Though the April 2 town election seemed far away as a springtime storm dropped heavy, wet snow outside of the Dudley L. Brown VFW on Thursday evening, the big day is less than two weeks away, and the candidates had much do say during the Onset Protective League's annual Candidates Night.

Nearly all of the questions were for the candidates running for only contested race -- for two, three-year terms on the Board of Selectmen. Incumbents Steve Holmes of Onset Avenue and Cara Winslow of Peaceful Lane are seeking second terms. They are challenged by Frank DeFelice of Maki Way and Patrick Tropeano of Dowd Avenue.

Tropeano served one term on the Board of Selectmen from 2002 to 2005. He also served on the Finance Committee for five years, four of which he served as chair. DeFelice is running for Selectmen for the fourth time, but has served as Selectman in New Hampshire, and currently serves as chair of the Board of Health.

Unopposed candidates -- Judy Whiteside for a one-year Selectmen term, Rhonda Veugen for School Committee, Town Clerk Mary Ann Silva, and Roxanne Barboza for Board of Assessors -- also introduced themselves. Town Moderator Claire Smith also spoke.

Nancy Miller of the Onset Protective League said that Housing Authority candidate Robert Powilatis and Moderator write-in candidate Bill Whitehouse were invited, but could not attend.

Here's a summary of what the candidates for the three-year Board of Selectmen seats had to say.

As Board of Selectmen members, you are going to be assigned to work on various committees and boards. What do you see as your role on the committees, and how are you going to work with the committees to bring information back to the Selectmen?

"I'd like to be liaison to the Board of Health. ... I think we're doing real good things on the Board of Health," said Frank DeFelice, who currently serves as chair of the Board of Health and noted that he is well versed in the issues it deals with. He explained that the Board of Health is working on a rental program in which landlords will have to pay a $100 for inspectors to ensure the building is safe to rent. A similar program "in the town where I work [Eastham] is bringing in $90,000," and that town only charges $50, according to DeFelice.

"The Board assigns a member to just about every committee in town every year, the liaison. ... The Board of Selectmen are not members of any committees. Some cases we are, Affordable Housing Trust and things like that, but in terms of regular committees, we are not members. We appoint those committees. ... My take on the liaison is that person needs to have a relationship with the chairperson of that committee. ... I don't think that the Board of Selectmen has to be at a meeting five days a week. If a committee has an issue, they know who to contact." - Steve Holmes

"As their liaison, you really have to work with them and they want you to work with them. ... I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer to that question. I think you need to be flexible and help out in any way you can." - Cara Winslow

The Town of Wareham has three different "governments" -- the municipal government, and the two fire districts. Do you have any plans to consolidate services to reduce the overall cost of running the town and the two districts?

Noting that the Selectmen recently heard from all of the personnel who responded to February's blizzard, incumbent Steve Holmes explained: "I think what you started to hear that night is that going forward, nobody has the money to do it all, but ... we have to start combining resources. ... We have to start looking at, as a town, a unified safety complex. ... They're not separate governments. Your tax dollar goes to pay for all of that, district or town. ... Just because they're a separate entity doesn't mean we should wastefully be spending money..."

"There's always opportunity to have a conversation about how we can help each other and help the citizens of this community lower their tax burden. ... In a lot of respects, we already do work together. ... I am looking forward to more communication [about] how we can help each other more, because I think especially in this day and age with technology, there's a lot we can do to work together and ... deliver a cost-effective service at a quality that you deserve." - Cara Winslow

"The first thing I'd do is go to the Selectmen and ask how we can get the Wareham Fire District into the town," said Frank DeFelice, adding that "if your land values go up," the taxes collected by the fire district go up. He also took issue with the more than $1 million that Wareham Fire District voters approved in April, 2012 to buy land on which to build a new fire station, explaining that he was frustrated at what he thought was low voter turnout at that meeting. "Who's going to pay for that fire station? Everybody but the Onset Fire District."

What is your feeling about wind power, and specifically about the town's opportunity to purchase power at a reduced rate from a company building wind turbines in Plymouth?

"There's a lot of controversy over wind power. ... I have to trust in the process, and if the process and the research and the people who specialize in that approve the plans, I have to trust they did their due diligence. ... Providing the permitting goes through and that the engineering and the studies are all approved by the boards that they have to go through, then yes, I would have to say I would believe that they have done their studies." - Cara Winslow

"Here's a clear distinction for you. I travel around the country. I see towns built around wind farms. I had no issue with wind at all. I think here, on Cape Cod... the one thing we do have here is wind and sun and plenty of it. ... This is a great source of energy. I fully support it, and I've got to tell you that when I'm on the road, I often will talk to people about the wind farms and how that's going and you don't hear the complaints you hear up and down these four or five towns from Falmouth to Fairhaven. ... I support the signing of that document." - Steve Holmes

"They are archaic. ... They're ominous. There's a flicker to it. There's a lot of things that come along with it." - Frank DeFelice

Turbines "seem to be getting bigger and bigger. ... As far as I understand, everyone who has them has problems," including issues with noise and with the turbines breaking down, said Patrick Tropeano. He later added that despite the negative things he's heard, he is open to learning more. "I don't have enough facts in front of me. ... I can't really say no. ... I think somewhere down the road we're going to need something more viable ... I can't say now that I wouldn't sign it."

How do you distinguish yourself from each other and why should I vote for you?

"I believe that, at this point in time, I bring a certain set of values and experience to this position, particularly in three areas. One, with the business community. I am a businessman. I develop business. That's what I do. That's my career. ... In the second area, I think I have spent a great deal of time and we're in the middle of several projects. One is the reorganization of our government," said Steve Holmes, explaining that he wants to help new Town Administrator Derek Sullivan make town departments more efficient.

"I believe that it's really hard to sit up here and set yourself apart. ... As a Selectman, you are actually nobody. ... It's a team. Five of us have to work together. If we don't work together, nothing gets accomplished. ... But we do each bring something to the table. ... I'm a people person. I love people. ... My colleagues and myself have really worked well together and going forward, I see no reason why we wouldn't continue working well together." - Cara Winslow

"I have worked for two municipalities. I know how the system works. I how a town works. ... I know what's needed to be done. ... I feel I can move right in." - Frank DeFelice