OBSERVER Photo by Rebecca Cuthbert Village Republicans, including Beth Bowker (far left) and others read election results Tuesday night in Forestville’s village hall.

FORESTVILLE — For months, Forestville has been the battleground of dissolutionists and village die-hards, each side passionately arguing its key points. But, now, that fight is over. The village will dissolve at the end of this calendar year.

In an impressive turnout, 331 out of 455 possible village voters cast their ballots Tuesday.

“This is the best turnout I’ve ever seen,” said Election Inspector Arlene Miller. “And I’ve been here (working at Forestville’s elections) for 20 to 25 years.”

For non-village voters, Hanover District 5, the turnout was equally impressive: 529 registered voters cast their ballots out of a possible 607.

“It was wonderful,” said Marlene Bradigan, another election inspector, referring to the day’s numbers.

Polls closed promptly at 9 p.m., a poll worker calling it out to the waiting crowd. To many, it was the gong heralding an end — or a beginning.

Poll workers counted, added, and conferred in hushed voices, their heads tilted forward in concentration. Results were printed and tickets were handed off — one to the Republicans, including Mayor Kevin Johnson and trustees Gloria Yeager and Gary Belote; one to the OBSERVER; and, as for the Democrats, no one was there to claim the ticket.

The vote was 195 for dissolution, and 125 against. Not a landslide, perhaps, but a clear answer to the question that has plagued village residents for months.

Johnson left village hall shortly after the results came in; perhaps contemplating, perhaps not, that he will be the last mayor of Forestville.

Trustees Gloria Yeager and Dave McEntarfer (the only dissolutionist on the village board), stayed behind to chat, and the tone of their conversation was refreshingly optimistic.

“We’ll work together,” Yeager said. “That’s all we can do.”

McEntarfer agreed that the next step, now that a decision has been made, will be to plan for January, and plan fast.

“We’ll need to get together with the Hanover Town Board and see what help they need,” he said. “We’ve got to go over inventory, talk with (Highway Superintendent) Steve D’Angelo, see what equipment he needs, look at our assets, figure things out.”

Yeager focused on the future, saying that Forestville has always been and will always be a community of neighbors.

“We’ll still have our youth (recreation) program, Fall Fest, all of that,” she said. “We’ll still come together as one community.”

McEntarfer noted that, as nasty as some of the back-and-forth has gotten, he’s glad that a decision has been made and that everyone can now move forward.

One thing is for sure. With so many voters coming to village hall and having their say, this decision was representative of the majority of the community’s wishes — and now the only thing left to do is make peace and move on.