Colrain voters elect new town clerk

Tom and Anne Yeomans check in to vote at the Town Offices in Colrain on Tuesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Poll workers Susanne Hale and Jade Mortimer check Robert Slowinski out after voting at the Town Offices in Colrain on Tuesday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Voting at the Town Offices in Colrain. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

Staff Writer

Published: 05-15-2025 2:16 PM

COLRAIN — Voters have elected Emma Coburn to be the new town clerk.

This year’s election saw a 12.9% voter turnout, with 183 of the town’s 1,415 voters casting their ballots on Tuesday. Voters determined who would serve on several boards and committees, including deciding the outcome of contested races for town clerk and Griswold Memorial Library trustees.

Voters narrowly elected Coburn with 95 votes, compared to the 85 votes earned by incumbent Anna Lavarreda.

“It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to working with the community and being the best town clerk I can be,” Coburn said in a phone interview Thursday. “I want to give a big thank you to everyone that supported me and voted for me.”

Coburn, 33, owns Wild Mare Farrier Service, through which she spends her days doing hoof trimmings. During a Meet the Candidates Night that was held in advance of Tuesday’s election, she said she is an organized person and that she would spend 20 hours a week in the office, including during the afternoons and evenings, as town clerk.

Coburn said she is still working with the Selectboard and town administrator to determine the specifics of when she will officially take office, but she is hoping to get sworn in at the next Selectboard meeting on May 27. After that, she plans to spend a few days training with Lavarreda to begin holding office hours and carrying out the duties of town clerk by end of May.

Voters also considered who should hold two available positions as Griswold Memorial Library trustees, ultimately reelecting incumbent Martin Dagoberto Lydgate Driggs (104 votes) and electing newcomer Hadley Looman (103 votes). The third candidate, Melinda Connors, earned 85 votes.

The results for the non-contested races are as follows:

Article continues after...