Williamstown Town, School Races Shaping Up
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- There will be at least two contested races in May’s town election, but two offices currently have no candidates, and time is running out to get your name on the ballot.
The deadline to return papers is Tuesday, March 22, at 5 p.m.
Nomination papers can be acquired at Town Hall during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and just 28 signatures are required to make a candidate eligible.
For two open seats, currently no one has taken out papers: a three-year term on the Library Board of Trustees and a three-year term on the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School Committee, from which James Gazzaniga is stepping down after three decades of service to McCann Tech.
The contested races, so far, are for the Board of Selectmen and Planning Board.
On the BOS, current Chairwoman Jane Patton has returned papers to keep her seat. A three-year seat currently held by Ronald Turbin has two candidates: Jeffrey Thomas and Cynthia Payne.
For the Planning Board, Sarah Gardner, who currently is filling an unexpired seat of former planner Carol Stein-Payne, is running in her own right for a five-year seat being vacated by current board member Elizabeth McGowan. The two years left in Stein-Payne’s seat are up for grabs, and Anne Hogeland, Chris Kapiloff and Bruce MacDonald have pulled papers.
Both Kapiloff and MacDonald applied to serve in place of Stein-Payne until election day. As of late Thursday morning, Kapiloff had returned his papers.
For the Elementary School Committee, current Chairman Dan Caplinger has returned papers to seek re-election for a three-year term. The seat currently held by Richard Reynolds has one potential candidate; Maury McCarthy Lawson pulled papers on Thursday.
Voters on May 10 will face a ballot that includes incumbent Town Moderator Adam Filson, two spots on the Housing Authority -- incumbent Peter Mehlin and newcomer Nancy LaValley -- and five positions on the Milne Library Board of Trustees. In addition to the one open seat, incumbents Mehlin, Charles Bonenti and Bridget Spahn have returned papers. Debra DiMassimo has pulled papers but not returned them, and one seat currently has no takers.
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