DiFruscio not seeking re-election as Jackson selectman

Filing period for town, school offices begins today

Frank DiFruscio will not seek a sixth term on the board of selectmen.Today marks opening day for those interested in declaring their candidacy for town and school offices. Candidates have until Friday, Jan. 31, to sign up for the March 5 elections. "It's time for someone else to step forward," DiFruscio said yesterday. "I've done it for five terms and would like to give other people in town the opportunity."DiFruscio, who won election in 1987 as a write-in, said he's enjoyed serving the townspeople and thanked them for their support. "The support my late wife Elin showed was most gratifying," he said. "One of the things I really enjoyed was getting to work with the people of the town. Jackson is very lucky to have a veteran workforce made up of people who really care about the town."As for career highlights, DiFruscio has one at the top of his list. "I think the greatest accomplishment of the board of selectmen was the purchase of the Gray's Inn property (30 acres where the town offices now sit)," he said. "We're now in the 15th and final payment for the land ($1 million total). I can still remember the late Peter Kelly, Ross Heald and myself negotiating in Boston with the Lowe family for the property. They were asking for $1.2 million and the land was assessed at $860,000 and we ended up striking a deal at $1 million. I think it was well worth it for everyone."Other town positions include a one-year term as auditor (Frank Connolly is the incumbent); a three-year term as trustee of the trust funds (Tim Scott is the incumbent); a three-year term as library trustee; and a three-year term as trustee of cemeteries (Peter Benson is the incumbent).On the school ballot, two of the three seats on the school board are open. There is a three-year term on the board (currently held by chairman Sara Pendleton) and a one-year seat (held by Bob Thompson, who was appointed by the board last April) that closes out the remainder of Bruce Hill's term (he resigned last January with two years remaining on the term).Other school ballot positions include a one-year term as moderator (Scott is the incumbent); a one-year term as treasurer (Lisa Crowther is the incumbent); and a one-year term as school clerk (Martha Miller is the incumbent).This will mark the first year that voters will cast ballots for the Bartlett Jackson Cooperative School District. Winners will be declared by the combined tallies from the polls at the Jackson and Bartlett voting booths on March 5.On Bartlett Jackson Cooperative School Board there is one three-year term for a Jackson resident to fill (Candide Mays in the incumbent). There are two three-year seats on the cooperative school board for Bartlett residents to fill (Dick Glines and Michelle Rober are the incumbents). Other cooperative posts to be filled on election day include moderator, a one-year term (Norman Head is the incumbent); treasurer, a three-year term (Arthur Micallef is the incumbent; and school clerk, a one-year term (Gerry Tilton is the incumbent). You can sign up for Jackson school and Bartlett Jackson Cooperative School offices by contacting Miller at 383-6694.The cost to file for town or school office is $1.