BETHEL – In a seven-way race for two three-year seats on the Board of Selectmen, an incumbent and a Planning Board member were victorious.

Incumbent Don Bennett scored the most votes with 374, keeping his seat for a third straight term.

With 254 votes, Planning Board member Stanley Howe took the other seat, vacated when Selectman Al Barth resigned earlier this spring. Town Clerk Christen Mason said Howe must now resign as a planner to serve as a selectman.

Other candidates and their tallies were: Dennis Doyon with 235 votes; Darren Tripp, 155; Robert Everett, 152; Waltraud “Walley” Hannigan, 61; and Larry Smith, 48.

Born in Newry, Bennett, 58, has lived in Bethel for 38 years and owned and operated Bennett’s Lumbering for 35 years.

He said he ran for re-election to fulfill a desire to help people achieve town goals.

Howe, 60, was the oldest and most experienced candidate.

Although born in a Lewiston hospital, the Bethel native, author and American history professor has served the town in one way or another as a public servant for 30 years.

Currently, Howe is an assessor and 11-year member of the Planning Board, a position he said he would retire from if elected selectman. He previously served as a selectman/assessor from 1975 to 1983.

He ran for the selectman’s seat to facilitate better communication between selectmen and assessors.

In the other contested Bethel race, Howe was re-elected to a three-year seat on the Board of Assessors, netting 526 votes. Incumbent assessor David Luxton was also re-elected, getting 459 votes. Smith, the third candidate, received 118 votes.

In an uncontested race for two three-year seats on the SAD 44 School Board, there were no candidates. The two incumbents did not seek re-election.

Instead, Mason said, two write-ins were elected: Debbie Wight received 44 votes, and incumbent Elaine Cross received 10 votes.

“If both turn it down, or if Elaine turns it down, then the selectmen must advertise the position and appoint someone to fill it,” Mason added.

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