BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

MASSENA -- Due to a split ruling by St. Lawrence County Board of Elections Commissioners the results of a Massena Republican Caucus will be upheld.

St. Lawrence County Board of Elections reviewed an objection regarding the Massena Republican Caucus last week. At issue is an objection that proper notice for the caucus wasn’t given.

Following a review by commissioners Jennie Bacon and Tom Nichols Thursday the objection was not upheld. Nichols said he could not uphold the objection because he posted it himself.

“For me to ignore my own work would be hypocritical,” he said.

The objection could still be pursued in court, but at this time the results of the caucus stand.

Republicans named Susan Bellor as the candidate to fill the supervisor position and Adrian Taraska and Patrick Facteau as candidates for town council seats.

Additionally, Jannine Brouse was nominated for the clerk position.

Massena Town Supervisor Steve O’Shaughnessy, Al Nicola and Sam Carbone won’t seek reelection for their positions in November.

All three were on council during the lengthy and controversial process of shifting ownership of Massena Memorial Hospital from the town to St. Lawrence Health System.

Democrats are not fielding a candidate for town supervisor, but named Kyle White as a candidate for town council and Joe Brown will seek reelection as town justice.

In the village, Tim Ahlfeld will not seek reelection for Massena mayor, but trustee and former county legislator Greg Paquin will run for the mayor’s seat.

Republicans did not field any candidates for the mayoral position.

The mayor’s seat had remained vacant for months after former Mayor Tim Currier resigned the position after facing drug charges. Deputy Mayor Matthew LeBire ran meetings in his absence until Tim Ahlfeld was recently appointed to the position. Ahlfeld will serve in the position through the end of the year.