Elections Bring Few Changes to Town Government

In an election that attracted only 2,470 voters, the people of Marblehead Monday made very few changes in the town's leadership.

Only five positions were contested, which attracted only 14.2 percent of the electorate. Town Clerk Robin Michaud, who was re-elected without opposition, said the average turnout runs about 20 to 21 percent of the electorate.

The five incumbents on the Board of Selectmen were easily reelected. Rose Ann Wheeler McCarthy, a member of the Cemetery Commission, tried unsuccessfully to unseat one of the Selectmen, but garnered only 573 votes.

Judith Jacobi led the field with 1,786 votes.

"At 73, I am glad the people still think I can serve," Jacobi said.

James Nye had the second highest total with 1,775, followed by Board President Jackie Belf-Becker with 1,682. Harry Christensen received 1,604 votes. And Bret Murray received 1,520 votes.

Murray, who joined a crowd of about 40 people at Abbot Hall to watch the votes tallied, said, "I am glad to see a lot of new people took out papers" to run for office. "Marblehead needs more contested races. It makes the elections more exciting. Marblehead deserves the best. Maybe next year there will be more contested races."

Three Upsets

There were three upsets in Monday's election.

In the race for two seats on the Municipal Light Commission, Michael Hull, a local electrician, upset veteran light commissioner Calvin Crawford. Hull won 1,090 votes to Crawford's 903 votes. 

Walter Homan won reelection to the light commission with 1,309 votes.

In the race for a two-year unexpired term on the Planning Board, Paul Elser defeated Robert Schaeffner by 11 votes. Elser won 822 votes while Schaeffner, who was appointed to the board, garnered 811.

Incumbent Edward Nilsson won another three-year term on the Planning Board, running unopposed.

In the race for one seat on the Housing Authority Virginia Healy-Kenney defeated incumbent Richard Whitehill for a five-year term by more than 500 votes. Healy-Kenney received 1,367 votes to Whitehill's 824 votes.

The voters returned the two incumbents on the Abbot Public Library Trustee Board for three more years. Maura Phelan Murnane and Phil Sweeney won reelection with almost 300 votes more than their nearest opponent. Sweeney, the chairman of the library board, won re-election with 1,200 votes. Murnane won 10 votes less with 1,190 votes.

In the race to fill two seats on the library board, they defeated Elizabeth Ann Lutwak, who won 911 votes, and Zachary Newell, who won 616 votes.

"I'm pleased to be re-elected," Sweeney said. "It reaffirms the wonderful job (town librarian) Patty Rogers has done the last five years."

School Committee

The School Committee, which has been the hottest topic of political conversation in town, will have one new face. Meredith Tedford will replace Jonathan Lederman, the current chairman, joining Kathleen Leonardson, who was re-elected to the committee. Tedford won 1,693 votes, while Leonardson won 1,501 votes.

In addition to Michaud, several candidates ran unopposed. William J. Willis will join the three-member Board of Assessors. Board of Health Chairman Helaine R. Hazlett, Cemetery Commissioner Richard Coletti and Moderator Gary Spiess also drew no opponents for their reelection.

The Recreation and Park Commission will have the same five board members. Chairman Charles Osborne, Linda Rice Collins, Derek Norcross, Gerald Tucker and Robert Jackson ran unopposed for another one-year term.

The Water and Sewer Commission will also have the same faces helping manage the town's water and sewer system. Two incumbents, Wilbur Bassett and Carlton Siegel, ran unopposed for new three-year terms.

The swearing in for the new town officials will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Abbot Hall. 

[Editor's note: We've corrected the age of one person we interviewed for this story.]