Fresh faces join village boards
By MARYPERHAM THE LEADER

BATH - Contested elections in the villages of Bath, Hammondsport and Avoca reshaped village boards Tuesday.

In the village of Bath, Democratic candidates won the two open trustee seats on the village board. Political newcomer Tom Sears was the top vote-getter with 190 votes. Former trustee Donna Simonson garnered 176 votes.

James Stewart, another political newcomer and the Republican Party's only nominee for village trustee, took in 155 votes.

Turnout for the Bath election was lackluster, with less than 1 percent of the registered voters casting ballots.

The election results could have an effect on the controversial future of the former Dana Lyon Elementary School - a hot, local topic since Bath Haverling Central school officials sold the building five years ago.

Simonson and Sears both publicly questioned a proposal by a Buffalo-based developer to demolish the bulk of the old three-story school, located on the corner of Liberty and East Washington streets. If the property is rezoned, an Eckerd Pharmacy will then be built on the demolition site.

But both Sears and Simonson said there was no way of knowing whether voters turned out in support of their opposition to rezoning the school site for commercial business.

The election also means a relatively new board will be in place when the new trustees take office April 2. Trustees Michael Skelly and Jeanne Glass ran on an independent party line and were elected two years ago. Mayor David Wallace has been in office six years.

In Hammondsport, incumbent village trustee Republican Stella Pulver won 93 votes while former trustee Democrat-turned-Republican Bruce White squeezed out a win, tallying 70 votes to newcomer Democrat Mary Ryan's 67 votes.

Village Mayor Emery Cummings ran unopposed and was returned to office with 87 votes.

Pulver said there are a number of issues before the board, including encouraging new businesses, and taxes.

"I just want everyone to feel free to come to me if they have issues," she said.

Turnout for the Hammondsport election was roughly the same as 2006, when four candidates ran for two trustee positions. In 2005, when the village seats were

uncontested, less than 60 voters cast ballots.

In contrast to other local elections, Avoca village officials reported some 26 percent of registered voters cast their ballots when four candidates ran for two vacant trustee spots.

Citizen Party candidates Brian D. Mattoon and David J. McRae were the top vote-getters in Avoca, with Mattoon receiving 86 votes and McRae taking in 64 votes. Brian McBride tallied 47 votes and Eric Tyner received 41 votes.