Winslow Town Council candidates are, from left: Jerry Quirion, Frances (Fran) Hudson, Peter Drapeau, Esther Bullard and Gilbert Bilodeau.
WINSLOW — Two Winslow town council districts have contested races this fall: three candidates are running for District 3, including the incumbent, while two newcomers are running for District 1.
Jerry Quirion Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel file
Name: Jerry Quirion
Age: 74
Party: Democrat
Education: University of Maine at Orono, associates in engineering ’67; Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute, associates in fire science ’79; University of Southern Maine, Bachelor’s of Science, industrial technology ’81.
Occupation: Retired bridge engineer for the Maine Department of Transportation.
Experience in town government: Three terms on town council (nine years).
Fran Hudson Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo
Name: Frances “Fran” Hudson
Gilbert Bilodeau Contributed photo
Name: Gilbert Bilodeau
Age: 57
Education: Winslow High School, ’81; bachelor’s in accounting (Thomas College), ’85; Master of Business Administration (Thomas College), ’96; bachelor’s in information technology (Thomas College), ’02
Occupation: Director of Finance, State of Maine, Natural Resources Service Center
Experience in town government: None
Family: Married 15 years
Peter Drapeau Buy this Photo
Name: Peter Drapeau
Age: 63
Education: Waterville Senior High School ’75. Dale Carnegie Course ’79. Some other courses at Thomas College.
Occupation: Owner of Peter A. Drapeau Trucking.
Experience in town government: Served on hiring committees for town manager, patrol officer and two police chiefs.
Family: Wife, Diane, married since 1983; daughter Tayler Lindie and son-in-law Justin Lindie, of Winslow; granddaughter Harper, 4, and grandson Shaw, 1.
Esther Bullard Contributed photo
Name: Esther Bullard
In District 3, incumbent councilor Jerry Quirion, 74, faces challengers in 60-year-old Fran Hudson and 57-year-old Gilbert Bilodeau.
Hudson, a security dispatch reservist at Colby College, also runs the popular “What’s Happening in Winslow Maine?” Facebook group. Her top priority is road repair, but also said keeping taxes low and responsibly working with abandoned and unsafe buildings are key tenets in her campaign.
“It’s easy to sit back and be an armchair quarterback, but I want to get involved, learn how everything truly works and fight for those who trusted me to do so,” Hudson said. “I can be someone you can trust not only to ask for what you need but to fight for it. I don’t back down easily, and I am not easily intimidated. The biggest reason I am running is, I believe it’s time for change in my district. I am running to be that change, by bringing new and fresh ideas while representing my district as part of the Town Council.”
Quirion has served two consecutive terms representing District 3. He wants to secure a bond for town infrastructure work and work with the Department of Transportation on reconstructing the Ticonic Bridge, the bridge that spans the Kennebec River between Winslow and Waterville.
“I like making a difference, trying to help the community out,” Quirion said. Finding ways to get grants, working on getting railroad crossings repaired or moved, dealing with constituents are ways Quirion likes trying to help Winslow.
Bilodeau, who is director of finance for the state’s Natural Resources Service Center, sees an important economic role for the Town Council during the coronavirus pandemic. He wants to address long-term investments in infrastructure and affordable housing.
“Growing economic development and partnering with neighboring municipalities will help make Winslow an attractive community to raise a family or start a business,” Bilodeau said. “In these challenging times, it is critical that informed, tough decisions are made to ensure that our town government serves the needs of our residents while avoiding unnecessary tax revenues increases.”
In District 1, 37-year-old Esther Bullard and 63-year-old Peter Drapeau are vying for the seat. District 1 is currently held by Trish Ayer, who is not seeking reelection after two terms. Ayer said she plans on running again at some point.
Bullard’s family purchased their home in the district in 2017. She is focused on helping the town attract younger residents and businesses while keeping property taxes low. Bullard, who works as the MaineCare program manager for the Office for Family Independence at the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services, also is interested in expanding agriculture in Winslow and setting up a help center for families with children learning virtually.
“Community leaders must face the challenge of delivering a robust educational experience to our children while maintaining roads, sidewalks, parks, and recreation fields, all while keeping property taxes affordable for elderly and disabled residents living on a fixed income,” Bullard said. “I support the need for the state to participate in revenue sharing with the municipality, and want to ensure that our children are receiving a high quality education with access to modern facilities.
Drapeau is a businessman who currently owns Peter A. Drapeau Trucking. Drapeu sees a challenge to the community is making up taxes. Drapeau has served on two police chief search committees as well as the recent town manager search committee.
He views the town as a “business.”
“I plan to bring my business experience and life experiences to the council,” Drapeau said. Trucking “is my fourth business, and in my three prior businesses, I grew them to be very successful and sold them for handsome amounts. I believe I am capable of handling business and knowing how and when to spend money, and I’m going to bring that experience to the Town Council so we can move forward.”
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