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Dick Carpani for Mayor |
Carpani fell in love with Sarnia; He came to Sarnia in 1958Dick
Carpani knew he had to get into politics when a teachers' strike
interrupted
the education of his daughter. "I
started to go to board of education meetings because there was going to
be a
strike in 1979," he recalled. "And I quickly realized 'these guys
aren't any smarter than I am.' So I ran in the next election." He lost by
50 votes but, showing a determination that's been a lifelong trademark,
he went
on to win several subsequent elections. In all, he served a dozen years
in
education, including a stint as board chairperson. Born in
1936 in Saskatoon, during the height of the Great Depression, Carpani
remembers
his childhood with surprising fondness. "We
weren't well-to-do, but I didn't consider myself poor." Besides that,
he
points out, the Depression was over by the time he got to school. Asked what
it was like being a boy of Italian descent when Canada was at war with
Italy,
he passes up a chance to portray himself as some sort of victim. "There
were kids who thought I was the enemy, of course, but not people who
knew
me." Besides
that, he's always had a strong sense of being Canadian. "My grandfather
Carpani fought in the Boer War with the English," he said. In some
ways, he had it better than today's kids. "Compared
to my children and grandchildren, I could do whatever I wanted. You
played
hide-and-go-seek, or played baseball in empty fields or hung around
under
street lights. Things were nowhere near as organized as they are now.
My grandchildren
are supervised all the time." He thrived
on that freedom, excelling in school while, at the same time,
developing strong
running and jumping skills. Never
afraid of hard work, he held down numerous jobs in his youth. "I worked
in
a gas station for 50 cents an hour, I delivered newspapers, worked in a
bakery,
a brewery, on construction and in a milk processing plant," he said. After
graduating from the University of Saskatchewan, he moved to Sarnia in
1958 to
work for Polymer. He only
intended to stay a few years but fell in love with the place and has
been here
ever since. Carpani can
never remember a time when he wasn't busy. After serving on the school
board,
he spent four years on city council, ran for the Tories in the 1997
federal
election and became a taekwondo referee and instructor. Along the
way he's retained his interest in running. When he turned 50 he
finished first
in his category at the Sarnia-Port Huron Road Race. Along with his son
Wayne,
he also won the father/child event at the Huron House Boys Home Run. Behind the
scenes, he's constantly helping others. In fact, he's donated blood
more than
140 times, has served as a scout master, is involved with a reading
program at
Johnston Memorial School and has participated in cancer fundraisers.
Two months
ago he ran in the Terry Fox Run in memory of his sister, Pat, who died
of
cancer last year. An avid
reader, he enjoys everything from murder mysteries to spy novels. Although
he's 70 years old and a member of the Golden 'K' Kiwanis Club, he's
always been
able to adapt with the times. In fact, he's been using computers since
1960,
when he worked with an IBM 1620. Along with
his wife of 46 years, Donna, he has two grown children, two
grandchildren and a
cat. He admits
he has a squeaky clean reputation. "I haven't even had a speeding
ticket
in 25 years," he says. "People tell me I'm too much of a 'nice
guy.'" His daughter, he adds, has told him he's too honest to be a
politician. But he
doesn't plan to change who he is. "I do not think that being pleasant
to
people is a bad characteristic for a mayor," he said. To contact
the writer: dmccaffery@theobserver.ca DAN McCAFFERY Tuesday, November 07, 2006 The Observer |
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Date This Page Was Last Up-Dated: November 07, 2006 |