When Pittston voters cast their ballots Monday, they had no idea who might be filling the open seat on the Board of Selectmen being vacated by Jane Hubert.
No one had filed papers to run by the deadline, so no name appeared on the ballot.
But a few candidate signs popped up around town last weekend in the run-up to Town Meeting, and two write-in candidates were handing out fliers at the meeting.
When the votes were counted after the polls closed, Greg Lumbert — one of the Town Meeting campaigners — won the seat with 105 votes. The other candidate at Town Meeting, Sharon Gleason, came in second with 93; and Montgomery Barto got 10.
Lumbert is full-time Kennebec County sheriff’s deputy assigned to the Maine Department of Revenue, and he is also a constable for the town of Randolph.
Lumbert, who attended his first meeting Wednesday, said he has several priorities for his term.
“I want to do whatever I can to support our emergency services,” he said, adding that he wants to make sure they have the equipment they need to do their jobs.
He said he wants to organize an opiate forum for Pittston — similar to those organized in Gardiner and Augusta — and invite residents of neighboring towns to highlight the problems involving illegal use of prescription opioids and heroin.
“The crime you see around here is all a result of that,” he said.
He also wants to encourage taxpayer participation in town government throughout the year, not just at Town Meeting.
“I want to extend an invitation,” he said. “We meet every Wednesday night at 6 p.m.”
Gleason, who put together her campaign over about four days, said her son prompted her run, and friends and family supported her in that. She had retired recently, and she said she wanted to serve the town, which has been home to generations of her family for 200 years.
“Even though I lost by 13 votes, I found the support I got in the community, and the number of people who came support me, it was overwhelming,” she said.
In other races, James Lothridge, Andrea Sparrow and Jason Daugherty were elected to the Planning Board; Cheryl Peaslee, Hope Ricker. Jane Hubert and Sam Snow were elected to the Budget Committee; Tammy Usher was elected to the Personnel Committee; and Leroy Usher was elected to the East Pittston Water District, receiving four votes.
Jessica Lowell — 621-5632
Twitter: @JLowellKJ
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