NAP- Neighborhood Alliance of Pawtucket

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — An 18-year-old city resident announced on Monday that he was going to try for the mayor’s job as a write-in candidate in the November election.

Frank Gagnon, of 857 Central Ave., declared his intentions to become a candidate for mayor with the city’s Canvassing Board on Monday. While only Democratic mayoral candidate Donald Grebien’s name will appear on the ballot, a vote would count for Gagnon as long as his name is written in the proper spot and the arrows are connected by marker.
In an interview with the TIMES, Gagnon said that he only recently began to think about becoming mayor after “talking with the people of the city, out on the streets.” “I thought, ‘I have what it takes to be mayor. I could take on the responsibility of running the city,’” he stated.
While he just turned 18 two weeks ago, Gagnon said he has good debating skills and a realistic sense of what it is like “out there.” He claims that he loves Pawtucket and is someone who is “about the people.” He also said he is running as an independent, although, until recently, he considered himself a Democrat.
Gagnon said he knows that Grebien, who was victorious in the recent Democratic Primary against opponent Henry S. Kinch Jr. is “about the people, too.” However, he said that his meeting with city residents face to face on a daily basis makes him more suited for the mayor’s post “than someone who sits behind a desk and just sees statistics on paper.”
Gagnon, the son of Dawn Carter of Attleboro, said he spent most of his life in Pawtucket and attended the city’s public schools. He graduated, however, from Attleboro High School, due to what he described as a “complicated” family life. He also attended Westover Job Corps, where he was class treasurer.
Gagnon said he was scheduled to attend Bristol Community College this fall to pursue a degree in criminal justice, but was derailed when his financial aid did not come through as planned. He is hoping to begin his studies in January. In the meantime, he is out “pounding the pavement” and looking for a job, but hasn’t had much success.
“I think I would be able to improve Pawtucket as a whole,” Gagnon stated. He said one of the main things he would do would be to meet with the city’s business owners and find ways to create jobs. He also said he would try to promote jobs programs and vowed to “cut out unnecessary spending altogether” from the city budget.
Gagnon admitted that his quest might be a long shot, but said he intends to start campaigning and putting out flyers. “I don’t have a lot of experience, but I’m going to give it all I’ve got,” he said. “Fresh faces bring fresh ideas to the table.”