ATHOL — William Caldwell, 26, has lived here for 26 years. He says he has voted in every town election since he could vote, and is now running for office himself.
Or rather “walking for office,” he jokes, with no one contesting his bid for the seat on the Athol Board of Selectmen left open by incumbent Mitchell Grosky’s decision not to run.
Like Grosky, Caldwell is an educator. The 2008 graduate of Athol High School now teaches history there after earning his degree from Fitchburg State University.
This isn’t his first foray into local government.
He served on the Athol-Royalston Regional School Committee while in college, and has served on the Planning Board and Capital Planning Committee.
He feels that living here and being involved in town his whole life also qualify him for office.
Caldwell sees his hometown on the rise — pointing to new development around the new Market Basket, the new library, the new elementary school, and good things happening in the schools — and he wants to keep it that way.
“Keeping that positive energy happening here is something we need. Usually Athol has some pretty bad self-esteem and right now we have a lot of good things going for us,” Caldwell said.
Aside from that, Caldwell said he has no platform. Athol’s local government includes a “weak” Board of Selectmen and a “strong” town manager. Selectmen hire the manager, who has more responsibility for the operation of the town than in the “strong” selectmen/“weak” town administrator structure employed by many area towns. Caldwell thinks that is as it should be, and said his goal is only to maintain the positive momentum he sees.
As an employee of the regional school district, Caldwell expects he will have to recuse himself from school budget discussion.
Barring anything unforeseen, he plans to stay in his hometown.
“I like the area, I really do. I couldn’t see myself living in a city,” he said. “It’s definitely nice knowing everybody, not everybody, but it’s nice knowing people.”
With two of five seats on the Board of Selectmen up for election this year, Caldwell and incumbent Stephen Raymond will be the only names on the ballot for those seats.
The election is to be April 4, with polls open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Senior Center, 82 Freedom St.
You can reach Chris Curtis at: ccurtis@recorder.co