DRAYTON-ROGERS FENDS OFF GOP ATTACK

Voters re-elected First Selectwoman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers by a slim margin Tuesday.

Drayton-Rogers, a Democrat now entering her second term as First Selectwoman, received 1,895 votes, according to unofficial results. 

Republican candidate David Haversat received 1,862 votes — a difference of just 33 votes.

Democrats camped out at the Colonial Tavern on Hawley Road Tuesday after polls closed at Quaker Farms School quietly awaiting the results.

As the unofficial tally was relayed by telephone at about 8:45 p.m., the silence erupted into a party with cheers and hugs of congratulations throughout the room (see video).

Drayton-Rogers, with tears in her eyes, said she was grateful that the majority of voters recognized her campaign focused on real issues.

She added that voters were not swayed by the Republicans’ “misinformation and untruths.”

“The honesty and integrity of our campaign won out in the long run,” she said.

However, while unable to unseat Drayton-Rogers, the Republicans walked away with majority representation on most of the town’s boards and commissions, including the Board of Education, the Board of Finance, and three of the four spots on the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

At Republican headquarters on Route 67, Haversat and his supporters quietly sat around waiting for results.

A loud, “no,’’ erupted from supporters when the results finally came in and showed he only lost by 33 votes.

Haversat’s Republican running mate David Yish, a political newcomer, won a spot on the Board of Selectmen with 1,878 votes. Democrat David McKane received 1,871 votes, earning him re-election.

However, Haversat said the votes between he and McKane were so close there will likely be a recount.

Haversat, 31, thanked his supporters and was visibly disappointed that he had lost by such a close margin.

“To lose by 33 votes is hard,’’ Haversat said. “But I want to thank all the people who voted for me and to all the people who helped in this campaign.’’

Yish, 42, who underwent a successful heart transplant several years ago, said his win was “bittersweet,’’ because Haversat lost.

“You couldn’t ask for a better person to run with. He (Haversat) did an incredible job,’’ Yish said.

Republican August “Augie” Palmer lost his bid for a seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission, garnering 1,452 votes.

Palmer, a former First Selectman, said that this was his last bid at politics, but said he will remain active in the GOP party.

He said he’d be keeping an eye on Drayton-Rogers. “She’s a terrible first selectman and a bully,’’ Palmer said, a comment reflective of the sometimes nasty campaign between town Democrats and Republicans.

The crowded race for the Planning and Zoning Commission that pitted independents — and current Planning and Zoning Board members — Vinny Vizzo, Ed Hellauer and Eric Tichy against Palmer ended with none of the candidates being elected.

Still, Vizzo said all he wanted to do was keep Palmer off the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

“What we wanted to do was to save the town from the wrath of Palmer and Haversat and that is exactly what we did,” he said.

Retaining their seats on P&Z were Republican incumbents Pat Cocchiarella, and Bonnie Bartosiak, while newcomers Republican Alan Gladstone and Democrat William Johnson both won two-year terms.

In other races, incumbent Democratic Town Clerk Margaret Potts-West defeated Republican challenger Linda Crowe by 606 votes for Town Clerk.

Incumbent Town Treasurer Michael Angelini defeated Democrat Kathy Johnson by 146 votes.

New terms will begin on Nov. 17.

Results

* denotes winner

First Selectman

*Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers (D) – 1895
David Haversat ® – 1862

Selectmen

*David Yish ®- 1878 *David McKane (D) – 1871

Town Clerk

*Margaret A. Potts- West (D)- 2150
Linda J. Crowe ® – 1544

Town Treasurer

*Michael Angelini ® – 1896
Kathy Johnson (D) – 1750

Board of Finance

*Lila Ferrillo ® – 1968 *Thomas Kelly ® – 1921 *Jack Kiley ® – 1902
Joseph Kutniewski Jr. (D) – 1593
James Robert Murphy – 1699
Albert Benoit (D) – 1592

Board of Education – 4 year term *William J. Neary ®- 1941 *Michael P. Macchio ® – 1806
Melinda Derazio ® – 1802
David J. Neary ® – 1784
Traci Kilmartin ® – 1782 *Theodore P. Oczowski (D) – 1692 *Lisa Hellauer (D) – 1808 *Paula Guillet (D) – 1755

Board of Education – 2 year term

*Colleen Lowell ® – 1891 *John Lavin ® – 1867
Marie Addario-Alter (D) – 1590
Rebecca Piorek (D) – 1656

Board of Assessment Appeals

*Claire M. McNamera ® – 1828
Jeanne Shuster (D) – 1743

Planning and Zoning Commission

*Alan S. Gladstone ® – 1675 *Bonnie Lee Bartosiak ® – 1728 *Patrick Cocchiarella ® – 1758
August Palmer ® – 1452 *William Johnson (D) – 1511
Joseph Kidd (D) – 1302
Robert Zavalka (D) – 1256
Peter Bunzl (D) – 1387
Edwin Helllauer (I) – 654
Vincent Vizzo Jr. (I) 649
Eric Tichy (I) – 636

Zoning Board of Appeals

*Larry Ellis ® – 1909 *Richard Link ® 1747
Angela Skyers (D) – 1563
Jesse Burrows (D) – 1677