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By DENNIS HOEY Staff Writer October 31, 2007

BRUNSWICK - The race for the District 3 seat on the Brunswick Town Council pits an incumbent against a newcomer who has been active on the committee that examined options for preserving the old high school.

Hallie Daughtry, the council's vice chairwoman, is seeking re-election against Suzan Wilson, who served on the Old Brunswick High School Committee.

Wilson's committee leaned toward preserving sections of the school, but the council voted recently to demolish the entire building so that a new elementary school could be built there.

District 3 is a rural district that touches parts of Mere Point and the area around Pleasant Hill Road.

HALLIE DAUGHTRY

AGE: 62

ADDRESS: 15 Oak Ridge Road

PERSONAL: Married, one child

EDUCATION: Bachelor of arts in history and international studies, University of North Carolina; graduate studies in education

OCCUPATION: L.L. Bean

POLITICAL/CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Vice chairwoman, Brunswick Town Council; member, Economic Development Strategy and Feasibility Committee, Elementary School Building Committee, Cable Television Advisory Committee and Appointments Committee; chairs Building Reuse and Municipal Facilities committees

ON THE ISSUES: Daughtry believes the town needs to seek out development that would provide jobs and business opportunities to compensate for the closure of Brunswick Naval Air Station. She also said that goal must be achieved while ensuring that Brunswick's neighborhoods and unique character are protected.

Daughtry said the new elementary school is important because it helps maintain high standards in public education. According to Daughtry, it would not be feasible to spend taxpayer money to renovate the old high school. Another elementary school that is targeted for closure, Longfellow, might make a good home for the People Plus center, the Teen Center and the town's early childhood program, said Daughtry.

SUZAN WILSON

AGE: 54

ADDRESS: 6 Bunganuc Landing

PERSONAL: Married 23 years

EDUCATION: Bachelor of science in transportation, economics and business administration, University of Maryland

OCCUPATION: Currently unemployed; worked previously in traffic management, military and commercial logistics; operated rural water company; owned small business in Bath

POLITICAL/CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Member, town Marine Resources Committee; former member, Old High School Committee; coordinated Longfellow Days Poets in schools

ON THE ISSUES: Wilson said Brunswick's pressing issues are mostly related to the need for economic development that will support young families and the need to achieve a more productive balance between the public and private sectors.

Wilson said she will advocate for fiscal restraint. As well, the rights of property owners must be respected, especially when seeking conservation opportunities, Wilson said.

Town politics have become increasingly polarized and mired in single-issue controversies. according to Wilson, who said that her analytical abilities will enable her to separate fact from spin, allowing her to provide paths to compromise and consensus for Brunswick's townspeople.