USA - Fluoride loses, Smadbeck returned to office

Voters overwhelmingly defeated an initiative to add fluoride to the town’s water, a rebuff to a controversial order issued by the board of health. In a vote of 700-253 with 16 blanks, the fluoride initiative lost, despite the strong backing of dental and health professionals on the Island.

The town’s board of health voted to add fluoride, prompting a controversy over the decision and the process used to issue that order. The town’s water commission opposed the move. Ultimately, a petition was circulated to bring the fluoride issue to a townwide vote culminating in Thursday’s no vote.

Some 969 of the town’s 3,627 registered voters went to the polls or 26 percent.

In a contested race for selectmen, incumbent Arthur Smadbeck was returned to office over challenger Gail Gardner. That race was much closer with Smadbeck getting 500 votes to Gardner’s 444. Smadbeck, the board’s chairman for the past year has 24 years of experience. “I’m grateful that I have enough support in town to continue as a selectman,” Smadbeck said. “I’m very appreciative.”

Gardner, an Edgartown school teacher, was an outspoken critic of the process used to pick a new police chief. She writes a community column for The Times. “I’m happy. I’m fine. I’m great. I would have prefered to win, but we ran a great campaign,” Gardner said. “It’s really hard to defeat an incumbent.”

Gardner said she’ll look to stay in politics by volunteering for a town committee and didn’t rule out a future run for office. “I have great interest in it,” she said.