Pictured, from left, is Ann Lockwood, Rob Manville, and Lisa Curatolo.
Three Owego residents today formally announced their candidacies for the three Village of Owego Trustee seats that will on the ballot in next month’s election.
The candidates, Ann Lockwood, Lisa Curatolo and Rob Manville, plan to run on the “A Positive Change” Party line in the election set for March 18. They’re focused on making Village Government more effective and efficient, and working with the Town and County to find ways to save taxpayer dollars.
Incumbent Trustee Ann Lockwood is running for re-election after last being elected in 2013. She previously served as a Village Trustee in 2007 and from 2009 to 2010. Lockwood is a retired lifelong resident of Owego and has helped to lead efforts to recover from the floods, including hiring H2O and Robert Williams to help the Village obtain grants. She’s also served the community as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, Friends of the Coburn Library, the Tioga County Rural Ministry, Tioga County Arts Council, American Cancer Society and Leukemia Society. She lives on George Street in Owego.
“As a Trustee, it’s been a top priority to help our community recover from the terrible floods of 2006 and 2011,” said Lockwood. “We need to work together and get the rebuilding process moving quicker. We also need to make the Village Government do more with less because taxpayers simply can’t afford the status quo.”
Rob Manville is a first-time candidate for public office. He was born and raised in Campville and is a graduate of Owego Free Academy, Alfred State College and the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is employed as a Sales Engineer at Amphenol Aerospace and helped many local families following the flood. He and his wife, Leslie (Goodrich) live with their four year old daughter on Main Street in Owego.
“Leslie and I are raising our family in Owego because it’s such a wonderful place to live,” said Manville. “But, unfortunately, Owego isn’t the same as it once was. We need to do more to clean up our Village and stop drugs from moving in. Our ‘Positive Change Team’ will focus on finding the right solutions to the challenges we face.”
Lisa Curatolo is the owner and operator of The Goat Boy Gift Shop & Coffee Bar on Front Street in Owego. Lisa has lived in the Village for over 25 years and her three children are Owego Free Academy graduates. She is a member and strong supporter of the Owego Fire Department and is a volunteer and donor to many local charities. As a past member of the Historic Owego Marketplace, she was instrumental in the development of the Gateway Community Park project. Lisa serves on the Long Term Recovery Committee and has served on the Owego Zoning Board for 10 years. She and her husband, Dennis, live on Front Street in the Village.
“I look at the Village as a business and say we simply cannot continue the way it has been running,” said Curatolo. “Business as usual isn’t good enough when it comes to our public safety, infrastructure or recovering from the floods. Our team will work together to bring ‘Positive Change’ to the Village.”
Lockwood, Curatolo and Manville encourage Village residents to contact them with any questions or comments leading up to the March 18 election. All Village residents are eligible to vote in the March 18 election if they are registered with the Tioga County Board of Elections.
