Voting
results:
Gray, NG voters opt for newcomers
By Elizabeth Prata
Gray and New Gloucester voters went to the polls
Tuesday, June 14 to vote on the SAD 15 (Gray-New
Gloucester) budget, School Board members, an
All-Day Kindergarten proposal, the Gray Water
District Trustees, New Gloucester Selectmen,
and Gray Town Council members.
With the Water District races the lone exception,
each seat was contested. In the Gray Town Council
race, ex-Council Chair and long-time resident
Audrey Burns was defeated by newcomer Denise
Duda, 344 to 392 for the open seat. Councilor
Richard Hall, who was appointed last October
to fill an empty Council seat, was ousted and
newcomer Skip Crane and Andy Upham were voted
in to fill the two seats available. Mr. Upham
had been active in several Gray committees,
including the Zoning Board of Appeals as an
alternate, the SAD Budget Advisory Committee,
and the SAD Facilities Upgrade Committee. Mr.
Crane earned 414 votes, Mr. Upham 404, and incumbent
Mr. Hall 361.
Joseph Murray was the lone contender for the
5-year Gray Water District seat, earning 654
votes. There was one Water District seat open,
due to a resignation, with no candidate. Jim
Monroe earned 3 write-in votes, making him the
winner.
On the School Board, there were two seats available
representing Gray. Incumbents Tod Bennett and
Peter Pinkerton were voted in again, with 424
votes each, defeating Dan Maguire, who received
306 votes.
Gray voters this time approved the All-Day Kindergarten.
433 people said yes and 291 voters said no.
The School Budget passed in Gray as well, with
all articles earning a yes.
Gray presented voters with a special non-binding
referendum. It asked if the Town should work
with the newly formed Gray Public Library Association
to refurbish Pennell so the Library could expand
there from its Hancock Street location. Gray
voters thought this was OK, with 582 people
saying yes and 160 saying no.
In New Gloucester, newcomer Dale Maschino was
voted in as Selectmen, defeating ex-Town manager
Wayne Cobb, 248 to 142 votes. New Gloucester
representative for the School Board, 9-year
incumbent Carmel Morin, was defeated by Ron
Brann, 187 to 205 votes. New Gloucester also
passed the School budget and the All-Day-K proposal
by a 2-1 margin.
Pennell
has another interested party Fiddlehead may be looking to move
New Gloucester--Fiddlehead Center for the Arts (FCA)
began four years ago as an Arts school aimed at offering
an eclectic array of after school arts and cultural
programs and classes for children. Founded by two
local women, Mary Jo Marquis and Jacinda Cotton-Castro,
the Center grew over time...more
Official recognition Outgoing officials emotional, jobs well done
Mid-June may seem like mid-summer to some people,
to others it may just be the middle of the year, but
educationally and politically, it is a time of completion.
Seniors from area schools graduate, the school year
concludes, and politically, elected terms end and
the fiscal year closes. On Monday and Tuesday, the
Selectmen and Council said goodbye to colleagues...more
The
Gift of Time
Column by Rep. Mark Bryant
House District 110, Part of Windham and Part of Gray
Last
Christmas, a friend of mine wanted to take his wife
out to a nice dinner while doing some holiday shopping
in Portland. It had been a year full of ups and downs
for their family since he'd been laid off from Sappi,
and he really wanted to do something special for her
since she had done so much to help him pursue his
dream of changing careers. more
Annual Town Meeting Warrant
Cumberland,
SS. State of Maine
To Donna Hill, a resident of the Town of Gray. In
addition to the Annual Town warrant to be voted on
Saturday, June 11 at Town Meeting, there will be a
non-binding referendum question presented at the polls
on June 14...more
Community
News:
--School News
--Gray Public Library notes
--Pineland YMCA Cycling Club
--Annual Tractor Fest
--Vacation Bible School ... more
