Following is a repeat of all answers from candidates in contested races.

Gary Johnston, Town Moderator, Incumbent

Hi Carole,

Answer to question #1: I have been honored to have been elected to the post of Moderator for over 40 years. My wish to help the town while also running my own business and being involved in many other community activities left me with limited time to do so. My knowledge of parliamentary rules made the Moderators position the logical choice for me.

Answer to question #2: I always strive to conduct my duties as Moderator in a fair and efficient manner to ensure each voter has an opportunity to express their viewpoints, while also following proper procedures and getting the business of the town completed in an expeditious manner. I will continue to do so if I am elected.

Answer to question #3: I wish to thank the voters for supporting me for these many years. I hope that support will continue as long as you feel that I am competent to perform the duties of Moderator.

Sincerely, Gary

Jamie Minacci, Moderator

Hi Carole,

The three questions you posed to us:

A. I feel drawn to run, to end the 43-year term the current position has maintained. I would like to rejuvenate and bring new life to the position of moderator. That All position(s) have term limits….

B. My primary focus will and is to bring equalitarianism to our Town Meetings proceedings. That everyone has an equal opportunity to speak and to vote. To provide each person safety, respect and time to ask questions, to be heard.

C. I would like the citizens to know that I believe civic engagement is essential and necessary, and everyone’s voice needs to be protected and heard. That every citizen’s vote is equal no matter their income, address, education, or age.

Ernest (Chuck) Cardillo Select Board, Incumbent

Carole,

I thought it over for a while. I decided to run for a few reasons. We have a good board and we are getting things done like the highway garage, bridges, bylaws and the everyday operations of the town. I have a very good working relationship with the office employees.

Here are a few of the items on my agenda:

I want to work along with the parks department to bring our playgrounds up to date with more options for different age groups. Hoping this will attract and bring more families into town.

I would like to continue to work on the bylaws and finish the projects that we are working on.

We need to make sure our older population can afford to stay in town. This will take a lot of effort from the select-board and planning board working together.

I want to thank the residents of Stockbridge for their support of me as selectmen. I always try to keep the voters involved in the decisions that we are making. I value their opinions

I have made a few mistakes during my two terms as selectmen. I have learned from those and I feel it made me a more effective and passionate selectmen.

I would like to have the opportunity to serve the town as selectmen again. Chuck

Don Chabon Select Board

What prompted you to run?

These have been seminal, transitional, trying times everywhere and for everyone. Stockbridge like many communities has faced, and will be facing, multiple complex changes and challenges. We need Selectmen who can deal with that.

What is your prime focus?

Many subjects need our focus and Select Board members must be able to multi-task. Currently, 33 items are on my watch list and I’ve compiled them with perspective, explanation and discussion for review on a Web Page: donforstockbridge.godaddysites.com. Let’s talk specifics – check-out the web page: agree/disagree and comment to me at [deleted] Let’s see what can be worked out. I continue to value the opinions of all our citizens, and actively solicit your input.

What would you like to say to voters?

Vote … Don

Gary Pitney, Planning Board, incumbent

Why are you running?

To Serve. To give back to the Town that has given me so much. It is very rewarding to be a part of our community at the governmental level.

Prime Focus:

My prime focus is and always has been to be accessible, approachable, and fair. Make it easier for our community to feel comfortable asking questions and participating in our Town Government. We should all be on a level playing field with a common goal.

What would I like to say?

We have a great Town. It is a wonderful and precious place to live. This requires constant vigilance and care by everyone. We need to manage and care for our Town like the rare Gem that it is. Handle with Care…Be Kind…Be Thoughtful.

Carl Sprague, Planning Board

What prompted you to run?

As a lifelong resident of Stockbridge, I’ve always been interested in what makes the Town work — from our amazing Town Meetings to the constellation of individuals and officials who have made Stockbridge interesting and kept it beautiful through the years. I’ve tried to make my own contribution through the years — serving on the Land Trust, creating and chairing the Historic Preservation Commission, working with Laurel Hill, the Fountain Committee, the Mahkeenac Boating Club, and the Vestry of St. Paul’s Church. I recently spent several years working on our instructive Zoning Bylaw Review Committee

What is your prime focus?

I’d like to see Stockbridge focus on keeping our Town center dynamic. We will do this by supporting housing and economic development initiatives where most appropriate and by protecting our Town’s precious rural character.

What would you like to say to the voters?

We’ve seen a lot of pressure for large scale resort development. I think the most important issue with this is the question of scale. We see where some of our neighboring towns have lost sight of this. I don’t believe it’s improved their tax base or created affordable housing.

My professional life has been spent reading plans, so I feel well equipped for this work. Bylaw review is important, but the goal here is to maintain the character of the community. Stockbridge has always been a place where people want to visit, work, raise families, and become part of our long and distinguished history. I will work for these priorities. I promise that I will listen closely to the concerns and goals of the wonderful people who live here.

Jack Henderson, Planning Board

Carole:

Thanks for giving me this opportunity to reach out to all of my neighbors in Stockbridge. Can you be sure to add me to the mailing list for Stockbridge Updates and also let me know when the next issue will be out? If at any time you have any questions or issues you want to discuss, please feel free to contact me. Thanks. My answers to your questions are below.

Jack

What prompted you to run?

I retired in 2015 from a long career of planning and implementing major water and wastewater projects around the world which significantly improved millions of peoples lives. I now have the time and ability to focus this experience on improving the lives of the residents of Stockbridge while protecting the character of our community.

What is your prime focus?

I want to facilitate smart, reasonable development to broaden our tax base for all taxpayers. Smart, sensible development can achieve this while protecting the right of homeowners, property owners and business owners alike, as well as protecting what we all love about living in Stockbridge.

What would you like to say to the voters?

Over the course of my career, I have been involved in numerous heated public meetings with many opposing stakeholders with very different views and ideas on what development is sensible and what is not. I have learned how to explore all the different ideas and potential impacts of projects to be able to span most of these differences and reach a consensus on a reasonable plan to proceed with and implement. I believe I can bring this experience to the table to help the people of Stockbridge decide what is sensible development. I am always willing to listen, with an open mind, to any stakeholder’s ideas and/or concerns over any issue before the Planning Board to find, if possible, a consensus solution and can be reached at [deleted] Please feel free to contact me to discuss what’s on your mind.

Mark Mills, Planning Board

What prompted you to run?

As of the end of 2020 I retired from my career as a financial journalist. That has given me the time to offer to serve the community. By nature, I am a planner. I held the Certified Financial Planner designation for 20 years and co-authored a book on retirement planning for the Baby Boom generation.

What would be your prime focus (or the one thing you would like to accomplish during your term in office)?

Stockbridge has a number of older residents who are living on modest incomes. The Town should make efforts to help these folks remain in their homes. We should also try to attract younger families to Stockbridge with an eye toward creating a robust future, while also preserving the rural character of the town.

What would you like to say to voters?

My wife, Nancy, and I have been Stockbridge homeowners since 2002. We moved here full-time six years ago. We chose Stockbridge because it is a wonderful place to live. We have made some great friends here. I have been here long enough to feel a part of the Town. I would like to make a contribution to a place that I have come to love. We have three children and four grandchildren who greatly enjoy their visits. It’s a special place; I want to help preserve and nurture it.

Mark Faber, Tree Warden

What prompted you to run?

I want to help the Town, as my father did it when he was Tree Warden. I have the time, ability, and the knowledge.

What would be your prime focus (or the one thing you would like to accomplish during your term in office)?

Remove bad and dangerous trees, add more variety of trees, ones that can handle climate change.

What would you like to say to voters?

I am open to ideas and will work with everyone. I believe the Town is in good shape, I just want to keep it that way.

Hugh Page, Tree Warden

The statement below addresses your questions.

I believe that the 2 departments will work better together as one. This will speed up response time and improve time management. Using the resources of tree warden will aid in roadside projects, storm clean up, as well as preventive maintenance.

Thank you,

Hugh Page

Editor’s Note: Page is the current Highway Foreman running for Tree Warden. If he wins, he will hold both positions. Those are “the 2 departments” to which he refers.