NORWAY – Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Board of Selectmen at the June 12 annual town meeting.

Each of the candidates was asked to describe their civic and community participation, and to answer the following three questions:

• What do you believe should be done to bring more business into downtown Norway?

• If the board were given $1 million to make improvements to Norway, how would you spend that money and what is the most critical issue the town faces?

• If elected, how would you address it?

Bruce Cook, 70, of 54 Shepards Lane, has served on the Budget Committee since 2000 and as its chairman for the past several years. A former member of the Comprehensive Plan Committee, he is also active in the community as board member and treasurer of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce, Norway-Paris Community Television and Norway Downtown. He is also a board member of Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice serving on its finance committee and serves as president of the Lakes Association of Norway.

Cook said growth in downtown Norway is dependent not so much on getting business to locate downtown but to get them to stay in business once they open downtown.

“One thing we need to do is get visitors to realize Main Street in Norway is off the beaten path, that is, it is not on Route 26,” Cook said. “The Norway Downtown group, of which I am a board member, is having signs made that will be placed at strategic locations to direct visitors to the downtown historic area.”

Cook said if the town were to receive a $1 million gift, he would like to see it earmarked toward one of his priorities: fixing roads. “Our own highway department, along with the Highway Committee, reviews and prioritizes the roads that need to be fixed, but we will never catch up. I would be in favor of putting much of the money there. I would also be in favor of planting more trees and flowers along Main and Paris streets and paying someone to take care of them in season.”

Cook said that if elected, one of the things he would try to do is to get more people involved in town matters.

“We need more of the time and talent of more of our citizens to move Norway forward,” he said. “We need to continue to advertise open positions in the local media and directly ask people to step up and get involved in areas where they have an interest.”

Irene Millett, 51, of 60 Main St., was a selectman from 1996 to 2000, serving the last year as chairwoman. She is a member and chairman of the Norway Budget Committee from 2001 to 2005 and in 2007, member of the Final Review Committee in the most recent selection of Norway police chief, chairman of the Norway Comprehensive Plan Committee, co-owner of Millett’s Variety from 1991 until 2004 and former member of the Norway Firemen’s Relief Association.

Millett said the town must continue to support the Downtown Revitalization Committee and the Norway Business Association to bring more business into the downtown area. “The people involved in these entities are dedicated to promoting our downtown and assisting our Main Street in becoming a thriving Main Street in our town.”

Millett said if the town received a $1 million gift, she would put it toward what she considers the town’s two assets: its downtown and Lake Pennesseewassee, also known as Norway Lake.

Millett said it is important to the town of Norway to continue the revitalization of Pennesseewassee Park, which is used by Norway’s Recreation Department for the swim program and youth and adult activities. It also has a public boat launch area, and the park and facilities are used by local organizations.

“Maintaining our friendly, hometown atmosphere of our Main Street is where I would also encourage the use of the funds,” she said. “Funds could also be used for the continuing improvement of our in-town and out-of-town streets.”

If elected, she hopes to address the issue of ever-increasing taxes. “Determining where to spend our tax dollars and what may be a priority for those funds is ever changing,” she said. “Tax dollars for education is at the top of the list of increases each year in our tax base. A continuation of knowing where the increases are, and a continuation of determining the most efficient and most feasible course to keep expenses down but to continue to provide those services expected by Norway residents is vital.”

Robert J. “Bobby” Walker, 61, incumbent, of Marion Avenue, has been a selectman for the past six years and is currently serving as chairman of the board. Walker also served for nine years as Norway’s representative to the SAD 17 Board of Directors.

Walker said he believes finishing the Cummings Mill redevelopment project and the facade improvement program will help bring more business to the downtown area. He said occupation of the Odd Fellows Building will also help bring more business to town.

If the town were given a $1 million gift, Walker said he has a simple answer on where he would use it: “Roads, roads roads.”

Walker said the most critical issue facing the town is the SAD 17 budget and the need to get the state to adhere to its promise of 55 percent funding. Plus, he added “street reconstruction.”

Joseph Tracy, 47, of Marston Street, has served the past 20 years as a firefighter with South Paris where is he president of the Firefighters Association and Ladies Auxiliary.

Tracy, who calls himself a concerned taxpayer not a politician, said he wants to know why businesses downtown are moving out. “I’ve been thinking that for a long time. We’ve lost a lot of businesses. I would do some research, be like an investigator and find out why they are moving out,” he said of the first step necessary to bring more business.

Tracy said that if the town was given $1 million gift, he would give it to the Highway Department, the Fire Department and the School Department to update their equipment.

He said he thinks one of the most critical problems facing the town is the need to have something for kids to do.

“We need to get them off the streets,” he said of young people who he believes would be better off in some type of activity rather than walking aimlessly around at night.

Tracy said he also believes it is critical for the town to address road repairs.