November 3, 2003

 

 

Mayor, council face hot elections

By KATE SPINNER

Staff Writer


NEWBURYPORT -- Voters tomorrow will be settling hotly-contested races for mayor, councilors-at-large, and a handful of ward councilor seats.

And in a less-feisty battle, voters will also be selecting a new crop of candiates to fill empty seats on the School Committee.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Voters will elect one mayor, 11 city councilors, and three members of the School Committee. The mayor and city councilors serve two-year terms.

School Committee members serve four-year terms. This year, three out of six School Committee member positions are up for election. No incumbent members are seeking re-election, but four candidates are vying for the three seats.

On the City Council, one councilor is elected in each of the city's six wards and five councilors are elected by the entire city. Out of six wards, only two races are unopposed. In the at-large race, 10 candidates are seeking five positions

In the race for mayor, incumbent Mayor Alan Lavender, 60, of Rawson Hill Road, is being challenged by School Committee Member Mary Anne Clancy, 44, of 26 Summit Pl. Lavender is completing his first term in office.

Lavender has centered his campaign on his management of city finances -- the city entered this year with over $3 million in reserves and has been able to afford needed projects such as replacing old portable classrooms at the Bresnahan School. Lavender argues that his opponent has said Clancy has flip-flopped on issues such as her support for the Plum Island water and sewer project and the location of a senior center.

Clancy has argued that Lavender has not been a strong leader, and has demonstrated his weaknesses in the management of the high school renovation project, management of the police department, and other areas. Clancy has said she will not raise taxes and will provide stronger leadership and develop better relations with the City Council.

In the School Committee races, candidates are Brian R. Cummings, Andrea Jones, Victoria Pearson, and Mark Wright.

Running for city-wide council seats are incumbents Audrey G. McCarthy and Thomas F. O'Brien, and newcomers Barry N. Connell, David G. Erekson, Donna D. Holaday, Clete Kijek, John N. Kostandin, Janet K. Marcus, Sheila A. Mullins, and Chip Wyser.

In Ward 1 incumbent David McFarlane is being challenged by Jeremy P. Gillis. With most of the ward located in the Newburyport section of Plum Island, the race will take on an added dimension -- it may also reflect voters' thoughts on the controversial Plum Island water and sewer project. Gillis supports the project, while McFarlane does not.

In Ward 2 incumbent Gregory Earls is being challenged by Charles W. Nichols. Newcomer James Shanley is running unopposed in Ward 3 and incumbent Erford Fowler is running unopposed in Ward 4. Joseph Spaulding, currently a councilor-at-large, is running against Bruce Vogel, Youth Commission chairman, for the Ward 5 seat.

Steven Hutcheson, who ran in the at-large race last election season, is competing with Thomas Farrell in the Ward 6 race.

All newly-elected officials will be sworn into office on the first Monday in January.

Polling places, all open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., are listed below:

Ward 1P: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, 261 Northern Blvd., Plum Island;

Ward 1: People's United Methodist Church, 64 Purchase St.;

Ward 2: Brown School, 40 Milk St.;

Wards 3 and 4: Hope Community Church, 11 Hale St.;

Wards 5 and 6: Bresnahan School, 333 High St.

 
 

 

 

(This article replicated online with permission of the Newburyport Daily News, an Eagle Tribune Newspaper.)

 
 
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