Kratman photo raises eyebrows
A PHOTO of Tewksbury Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman Mark Kratman at a recent political event has raised eyebrows.
Last week Kratman posed for a photo with a friend in a bar while a holding Corona beer. Kratman was reportedly delivering the beer to the friend in the photo.
The photo was posted to Facebook with the caption “My corona!!!! Lol”.
Kratman’s choice to pose with the beer struck some as odd, The Sun was told, as Kratman currently has an open court case for a third-offense operating under the influence.
Kratman was arrested on the charge in November 2019 in Wilmington. He pleaded not guilty and is due back in court in April.
The photo of Kratman was reportedly taken down a few hours after it was posted to Facebook. A screenshot of the photo on Facebook was shared with The Sun.
So what brought Kratman out to the bar? A campaign event for School Committee Chairman Keith Sullivan who is running for re-election.
Sullivan also has an open court case. He was arrested in February on a trespassing charge while attending an Andover-tewksbury high school basketball game. Sullivan plans to file for dismissal of the charge before his next court date.
ALMOST TWO years ago, Bopha Malone was seeking to represent the 3rd Congressional District in a crowded primary race.
Malone didn’t win that race, but last weekend she won her bid for a seat on the Bedford Select Board. With that, Malone, an Enterprise Bank vice president, became the second Cambodian American woman in the nation to be sworn into office.
“As a refugee who came to the U.S. at 9 years old with nothing, I had the values of hard work and perseverance instilled in me by my parents,” Malone said in a press release. “I’ve worked hard to achieve my American dream, but I also understand I couldn’t have made it through hard work alone.”
“I was fortunate to have had many supportive organizations and mentors in my corner to help me become the confident, brave, and strong woman I am today. Now, my passion is giving back, helping people as I have been helped. Having the opportunity to serve community organizations and educational institutions has been one of my greatest joys.”
Last year, Dan Koh, another 3rd district hopeful, took a similar step. After coming in second by a razor-thin margin in the 3rd District primary, Koh won a seat on the Andover Board of Selectmen.
Others in the packed field also experienced good fortune in the time since the primary. Juana Matias, a former state representative, became the chief operating officer of MassINC, a nonprofit think tank.
Terry Ryan came in last when he dropped out of the 3rd district race to vie for a state senate seat, which ultimately went to Ed Kennedy. But the former Westford School Committee chairman recently landed the parking director job in Lowell.
Another former candidate, Beej Das, has had a hard couple years. Last August, a civil arrest warrant was issued for Das after a judge ruled in favor of Das’s former campaign manager in small claims court. The