CONWAY — Virginia A. Knowlton got her first taste of the town clerk position in grammar school.
Her fifth-grade classroom was in Conway Town Hall and the office of Violet Parker, Conway’s first female town clerk, was in the next room.
“I used to run into her office and ask her all sorts of questions and drive her absolutely nuts,” Knowlton remembered fondly. “Anybody who’s lived in Conway for a number of years probably remembers her.”
Now, Knowlton is a 36-year veteran of the town clerk’s office and is running for re-election Thursday. She faces competition from Sheila M. Harrington for the three-year position. Polls will be open at Town Hall from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Knowlton said she is running for re-election because she loves the job and the responsibilities it comes with.
“What I enjoy is working with the people. I enjoy being able to help them solve their problems, as far as what’s going on in town,” she said. “I’ve loved watching all these kids grow up from small infants into married adults with their own kids.”
Knowlton explained a town clerk serves as a legislative administrator, chief elections officer, chief public information administrator, public records and licensing administrator, and census/voter registration administrator.
“Within those, there are thousands of other little things,” she said. “I keep joking that I should keep a hat rack in the backroom so I can jump up and switch my hats and take care of the various questions (people have).”
She said she has nine public hours posted per week. While this may seem undemanding to some, Knowlton said this is just enough time to perform tasks such as postings and filing public meeting notices, taking care of phone messages and e-mails, writing dog licenses, and checking the online Vital Records Registry. Her other responsibilities total 27 to 33 hours per week.
Knowlton mentioned her family has been in Conway since 1764, when the town was part of Deerfield.
Who gets elected to be town clerk won’t be the only decision about the job voters will make this year, however. A ballot question asks the town should vote to turn its elected town clerk to an appointed position.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 257.
On Twitter: @DomenicPoli