Lee — With only 150 registered voters casting ballots on election day out of the town’s 4,835 registered voters, or three percent of the registered voters, Lee residents elected officials in uncontested races and added write-ins to the School Committee and Housing Authority open positions.
The May 12 election comes on the heels of Lee’s Town Meeting last week, during which the constituency approved all 17 articles before it.
Incumbent Matthew D. Carlino was elected town moderator, a one-year position, with 138 votes in addition to three write-ins and nine blank votes.
Incumbent and Select Board Chair Gordon Bailey was reelected to the dais, a three-year position, with 148 votes, one write-in and one blank vote.
Davis C. Forrest was elected to the Planning Board, a five-year position, with 138 votes and 12 blank votes.
Write-in Dorothy French was elected to the School Committee with 22 other write-in votes and 228 blank votes, with one of the two open positions remaining open.
Write-in Kathy DeVarennes (31 votes) was elected to the Housing Authority, with eight other write-in votes. Thomas Logsdon received five votes as a write-in candidate. DeVarennes recently retired from serving as executive director of the Lee Chamber of Commerce to help care for her new granddaughter, she told The Berkshire Edge. The position is now filled by longtime resident Alexandra Heddinger. “It is important to me to stay involved with the town,” said DeVarennes, who manages the local weekly farmers’ market from May to October. “I have always been interested in housing insecurity and the housing opportunities we have in Lee. I thought the open spot on the Housing Authority would be a perfect chance to stay involved and learn more about the housing opportunities for the low-income and seniors of Lee.”
