Clerk’s Office Earns Praise for Election Efforts

By Adam Swift

A number of councilors and candidates praised Town Clerk Denise Quist and the town’s election workers for their efforts during the Nov. 4 municipal election at last week’s town council meeting.

“I just want to thank the clerk’s office and all the poll workers yesterday, they did an amazing job,” said Kurt Millar, who won a race against Celeste Ribiero Hewitt for an open at-large council seat. “The amount of time they spend in (those) rooms, at the middle school down here, it was a little bit challenging, but it worked out so amazingly well; the feedback was great from people that I talked to.”

All voters, except for those in Precinct 4, voted at the middle-high school complex this year as the regular polling location at the old middle school was closed due to the ongoing fire station project.

“I also want to thank Celeste for being a great opponent in this race,” said Millar. “It was very clean and nice, and we didn’t go back and forth at each other on anything, and I’m very appreciative of everything you do, and everyone else who ran, also.”

Hewitt congratulated Millar for his victory, as well as all those who came out on top in last week’s election.

“It is no small feat and it is not for the faint of the heart to throw your hat in the ring,” she said. “I would very especially like to congratulate Hannah Belcher on her courageous and incredible, incredible campaign and initiative.”

Belcher gave up her Precinct 3 council seat to challenge incumbent Council President Jim Letterie, but came up short on election day.

“If we do not challenge norms and the status quo, then none of us experience growth, none of us experience true victory,” Hewitt said. “I appreciate you for leading the way and blazing the trail for young ladies and women and everyone.”

Letterie thanked Quist and her staff for running a close to flawless election.

“It was in a new location, which was, I’m sure, not easy in many ways to have five precincts in one building,” said Letterie. “It was great in a lot of ways, there were a lot of comments from people who had never been in the high school. Which is something that we should do more, we did it when it was first opened and we had a great response then.

“It’s a great building and people don’t have the chance to get in there and look around.”

Letterie said moving the polls from the old middle school to the new middle/high school location was not something that was done lightly.

“We love the old middle school gym and it works out well for a lot of us,” said Letterie.

Letterie also praised everyone who ran in this year’s election.

“Anybody that puts their name on a ballot should be congratulated by this town,” said Letterie. “It takes an awful lot, especially in this day and age, to put your name on the ballot, you are a public figure now and you are treated like a public figure; good, bad, and indifferent.”