DIXFIELD – The Board of Selectmen met Monday night to elect officers, grant a tax abatement and discuss reports from town department heads.

Selectman Eugene Skibitsky, who was absent, was elected chairman, and Stephen Donahue as vice chairman after Montell Kennedy declined the nomination.

Donahue and Kennedy welcomed newcomers Raymond “Tiny” Carlton and Tony Carter, who were elected after a recount Friday of the June 8 municipal election.

A tax abatement of $265.69 was granted to Thomas Dillon after selectmen’s secretary and deputy treasurer Charlotte Collins explained that following a complicated land split, Dillon was taxed twice for the same property.

Fire Chief Scott Blaisdell reported that car wrecks had been their top number of calls since the last board meeting. He reported having a problem with a lack of response from Verizon to correct problems with utility poles and wires on two occasions.

As a result of the last one, at which two Dixfield firetrucks and a 10-man crew were there for seven hours, Blaisdell said he billed Verizon $3,500.

“We need to wake them up somehow. It’s difficult getting them to come out. It’s their poles and their wires,” he said.

In that incident, high winds felled a large oak tree into utility wires, causing the utility pole to lean out into Route 2. Traffic was reduced to one lane after a section of the tree broke off and whacked the windshields of two pickups.

Blaisdell said he had contacted Rep. Randy Hotham, R-Dixfield, seeking legislative assistance in solving emergency response problems with Verizon.

“That $3,500 is a big chunk of my budget. It’s pretty hard for a small community like this to be sucking up that kind of money,” he added.

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