Clarksburg Elects Two New Selectmen

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town has a new Board of Selectmen.

Linda Reardon, running as a write-in candidate, handily defeated former Chairwoman Debora Lefave in Tuesday's annual town election, 169-67.

The two women were running to replace outgoing Selectwoman Lily Kuzia, who decided not to run for re-election.

Reardon is currently principal of Clarksburg School but had already announced her retirement by the beginning of the next school year.

William G. Schrade Jr. also won a seat, running unopposed to garner 222 votes. He will finish out the two years left on the term of former Selectman Carl McKinney, who resigned to apply for the town administrator's post.

Schrade is an employee of the North Adams Housing Authority and former North Adams School Committee member.

The results of Tuesday's election give education a particular influence on the Selectmen, with a former and current school committee member and an elementary school principal.

All other incumbents were returned unopposed with a turnout of 23 percent, or 246 of the town's 1,062 voters casting ballots.

The hope is that the election will end an impasse that has left the town without a town administrator since the retirement of Thomas Webb more than three months ago.

Kuzia and Selectman Jeffery Levanos, who also was re-elected as a School Committee member Tuesday, had been at loggerheads after their initial selection for town administrator withdrew.

Neither could agree on a secondary choice and the board agreed to hold off on a decision until a third member could be elected to act as tie-breaker.

The town has been suffering without a full-time administrator as it works through a difficult budget season. It was a fact that was raised at Tuesday's Finance Committee meeting as both the committee and Selectmen noted the town had no one to lobby on its behalf or to write or coordinate grants.

The new board will convene on Tuesday, June 3, at 5 p.m.