Selectman for One Year

Vote for one

Duncan Coolidge

My three-year tenure as a selectman for the Town of Andover is coming to an end. It has been a challenging and rewarding time for me. Progress, though slow, has been made in several areas, and we are tackling longstanding problems with some success.

Meeting the various responsibilities within what the law allows and what our finances permit is a difficult balancing act. The necessary skills do not come naturally, and the state and federal laws are all information critical to the job of a selectman. It takes at least a year to begin understanding how to get the job done, and that presumes participating in the training offered by the attorneys at the New Hampshire Local Government Center.

The tasks are much more complex than most people appreciate. I’ve heard it said many times over that the job is thankless, but it really is not. What gets done is still rewarding because you know what you and the other two selectmen have been able to accomplish working together and with the various committees, departments, and administration.

Vicky Mishcon returned to the job last year to assume the position vacated when Sophie Viandier resigned. Vicky has expressed her desire to give three more years to the Town, and because I do not want to compete with her, I am running for the open one-year term. If you would like me to contribute another year serving as a selectman, then vote for me. If not, well, then it’s someone else’s turn at the job, and I wish them success and all of the personal satisfaction it will hopefully bring them.

David Blinn

I am running for the one-year term as selectman.

Like you, I have seen the town grow, taxes rise, traffic increase, the services expand, and in general experienced the maturing of our town in many ways.

I also appreciate our efforts to keep Andover “country,” yet progressive, while providing the care necessary to keep open spaces, clean waterways, roads and buildings to code, and educate our children. All this allows for the type of growth that keeps Andover safe, vibrant, and avoiding stagnation and decline.

This is a delicate balancing act, calling for firm budget control, proper investments, intelligent short- and long-term planning, and a proper vision for a desirable, affordable town in which to live.

Having worked in corporate environments and having been self-employed, this provides you with my experience with budgets, personnel, planning, and proper utilization of assets. Further, raising my own family (and all that goes with that) complements my vision and positive outlook for the future of our town.

I graduated from Assumption College and served on their Alumni Board and have held positions of responsibility with AT Cross Writing Instruments, the Gorham Silver and Sheaffer Divisions of Textron, and executive positions for manufacturers, service organizations, and family-owned businesses. Other affiliations have included various community groups ranging from Little League to Boy Scouts.

In closing, I promise to do the research, take in all opinions, and provide you with a fair and dedicated approach as a selectman for the next term.

Selectman for Three Years

Vote for one

Vicky Mishcon

My family has enjoyed living in Andover since we moved here in 1987. My husband and I both come from much larger cities (State College, Pennsylvania and New York City). Andover’s small rural setting, its great schools, and the variety of wonderful people we have met have made this a good home for setting down roots and raising our family. Now, my sister and my mother have joined us and live right up the road.

Looking for ways to give back to this community, I have served on the East Andover Village Preschool board, the Andover School Board (nine years), and seven years on the Board of Selectmen. I also served as a Girl Scout Leader (10 years) and Service Unit Manager (eight years). Those were great years, full of fun and adventure!

Last March I was appointed to fill a position on the Board of Selectmen. The challenges that interest me are still there (no surprise!): finding a responsible solution to solid waste and recycling, finding ways to reduce energy costs for the Town, and improving our plan to invest in our roads and bridges. I would like to continue that work for the next three years, and I look forward to serving again if elected.

Road Agent

John Thompson

As most of the voters know I am the incumbent in this position, and I hope to continue on with the program we started last year. I hope to expand the role of our highway department. We are looking to upgrade our current employees to full time, and with the expanded hours I intend to continue to explore ways we can provide better and more cost-effective services to the town of Andover.

I am looking forward to new challenges and addressing issues in our infrastructure that have fallen through the cracks for too long. For this reason, I’m asking for your vote at town election.

Town Moderator

Dan Coolidge

I do my best to be fair, while at the same time keep the meeting moving along and on point, which is not always popular. However, I preside at the pleasure of the meeting, which may at any time overrule me.

Town Meeting is a vital part of the democratic process, and an opportunity to affect the future of Andover. I am proud to be a part of that process.

Town Treasurer

Shirley Currier

I am running for a 10th term as Andover School Treasurer and for a fifth term as Town Treasurer. I am a graduate of Hesser Business College and did the accounting for the Andover Village Store and for Currier and Phelps Garage for over 30 years. I have also been the treasurer for the Andover Fourth of July Committee for over 40 years, as well as treasurer for the Andover Historical Society. I enjoy this type of work and would appreciate your vote on March 8.

Town Clerk/Tax Collector

Joanna Sumner

This is my third opportunity to run for the office of Town Clerk/Tax Collector. This job has certainly been the most challenging and the most rewarding job I think I have ever had. There are so many facets to it.

This year there are four elections to run. It takes an amazing amount of coordination and commitment to get everything organized. The year started with training with the Secretary of State’s (SOS) office. There are new state laws that had to be reviewed and new equipment to be tested. Then I have to adhere to the SOS calendar for overseas voting, registrations, party choices, and absentee ballots.

We field a lot of phone calls, and this year, just before the primary, we made a lot of home visits with absentee ballots. Then there is the long day at the polls and the late night tallying the results. I love being a part of this process.

Another reward to this position is that I get to meet all the new residents as well as to see all of you who have traded vehicles or just want to renew your registrations.

The last piece of the job is being Tax Collector. This, too, has its rewards. It is like having three different jobs.

Thank you for your support in the past. I appreciate the trust you put in me.

Supervisor of the Checklist

Janet Splan

I am running for Supervisor of the Checklist. I’ve lived in Andover for almost 18 years, and it’s felt like home since Day One. I’d like to contribute something to the town in return.

Currently retired, my professional background is in non-profit finance and grants management. I loved the focus on detail involved with that work, so when I was told that the Supervisor’s duties were quite detail-oriented, I was delighted.

To be part of the team that makes sure the voting experience is smooth and easy for all Andover residents would be an honor. I thank you in advance for your support.

Budget Committee for Three Years

Vote for Two

Mary Anne Levesque

I am running for re-election for the Budget Committee. I have served on the committee for six years, and I have learned a great deal about how the town and school budgets work. We have a great team on the Budget Committee; we work together to find a balance between the town, school, and the town residents hoping to keep the taxes as low as possible. We would like to see more people come to the meetings to see and understand how the budget works for you.

In closing, I would like to have your vote. Thank you.

Ed Hiller

The Budget Committee has the responsibility to recommend budgets to the voters at the annual meetings of School District, the Town and the fire and water precincts. This involves discussions with the departments about their financial needs and considerations of the resultant impacts on the taxpayers. An understanding of the culture and history of our town is essential in coming to appropriate budget recommendations.

I have been a member of the Budget Committee for over 25 years and would like to serve again.

Budget Committee for Two Years

Vote for One

Nancy Teach

I hope you will elect me for the two-year position on the Budget Committee. I am currently serving a one-year vacancy on the Budget Committee. This experience has given me the challenges of learning how to maintain a fiscally responsible and sound budget.

I know Andover to be a financially frugal town. I have been a member of the Planning Board for many years, a supervisor of the checklist, and an active community volunteer in other ways. These experiences have taught me that Andover depends on wisdom and a variety of opinions. Andover needs many friends and neighbors to keep it running.

If elected, I will continue to listen and respect community members, employees, and volunteers. I plan to continue to listen, learn, and lead, “to assist voters in the prudent appropriation of public funds,” and establish visions and goals for the future vitality of Andover.

Library Trustee

Vote for Two

Janet Moore

I have watched the two town libraries grow tremendously in scope over the last few years. Still occupying the same spaces, they have continued to expand their patronage, programming, and circulation.

Librarians Priscilla Poulin and Gail Fitzpatrick have embraced offerings that range from New Hampshire Downloadable Books to “1000 Books Before Kindergarten.” Active story/play time for tots and yoga classes for adults meet, although not at the same time, in the community room at the Bachelder Library now that we have a new heating system in place.

Andover still does a booming business in lending out large-print books and Inter Library Loan selections, and the plants topping the stacks give the space a warm and inviting feeling.

The trustees have researched and implemented the installation of the heating system, soon to be followed by ceiling insulation. We have helped secure and publicize new offerings, like the astronomy program and wildlife biologist Sy Montgomery, and wasn’t the “Relax and Read” float a ton of fun on the Fourth of July?

Working with five trustees who are fully committed to our mission of providing an enjoyable place to access information, literature, and inspiring programs is how I would like to continue to serve the town of Andover. Please consider me when you vote for library trustees.

Susan Chase (Write-In)

Having served for one term on the Board of Library Trustees, I’d welcome the opportunity to serve for a second term. I had intended to run for this office again but the press of other involvements caused me to forget to file in time to be on the ballot. Therefore I’m running as a write-in candidate for this open seat and would welcome everyone’s support.

I’ve served as treasurer of the Library Trustees for the last three years and I’m proud of the growth of our libraries during that period: we’ve expanded the number of special speakers and programs offered to the community, we’ve begun to increase the energy efficiency of the Bachelder Library in East Andover, and we’ve started looking at the technical and space needs of both of our libraries. I’d like to continue to be involved in furthering these efforts to provide programs and services that meet the needs of all Andover residents.

In addition to being a Library Trustee, I’m also on the board of directors of the Andover Community Association and a member of the Andover Energy Group.

Trustee of Trust Funds

Alex Estin

I came to Andover in the fall of 1979 as a freshman at Proctor Academy. It was the best decision I ever made. Even as a student, I felt a sense of belonging in this town and connected with many townspeople. Andover is such a special place and has very special people. After college and a professional stint in Boston, it was natural for me to return “home” to Andover 19 years ago.

Over nearly two decades, I have worked at Proctor Academy as a dorm parent, a coach, in the School Store, and in the Development Office as the Director of Alumni Affairs. I also spent two years at AE/MS as an aid for a student in a wheel chair, an aid in the classroom, and a long-term substitute teacher.

I feel very connected to the Town of Andover and the many friends I have here, and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

I have been a Trustee of Trust Funds for Andover for at least seven years now. I don’t have a lot of investment background, but I feel it is my civic duty to give back to the Town of Andover every way I can. I am fortunate to be paired with Sarah Whitehead and Joanne Edgar in this position.

I am grateful for your support, and I look forward to continuing service to the town as a Trustee of Trust Funds of Andover.

Cemetery Trustee

Pat Cutter

First elected in 1990 when the office was established, I have served as an Andover Cemetery Trustee except for a one-year hiatus due to a family illness. Since my final resting place will be Proctor Cemetery, I would like to be on board to see that it, and all of Andover’s graveyards and cemeteries, are cared for.

School Board

Vote for Two

Anne MacKenzie

It has been my great pleasure to be a member of the School Board these past months. After eagerly stepping in to fill a vacancy in the fall, I have learned a great deal and would be honored to continue to serve the town of Andover in this capacity.

Meeting with the town Budget Committee, fielding questions from community members, and working with an extraordinary team has afforded me the opportunity to try to meet the needs of the teachers and students while continuing to make fiscally responsible decisions for the town.

I have been in the field of education since 1993, have my masters degree in Education, and I am certified to teach in the state of New Hampshire. My two daughters attend Andover Elementary/Middle School, and I have consistently been impressed with the quality of their education.

I would like to serve on the School Board to help ensure that Andover will be able to uphold this quality of education for all our children, now and in the future. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

Dean Barker

I am currently a member of the School Board for the Andover Elementary Middle School. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve this wonderful school this past year, and I hope you will consider my candidacy for re-election to this position.

Here are a few things about my own life that may lend me some life experience for continued service on the School Board. I’ve lived in Andover and been a property taxpayer here for nine years. I have a child at AE/MS. I am a public school teacher in a neighboring district (Kearsarge). Previously, I taught at a New Hampshire boarding school not unlike Proctor Academy.

For me, as a new board member, this past year has been an immersion into the many factors that go into the successful and efficient running of a school, from education policy, to transportation and facility issues, to teacher evaluations and contracts, to getting the most out of a budget for the children of Andover while having the least impact on taxpayers. In each case, I am humbled by the dedication and hard work of so many in the AE/MS community to make this school a wonderful place for our kids.

From the local control of its stakeholders, the tireless dedication of its staff, and its selfless community volunteers, I believe AE/MS is one of the best schools in New Hampshire. It is a privilege to serve it on the board. Thank you for reading and for considering my candidacy.

School Moderator

Elizabeth (Betsy) Paine

I have served as the School District Moderator for the last four years, and I am seeking another one-year term at this year’s town election. I have lived in Andover for 11 years, and both of my children graduated from Andover Elementary/Middle School. Our family had a very positive experience at AE/MS, and I would like to give back to the community by helping moderate the annual School District Meeting.

In the past three years, I have attended three of the annual workshops for town and school moderators sponsored by the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA). I will be seeking legal updates from NHMA prior to this year’s meeting.

I would ask that you vote for me. Thank you.

School Treasurer

Shirley Currier

I am running for a 10th term as Andover School Treasurer and for a fifth term as Town Treasurer. I am a graduate of Hesser Business College and did the accounting for the Andover Village Store and for Currier and Phelps Garage for over 30 years. I have also been the treasurer for the Andover Fourth of July Committee for over 40 years, as well as treasurer for the Andover Historical Society. I enjoy this type of work and would appreciate your vote on March 8.