Boothbay Harbor voters will go to the polls at the Boothbay Harbor Muncipal Building on Friday, May 5 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to vote for a candidate for the open Boothbay Harbor seat, a three-year term, on the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District School Committee. The candidates are Jenessa Garrett and Roy Tholl.

Below are their profiles.

Jenessa Garrett

Address: 70 Lakeside Drive, Boothbay Harbor

Occupation: Certified Postpartum Doula, Evidence Based Birth® Instructor, AmSat Certified Alexander Technique Teacher and painter for Coastal Maintenance.

Education: Boothbay Region Elementary School 1998 Boothbay Region High School 2002 Americorps NCCC 2003 bachelor's degree from The College of Santa Fe 2010 AmSat Certified AT Instructor at the Oregon Center for Alexander Technique 2016 Certified Postpartum Cornerstone Doula Training 2019 Certified Evidence Based Birth ® Instructor 2021.

Political History (Board, Committees): I have spent the last 20 years as many peers have: building a career, completing an education and furthering it with additional education and learning who I want to be. This is the first opportunity to share my experiences, passion and knowledge on a board that I feel needs my unique life experience and drive to make words into actions.

Clubs/Organizations: CSF Student Activities, Evidence Based Birth® Member, Cornerstone Birthwork Community Member, American Society for Alexander Technique Member.

Considering the position you are running for, what do you feel are the three most pressing issues?

I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to the school board and serve my community. I walked the halls of both BRES and BRHS and experienced some of my greatest failures and triumphs there.

My big three are:

1. Community engagement and involvement in all age demographics. We are still struggling with some of the same issues we did when I was a kid in the school system 20 years ago. I have gained knowledge and the appropriate skills over the years to work with people who have differing perspectives and backgrounds and I feel I am well equipped to manage an array of people, including those who are most vulnerable. Because of this I am running for the children. To be a voice for them, their parents and their community. We need more community involvement from the younger generations, the ones who will be carrying the legacy forward and who will be affected by the outcomes and decisions made by the school board and other town committees.

2. We need a safe space for learning to happen: physical location/new school and the learning environments created. Figuring out the next best steps to house our students is critical. It is affecting the kids in multiple ways. They have been thrust into three different school settings. They are resilient but they also deserve consistency and figuring out what's best is important. We must do this in a timely manner because what is safest and best for the children is what we should all be concerned about, in whatever environment they may be in.

3. Supportive policies reflecting the unique demographic of our school and the challenges it faces. Right now we have a lack of diversified youth voices heard and valued within the community and school environment. We must make sure those who are most vulnerable in our schools, (minorities, non able bodied and children who struggle) that face complex issues: racism, bullying, poverty and fear of violence have better tools. Including curriculum and resources in the capable hands of our hard working educators.

Any thoughts on why you are running or what you can bring to the office?

I was raised to keep my promises and be a woman of integrity and truth, even when the truth can feel too harsh to hear. I graduated from BRHS. Americorps showed me that we all need to give back to our communities. Dollars for Scholars grants gave me access to higher education. I told them I would pay that forward. This is me keeping that commitment to action. I am inspired by my grandmother and mother who started the BRES after school program in the 90s and watched my father coach for 20 years at BRHS. I feel called to be a passionate and motivated voice for all the kids who feel unseen, unheard, undervalued and underestimated. I want to have their voices elevated and heard as I wish mine had been. I want the opportunity to use the negative experiences to grow our school and community to where we are an example of inclusion and compassion.

Roy Tholl

Address: 46 Montgomery Road, Boothbay Harbor

Occupation: Owner, Roy’s Cottage Care

Education: High School

Political History: None

Considering the position you are running for, what do you feel are the three most pressing issues?

COVID-19 aftermath – we will be dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 mandates for years to come as many children fell behind with remote learning. It is important to understand what worked and what didn’t work in order to plan for the future and remediate, where we can, the educational progress of our children.

Parental involvement – everyone is busy so we need to make sure that we have open, accessible lines of communication with the parents in our community. As a member of the School Board, I will represent this important stakeholder and do my best to engage the community to understand parents’ concerns and how I can be a good advocate and best support their needs.

Graduate readiness – I am a high school graduate who took that education and put it to good use. I am mechanical and a hands-on learner. I participated in an apprentice program during high school which provided valuable on-the-job training. I became proficient in construction and heavy equipment operation and became an entrepreneur. I have started and sold several businesses over my career and know first-hand the true value of a high school education. Maine is desperate for good tradespeople and these are well-paying jobs. We need to invest more in getting students ready for their life after graduation and this doesn’t automatically mean college. We need to do more now to prepare our children for life after graduation.

Any other thoughts on why you are running or what you can bring to the office?

I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri coming from a large fragmented family. My wife of 20 years, Lisa, has been visiting Boothbay Harbor since the mid-80s when she was a geology student at UMF. The love of the area, beauty of the midcoast and ties to the families she met kept her returning to Boothbay Harbor annually. Lisa introduced me to the beauty of the area on our annual summer and fall trips. The goals of a quieter life and sense of strong community are what brought us permanently to the area several years ago. I was the beneficiary of a strong high school education, I believe our children deserve options and I believe I can leverage my learning to help and strengthen the local school system. I hope you will support me on May 5.