An incumbent, a former town councilor and a medical marijuana business owner are competing for one seat on the Windham Town Council in the only contested municipal race in town this November.
Councilor Dennis Welch is being challenged for an at-large seat by David Nadeau and Charles Hawkins Jr.
THE CANDIDATES
CHARLES HAWKINS, Jr.
Age: 35
Family: Wife, two daughters
Occupation: Owner of medical marijuana caregiver storefront, Maine’s Alternative Caring
Education: Studied commercial aviation at University of Alaska Anchorage, business pre-law at Ohio University, pre-sports medicine at American Public University and naturopathic medicine at Trinity School of Natural Health
Political/civic experience: “This is my first opportunity to run for any political office.”
Website/social media: Charles “Will” Hawkins for Windham Town Council on Facebook
DAVID NADEAU
Age: 69
Family: Partner, four children, 19 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren
Occupation: Retired electronic engineer
Education: Two technical schools and many courses
Political/civic experience: Six years on the Windham Town Council with four years as chairman of the Finance Committee, 10 years on the Windham Planning Board
DENNIS WELCH
Age: 49
Family: Single, one adult son
Occupation: Corrections officer, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
Education: Windham High School, Maine Criminal Justice Academy
Political/civic experience: Town Council since 2011, appointee to the Maine Labor Relations Board, member of the Maine Municipal Association’s Legislative Policy Committee, past president of the local chapter of the National Correctional Employees Union
Councilor Timothy Nangle is running unopposed to retain his seat representing the West District.
The at-large race is taking place as council members have clashed over town management and the status of longtime Town Manager Tony Plante, who this month agreed to step down and was given a severance package by a split council.
Welch, 49, has served on the council since 2011 and said he plans for this to be his final bid for the council. He said there are several issues he would like to continue working on – including wastewater infrastructure for North Windham, managing growth in South Windham and a review of the town’s land use ordinances – before turning his seat over to someone else.
Welch said he liked Plante and that there were no grounds to terminate him, although he said he would support any decision by Plante to retire and voted in favor of severance package.
Welch said he’s tried to help his council colleagues get along better and “get the business done that we get elected to do.”
Welch said working to preserve Windham’s rural character is important and he favors creating an ad hoc committee to look at growth in the town.
Nadeau, 69, lost re-election to the council’s East District seat last fall to current Councilor Rebecca Cummings. Tensions flared on the council in February, when members voted 4-2 not to appoint Nadeau to a three-year term on the Planning Board. Welch was absent for that vote.
Nadeau, who served as vice chairman on the last council when Welch was chairman, said his candidacy is not about challenging Welch but that he wants to work on long-term financial planning for the town.
Nadeau had supported Plante and criticized the leadership of the council.
Nadeau said he’d like to keep Windham rural “as much as possible” and said the town must plan for that.
Hawkins, 35, moved to Windham two months ago from Portland and started Maine’s Alternative Caring dispensary on Roosevelt Trail. He has been critical of the council at recent meetings – in particular over its discussions about retail and medical marijuana policy.
Hawkins’ website, which includes a graphic that features the words “smoke the vote,” acknowledges his previous sentencing in Virginia on marijuana-related charges and says he served “a harsh five-year term.”
Hawkins, who had supported Plante, said he has “no issue” with either of his opponents but was critical of the council in general.
Hawkins sees growth as an opportunity for the town, but said the town needs to step up and control it.
Jane Vaughan can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 123 or at:
jvaughan@keepmecurrent.com
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