Joseph Paiva seeks council's Lime Rock seat

LINCOLN - Joseph A.J. Paiva, 451 Angell Road, will run for the District 3 Town Council seat, he announced this week.

Paiva, 24, who says he's a lifelong Lime Rock resident, will run as a Democrat.

In a statement, Paiva said, "As councilor I will protect and preserve the rural nature of Lime Rock.

"Like many of my constituents, I am disappointed in our current representation's inconsistencies between rhetoric and action, particularly with regard to Twin River. Our councilor's refusal to put his district's interests above those of his own political career has largely made this run necessary."

The current District 3 councilor, unaffiliated Keith Macksoud, said he's likely to seek re-election but isn't ready to make an official announcement.

This is Paiva's first attempt at elected office. He is a member of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee and a parishioner of St. Basil the Great Melkite Catholic Church.

Paiva, who is single, attended Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket and holds a bachelor of arts degree from Tufts University in Medford, Mass.

Later in May he will earn a master's degree in marketing and business analysis from the Boston University School of Management.

Paiva currently interns as a marketing analyst at the A.T. Cross Company in Lincoln.

"I have great adoration and respect for my district, and for Lincoln as a whole," Paiva said. "I look forward to providing my neighbors and friends with the leadership they both want and deserve."

Paiva is the first new candidate to announce for council. The terms of all five members, each representing a section of town, expire every two years.

John Flynn, a Democrat who represents District 2, has announced he'll seek re-election.

Council President Jeremiah T. O'Grady, also a Democrat, said last week he will not seek reelection in District 1 after two terms in office.

"While I have found my experience as a member of the Lincoln Town Council to be very rewarding, it is time for me to move on," he said in a statement.

O'Grady said work, school and home commitments all need his attention.

Copyright © Breeze Publications Inc.