The ideological divide that permeates social media and national politics has intensified election season in the Tri-Towns with a particular focus on local and regional school committees.
In Rochester, Joe Pires, whose term on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is up this year, is running for reelection against challenger James O’Brien, who unsuccessfully ran for a school committee seat last year. Anne Fernandes’ and Katherine Duggan’s terms are up on the Rochester School Committee. Both are running for reelection against challengers David Sylvia, Sydney Teixeira and Gregory Hardy.
David Pierre is running against Mattapoisett School Committee Chairperson Carly Lavin for her seat on the committee. Pierre had pulled papers to run against incumbent Frances-Feliz Kearns for her seat on the ORR School Committee but withdrew that candidacy. Kearns still faces the challenge of Richard Reilly for the ORR seat.
In Marion, incumbents Mary Beauregard and Nichole Nye McGaffey are running for reelection to the Marion School Committee against challenger Mirian Nawoichik, and Margaret McSweeny is running for reelection to the ORR School Committee against challenger Jennifer Marie-Zora Stewart.
There are Select Board seats up for grabs in the Tri-Towns.
In Mattapoisett, Brian Connelly is running against incumbent Tyler Mcallister for the latter’s Select Board seat. Brad Hathaway pulled out of the race on Monday, and Catherine Heuberger, who also pulled nomination papers for the seat, did not return them but is running unopposed to retain her seat as town clerk.
Adam Murphy, who lost by one vote last year to incumbent Brad Morse, is running again for Rochester Select Board, this time against incumbent Woody Hartley, the current chairman. Murphy also ran unsuccessfully against Hartley in 2020.
Marion Planning Board Chairman Norm Hills is retiring from his seat on that board but is running for reelection to the Marion Select Board. Hills has no declared opponent for his Select Board seat.
Elsewhere in Mattapoisett, Arlene Fidalgo is not seeking reelection to the Planning Board, opening the door for William Wennerberg as the lone declared candidate for her seat.
Ruth Oliver Jolliffe is seeking reelection to the Trustees of the Mattapoisett Public Library, while fellow incumbent Jennifer Russell is not. With two open seats, Jolliffe faces challenges from Paul Criscoulo and William Coquillette.
In addition to Heuberger (town clerk), Carmelo Nicolosi is running unopposed to retain his seat on the Mattapoisett Board of Health, while Raymond Andrews is unopposed in his bid for reelection to the Board of Assessors, John Vaughn likewise with the Housing Authority, and also Michelle Hughes and Chuck McCullough for their seats on the Community Preservation Act Committee.
Mattapoisett has two single-seat vacancies without declared candidates: moderator and Water/Sewer commissioner.
In Rochester, Ben Bailey and John DeMaggio are running for reelection to the Planning Board against the challenge of Dennis McCarthy.
Marjorie Barrows is running to replace Paul Dawson, who is retiring from his post as Rochester’s town clerk, and Frederick Underhill is running unopposed to remain on the Water Commission. Others running unopposed are: William David Watling (Herring inspector), Suzanne Szyndlar (Assessors), Dale Barrows (Board of Health) and Beatrice Renauld (tax collector.)
Heather Alford, Jane Taylor and Sarah Verbyla are running for open seats on the Trustees of the Plumb Public Library.
In Marion, Chris Collings’ and Eileen Marum’s Planning Board terms are expiring in synch with Hills’ term. While Marum is seeking reelection, Collings is not, leaving two open seats for challengers William Dale Jones and Ryan Burke.
The following Marion incumbents are running to retain their seats unopposed: Assessors Patricia DeCosta and Peter Winters (appointee) and Board of Health member Albin Johnson (appointee.) Johnson is a founder of the Marion Board of Health.
Amanda Chace is not seeking reelection to Marion’s Open Space Acquisition Commission, leaving the commission with a vacancy.
By Mick Colageo