PITTSTON — Residents will cast their votes Tuesday in a special election to fill an open seat on the Select Board.
Kerri Malinowski and Adam Towle are vying to fill the seat of Fred Kimball, who resigned his post in late May after serving about 10 months of his three-year term. The term will run until March 2023.
Malinowski said her deep understanding of the town and her background with related experience make her the best candidate; Towle said his younger age will help him keep an “open mind” and plan for the future, not just the present.
KERRI MALINOWSKI
Malinowski’s family has lived in Pittston for as long as they can remember — literally — since before the town was incorporated in 1779.
“We have a really deep heritage here, and that makes the place really special to us,” she said.
Kerri Malinowski
Malinowski, 47, went to school in Pittston and then the University of Maine, where she received a degree in political science. She then left, living briefly in Boston and Florida, and said the time away only deepened her understanding of Pittston.
“It’s funny, because we talk about moving away as a negative thing, but for me it was really positive,” Malinowski said. “The experience of being away, in big cities, in different environments, it made me realize Pittston is where I want to be, this is the place I want to make sure has the same love by all that my family has.”
She made the move back right before her 13-year-old son, Ewin, was born. Since moving back she received her masters degree in business administration from Thomas College and works for the state, as manager of the Safer Chemicals Program.
“I manage programs related to implementing state law and regulating chemicals in consumer products,” Malinowski said, “so I have quite a bit of experience with writing and implementing regulation.”
She believes her experience and education will be an asset if she is elected to the Select Board, to which she hopes to bring “more transparency.” Malinowski said every decision the board makes should be clear and able to be explained, adding that issue will become more apparent as Pittston grows and has its upcoming revaluation.
“We talked about the town growing and we need to make sure with that, the ordinances are clear and consistent,” she said. “Pittston needs to be business friendly and, at the same time, protect our residential use, so I am very dedicated to making sure there is transparency in decision making.”
ADAM TOWLE
Towle, 31, touted his age as an asset if he is elected to the Select Board.
“If people my age do not get involved in stuff, there won’t be a future of people who know how to run the town,” he said. “We have to think of the future of it. There are no younger people involved.”
Adam Towle
Having grown up in Dresden, Towle has lived in Pittston for almost nine years. He attended Hall-Dale High School and after graduation worked in various jobs — cutting wood and haying — until he went to work for the Kelley Bros. Farm in Pittston. He currently works at the O’Connor GMC dealership in Augusta. Towle and his wife, Jennifer, just welcomed a baby boy, Brently, who is 9 months old.
He is worried about a town revaluation and what it could mean for Pittston’s senior citizens who live on a fixed income.
“Having an open mind will make me open to new things and not be afraid to go against the grain,” Towle said.
His goal is to look out for Pittston’s infrastructure and roads. He also said he will make decisions to impact the future of the town, not just the present.
Towel said he thinks someone younger, like he is, on the Select Board will be and advantage because, “ I’m able to learn and know what is beneficial in the long run,” Towle said, “because I can look to the new stuff coming along and look at it for the better of the future for the town than someone who is a little older and just looking at it now.”
Residents can cast their ballots from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Pittston Town Office.
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