Courtesy of the Telegram & Gazette

Sturbridge

No race this year for Board of Selectmen

STURBRIDGE —An incumbent selectman has decided against running for another term, making two selectmen’s seats uncontested.

Angeline Ellison did not return papers by the deadline yesterday for the April 9 annual town election. Last year, Ms. Ellison defeated Alphonso Esposito, 776-556, for the one-year selectman’s seat, which had been vacated by Edward P. Goodwin.

Because Ms. Ellison has decided not to run, two candidates are running for the two three-year selectmen’s seats on the ballot: incumbent Thomas R. Creamer and Mary Redetzke, who is on the Finance Committee.


In 2009, Mr. Creamer was the highest vote-getter, with 953 votes in the race for selectman, followed by Mr. Goodwin with 837 votes.

There is a three-way contest for two three-year Tantasqua Regional School Committee seats, with incumbent Susan Waters, Michele Fitzgerald and Jennifer A. Harwich-Vaughan vying for the seats.

On July 11, selectmen named Ms. Waters to fill a vacancy on the school committee, even though the committee on July 7 had voted not to accept any unilateral appointments. The vacancy was created when member Francis G. Simanski, 63, of Sturbridge died May 11 after a brief illness.

On June 13, during a joint session with the Board of Selectmen, the Sturbridge representatives of the school committee would not vote for Ms. Waters, then the sole candidate. The officials instead voted 7-4 to re-advertise, with Mary Blanchard the sole selectman siding with the committee. A week later, selectmen suspended the joint appointment process after receiving town counsel’s opinion and a copy of the Tantasqua agreement. It says selectmen are the ones responsible for filling a school committee vacancy. On Aug. 31, the Tantasqua Regional School Committee rescinded its decision not to seat any people unilaterally appointed by any boards of selectmen in the five-town district.

The only other race on the ballot is for a single three-year term as constable. Three people vying for the post: Ronald F. Anthony, Cheryl G. Economos and Alan R. Jeskey.