Jaffrey residents had the opportunity to meet candidates for town offices during a candidates’ night on Thursday.
All candidates in Jaffrey, including those running for school district positions, are doing so uncontested this year.
Charlie Turcotte, the candidate running for the seat soon to be left empty by Selectman Jack Belletete, who is not running for re-election this year, is not a stranger to municipal positions, though if elected this will be his first stint on the Select Board. Turcotte, who moved to Jaffrey with his wife in retirement, said he came to town with a desire to be active in the community. Since his arrival, he has become a member of the Jaffrey Veterans of Foreign Wars post, the town’s Historical Society and Cemetery Committee, and has been a member of the town’s Budget Committee for the past six years.
“I’m running for this office, not because I have an agenda,” Turcotte said. “This is just another way to serve the town and be an active participant.”
Turcotte said his history on other boards, particularly the Budget Committee, which has included building relationships with the town’s department heads, gives him a foothold in the job. His priority, if elected, would be to shepherd the town through the upcoming major roadway project and installations of roundabouts on River Street and Main Street.
Also on the ballot, running for library trustee, is John Stone, who has served as trustee for the last three years and is currently the chairman. Stone moved to Jaffrey in 1978, and had previously served as a trustee in the 1980s and 1990s, while a teacher at the Jaffrey-Rindge Middle School. When he became the principal of Rindge Memorial School in 1996, he stepped away from the trustee position due to work commitments, but said he always had the inclination to return to help run the library when he was able to, running in 2020 and regaining his seat after his retirement.
Sharon Tieger is running for the first time for the position of supervisor of the checklist. A longtime resident of the region, Tieger has lived in Jaffrey for 10 years, and has previously served as a ballot clerk, and said she has previously worked in positions such as registrar at ConVal Regional High School and tax collector for the Town of Sharon, which need a degree of public trust and confidentiality.
On the school district ballot, current School Board incumbent John McCarthy is running for re-election to his seat to represent Jaffrey. If elected, this will be McCarthy’s third term. Prior to his election on to the School Board, McCarthy served as a member of the Budget Advisory Committee.
McCarthy spoke about current partnerships the school district had formed with Franklin Pierce University and Keene State to integrate education students into local schools, and the district’s robust activities programs.
“We’re far from perfect, but there’s a lot of good things happening,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy said in his next term, the board would be continuing to focus on improving facilities in the district buildings, and updating the district’s capital improvement plan.
In other district positions, Bob Schaumann is running for re-election as the district moderator. Schaumann, who has been a resident of New Hampshire since 1972 and a resident of Jaffrey for 12, said he is a strong proponent of volunteerism. He has been a member of the town’s Budget Committee, and served on boards at the chamber of commerce, the Monadnock Humane Society and Cathedral of the Pines. He has previously served as moderator in the towns of Merrimack and Amherst.
Candidates who did not attend the candidates’ night, but will be on the ballot, include incumbent Treasurer Sandra Stewart, incumbent Town Clerk Kelly Rollings and incumbent Trustee of the Trust Funds Nancy Belletete.
Voting for all Jaffrey candidates, including both town and school district positions and town zoning items, is scheduled for March 14 at the Conant High School Pratt Auditorium from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All school ballot items, including the Jaffrey-Rindge district budget will also be decided by ballot on March 14.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.