PORTLAND - It may have been damp and raw outside Tuesday night.

But inside the senior center there was a warm collegial feeling as the winners of the Nov. 6 election were sworn in.

Some 30 family and friends - and the winning candidates themselves - were on hand for the low-key, neighborly ceremony that was presided over by Town Clerk Bernadette Dillon.

It was a moment, if only briefly, when there were no "R's" or "D's" (Republicans or Democrats), just friends and neighbors.

Adding to that feeling was a table of refreshments that was laid out at the rear of the center; on it sat bottles of water and lemonade, two kinds of cookies (oatmeal raisin and chocolate-chocolate chip) and a loaf of pumpkin bread.

The winners were easy to identify; before she administered the oath of office, Dillon presented each winning candidate with a corsage made up of a bright-red carnations.

The first to be sworn in was First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield, who ran unopposed for her third term.

She stood in front of an American flag ­- as would all the officials who followed her - as Dillon recited the oath.

After she finished reciting the oath of office, Dillon bestowed a kiss for luck on the town's chief executive.

Bransfield was followed by the board of selectmen (minus Sharon Peters Gibala who was unable to attend the session, but who was sworn in


Dillon greeted each selectman warmly, including the lone new member on the board, Republican Carl Chudzik, whom she greeted in Polish.

The Board of Education members followed the selectmen, and then the Board of Assessment Appeals.

"You take the rap for all the high taxes!" Dillon joked as she swore in Mary Flood and Peter Castelli.

The simple moment was given an added significance as Flood's 90-year-old aunt, Marian, looked on proudly from the audience.

In her welcoming remarks, Bransfield thanked those who came out for the event.

She then congratulated every member of the government, explaining, "It's quite a distinctive honor to serve your fellow citizens, so savor the moment."

In the weeks and months ahead, she said, the town would need to focus on new economic development endeavors, and ensure that the town continues to enjoy "a well-rounded education system."

Beyond that, Bransfield said, the town will have to pay much more careful attention to "our infrastructure - our equipment, our water and sewer systems, our buildings and our roads."

The issue is "not glamorous," she acknowledged. But the infrastructure is vital to the town's continued health and safety.
