Competitive Races For Schools, Library In Town Election

At exactly 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, Assistant Town Clerk Meg Piccione took out a set of keys and locked the doors to the office.

And with that act, the coming town election on Monday, April 4 – only seven weeks in the future – is all but set.

And if all the candidates for town-wide office have the signatures on their nominations certified – which should occur by Wednesday, said Piccione – voters will have two competitive and interesting races to follow.

To fill the two seats open for, Chairwoman Ann Rittenburg and fellow incumbent Laurie Graham will meet Kevin Cunningham, a Chandler Street resident making his third try for a seat on the committee.

Cunningham was third in last year's town election for school committee and was a candidate in 2008 for a vacant seat eventually filled by Becky Vose. 

Mary Keenan and Vice Chairman Hal Shubin of the  will be defending their seats as Matt Sullivan, a lifelong resident, attempts to win in his second try at town-wide office.

According to Piccione, the only resident who did not return his papers was Richard Butler who had taken out nomination papers to fill the position of . Floyd Carman, the town's current treasurer, has brought in his nomination papers.

Just 15 minutes before the deadline, Alex Corbett – who is seeking another term on the cemetery commission – came in to submit his nomination papers, "just being the nature of my procrastination."

Corbett, whose father was also a member of the cemetery commission, said he has continued running for a seat since 1998 "as a kind of way of giving back to the community we live in." 

Corbett said being on the commission "is kind of rewarding because it makes people happy and that's a tremendous feeling." 

Town-wide office

Nomination, signatures certified. name on the ballot

Board of Selectmen: Ralph Jones

School Committee: Laurie Graham, Anne Rittenburg, Kevin Cunningham

Treasurer: Floyd Carman

Library Trustees: Mary Keenan, Hal Shubin, Matthew Sullivan

Town Moderator: Michael Widmer 

Board of Health: Donna David 

Board of Assessors: Robert P. Reardon (three year term), Martin Millane

Housing Authority: Charles R. Laverty, III

Board of Cemetery Commissioners: Alexander E. Corbett, III

Did not return nominations papers at the deadline

Treasurer: Richard Butler