By Charles Stannard

DEEP RIVER— A recount is set for Monday in a close race for town clerk where Republican Amy Winchell led Democrat Nancy Talbot by two votes, 702-700, in the result from Tuesday’s election. The recount will be held at 10 a.m. at the Deep River Public Library polling place.

The apparent town clerk result, and another victory for a Region 4 Board of Education seat, were bright spots for town Republicans in an election where Democratic First Selectman Richard Smith was unopposed for a record 11th term, and Democrats won most other contest races on the ballot.

Talbot, who currently works as the town’s park and recreation director/building department clerk, had won the Democratic nomination in a September 15 primary over Stella Beaudoin. Talbot had been the unanimous pick of the Deep River Democratic Town Committee to replace Democratic Town Clerk Jeanne Nickse, who is retiring after holding the office since 1993.

Smith received 1,088 votes Tuesday. Democrat Arthur Thompson, ther current tax collector, with 716 votes, and Republican David Oliveria, with 401 votes, were elected to the board of selectmen. Oliveria outpolled incumbent Selectman Russell Marth, an unaffiliated voter who ran on the Deep River Independent Party line. Marth, who received 313 votes, was elected in 2007 after town Republicans did not nominate candidates for first selectman or board of selectmen.

Democrat Lisa Bibbiani was elected tax collector over Republican John Townsend on an 873-521 vote. Thompson has served as tax collector since 1993. Republican Town Treasurer Thomas Lindner was returned for a new term, defeating Democratic challenger John Dickson Jr. on a 996-421 vote.

In the Region 4 contest, Republican Laurie Ann Tomlinson, who served previously on the board in the late 1990s, defeated Democrat Patricia Conwell on a 707-628 vote. Conwell had been appointed to the regional school board last spring to fill a vacancy.

Incumbent Democrats George Eckenroth and Richard Balducci were re-elected to new terms on the board of finance, with Democrat Nichole Coutant winning a two-year vacancy term on the finance board over Republican Joyce Metz on a 702-634 vote.

Democrat Leigh Ann Balducci was elected to a full term on the board of assessment appeals, defeating Republican Darlene Pollock on a 692-644 vote. Democrat Mark Reyher was uncontested for a four-year vacancy term on the board of assessment appeals.

All four candidates for the Deep River Board of Education will be seated on the board, including Democrats Elizabeth Tracy and Arthur Robbins, and Rpublicans Mark Malcarne and Karen Nelson-Oliveria. Democrats Alice Proctor, James Davis and Mary Maraschiello were elected as library trustees, with Republican Rolf Peterson elected to a two-year vacancy term as a library trustee.

By Charles Stannard

DEEP RIVER— Democratic First Selectman Richard Smith is cruising uncontested to a record 11th term as three candidates, a Democrat, a Republican, and an unaffiliated incumbent, compete for seats on the board of selectmen.

Smith, 58, said he believes a “20-year track record of accomplishment,” along with the fact that many of the issues from 2007 are now resolved, has enabled him to run unopposed this year. Two years ago, debate over downtown redevelopment and town hall and firehouse expansion projects fueled the formation of the Deep River Independent Party. Smith defeated John Kennedy, a Democrat who ran as the independent party candidate for first selectman, by a wide margin.

Smith, who also serves as a part-time police officer, was first elected in 1989. He was uncontested by town Republicans in 1995 and 1999, while defeating a series of Republican challengers during other town election years over the past two decades.

Smith said most residents are satisfied with the Main Street commercial projects, a Walgreen’s pharmacy and a new and larger Cumberland Farms store, that were controversial in 2007. Smith said there are no plans to revive a town hall expansion project that was rejected in a 2007 bonding referendum, though a scaled-back firehouse expansion project could be presented in the next two years. Voters rejected a more costly firehouse expansion project in November 2007, only weeks after Smith was re-elected for a tenth term.

Smith has a new running-mate for board of selectmen this year, with Democratic Selectman Richard Daniels stepping aside after 18 years as Smith’s partner on the board. Arthur Thompson, a retired educator who has served as tax collector since 1993, is the Democratic nominee for board of selectmen.

Thompson, 75, said 48 years as a Deep River resident has given him “a good feel for what’s bothering people and what people are looking for in town.” A married father of three grown daughters, Thompson served during the 1980s as a member and chairman of the board of finance and the inland-wetlands commission. He is also the current chairman of the Deep River Democratic Town Committee.

Selectman Russell Marth, Kennedy’s running-mate on the Deep River Independent Party line, was elected in 2007, a year when town Republicans did not nominate candidates for first selectman or board of selectmen. Marsh, 52, is a Chester native who has lived in Deep River since 1990. Marth, who is married without children, works as a publishing consultant for Circulation Specialists of Norwalk.

Marth said he was able to put aside some of the rancor of the 2007 campaign to work effectively with Smith and members of both political parties over the past two years. Marth, who acknowledges the now completed Walgreen’s and larger Cumberland Farms that were issues two years ago “look fine,” said he has focused some of his efforts as a selectman on helping a volunteer committee working on improvements to Veterans Memorial Park.

David Oliveria is the Republican candidate for board of selectmen. Oliveria, 52, is a 14-year town resident who works in business development for Kamen Precision Products of Middletown. The married father of a college-age son and daughter, Oliveria is an alternate on the planning and zoning commission and ran unsuccessfully for board of finance in 2007. He also helps videotape board of selectmen and board of finance meetings for showing on the Comcast public access channel.

Oliveria, who is friendly with Marth, said he would bring “more checks and balances,” to the board of selectmen. He acknowledges Smith “has done some good things for the town,” while adding that in supporting him and Marth, voters have a “unique opportunity” to elect a board of selectmen comprised of a Democrat, a Republican, and an unaffiliated independent.

But Smith is urging voters to return Marth to the third seat on the board because “Russ has worked very well with us.” Smith said it’s too soon to say whether the 11th term would be his last. “I still love the job and I’m still willing to listen to the residents,” he said.

All four candidates for board of selectmen agree on one issue, expressing general support for a plan to pursue a full regionalization of Region 4 schools in 2010. Smith, who was opposed to a full regionalization of the schools in the 1990s, said he has changed his view and now believes the schools system would save taxpayer dollars operating under a single elected board of education for the Chester,-Deep River-Essex district.

Along with the contest for board of selectmen, the offices of town clerk, tax collector, and town treasurer are also contested this year.

Democrat Nancy Talbot, who won her party’s nomination in a September 15 primary, is competing with Republican Amy Winchell for the town clerk position. Democratic Town Clerk Jeanne Nickse is retiring after holding the office since 1993.

Thompson’s move from the tax collector position has set up a contest between Democrat Lisia Bibbiani, who has been a clerk in the tax office since April 2008, and Republican John Townsend. Longtime Republican Town Treasurer Thomas Lindner is facing a challenge from Democrat John Dickson.

By: Charles Stannard

DEEP RIVER— Town Republicans have nominated David Oliveria for selectman while leaving Democratic First Selectman Richard Smith apparently uncontested for a record 11th term.

Oliveria, a planning and zoning commission alternate who drives an electric vehicle and video tapes board of selectmen meetings for the Deep River Taxpayers Association, was unanimously nominated at the party caucus Tuesday. His nomination sets up a contest for two seats on the board between Oliveria, Democratic candidate Arthur Thompson, and incumbent minority Selectman Russell Marth, who was elected in 2007 under the banner of the Deep River Independent Party. Marth filed for re-election on the Deep River Independent Party line earlier this month.

But the caucus results leave Smith, who was first elected in 1989, uncontested for a record 11th term. Smith was also uncontested for re-election by town Republicans in 1995 and 1999.
Town Clerk Jeanne Nickse said Wednesday any other prospective challengers to Smith, including anyone seeking to run on the Deep River Independent Party line, must file petition signatures representing one percent of the total vote cast for first selectman in 2007 by an Aug. 5 deadline.

Republicans nominated Amy Winchell, a 12-year resident who works as a special education aide in the Region 4 preschool program, for town clerk. Winchell will compete with the winner of an expected Sept. 15 Democratic Primary between caucus-endorsed candidate Nancy Talbot and challenger Stella Beaudoin.

Republicans nominated incumbent Town Treasurer Thomas Lindner for a new term. Lindner, who was first elected in 1989 and has been uncontested by town Democrats in recent years, faces a challenge in the Nov. 3 vote from Democrat John Dickson. Republicans nominated John Townsend for tax collector, a position that is is left open this year as the Democratic incumbent, Arthur Thompson, runs for board of selectmen.

Republicans nominated William Ballsieper for a full six-year term on the board of finance, with Joyce Metz nominated for a four-year vacancy term on the finance board. Laurie Tomlinson was nominated for Region 4 Board of Education. She served previously on the board in the late 1990s.

Incumbent Mark Malcarne and Karen Nelson were nominated for the local board of education that supervises the operation of Deep River Elementary School. Darlene Pollock was nominated for board of assessment appeals.

Incumbent Louise Cowen and Janice Kemetz were nominated for library board of directors, with Rolf Peterson nominated for a two-year vacancy term on the library board.

Deep River resident Dave Oliveria gives us a tour of his all electric 1998 Ford Ranger. This is from our story on the Deep River electric car show from July 16th.

On Saturday, July 11th the New England Electric Auto Association sponsored an electric car show at the Deep River Public Library. On display were a number of converted vehicles, including two small pickups, three cars, an electric scooter, and even a converted riding lawn mower.

Deep River resident Dave Oliveria was there with his converted 1998 Ford Ranger. Oliveria is able to commute to his job in Middletown without using a single drop of gas.

Check back in a few days for a video tour of Oliveria’s electric pickup!

Links:
New England Electric Auto Association

Creative Commons Credits:
Antonio Peronace – Chevy Volt video (used with permission)
Prius Photo – Wikipedia Commons
Acela Video - By Blip.TV user “Blu-Ray”