Clarksburg Elects New Select Board, Planning Board
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town has a new Select Board with the election on Tuesday of Carlyle "Chip" Chesbro Jr. and Kimberly Goodell.
Goodell and Chesbro join Jeffrey Levanos on the three-member board. Chesbro was elected to fill the final two years of the three-year term of Williams Schrade Jr., who resigned when he took a job in Pittsfield. Goodell won in a write-in campaign to replace Linda Reardon, who chose not to run for a another three-year term.
In an odd coincidence, it was three years ago that a similar situation occurred. Then it was Reardon, newly retired as Clarksburg School principal, who won in a write-in for a vacant three-year seat and Schrade who was on the ballot to finish off the last two years of a three-year term. Levanos was also chairman at that time.
Town Clerk Carol Jammalo said turn out was light at 17 percent, with 190 of the town's 1,138 registered voters casting ballots. By 2 p.m. on Tuesday, only 62 votes had been cast.
Newcomer Laura Wood was elected without opposition to the School Committee, taking the three-year seat left vacant by Levanos.
Tuesday's election also ensured that the town would have a full Planning Board this year. With several resignations and decisions not to run for re-election, there was no one on the ballot for three seats. Town officials had pushed to get a controversial cell-tower siting decision completed prior to the election and appointed Town Administrator Carl McKinney as an interim planner to ensure a quorum.
Vincent King was elected to the full five-year position that was open; Erin Scott to complete four years of a five-year term, and Gregory Vigna to complete the last year of a full term.
In a two-way race for the Board of Health between to write-in candidates, Ronald Pierce was elected to the vacant seat. The incumbent, Cynthia Schock, had not returned nomination papers in time to be on the ballot and was defeated in her write-in campaign to return to the board.
Re-elected unopposed were Moderator Bryan Tanner, Tree Warden Ernest Dix, War Memorial Trustee Joseph Bushika, and Library Trustee Linda Hurlbut.
Elected positions can be sworn in after the annual town meeting to be held Wednesday, May 24. at 6:30 p.m. at Clarksburg School or by making arrangements with Jammalo. She can be reached at 413-663-8255 or ClarksburgTClerk@gmail.com
"Thank you to all the election workers for their dedication in serving the town," she said. "Thank you to all the people who came out to vote."
Tags: election 2017, election results, town elections,
