The elections for 2015-2016 are complete and totaled. The winner of the Senator Louis Bertonazzi Foundation Outstanding Citizenship Award with a two-year average voting percentage of 37.97% is the town of Upton.
For the second time in this 19-town competition, a town has repeated as the winner. Northbridge had accomplished wins in the 2007-2008 and 2013-2014 contests. Now, Upton has followed up its 2011-2012 victory with this latest win. Other past winners of the award, over the past 12 years, have been Sutton and Mendon.
The Citizenship Award winning town has had the highest percentage of its registered voters who turned out to vote during the 2015-2016 elections, thereby earning the title “Best Voting Community” for that two-year period.
Upton Town Clerk, Kelly McElreath, will make arrangements with the Upton Board of Selectmen to make the award presentation in January.
At the time, the Town Clerk and Board of Registrars will receive a check for $1,000 from the Foundation to be used as they see fit for continued increased voter turnout.
The Upton Board of Selectmen will be presented a plaque to be displayed for the next two years in Upton Town Hall. And the people of Upton ,who through their election turnouts won the award, will receive a huge banner proclaiming Upton as the “Best Voting Community 2015-2016” for permanent display in the community.
The accompanying chart shows each town’s voting performance, along with the final two-year standings. Unlike some other years, all of the towns were more closely bunched. Upton was first with 37.97%, and nine towns finished with 30% or more, with Bellingham rounding out the first nine at 30.56%.
The second tier of finishers was led by Dudley at 29.46%. Those ten communities were bottomed out by Southbridge at 23.06%.
The competition is intended to provide an additional incentive to voters to exercise their privilege of voting. In the history of our country, the cost of this privilege has been paid by the sacrifice and courage of so many of our citizens. Fulfilling our debt to them by our participation in the democratic process is an opportunity to show our gratitude.
The Foundation also gives a $1,000 annual education award to an outstanding teacher in the Milford School system. A cultural award in conjunction with the Milford Sons of Italy Lodge and the Milford Italian American Veterans Post sends a qualifying Italian language student to study in Italy each year.
The Senator Louis Bertonazzi Board of Directors is made up of Dr. Carl DiGregorio, Chairman; Michael Diorio, Treasurer; Attorney David Bertonazzi, Clerk; and members Cynthia Casey; Gail Crimaldi; Joseph Nigro; Janice Guerriere; Julie Richards; Tom Cullen; and Louis Bertonazzi, Ex-Officio.
Issue Date:
January, 2017
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