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4 Candidates Vying for 1 Seat on Belgrade Select Board

November 07, 2007 - BELGRADE -- Four people, including an education professional, an in-home parent, a middle school employee and a small business owner, are running for a single seat on the Board of Selectpersons.

Mark Gray, executive director of the Maine Education Association, said his top priorities are improving education, maintaining lake water quality and ensuring that town government serves year-round residents as much as it does seasonal ones.

Gray, 52, has never held political office, although he said his work with the Maine Education Association has enabled him to keep abreast of legislation and politics from local to state levels.

"If you have concerns and feel passionate about things, you do more than talk about them with your neighbors," Gray said. "You get involved."
Gray said water quality is important to the welfare of the community, since so much of the town's economy is tied directly to tourism and activities on or near the lake.

Daniel Newman, 42, operates his own business, Central Maine Fire Pros and Commercial Cooking Equipment, out of his home, and serves as president of the Belgrade Fire and Rescue Association. He also has never held political office, although he made a bid in 2007 for House District 83.

Newman said his priorities include shaping residential and commercial growth in order to avoid sprawl and pollution in Belgrade Lakes.

"They've got to sit down and figure out a way to control the growth in this town," he said. "We've got a lot of subdivisions that have been popping up in the last couple of years."

Mark Twist, 48, described himself as an "in-home parent" who cares for his children, 11 and 14. He said he is running because he loves his community and wants to serve, but did not identify one issue as a priority.

"Without an agenda, the only thing I can say is, I'll look at the issues, educate myself the best I can and try and do the best job I can as a selectperson in Belgrade," Twist said.

Jean Saucier, 42, supervises students during in-school suspensions at Messalonskee Middle School. In the past, she has served a total 51/2 years on the Board of Selectpersons and several years as chairwoman of the Belgrade Board of Parks and Recreation. She also sat on an advisory committee for the Messalonskee School District superintendent and on the Kennebec County Budget Committee.

Saucier hopes to use her experience in local government to help the board wrest power from Town Manager Dennis Keschl, who she believes has relegated the board to an advisory role.

"There are rumors of the town manager seeking a position in the Legislature," she said. "If that happens, we need a strong board at that point."

Keschl said he has no immediate plans to run for elected office.

"There's a need for a strong select board," Keschl said. "And it's not really based on whether the town manager is or isn't going to be there."

SOURCE: Kennebec Journal

DATE: 11-02-2007


Lakes:
Regions: Belgrade


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