Westbrook voters can learn more about the 2021 Board of Selectmen candidates at the Westbrook Council of Beaches (COB) Candidates Forum live from the Oxford Academy at 1392 Boston Post Road on Monday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.

The forum will allow a live audience but only up to 50 people; masks will be required. Interested viewers can also watch the forum live on Valley Shore Community TV channel 19. Parking spaces at the venue are limited and organizers ask that attendees park instead at the Post Office next door.

COB President Pat Marcarelli is asking that Westbrook voters not only watch the forum, but participate in it as well by submitting questions they want to hear the candidates answer.

“We encourage any town’s people to send questions to westbrookcob@yahoo.com by [Tuesday,] Sept 21. That way we can review and cultivate the questions if there’s overlap,” said Marcarelli.

Anyone who submits a question should include their first name and what street they live on, Marcarelli said.

Marcarelli said that the forum will be as impartial as possible, with a moderator from out town who has no connections to the candidates. The candidates will take turns drawing names out of a hat to see who goes first to answer questions. Marcarelli estimated the event will last about one hour.

“We want your input and for you to tune in,” Marcarelli said of voters’ participation.

The COB candidate forum is an annual event to which many voters look forward every year to learn where candidates stand on the issues.

“We’ve been doing this now for about 15 years,” Marcarelli noted.

The event had to be canceled last year and, due to the COVID restrictions still in place, Marcarelli said the COB had to move the event away from the Mulvey Municipal Center to find a place that could accommodate an audience even if it’s one that’s smaller than in years past.

Candidates

The forum will feature the four endorsed candidates seeking the three seats on the Board of Selectmen. This includes Republicans John Hall and Joe Campbell as well as Democrats Chet Bialicki and Vince Gentile. Hall and Bialicki are the nominees for first selectman. Current First Selectman Noel Bishop opted to retire at the end of his current term rather than seek another term.

The Harbor News and Zip06.com will have profiles of each candidate.

For more information on the event, visit www.westbrookcouncilofbeaches.org.