Friedmann Wins Seat On Board Of Selectmen

The fallout from the failed October override continued Tuesday with political newcomer Andy Friedmann winning a seat on the Board of Selectman. Incumbents Kevin Sexton and John Halsey were in a battle to get the one remaining seat with five votes separating them in the unofficial results.

The results won't be official until the town clerk signs off on them but as posted by RCTV Tuesday, Friedmann had 2,071 votes, Halsey had 1,453, and Sexton had 1,448. Halsey is the current chairman of the selectmen while Sexton is the vice-chair.

The Board of Selectmen authorized the October override and 36.5 percent of Reading voters turned out to say a resounding no. Tuesday 17.5 percent turned out and seemed to hold the incumbents responsible for putting the override before them. Whatever the reason, the new guy is in, and either Sexton or Halsey is out.

"It was very wet and very cold, but very energizing," said Friedmann in his customary no-tie look on RCTV Tuesday night. "It was kind of exciting. I found I liked waving to folks as they drove by."

In other races, while it was bad to be an incumbent running for selectmen, it was the opposite for school committee. Erin Calvo-Bacci had hoped to unseat either Jeanne Borawski or Linda Snow Dockser for the three-year seat but her efforts came up short. In unofficial results, Snow Dockser led with 1,920 votes with Borawski at 1,908 and Calvo-Bacci at 1,430.

In the race for the two-year school committee seat, Merrimack sophomore Carl Anderson lost to Nicholas Boivin. Boivin had 1,444 votes to Anderson's 1,049.

Ballot question 1 wasn't close with 2,130 people saying yes to preventing commercial marijuana cultivators, marijuana testing facilities, marijuana product manufacturers, marijuana retailers, and any other type of marijuana-related businesses from opening in Reading; 961 said the businesses shouldn't be banned.

In the race for the Board of Library Trustees, Sherri Lynn Vanden Akker won with 1,358 votes, Nina Pennacchio was second with 1,218 and Ruth Doucette was on the outside with 1,199.