There’s no love lost between the two Ward 3 candidates this time around, incumbent Arthur Guinasso and challenger Brian Vesce.
The two families have historically not gotten along, and at least once several years’ back, they were in Suffolk Superior Court arguing about which family had done the worst thing to the other.
A judge – shaking his head – finally decided that they should both just stay away from one another.
However, in this election, that’s not quite possible as they are opponents.
Vesce reported this week that his campaign is going very well. He said he has visited almost every door three times, and his friendly style of campaigning often greeting some voters warmly with a hug and an Italian-style kiss on the cheek.
That’s Vesce’s character, and he’s bringing that and his high energy to the campaign trail. A former Ward 3 councillor, he said he has found a new lease on life.
"In all my life, I don’t think I’ve done anything as successful as this," he said. "This is very positive. When you lose your childhood sweetheart and your dad dies in the same year like what happened to me last time, you get depressed and life takes you. Now, I’m back and on top of my game. Things are going great and I think we’re going to win."
Vesce said that he is a bit upset that Guinasso has been taking credit for things that he did when he was the ward councillor in 2003.
Specifically, he said that Guinasso is taking credit for the recent paving of Oxford Park and Patriots Parkway. He produced motions showing that in 2003 he had requested that those streets get rehabilitated.
"He’s trying to take credit for things he didn’t do," said Vesce. "You don’t take credit for something you didn’t do. Write it down. Prove it. I have all the proof. You also can’t go door-to-door like I have when you’re an absentee councillor like he is. You can’t do that."
Meanwhile, Guinasso said Vesce may have put in a motion in 2003, but the work got done this year.
"I’m taking credit for it because I did it," said Guinasso. "The work actually took place in 2009 no matter what he says."
Guinasso said he had a fund-raiser last week that was very successful, and he said if that is any indication of the voter sentiment, he believes he’ll win big.
"You want to peak on Nov. 3 and this is what I think we’re doing," he said.
He added that his time last week was marred by Vesce and his supporters – whom Guinasso said did sign holding outside of his time.
"My opponent had to intimidate cars coming down to my function," he alleged. "He made a really foolish, immature action. If that is the kind of activity he does, then the best place for him is at home. It was absolutely distasteful."
Vesce said that he simply had a sign holding event up the street from Guinasso’s time and that he didn’t intimidate or bully anyone. He said he handed out literature to cars that passed by, plain and simple.
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