Seven candidates are vying for five County seats during the Nov. 6 election.
Running unopposed are District Three County Commissioner candidate Norman Fournier of Wallagrass, District Two County Commissioner candidate Paul Underwood of Presque Isle and Aroostook Finance Committee candidate Ralph Ivey of Houlton.
Two county offices face competition this election; running for the Registry of Deeds (South) are Lorette Adams of Easton and Melissa Willette of Mapleton. Vying for the position of County Treasurer are Barry McCrumm of Mars Hill and Anne Pluto of Van Buren.
Each candidate was given the same questionnaire, and below are their responses.
Running for Registry of Deeds (south)
Full name and age: Lorette Adams, 49
Political Party: Democrat
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors, titles have you earned?
I have not previously held any public offices.
What is your career background? I worked in my family’s floral/catering business as a young adult through my college years. As a college student and after, I worked for a retail pharmacy chain as a Pharmacy Technician for about 12 years. I then worked in Boca Raton, Florida with developmentally disabled adults for five years. After moving to northern Maine, I became a homemaker/contractor (we purchased an old farmhouse that needed much work and I stayed home to make sure all repairs were finished). In time I became a caregiver for my elderly, legally blind mother until her death in 2007. In the years between contracting/caregiving, I, myself underwent cancer treatments and helped my husband recover from having a complete knee replacement.
What made you decide to run for this office? I became aware of the office earlier this year when Governor LePage appointed an outsider (the wife of one of his junior state representatives) to the post instead of offering it to the Deputy Register of Deeds for Southern Aroostook County and promoting from within the office. My party called on me to run for this office and I answered that call.
What do you see as your primary goal if elected? My goal is to perform the duties of Register of Deeds for Southern Aroostook County to the best of my abilities, with nothing but the best interests of the residents of the county in mind.
Full name and age: Melissa J. Willette, 24
Political Party: Republican
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors, titles have you earned? Current Register of Deeds.
What is your career background? I graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in social science. After graduation, I was hired to serve as a legislative aide for the Maine House of Representatives, and then appointed as Register of Deeds.
What made you decide to run for this office? As the current Register of Deeds, I chose to run so that I may continue to work with our County Commissioners and County Administrator to make our office more efficient for the taxpayers of Aroostook.
What do you see as your primary goal if elected? Our Registry in Houlton has been working diligently to make our documents quicker and easier to access by putting them online and I would like to continue this effort.
Running for County Treasurer
What is your full name and age? Barry Dana McCrum
What is your political party? Republican
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors titles have you earned? None.
What is your career background? Twenty years with Time Warner Cable as a senior manager; owner of McCrum and Company, a business solutions consulting company; Principal in Maine Energy Development Group, bringing energy solutions to Maine.
What made you decide to run for this office? Encouragement from others.
What do you see as your primary goal if elected? To maintain the excellent fiscal integrity of Aroostook County.
Full name and age: Anne D’Amboise Pluto, over 50
Political Party: Democrat
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors, titles have you earned? First time running for public office.
What is your career background? Over 20 years in banking.
What made you decide to run for this office? I am seeking a part-time position combining public service and some challenges.
What do you see as your primary goal if elected? To oversee the finances of the County of Aroostook, to make sure the taxpayers’ money is well managed.
Running for the Aroostook Finance Committee
Full name and age: Ralph Allen Ivey
Political Party: Republican
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors, titles have you earned? Houlton Town Council, 12 years; Houlton Credit Union/Credit Committee, 30 years; Finance Committee of Aroostook County, nine years; Houlton Housing for the Elderly, 25 years.
What is your career background? Houlton Water Company, 25.5 years; U.S. Immigration Service, 14 years; retired May of 2004.
What made you decide to run for this office? I like working with financing in today’s troubled times.
What do you see as your primary goal if elected? To represent the people of Aroostook County to the best of my abilities.
Running for County Commissioner, District Two
Name and age: Paul J. Underwood
Political Party: Republican
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors, titles have you earned? Presque Isle City Council, Maine County Commissioners’ Association — past Chair.
What is your career background? Self-employed residential carpenter — 45 years.
What made you decide to run for this office? Public service to Aroostook County citizens.
What do you see as your primary goal if elected? Maintain the highest level of services within our fiscal limited budget.
District two includes Allagash, Caribou, Castle Hill, Chapman, Eagle Lake, Guerrette/Cross Lake, the Unorganized Township of T17R5, Madawaska Lake, Unorganized Township of T16R4,
Mapleton, Perham, Portage Lake, Presque Isle, Sinclair, Unorganized Township of T17R4, St. Francis, St. John Plantation, Wade, Washburn, Westmanland and Winterville Plantation.
Running for County Commissioner, District Three
What is your full name and age? Norman Fournier, age 67
What is your political party? Democrat
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors titles have you earned? County Commissioner for past 24 years.
What is your career background? In management position for past 40 years. 1972-74, Head Start Director; 1974-88, Executive Director, Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP); 1988-99, Associate Administrator, Northern Maine Medical Center; 1999-2012 (retired 6/30/12) Executive Director, Fish River Rural Health.
What made you decide to run for this office? Upon leaving ACAP in 1988, wanted to remain active in county-wide activities and help county government remain fiscally viable.
What do you see as your primary goal if elected? To continue to make county-provided services efficient at a reasonable cost to the taxpayers of Aroostook County. Also to ensure adequate funding from the state to maintain the Aroostook County Jail.
District Three includes Caswell, Connor, Cyr Plantation, Fort Kent, Frenchville, Grand Isle, Hamlin, Limestone, Madawaska, New Canada, New Sweden, Saint Agatha, Stockholm, Van Buren, Wallagrass and Woodland.
