Mayor Carolyn Kirk said she was going to give members of the School Committee "what they've always wanted" — and presented them with an oversized blank check Monday night.
But Gloucester taxpayers need not worry. The playful gift — along with exchanges of giant dollar bills as "free cash," good-natured barbs over stolen campaign signs and tool boxes to "fix" the city's problems — were all part of a revived Election Eve candidates' roast at The Gloucester House restaurant the night before the city's elections.
And while there were a couple of, well, slightly testy exchanges, the event indeed provided what Gloucester House co-owner and host Lenny Linquata had hoped: the chance for candidates and other residents to take a step back, take a lighthearted look at local politics, and generally break the tension of a busy and draining election run.
Beyond that, however, it showed much more: A genuine appreciation by all of the candidates for the fact that each and every one of them is running to try to build upon Gloucester's historic past and bring it a better future.
From tender moments such as mayoral challenger Ken Sarofeen presenting Kirk with a bouquet of flowers, to laugh-out-loud gags such as challenger Steve LeBlanc giving all of the candidates glasses-and-mustache disguises in honor of LeBlanc's rival, the glasses-and-mustached Steve Curcuru, the night captured the best of Gloucester's political team spirit.
Both Linquata and Council President Jackie Hardy, who coordinated the event while running unopposed, deserve credit for making it happen. Now, let's hope this revived tradition enjoys many happy returns.
