Visiting the area? Find where to go and what to do in our Seasonal Guide Visitor's Portal.

STORE

Check out our newly rebuilt online store
to purchase subscriptions, books, movies and maps.

News Feature

Brooksville
Originally published in The Weekly Packet, February 14, 2013
Incumbents face no opposition in Brooksville

Voters will have little choice when they go to the polls at town meeting this year.

All the candidates for municipal office are incumbents in their posts and all are running unopposed. In all there are 10 candidates on the ballot this year.

Voters also will vote by referendum on a proposed Local Food and Community Self-Governance Ordinance. The ordinance was presented to the town by petition and a copy of the proposal will be included in the annual town report.

John Gray, who is seeking another three-year term as selectman, summed up the feelings of most of the candidates who work in the office.

“I like working here,” he said. “When you’ve got good people to work with, it makes it easy to work here.”

Gray served as selectman in 1970-71 and began his latest stint in 2002.

Amber Bakeman was elected as town clerk in 2007. She is seeking another one-year term in that post. Although it’s sometimes tricky to keep up with state requirements, Bakeman said she likes the job. After six years, she said, “I’m comfortable in the position.”

Freida Peasley said being town treasurer gives her the opportunity to see people in the town that she doesn’t see otherwise.

“It’s nice to see the people come in,” she said.

Peasley is running for another one-year term.

Tax collector Yvonne Redman is also running for another one-year term in that position. She was first elected in 2009.

Matt Dow was first elected fire chief in 2008. He enjoys doing the work and appreciates the support he gets from the town.

“There’s a good bunch of people to work with and the town really supports us,” he said. “It makes it worthwhile when you have that kind of support.”

Dow is running for another one-year term.

Mark Blake said he’s been road commissioner for 20 years or so. That’s given him the opportunity to travel all the roads in the town.

“I like doing the job,” he said. “It’s just something I like to do,”

He’s running for another one year term.

Gerald Gray said he grew up with the idea of doing your civic duty.

“My grandfather was a selectman and my father is a selectman now,” he said. “I grew up with the idea that it’s important to have people who are willing to do their part.”

Gray has served on the planning board for six years and is seeking another three-year term.

There are three candidates running for three seats on the budget and advisory committee: Earl Clifford Jr., Ann Ebeling and Russ Dischinger.

Clifford has served on the committee for more than 20 years.

“I like being involved in the town,” he said. “The people who work for the town are pretty cautious with the town’s money. That makes the job easier.”

Ebeling has served on the committee for about 10 years.

“Somebody’s got to watch out for the budget,” she said. “It’s important to have the average citizen’s input on all the expenditures in our little town. I consider myself pretty average and it’s important for me to make my comments.”

Dishinger has served for two years on the committee. He said that he likes being involved in the town operations.

“It’s important to do things like this to help oversee the town’s finances,” he said.

All three of the seats on the committee are three-year positions.”

The polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 4, at the Brooksville Public Service Building.

Absentee ballots are available at the public service building and are due back no later than 8 p.m. on March 4.

The rest of the municipal articles along with the school articles will be discussed beginning at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, at the Brooksville Elementary school.

Return to the Weekly Packet home page

Return to the Community News home page

---