COLRAIN — Voters elected Anna Lavarreda to be the new town clerk in a tight three-candidate race and elected challenger Benjamin Eastman to the Selectboard during Tuesday’s election.
In the race for a three-year term to replace outgoing Town Clerk Eileen Sauvageau, Lavarreda earned 98 votes, Dorian “Dolli” Pariseau received 97 votes and Jennifer Smith received 95 votes. Eastman edged out current Selectboard Chair Joe Kurland 176-119. Approximately 24% of the town’s 1,254 registered voters cast their ballots.
“I am so grateful for everyone that voted for me,” Lavarreda said. “I’m really excited to serve.”
She said she is looking forward to getting to know the people of Colrain better and thanked the other two candidates for running because it shows “everyone’s really invested in the community.”
“I’m really excited with the job itself and working with Eileen and getting to understand it better,” Lavarreda said. “I just want to reiterate that I’m really thankful for everyone who voted.”
Eastman said it’s “pretty exciting” and pretty “nerve-wracking” to be elected to a three-year term on the Selectboard and he is ready to help keep town operations running smoothly.
“Being the youngest guy on the board, I’ve got my work cut out for me to prove myself,” Eastman said.
He said he is looking forward to “trying to get things smoothed out” in the town.
“There seems to be a lot of tension throughout town,” Eastman said. “I’m more focused on getting things smoothed out and making the townspeople happy with the Selectboard.”
Voters also approved Question 1, 195-75, which was a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion for a $278,400 bond issued by the Mohawk Trail Regional School District for repair work at Colrain Central School that includes rebuilding parking lots and walkways, brick masonry repairs and other capital projects.
The results of the remaining uncontested races are as follows:
■Incumbent Betsy Browning and Martin Lydgate-Driggs were elected to three-year terms as Griswold Memorial Library trustees with 254 and 179 votes, respectively.
■Timothy Slowinski was elected to a three-year term as constable with seven write-in votes.
■Nicholas Anzuoni was elected to the Board of Assessors for a three-year term with 94 write-in votes.
■John Chivers was elected to a three-year term on the Mohawk Trail Regional School District School Committee with 249 votes.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.