Peter Todd, 64, a poet and taxi driver, is running for the Ward 2 seat on City Council.
Todd, who lives with his wife Barbara on Mount Vernon Street, took nomination papers Monday. He ran a janitorial business for 29 years before serving as the City Hall custodian for 10.
"I decided to run to make life more interesting," Todd said, "and to help change things for the better (in Gloucester)."
He was born and raised here, dropping out of school in the eighth grade, but developing his gift for language to become a prolific poet and letter writer. He was a friend of the late shellfish warden, Robert "Stubby" Knowles, reading a poem at his memorial service in 2004. He also read a poem at the celebration of the reopening of City Hall in 2005.
"I was self-raised," said Todd, who has 14 brothers and sisters, a great-grandson, and 108 nieces and nephews.
He said he began writing poetry in 1988 after the car he, his wife and his daughter were traveling in was involved in a head-on collision with a drunken driver in Essex. He described the scare as transforming. Only his daughter Jenice suffered serious injuries.
Since then, Todd said he has written more than 800 poems.
The accident "made me more aware of the seriousness of drunk driving and how precious life is. What I write is pragmatic poems," he said.
He called Gloucester "a mess," citing the endless struggle to build and finance sewers, as well as the impasse between the city and the police unions over a new contract as examples. He said he was not running against the incumbent, Ward 2 Councilor John "Gus" Foote.
"I'm not against Gus Foote at all," Todd said. "I'm just offering people another choice."
For his part, Foote, who has been on the council since 1976, said he hasn't decided whether to run again. "It's too early to make my plans," said Foote, who has been a staunch supporter of Mayor John Bell.
Todd would not be. He said he didn't blame Bell personally for the city's declining fortunes but said "people behind John Bell" were pushing him in bad directions. As an example, Todd said the mayor has deviated from proper Civil Service procedures in making police promotions, and so contributed to the decline of police morale.
Todd, who lives with his wife Barbara on Mount Vernon Street, took nomination papers Monday. He ran a janitorial business for 29 years before serving as the City Hall custodian for 10.
"I decided to run to make life more interesting," Todd said, "and to help change things for the better (in Gloucester)."
He was born and raised here, dropping out of school in the eighth grade, but developing his gift for language to become a prolific poet and letter writer. He was a friend of the late shellfish warden, Robert "Stubby" Knowles, reading a poem at his memorial service in 2004. He also read a poem at the celebration of the reopening of City Hall in 2005.
"I was self-raised," said Todd, who has 14 brothers and sisters, a great-grandson, and 108 nieces and nephews.
He said he began writing poetry in 1988 after the car he, his wife and his daughter were traveling in was involved in a head-on collision with a drunken driver in Essex. He described the scare as transforming. Only his daughter Jenice suffered serious injuries.
Since then, Todd said he has written more than 800 poems.
The accident "made me more aware of the seriousness of drunk driving and how precious life is. What I write is pragmatic poems," he said.
He called Gloucester "a mess," citing the endless struggle to build and finance sewers, as well as the impasse between the city and the police unions over a new contract as examples. He said he was not running against the incumbent, Ward 2 Councilor John "Gus" Foote.
"I'm not against Gus Foote at all," Todd said. "I'm just offering people another choice."
For his part, Foote, who has been on the council since 1976, said he hasn't decided whether to run again. "It's too early to make my plans," said Foote, who has been a staunch supporter of Mayor John Bell.
Todd would not be. He said he didn't blame Bell personally for the city's declining fortunes but said "people behind John Bell" were pushing him in bad directions. As an example, Todd said the mayor has deviated from proper Civil Service procedures in making police promotions, and so contributed to the decline of police morale.
Ward 2 has about 6,000 residents. It covers most of downtown inside the Route 128 extension, between Portuguese Hill and Washington Street.
Todd is the first candidate to launch a City Council campaign. Candidates for ward seats need 75 certified signatures from the district. Todd said he had only gathered 13 by yesterday afternoon, but professed no concern about getting the rest.
"I could always ask my nieces and nephews," he said.
City Council candidate
* Name: Peter Todd
* Age: 64
r Residence: 23 Mount Vernon St.
* Seat sought: Ward 2
* Resume: Taxi driver, custodian, business owner, poet
* Campaign theme: "Change for the better"
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