President Dominic Cafarelli running for second term.
Michael Godlewski
Bio: I am a 2001 graduate of Mohonasen High School, a 2005 graduate of Skidmore College, and a 2008 graduate of New England School of Law. Following law school, I worked as an associate attorney for the DeLorenzo Law Firm. Presently, I am an Attorney for the Town of Rotterdam where I provide legal counsel to the Town Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals. I also work as a professor of Paralegal Studies at Mildred Elley in Albany and am a member of the Schenectady County Bar Association and a parishoner at St. John the Evangelist Church.
50 words or less each:
1. Why are you running for school board? I am amazed by the great strides and growth the Mohonasen schools and district have shown in the ten years since I graduated. Things are moving in the right direction and I believe I can help bring the district to the next level of advancement.
2. If elected, what do you hope to accomplish? We need to keep taxes reasonable for all district residents, particularly our seniors. We need smart growth, while not losing sight of our primary concern: the education of our youth. Teacher salaries must stay competitive with neighboring schools to ensure that we keep bringing the best and brightest to Mohonasen.
3. What is you opinion of the 2010-11 school budget? The budget process is difficult and perhaps the greatest responsibility of the board. Taxpayer dollars should be treated with care, and cuts need to be carefully scrutinized. The Board has done an admirable job, considering the difficult position they have placed into by New York State’s cuts in education aid.
4. What would you bring to the school board? As a young professional, working as a lawyer and a teacher, I believe I can relate to the students, faculty, and administration. I am an open-minded optimist who believes in creative thought and reasoned solution. I excel at teamwork and look forward to working with a diverse group of people.
5. Free response. Take 50 words to say anything you’d like on any topic. At five, my family moved to Rotterdam seeking a safe neighborhood and school district to raise their son. I want to continue that tradition for future generations. Let’s give our young people reasons to return to Rotterdam after achieving academic success. Let’s usher in a new era of Mohonasen pride!
Dominic Cafarelli
Biography: I am a master barber and owner/operator of Doms Barber Shop in Rotterdam. After graduating from Mohonasen I went to the Royal Barber School, after graduation I went to Schenectady County Community College, and SUNY Plattsburgh. Also attended University of Massachusetts for business management. I am the current president of the Mohonasen Board of Education, which I have served on for the past three years.I am a past president of the sports boosters association and currently president of the Rotterdam Grizzlies, an AAU basketball program for Mohonased boys and girls. My children go to Mohonasen, and we are all Mohonasen Proud!
1) I have had three great years on the school board, and have been part of many projects that are still in the works. I wish to continue on with this passion I have to do whats best for kids. After all, thats what our main job is, To do whats best for kids
2) If elected, I will be able to continue to work on the issues that effect our school every day. Experience with what the real issues are helps in the decision making process. I work very well with the current administration and together with the current board, we have accomplished many of our goals, and have developed a reasonable budget.
3) The budget was a extreamly difficult one this year. Having lost two million dollars of state aid makes it difficult to accomplish all the things you would like. The last thing I want to do is cut teachers or programs. Our administration has done a great job of balancing cuts and keeping the tax levy as low as possible.
4) I bring 3 years of board experience, a good knowledge of whats been happening in our school system for the past ten years, and a desire to continue to serve the district and the board, in any way needed.
5) Serving on a school board should be a labor of love. The only reason to do this, is because you truly care about the kids!! About their future, and to prepare them for life after school. This important position is not about politics, it’s not about running the town. It should not be about how many people know your name, or what you promise to do, it’s what you have done, and the real reason why you do it, For the kids!!
Mark Sabatini
I grew up in Rotterdam, NY with my brother Jerry, currently living in Leominster, MA, and my parents Marilyn and Jerry Sabatini currently living in Scotia.
My wife of 20 years, the former Nora Bonk, and I have three children. Audrey, attending school in Andenne, Belgium as part of our local Rotary Club’s foreign exchange program. Daniel, a senior at Mohonasen and Olivia, a freshman at Mohonasen.
After high school I attended both Hudson Valley Community College and the Rochester Institute of Technology graduating both with an Associates and Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering. After my graduation from RIT in 1982, I chose sales as a career and currently work for a division of the French owned Schneider Electric called Square D. Square D manufactures electrical power distribution and automation equipment.
1. This is my first time running for a board of education seat. I served in 2008 as part of our school districts budget committee and developed an interest in understanding and participating in to a greater extent, the budget formation process. That and some subtle prompting from my wife and a few friends has led me to this point.
2. Beyond that, my motivation for running simply boils down to this; I care about our kids. I want our district to be able to properly prepare our children to face this complex and constantly changing world. I look forward to being a part of how we accomplish that.
3 I mentioned that in 2008, I participated in our districts budget approval process. One of the things that struck me was how much of our budget was consumed with money to satisfy state mandated policies and procedures. I’d like to understand that a little better.
4. If someone were to ask me why they should vote for me, I would first tell them that I am fully committed to pursue what is best for the children of our district. With that commitment, I would say that whatever perspective a 51 year old, husband, father, industrial salesman, community volunteer, can bring is what I have to offer.
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