ORANGE — The Selectboard is back at full strength following the election of an incumbent and three new members on Monday.
Jane M. Peirce was re-elected to her three-year seat with 486 votes, and former Selectboard member Thomas J. Smith earned the second three-year seat with 545 votes. Patricia A. Lussier won a two-year seat with 398 votes to opponent Patrick Clark Davis’ 346. Lastly, Alexandre A. Schwanz was elected for one year, besting George C.F. Willard’s 361 votes with 399 of his own.
Peirce and Smith faced the most competition and beat out former Selectboard member Richard P. Sheridan, who had 258 votes, donna F. duBour (the legal spelling of her name), who had 148 votes, and John B. Avila, who garnered 41.
Smith said he was overwhelmed to see the amount of support he received, earning 383 votes in Precinct 1 and 412 in Precinct 2. Voting was held in Ralph C. Mahar Regional School’s gymnasium.
“I’m very happy,” he said Tuesday morning. “It was very heartwarming to see that.”
Orange voters opted two years ago to transform the three-seat Selectboard into a five-seat entity. But due to resignations, it has consisted of three members for much of the time since.
Sheridan resigned in 2018 believing he could better help the town “on the other side of the table,” James Cornwell stepped down in 2019 and Smith resigned in January following his sister’s death. Also in January, member William Wrigley announced a resignation effective after the March 30 election, but he remained on a few more months after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the election’s postponement to June 1.
The next Selectboard meeting, where Peirce and the three new members will join Chair Ryan Mailloux, is scheduled to be held via Zoom starting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The results of the uncontested races are as follows: Christopher J. Woodcock, moderator, one-year term; Nancy M. Blackmer, town clerk, three-year term; Dianne A. Salcedo and Alexandre A. Schwanz, Elementary School Committee, three-year terms; Elizabeth Cross, Elementary School Committee, two-year seat; Sunday D. Lefebvre, Regional School Committee, three-year terms; Robin P. Shtulman and Joanne E. Woodcock, library trustees, three-year seats; Donald W. Priestley, water commissioner, three-year seat; Stephen P. Johnson, cemetery commissioner, three-year term; Travis S. Knechtel, cemetery commissioner, one-year term; Bruce A. St. John, trustee of soldiers’ memorials, veteran position, three-year term; Douglas S. McIntosh, trustee of soldiers’ memorials, veteran position, two-year term; and Olinto J. Paoletti, Housing Authority, five-year term.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.