MONTAGUE — Turners Falls resident Rachel Stoler won convincingly in her four-candidate Board of Health race, highlighting a ballot otherwise lacking contests in Tuesday’s town election.
“I’m just very grateful to anyone who supported me and encouraged me,” she said.
Out of the town’s 6,344 registered voters, 576 residents cast their ballots Tuesday, making for a 9.08% turnout. Two hundred and seventy-four of these voters chose Stoler, who serves as the community health program manager for the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), as well as co-coordinator of the Communities That Care Coalition and Franklin County’s Mass in Motion coordinator, to fill a three-year Board of Health seat opened by the departure of Chair Al Cummings.
Other candidates included Kathy Burek, who received 195 votes, Catherine Dodds, who received 71 votes, and Maureen McNamara, who received 25 votes. Stoler said she looks forward to making her work on the Board of Health collaborative, voicing a commitment to work alongside a broad group that includes her election opponents.
“I’m looking forward to working with current Board of Health members, Health Department staff, other candidates, other departments and the community,” she said.
Stoler was welcomed by the Board of Health during its Wednesday meeting. She received her badge from Cummings, who was celebrated for nearly 20 years of service with the Board of Health.
“We are very excited to welcome Rachel to the board,” Vice Chair Michael Nelson said at the meeting before praising Stoler’s “incredible background of working with community health.”
Other results of the election are as follows:
■Incumbent Christopher M. Boutwell Sr., Selectboard (three-year term), 407 votes.
■Raymond A. Godin, moderator (three-year term), 471 votes.
■Incumbent Debra A. Bourbeau, town clerk (three-year term), 502 votes.
■Incumbent Eileen M. Seymour, treasurer/tax collector (three-year term), 474 votes.
■Incumbent Ann L. Fisk, assessor (three-year term), 473 votes.
■Incumbent Mark Anthony Stevens, tree warden (three-year term), 425 votes.
■Incumbent Jane A. Oakes, Gill-Montague Regional School District School Committee Gill representative (three-year term), 403 votes.
■Incumbent Heather L. Katsoulis, Gill-Montague School Committee Montague representative (three-year term), 414 votes.
■John Frederick Irminger, Gill-Montague School Committee Montague representative (one-year term), 386 votes. Irminger was appointed to the committee earlier this year.
■Incumbent Margot G. Malachowski, library trustee (three-year term), 429 votes.
■Incumbent Nancy L. Crowell, library trustee (three-year term), 372 votes.
■William C. Quale, library trustee (three-year term), 384 votes.
■Incumbent John T. Murphy, Soldiers Memorial Committee (three-year term), 449 votes.
■Incumbent Al Cummings, Parks and Recreation Commission (three-year term), four write-in votes. Town Clerk Debra Bourbeau confirmed Wednesday that Cummings has accepted his seat.
■Nicholas Licata, Gill-Montague School Committee Montague representative (two-year term), with two write-in votes. Licata had previously been appointed to the School Committee. Licata accepted his position Wednesday, according to Sabrina Blanchard, executive assistant to Gill-Montague Superintendent Brian Beck.
Gill’s School Committee results Gill Town Clerk Doreen Stevens released the results of her town’s uncontested School Committee races following Montague’s election tally.
■Incumbent Jane A. Oakes, Gill-Montague School Committee Gill representative (three-year term), 58 votes.
■Incumbent Heather L. Katsoulis, Gill-Montague School Committee Montague representative (three-year term), 49 votes.
■John Frederick Irminger, Gill-Montague School Committee Montague representative (one-year term), 50 votes.
■Nicholas Licata, Gill-Montague School Committee Montague representative (two-year term), five write-in votes.
■Haley Anderson, Gill-Montague School Committee Montague representative (three-year term), two write-in votes. Anderson has not yet indicated whether she will accept the position. Montague Town Clerk Debra Bourbeau is re-tallying write-in votes to confirm Anderson’s victory at the School Committee’s request due to six write-in candidates receiving a singular vote in Montague’s election, according to Blanchard.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.