People
(from the April 2007 Maine Townsman)

Among those elected to office during annual town meeting last month were:former Bowdoin Selectman Leroy Letourneau, who unseated incumbent Michael Adcock by a 2-to-1 margin, 79-38; Amber Bakeman, who will replace retiring Brooksville Town Clerk Katherine Clifford; incumbent Cornville Selectman Carroll Gould, who defeated his challenger by a wide margin; and Deer Isle Selectman Neville Hardy was elected to a new 3-year term by a 6-1 margin, 38 years after first being elected to the board.

In Eastbrook father Charles L. Yeo was electedto another term as first selectman and son Charles P. Yeo to a five-year term on the planning board; Mike Witham defeated incumbent Embden Road Commissioner Sam White by a single vote, 81-80; Greene Selectmen Tim Doyle and Ron Grant were re-elected; and Glendon Carter will replace Harrington Selectman Darin Hammond, who did not seek re-election.

Also, Richard Fennelly Jr. and Chris Tadema-Wielandt were elected Lamoine selectmen; Palermo Road Commissioner Millard Saban Jr. defeated sitting commissioner Dusty Haskell by a vote of 81-63; and Paul Wayne Loesberg unseated incumbent Sabattus Selectman Stephen Wood by a 2-to-1 vote, 125-62. Roland LaReau defeated incumbent Searsport Selectman James “Beanhole Jim” Cunningham by 27 votes.

Also, Christian Plummer will replace outgoing South Bristol Selectman Kenneth Lincoln; St. George Selectmen Wayne Sawyer and Steve Miller were termed out and replaced by Keith Miller and Donald Lunt; Steuben voters ousted incumbent selectmen Delbert Pinkham and Peter Weil and replaced them with newcomers Eugene Robinson and David Glass; and John Bell, who won the Waterford selectman’s seat vacated by William “Whizzer” Wheeler with all but 10 of the 337 votes cast.

In Baileyville on March 26, Gary Moore Jr. and incumbent Derek Howard were elected to three-year terms on the town council. Incumbents Clifford McPhee and Stephen Lincoln were elected to three-year terms on the school board.

On March 20 in Ashland, incumbents Lawrence Michaud and Frank Sprague were reelected to the town council and Robert Nelson Sr. was elected as council chairman.

Skowhegan officials are looking for a new police chief after veteran chief Butch Asselin took the top cop job for the town of Houlton. Asselin joined the Skowhegan force in 1975, working his way up from patrolman to being named chief in 1997.

Newcastle Town Administrator Sandra Blake has decided to stay put rather than take the administrative job for the town of Woolwich. Blake’s departure was announced in a newspaper story, which compelled Newcastle selectmen to hold an emergency meeting to urge Blake to stay. Woolwich is looking to replace longtime Town Administrator Lloyd Coombs, whose retirement was effective April 20.

Former Bingham Selectman Joseph Bourque, 87, worked as a ballot clerk at the town’s 2007 annual town meeting in early March, maintaining his unbroken streak that dates back to the 1957 elections.

Former Rumford Town Manager Stephen Eldridge has been hired as the coordinator of the Citizens Commission on Lewiston-Auburn Cooperation, which received a handsome state grant to study exact ways the Twin Cities could share the cost of municipal and school services.

Carrie Ivey of Wales has been appointed Monmouth deputy town clerk, replacing Diane Macdougall, who left the job in early January. Ivey plans to continue her evening work for the town of Wales, where she serves as tax collector and town clerk.

Wiscasset Librarian Janet Morgan was honored with an open house at the library in March to mark her retirement after 17 years of service. Farmington Librarian Jean Oplinger, meanwhile, has retired after 20 years and plans to work from home as a book indexer for publishing houses.

Former Alfred Selectman Earland Morrison was honored in March by the town for 20 years of service as selectman. Morrison was honored by a number of groups, including the Maine Municipal Association, for his integrity, intelligence and commitment to the community.

David St. Laurent was hired as Rockland’s new solid waste director last month. Most recently, St. Laurent worked as safety and environmental coordinator at Fisher Engineering in Rockland. He also served previously as solid waste manager for Bath Iron Works.

Rebeccah Schaffner has been named planner for the town of New Gloucester, effective March 26. Schaffner replaces Amanda Stearns, who resigned last December.

Brian Tarbuck has been named the new general manager of the combined Augusta Water and Sanitary District, moving to the top spot from his job as the district’s assistant GM.

Norway Selectman Robert “Bobby” Walker lost a lifetime of possessions when an act of arson destroyed his home last month while he was recuperating at a Norway rehabilitation center following a major stroke. Walker also lost about $50,000 in NASCAR racing memorabilia. Walker, a volunteer fireman for the town since 1967, was shocked that his home was taken by arson.

Former municipal officials who died in March include: Mitchell Cope, 90, former Portland city councilor and mayor, as well as former state representative and senator and a pioneer in affordable housing in Maine, at his Portland home on March 20; Bar Harbor hotelier Bernard “Sonny” Cough, 79, co-founder of College of the Atlantic, former 3-term town councilor and 20-year member of the planning board, in Bar Harbor on March 24; Roland G. Dumais, 91, former Lewiston fire chief, in Lewiston on March 18; and Barbara McKernan, 86, former Bangor city councilor and a past president of the Maine Municipal Association whose son, John, served two terms as Maine governor, in Portland on March 14.

Also, Limington volunteer firefighter Russell Thistlewood was killed in a one-car crash in Limington on March 10. He was 35.