ANDOVER – Hope Peterson, Andover’s lone selectmen whose term was not up, gained two new associates after four hours of balloting in Tuesday’s elections.
Area contractor Jeff Rainey, who ran unopposed for a three-year term, garnered 110 votes to win a three-year term. He replaces Trudy Akers, who decided not to seek a third three-year term.
Former Andover Selectman Laura Hutchins won a two-year term, besting opponent Pamela Pace by a vote of 105-28, Town Clerk Elaine Morton said late Tuesday night after ballots were counted.
Hutchins replaces Selectman David Percival who resigned after serving a year.
In the other contested race, longtime incumbent SAD 44 Director Sid Pew bested write-in opponent Scott Owings, 74-58, Morton said.
Others winning re-election to three-year terms, included:
• Morton for town clerk, with 132 votes, and tax collector, with 133 votes.
• Marshall Meisner for road commissioner with 119 votes.
• Ken Dixon for fire chief and emergency management agency director with 113 votes.
• Sandra Conrad for treasurer with 137 votes.
All are expected to be sworn in whenever they stop by the town office after it opens at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, Morton said.
Tuesday’s balloting from 4 to 8 p.m. produced a couple of surprises.
Morton said that more people turned out to vote than those who attended and voted at Saturday’s town meeting: 140 versus 61.
And “during the first hour, we had one person per minute in. That’s the first time we’ve ever seen anything like that,” she added.
She couldn’t say why, though, people turned out to vote in droves.
Town office workers also gave Akers a surprise party on Tuesday, honoring her six years of service to the town, Morton added.
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