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Sunday, April 1, 2007

Residents at the town meeting Saturday voted 13-8 to appropriate funds received from the state for snowmobile registrations to the Backwoods Bouncers Club to maintain trails -- after making sure the club is still in business.

"We asked that question, and was assured that it still existed," First Selectman David Stanley said Saturday. "If there's no activity, I wouldn't be in favor of doing this."

Town Clerk Ernestine Peaslee said the town receives $200-$250 annually from the state for snowmobile registrations.

About 25 residents attended the morning meeting at Somerville Elementary School. They passed all 17 articles, agreeing to spend $28,810 for municipal salaries, including $4,000 for first selectman and $1,400 each for second and third selectmen; $80,500 for snow removal; $77,000 for maintaining roads and bridges; and $2,000 to cut bushes.

Election results Friday revealed the need for a secret-ballot School Commmittee runoff election, to be held April 17. Peaslee said Voters wrote in nine names for a commmittee seat nobody had sought. Two of the nine write-in names, Cony Brann and Jeanette Feltis, tied with two votes each.

Other officials elected Friday include Stanley, first selectman; Martha Staples, second selectwoman; Arthur Barnett, third selectman; Peaslee, town clerk and administrative assistant; Kathryn Nichols, tax collector and treasurer; Jesse Turner, road commissioner; and Antoinette Williams and Tricia Hisler, two other School Committee seats.