Familiar names in Montville’s council, Board of Education races
Montville — The down-ballot races in Montville feature a host of familiar names, rematches and candidates looking to branch out from one public body to another.
Fourteen candidates are up for seven Town Council seats, including incumbent Republicans Wills Pike, Joe Rogulski, Jeff Rogers and Kathy Pollard, and Democratic incumbents Joe Jaskiewicz and Billy Caron.
Other Democratic candidates include Democratic Town Committee Chair Tim May, former Montville police Lt. Leonard Bunnell, former Zoning Board of Appeals member Denise Gladue, longtime Youth Advisory Board member Tim Shanahan and teacher Kate Southard.
Tony Siragusa, a former candidate for state office and Water Pollution Control Authority member, and Board of Education members Colleen Rix and Steven Loiler round out the GOP candidates for Town Council.
For the Board of Education, six Democrats and two Republicans are battling for four seats. Democrat Jim Wood and Republican Bob Mitchell, who serves as chairman, are the only incumbents seeking re-election. Democrats Chuck Longton, a former Town Council member, John Desjardins and Carol Burgess and Republican Sheelagh Lapinski are the other candidates in the race for school board seats.
Voters can choose between incumbent Republican Flo Turner or Democratic Joan Paskewich, currently an alternate, for a full-term spot on the Board of Assessment Appeals. To fill a vacancy on that board for two years out of the usual four-year term, voters can pick between Republican Joseph Aquitante and Democrat Patricia Boyles.
For the Zoning Board of Appeals, three Democrats — Richard Gladue, Joseph Berardy and Douglas Adams — are up against one Republican — Caleb Espinosa — for three open spots.
Rogers in a statement earlier this year said the Republican team "has brought some much-needed positive change over the past two years and we plan to continue doing great things for the residents of Montville."
May in a statement said the Democrats had selected a slate of candidates "who all want to bring transparency and devotion to the citizens back to Montville."
Sample ballots are available under the "What's New" section on the bottom right section of the town website, townofmontville.org.
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