Town of China select board candidates are, from left: Janet Preston, Jeanne Marquis, Brent Chesley, Blane Casey and Ron Breton.
CHINA — Five candidates are running for three seats on the China Board of Selectmen this fall.
China Selectman Ron Breton
Name: Ronald Breton
Age: 70
Education: Cony High School class of 1969, military education
Occupations: Retired. Worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs from 1972-2008. Retired as the supervisor and inventory management specialist responsible for six departments. Retired from Maine Army National Guard ranking as master sergeant.
Experience in town government: In his second term on China Board of Selectmen. Four terms on China Planning Board, including four years as chair.
Family: Married to Jean Breton, with four children and eight grandchildren.
Blane Casey Submitted photo
Name: Blane Casey
Age: 61
Party: Republican
Education: China schools, Cony, graduated from Erskine Academy in 1977
Occupation: Self-employed commercial general contractor
Experience in town government: None
Family: Wife, Kary, and three children, Regan, B. Galen, and E. Teagan
Brent Chesley Submitted photo
Name: Brent Chesley
Age: 51
Party: Republican
High School: Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln, graduated in 1987
College: Civil engineering technology at the University of Maine in Orono, graduated in 1991
Occupation: 50% co-owner of Wyman & Simpson Inc., a heavy construction contractor. Employed there since 1991 as a field engineer, grade foreman, superintendent, project manager and estimator, and general manager.
Experience in town government: Recently appointed to the Tax Increment Finance Committee. Also involved with community organizations Associated General Contractors of Maine and Maine Better Transportation Association.
Family: Married to wife, Cathy, for 12 years; one stepson, one stepdaughter, four stepgrandchildren.
Jeanne Marquis Submitted photo
Name: Jeanne Marquis
Age: 63
Education: Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University, Illinois. Taught promotional writing and media planning at the University of Nebraska.
Occupation: Retired from a career in public relations, advertising and journalism.
Related experience: Board member of the Children’s Museum of Lincoln, Nebraska, and current board member of The Town Line newspaper.
Family: Two adult children
Janet Preston Submitted photo
Name: Janet Preston
Age: 59
Education: B.A. in mathematics from Wesleyan University in 1983; M.S. in mathematics from Northeastern University in 1989.
Occupation: Retired instructor of mathematics at Unity College.
Experience in town government: Newsletter editor for the China Lake Association, China Lake Access Feasibility Committee, China School Committee, School Union 52, Board of Trustees for Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village.
Family: Husband, David. Three grown children (Churchill Elangwe, Richard Preston and Beth Preston). Daughter Beth Preston now teaches at China Primary School.
Current board Chairman Ron Breton and member Janet Preston seek to keep their seats, while three other residents look for their first terms on the board. They look to join board members Wayne Chadwick and Irene Belanger, whose terms expire in 2021, on the five-person board.
Breton, 70, is in his second term as a selectman. He also served four terms on China’s Planning Board. A retired master sergeant with the Maine Army National Guard and former supervisor at the Department for Veteran Affairs, Breton has lived in China for 35 years.
Internet access for all, elderly housing, a community outpatient clinic, elderly transportation and a community center are all things Breton would like to see in China.
“This is my community and this choice was easy for us to make because of the character of the residents,” Breton said. “The town has given us a lot and I want to give back when I can. I believe I have the talent and knowledge to make this an even better community.”
Preston, 59, was elected to the board of selectmen this past spring when another member resigned.
“Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the other dedicated select board members, and I hope to continue to represent the interests of the China citizens for another two years,” Preston said. “I have raised my family here, and now it is time for me to give back to the community.”
Preston has edited the newsletter for the China Lakes Association since 1994, and previously served on the school board. Preston is a supporter of China Village’s boat landing improvement project, and would like to see a retirement community built in China some day.
Brent Chesley, Blane Casey and Jeanne Marquis are all looking for their first experiences on a municipal select board.
Chesley, 51, was recently appointed to China’s tax increment finance committee. Chesley is a longtime employee and current co-owner of Wyman & Simpson Inc., a construction contractor.
Chesley believes his profession prepared him well for important decision-making on the board. He believes China faces a challenge with a lack of economic development and water quality of China Lake, among other things.
“I am running for China Board of Selectmen because my career experiences have given me the ability to problem solve, make well-reasoned decisions and get things done by getting informed and updated on the issues, rather than making rash decisions without having all of the facts,” Chesley said.
Casey, 61, is a self-employed general contractor. He is focused on lowering taxes and eliminating “wasteful” spending at the town level.
“Having been raised in (the) town of China and raising my own children in the town, I would like to give back to my community,” Casey said. “I am hopeful to assist with fiscal responsibility for our town, which will allow our aging population to stay in their community without financial hardship.”
Marquis, 63, said “it is apparently part of my DNA” to serve her community. A retired communications specialist, Marquis previously served as a board member of the Children’s Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, and currently is a board member of The Town Line Newspaper, which is funded by the town government.
Her family’s China roots go back five generations. Marquis wishes to confront the challenge China faces of balancing rural life with growth. After the coronavirus pandemic, she hopes to see more community gathering spaces.
“China has so much to offer with the lake, ATV trails, Thurston Park, two libraries and great schools,” Marquis said. “What is missing is a place to gather, maybe grab coffee, get to know neighbors and host events. Social distancing won’t always be with us.”
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