage Door Dance Studio
$15 gift certificate, Steve's Famous Pizza
Free septic pump out, free service call Travers Plumbing
...and more to come!

Full disclosure: I am a member of the Portsmouth Democratic Town Committee as well as an endorsed candidate for School Committee, so obviously, a portion of the proceeds from the event would benefit my campaign.

David Segal and Gary Gump at the Portsmouth Wind Turbine.

State Rep. David Segal, candidate for the first congressional district, visited the Portsmouth wind turbine today to talk about his "Green New Deal," one of the planks of his 7-point-plan for jobs and economic recovery.

He was introduced by Portsmouth EDC Sustainable Energy subcommittee chair Gary Gump, part of the team that led the turbine effort, who thanked him for his work in the legislature on NetMetering, and urged him to "continue that support at the state level, or in Washington."

"The Portsmouth wind turbine is an example of what we should be doing more of," said Segal. He said that if elected, one of his first acts would be to propose a "Green New Deal," that would make more projects like the turbine possible, and would create jobs by investing in renewable energy.

"Investing $100 billion in the greening of the economy over the next two years would create an estimated 2 million jobs nationwide," said Segal. Such an investment, he proposed, could be financed by a tax on high-dollar-value (those over $100K) credit default swaps and other speculative transactions. Such a tax could raise $150B a year, Segal said, and the return from the millions of new jobs created would offset increased spending.

"If we're investing in the right projects, we don't have to worry about the deficit," said Segal.

If you want to learn more, you can meet Segal tonight in Portsmouth at Custom House Coffee on West Main Road at 7pm. (And we'll also be collecting signatures for the referendum — so why not stop by?)

Full disclosure: I am a supporter of David Segal.

David Segal talks with supporters at the opening of his Providence field office.

David Segal, Democratic candidate for Congress, will be coming to Portsmouth on Wednesday, August 4 for a meet-the-candidate event at 7pm in Custom House Coffee on West Main Road. Segal, who is running for the seat being vacated by Patrick Kennedy, will be here to meet and talk with voters from Portsmouth.

Segal is currently a state representative, where is a leader of the progressive caucus. He has been involved with legislation on renewable energy and green jobs, foreclosures and predatory lending, civil liberties, and criminal justice reform. This week, he won the endorsement of the RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals for his "strong voice for education and working families." Segal has also been endorsed by True Majority, Democracy for America, and the RI Progressive Democrats.

As you can probably tell, I'm a supporter (and have been ever since he played a key role in the Net Metering legislation that helps Portsmouth make more money from our wind turbine generator). Hope you'll come over to Custom House coffee next Wednesday and get to know him.

Resources:
David Segal for Congress web site
Watch the recent debate on WPRI

Click image to visit

Just launched a new web site for my campaign for Portsmouth School Committee, and I hope you'll stop on by to check it out, sign up for e-mail updates, and, hopefully, make a secure donation.

All the e-mail data is managed by my site, not a third-party, so there will be no spam. I'm using PayPal for donations, so you can use any major credit card (or your PayPal account) and none of the credit card info is stored on the site.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me — my campaign e-mail address is jmcdaid@johnmcdaid.com.

Want to meet the just-announced Democratic candidates for Portsmouth's Town Council, School Committee, and General Assembly? Next Thursday, July 8 at the Green Valley Country Club on Union Street (map), from 5-7pm, the Democratic Town Committee is sponsoring a get-together with hotdogs and hamburgers on the veranda. Stop on by and get to know the folks who are running.

For Town Council: Mike Buddemeyer, Dennis Canario, Terri Cortvriend, Al Honnen, Len Katzman, Jeffrey Lewis, and Jim Seveney.

For School Committee: Dave Croston, Andrew Kelly, Marge Levesque, and John McDaid.

For Representative in General Assembly: Ray Gallison (District 69), Jay Edwards (70), George Alzaibak (71) and Amy Rice (72).

And for Senator in General Assembly, Chuck Levesque (Dist. 11).

Hope to see you there. And have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend, everybody!

Update: Confirmed that candidates for RI legislature were invited.

John McDaid has announced his candidacy for Portsmouth's School Committee. For the past four years, McDaid has covered Portsmouth news and politics at the hyperlocal site harddeadlines.com. Today, he has filed papers to run for school committee and has been endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee.

"I'm not a politician," said McDaid, "But with the challenges our schools are facing, the time is right to make the move from journalist to candidate, and I'm asking the voters of Portsmouth for their support."

"There are those trying to take advantage of the current economic climate to force harmful radical change," said McDaid. "I will stand up for the quality schools the people of Portsmouth want and our kids deserve. This is not just about budgets and numbers, this is about our vision for education in Portsmouth."

In addition to covering the schools, McDaid has been deeply involved. He serves as an appointed member of the Facilities Committee which oversaw the RGB report recommending major renovations. He was a participant in last year's Future Search workshop which developed a strategic plan for the schools. He is a volunteer on the district's information technology committee, where he helped the schools launch their redesigned web site. He also serves on the board of the Portsmouth Public Education Foundation (PPEF) which provides annual grants for innovative teaching projects.

"I'm all about transparency," said McDaid. "Everything I've written about the schools is out there on my web site at harddeadlines.com. I make no secret of the fact that I'm an unwavering advocate for our kids, and for open, participatory government. I believe an informed public is critical to the democratic process, and I'm happy to have been able to contribute to our town's conversation about the important issues facing us. If elected, I would use every tool available to make citizen involvement easier (what some call 'Government 2.0') by insuring everyone has access to good information and that the school committee can hear from all Portsmouth residents, not just the special interests who have the time to show up at every meeting."

McDaid brings a variety of skills from his background in academia and business. He was a pioneer in using computers in the classroom, and helped create one of the first hypertext writing programs in the country at New York University in 1987 during his doctoral work. He taught at the college level for seven years before moving into the private sector, where he has had experience as a software developer, project manager, and webmaster. He is also an award-winning professional science fiction writer. "You can google me to check my bona fides," said McDaid. "I'm the John McDaid who's not the Irish pop star."

McDaid has deep roots in Portsmouth. "I'm proud to be the third generation to live in Island Park, where my grandparents, the Kirkwoods, bought our house in 1925." His wife, Karen, is a teacher in Massachusetts, and his son, Jack, will be entering fifth grade at Portsmouth Middle School in September.

Resources
See all candidates on the Secretary of State Web site