Building Our Lives Drug-Free (BOLD), the former Fall River Area Prevention Coalition, sponsored the 2005 election's first debate among candidates for mayoral and school committee positions at Talbot Middle School on October 4, 2005. Planned entirely by Teens Against Drug Abuse (TADA), a subcommittee of the Coalition organized in early 2005 to address the prevention of alcohol and other drug abuse in Fall River, the debate focused largely on issues affecting youth. Herald News editor Lisa Stratton served as moderator for the event. Click here to read the Herald News story about the School Committee debate and here to read about the Mayoral debate.
 

(Top row, left) Sasha Lebitskaya, Meredith Taylor and Jasiel Correia II go over their notes prior to the debate with school committee members (Center). (Top row, right) Herald News editor Lisa Stratton moderates the debate. (Middle row) Meredith Taylor, BOLD Coalition Chairman Mike Ramos and Sasha Lebitskaya listen to Mayor Edward M. Lambert, Jr. as he responds to one of their questions. (Middle row, right) Mayoral candidate F. George Jacome makes his opening statement. (Bottom row, left) BOLD Coalition Chairman Mike Ramos poses a question as Sasha Lebitskaya listens. (Bottom row, center) Parent Peg McNerny, and students Joshua Frias and Meredith Taylor confer during the break. (Bottom row, right) School committee member Aimee A. Bronhard listens as challenger Shawn E. Cadime makes a point.