Seven Candidates File for Five Selectmen Seats

With four incumbents and three candidates running for five seats, the spring election for the Board of Selectmen this year should be very competitive.

Of the current five board members, only William Woodfin is not running for re-election. James Nye, Jackie Belf-Becker, Judith Jacobi and Michael Rockett have pulled the papers needed to file for re-election. Only Belf-Becker has returned her papers with the “50 good signatures” required to be on the ballot.

All papers must be filed by March 21, for the May 9, election.

Challenging for one or more of the seats are Harry Christensen, a former board member and member of the Historic Commission; Rose Ann Wheeler McCarthy, a member of the Cemetery Commission, and Derek Norcross, a member of the Recreation and Parks Board.

The top five vote-getters in the election will serve on the board.

For other offices, Town Moderator Gary Spiess has filed for re-election, and Assessor John Kelly has pulled papers for re-election.

McCarthy has also filed to run for re-election to the Cemetery Commission. Todd Belf-Becker has filed for re-election to the Board of Health.

Jean Eldridge has filed for re-election to the Housing Authority.

There are two seats open on the Abbot Public Library Board. Only incumbent Jean Howe has filed for re-election. Town Clerk Robin Michaud, who serves on the library board, has not pulled papers for a re-election bid.

For one seat on the Municipal Light Commission, incumbent Charles Phillips has pulled papers to run for re-election. Opposing him for the one open seat may be John Avata, who has pulled papers for a run for that board.

Philip Helms, the chairman of the Planning Board, has pulled papers for his re-election bid. Kurt James, who is a current member of the board, has not.

Four of the current Recreation and Parks Board members have pulled papers for re-election for another year. They are Charles Osborne, Linda Rice-Collins, Sam Ganglani and Derek Norcross.

School board member Richard Nohelty has pulled papers to run for re-election to a three-year term. Bartos Hyte has also pulled papers to run for the school board. The second seat up for election this year is currently held by Patricia Blackmer, who has not pulled papers for a re-election bid.

Bradford Freeman, currently on the water and sewer commission, has pulled papers for re-election to one of the two seats on the commission. No one else has filed for that commission.

The following people have pulled papers for the May election