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Date: 5/18/2021
SOUTHWICK – Two political newcomers earned seats on two Southwick boards during the May 11 election.
Robert Stevenson won the District School Committee three-year seat with 352 votes, while incumbent and write-in candidate Chelsea Berry received 225 votes.
Before the results were in, Stevenson said that whether he won or not, “this was very interesting and enjoyable.”
When the results were announced, Stevenson, a Republican, said he looked forward to serving the community
“I’m excited to be able to help and bring a new perspective to the committee,” he said. “It’s great to get a chance to do something like this and it’s humbling to see that when you’re willing to put yourself out there that you get support.”
Stevenson moved to Southwick 11 years ago from Canada and has made the town his home.
He served for the last 10 years as treasurer for the Southwick Soccer committee and was a member of the Southwick Soccer 3v3 planning committee. He is a lector and a CCD teacher to junior and high school age children at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Westfield. Stevenson’s education and work experience is in the healthcare field, with 28 years of experience as a physical therapist working in multiple treatment settings, with most of his career being spent in the skilled nursing arena.
His son is a 2020 Southwick Regional School graduate and one of his daughters will be a senior and the other is entering the school this fall.
There was one other contested race: the Southwick Board of Health three-year seat, which was narrowly won by Mikenzie Cain who received 315 votes to opponent Terry Putnam’s 306.
Town Clerk Michelle Hill said that it may not be the closest election result in town, but she could not recall a vote this close.
Mikenzie Cain’s husband, John Cain, was elected to a two-year term on the Southwick Water Commission with 468 votes.
Mikenzie Cain is a registered nurse at Baystate Noble Hospital who stated that “being on the front lines, I understand implicitly the challenges our citizens encounter. I have a Master of Science in Nursing and work as a clinical educator at a local university as well which helps to keep me current on the latest trends and treatments.
“These positions give me a firsthand perspective of how community health guidelines impact patients as well as healthcare providers,” she wrote in her campaign statement.
The Southwick town election brought out 9.17 percent, or 646, of the town’s 7,041 registered voters May 11.
Select Board member Douglas Moglin, who ran unopposed, retained his seat with the highest number of votes. Moglin received 518 votes last Tuesday.
There was no candidate on the ballot for Southwick Cemetery Commissioner, however, Heidi Johnston received 28 write-in votes and Lisa Anderson received five write-ins.
Others elected include Hollie Patricia Hamelin for assessor, David B. Meczywor for water commission, Dean M. Rankin for Dickinson School Trust, Jennifer D. Belden and Tracy R. Meczywor for library trustees, Jeanne M. Reed and Richard L. Harriman for parks and recreation commission, Richard W. Utzinger for planning board and Bryan D. Walker for community preservation committee.