I don't usually do endorsements in Dracut elections, but this year I'm taking a different approach.

I'm with all of them!

First, let's acknowledge the folks that are leaving town government.

* Bonnie Elie and Ron Mercier from the School Committee.

Bonnie has been advocating for the schools for several decades and has done some nice work on behalf of the children in our system. She always did what she thought was right and worked very hard at the job. Clearly Stacy Scott leaving the system devastated her more than anyone else, as she was perhaps his strongest supporter.

Ron Mercier and I didn't always see eye to eye, but I always liked the fact that he was one of the few of his generation willing to get involved in local politics. He became one of the town's strongest vote-getters and was willing to make tough votes when he had to, even when they weren't popular. Mercier has a young family and feels he is needed there.

Best of luck to both.

The choices to replace these two are good ones.

Dan O'Connell, Joe Wilkie and John Kelly are all fathers of children who are or will be attending our school system, and are concerned about their children's education.

Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

There have been times when our School Committee was the playground for the politically connected, and those days I'm happy to say are at an end.

What is clear is that a new generation of young parents is ready and willing to step up and offer their services, something many of us have been hoping would happen.

Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing all three of these guys on the committee, and in time I'm betting they will be.

* Ken Martin from the Housing Authority:

No sympathy from me here; see you later. Ken was the top Mike McLaughlin captain in town, and although he was certainly skilled, he appeared to use those skills to benefit interests other than the town's.

He was all over the McLaughlin cellphone list and was clearly involved in the attempt to remove Director Mary Karabatsos until the light was put on the dirty deed by The Globe and others.

Martin and friends will always be remembered for killing the only Dracut senior-housing project in decades. They spent public money to hire a professional consultant to evaluate the project and when he came back with a favorable report, they killed it anyway, saying they had another project that would have shovels in the ground within a year.

The shovels sat around for so long waiting for the project they were recently melted down for scrap.

Attorney Deborah Dewitt and Jim Quealy are both good candidates to replace Martin.

I know both and I'm happy to report they are both intelligent, well-intentioned people that are not part of any political group.

Although neither has Martin's background in public housing, either will be a significant upgrade for the Dracut Housing Authority.

And then there is that race for water commissioner for those of you that are in the Dracut Water Supply District.

In the interest of full disclosure, Gary McCarthy has been a friend for 30 years and I have great admiration for his skills. At the same time, incumbent Bill Zielinski has done a fine job down there.

So as I said at the beginning, I like them all and they all are worthy of your support at the polls Monday.

In most elections in the area voting has been under 20 percent, meaning 80 percent don't care enough about their community to vote.

Are you kidding me?

We can do better, folks.

These are the people that will run our town, manage our schools and oversee our public housing.

Do you want to know why there is corruption in politics? It's because they don't have to worry about 80 percent of you voting.

Do your part!

Warren Shaw is a former Dracut selectman who hosts a popular Saturday morning radio show on WCAP-AM from 6 to 10.