Politics & Government

College Senior Brings Knack for Public Service to Braintree Council Race

District 5 Councilor Ronald DeNapoli has not formally indicated whether he will or will not run again this year.

When Michael Owens moved with his family to Braintree ahead of his junior year in high school, he quickly took advantage of the individualized attention BHS offered, its guidance staff and especially Ms. Lang's course in American Government.

"I fell in love with the school system," Owens said.

Owens, now a 23-year-old going into his senior year at UMass Boston, is looking to give back to Braintree Public Schools and the town as a whole by kicking-off his career in public service with a run at District 5 Councilor in Braintree.

He faces competition from Nick DiMartino, a heavy equipment manager and father of two, and possibly from incumbent Ronald DeNapoli, who has yet to publicly declare his intentions, but who has also missed the majority of Town Council meetings this term with what he described as medical problems.

However the field develops, Owens appears ready for a fight. He has boned up on town government by attending council meetings and speaking with local officials, and has interned at Quincy District Court, then-U.S. Sen. John Kerry’s office and the community affairs division of Gov. Deval Patrick’s office.

Owens, who lives on Crescent Avenue, also contributed to Congressman Stephen Lynch's 2013 Senate campaign, knocking on doors throughout Lynch's district – something that Owens said has helped prepare him for collecting nominating signatures, a process that opens Monday with paperwork made available at the Town Clerk's office.

District 5 deserves an "active voice," someone who listens to everyone in the district and is responsive to their concerns, Owens said. His career goal is to work in public service and he said he wants a long-term stake in local government.

"I know I will give it 100 percent," Owens said. "I plan to attend every meeting."

Owens said he will focus on three key areas: education, quality of life (including public safety and beautification) and the local economy and small businesses in particular.

"Community is the core of a better life," Owens said in an announcement statement. "By investing in our community we invest in ourselves. Braintree truly is a community of small town values with big town opportunities."

Along with working toward his bachelor's degree in political science and running his campaign, Owens works part-time at Rockland Trust. He previously worked at Toyota of Braintree for two years and currently volunteers with the Braintree High School Athletic Association and Braintree Youth Flag Football.

He is also a mentor at the Braintree Community Youth Center and has served as Chapter Director of Generation Citizen at UMass Boston, a program that sends volunteers into local classrooms to work with children on identifying issues and solutions in their community.

"I had to grow up fast," Owens said. "I was helping my mother with bills at an early age, I was always a hard workers, but it was the Braintree School System which changed my life and prepared me for college, something which was improbable in my family. Braintree was not where I was born, but it will be where I always call home."

Visit www.owensforbraintree.com for more information.


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