NEW SHARON — The town of New Sharon will be holding elections for town officers on Friday, March 1, at the New Sharon Town Office, 11 School Lane, from 12-7 p.m., and the on the following day, Saturday, March 2, the town will be holding the annual town meeting at 9 a.m. at Cape Cod Hill Elementary School, 516 Cape Cod Hill Road.

The town will also be holding the presidential primary election at the town office on Tuesday, March 5, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Those who are voting through absentee ballots must have their ballots submitted on the day of the primary election. Those interested in voting through absentee ballots may request one in person at the town office for themselves or for an immediate family member. You may also contact the town office at [207] 778-4046 to have one mailed to you, or fill out an absentee ballot application.

Among the officer positions that are up for election are one Select Board seat and a seat for the Regional School Unit 9 representative, both three year terms.

Dennis McCourt and Kathleen Reis are competing for the Select Board seat belonging to Travis Pond, who decided not to run for another term.

A lifelong resident of New Sharon, Dennis McCourt is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army. McCourt can be seen doing snow removal around town and has also served on the building committee for the town.

“I have no agenda,” McCourt told The Franklin Journal. “This year’s town meeting doesn’t have anything special, it’s all business as usual. So, I just want to hold the fort down and run the town the way the state says I can.”

McCourt said that he doesn’t play favorites and wants to keep things fair for all citizens of New Sharon.

“You want something, bring it to the town meeting, or a selectmen meeting,” he said. “Say something. I don’t care what it is, we will discuss it in detail at the select meeting. And if we have too, we will hold a town meeting and let the people vote on it.”

Competing against McCourt is Kathleen Reis, a retired nurse who is also no stranger to city government, having served on the Planning Board for the town for four years. Currently the Chairperson of the Planning Board, Reis feels like it’s a natural transition to go from the Planning Board to the Select Board.

“I know that Travis Pond has been on there and he’s a tough act to follow,” she shared with The Franklin Journal.

Reis has been living in New Sharon since 2019 and tries to get herself involved with the community as much as she can. Apart from the Planning Board, Reis also works at the New Sharon Fire Department, helping out in any way that she can.

As for her goals on the Select Board, Reis says her primary goal is to just keep up with the growth of the town.

“Our town is growing like everybody,” she shared, “and it’s just really keeping up on how fast our town is growing and how the town is going to have to change with this growth.”

For the position of RSU 9 representative, Gerry Provencher will be running for the seat unopposed. Judith “Libby” Kaut, who currently holds the seat, has decided not to seek re-election.

Provencher has lived in New Sharon since 2004 and has five children, four of which attend RSU 9. According to a Facebook post he made, Provencher retired from Westbrook Fire/Rescue in 2015 after 25 years of service and is the owner and operator a cattle farm on the Webster Road since 2004.

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