BELLOWS FALLS-At the Annual Village Election on May 19, newcomer Wendy M. Levy, running for her first major village position, beat out Deborah Wright for village president, winning a two-year term by a 2.5:1 margin, with 124 votes to Wright’s 50 votes.
Current Village President Paul Obuchowski decided not to seek re-election.
Levy, who came to Bellows Falls from Brattleboro in 2022, had previously served as a Rockingham Free Public Library trustee.
Wright, a local business owner for over 20 years, served on the Bellows Falls Village Trustee Board, as both president and trustee; on the Rockingham Planning Commission, as both planning chair and commissioner, and in many appointments to committees and subcommittees since 2011.
In a three-way contest for two trustees’ seats, incumbents prevailed.
Trustee Wade Masure was re-elected with 124 votes, as was Trustee Taylor Pichette, with 98 votes. Stefan Golec, a former longtime trustee, came in with 65 votes.
Masure said he is “pleased with the support shown to me from the citizens, I believe we have a well-rounded board that should be able to work together as we move forward, a good mix of new and a few [who] have some time under their belts.”
Pichette said he was looking forward to working with the new board and new Town Manager Aaron Patt.
“With the new board and new manager, there is a lot of momentum going forward. Bellows Falls is on the right track, and we have some great opportunities to strengthen our community further,” Pichette said.
He urged citizens to “help the new manager [...] get on board and then see how he thinks we can best support the Village.”
“I’m excited about the idea of a Capital Improvement Plan so we can be forward looking with our planning and budget,” Pichette added. “We should continue to pursue projects downtown and on the Island.”
Former Trustee Jeff Dunbar ran unopposed for the remaining year of the late Susan MacNeil’s seat, garnering 154 votes.
‘A little nervous’
Levy said that she believes her strong showing against an experienced opponent reflects “many of my neighbors’ desire to keep Bellows Falls moving forward” in a spirit of cooperation, optimism, and generosity.
“I feel good about winning and honored that many of my neighbors believe in me,” Levy said. “Of course, I’m a little nervous — it’s a great responsibility and I have a lot to learn — but part of that nervousness is excitement. Thankfully, I’m collaborating with so many good and thoughtful people to keep Bellows Falls moving forward. I am not doing this alone! I couldn’t, wouldn’t, and shouldn’t do this alone.”
Among the main struggles she sees facing Bellows Falls are the same as those shared by “countless industrial towns in New England and beyond: affordability.”
“How do we take care of each other and our commonly held structures during an era of extreme economic inequality, after decades of almost wholesale private-sector abandonment with diminishing federal support?” Levy said.
She said she feels that, for a long time, Bellows Falls has been a haven for those who need an affordable, welcoming place to live.
“That’s why I moved here,” Levy said.
“I don’t want to pull the ladder up behind me,” she continued. “I want to keep this village accessible, friendly, and unique, not only for people who grew up here, but for people who choose to live here.”
Levy said she would try to address those issues by always asking “how our decisions affect those of us who are struggling the hardest and have the least to give.”
She said she would be “working in a spirit of collaboration, and that means keeping an open mind and listening to the perspectives and counsel of all who live and spend time here, including — maybe especially — people who didn’t vote for me.”
Levy said she asks herself how every resident can live “a dignified and connected life, what is needed to make that happen, and where will those resources come from.”
“I have lived an interesting and varied life, and I plan on continuing that until they take me out feet-first,” she said.
Levy added that she considers herself “part of the ‘Weird America’ contingent, which has a lot to do with being in love with the world and curious about everyone and everything in it. This really is my guiding star, and it will inform how I govern.”
Concerns and priorities
The small voter turnout was a concern, Masure said, noting that with a turnout of 175 voters in a village with 2,700 residents, “it would be better to see more participate in voting.”
Masure said that there are several issues the Trustees are focusing on:
• Ramping up efforts in resolving the issue of unsightly debris that can be found at some properties around the village.
• Working with the Rockingham Selectboard to establish a transfer of the police/fire facility to the town, in a way that works for all.
• Doing more research to see what, if anything, can be done to better control the misuse of electric bikes and scooters on the sidewalks and streets within the village.
• Ongoing efforts to keep costs in check for the police, water, and wastewater departments, while establishing a sound longer-term capital improvement plan.
“I believe the issues stated above are best addressed by a team approach from the entire board and village president,” Masure said. “I’m looking forward to working with our new municipal manager as he comes on board next week.”
Pichette said that supporting and growing the downtown and public infrastructure remain top priorities. “Looking at our budget and streamlining some of our functions are also issues to address,” he said. “Helping the new manager settle in is the first step.”
This News item by Robert F. Smith was written for The Commons.