By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
This year’s Town Election will certainly be an interesting one, with contested races for the Town Council, among others.
The election will take place on April 6. Feb. 16 was the final day to turn in nomination papers so that the 25 signatures required of each candidate could be certified by the Elections Office. A list of all candidates whose signatures have been certified was sent to the North Star Reporter.
All nine seats on the council will be on the ballot, and members Michael Lennox and Keith Lapointe have previously announced that they will not be seeking a second term. The remaining seven members—Justin Pare, JoAnn Cathcart, John Simmons, Julie Boyce, Darius Gregory, Kathleen Prescott, and Andrew Shanahan—are running for re-election, but they won’t be doing so unopposed.
Dan Donovan, Andrea Slobogan, Patrick Reynolds, John Donohue, and Mark Gould have also thrown their hats into the ring.
These candidates bring a diverse array of experience to the table. Donovan is a member of the Historical Commission. Slobogan is chairman of the North Attleborough Cultural Council and an active supporter of downtown North Attleborough, having managed several events. Reynolds is a former member of the Board of Selectmen and ran for the Democratic nomination for state representative, losing to current State Rep. Adam Scanlon. Donohue is a member of the Board of Health and has served in town government for the last 26 years.
In the race for School Committee, Kathryn Hobbs is the only one of three members whose seat will be on the ballot to pull papers for re-election. Kevin O’Donnell and Carol Wagner have not turned any in, according to information provided by the Elections Office. Tasha Buzzell and Joseph Flaherty also pulled and turned in their nomination papers. Matthew Wise—president of the Falls School PTO—pulled papers to run for the committee, but recently announced his withdrawal from the election. Katelyn Castonguay also pulled papers, but later told the Elections Office that she opted not to run.
Seats on the Board of Electric Commissioners, Board of Public Works, and Park Commission will also be on the ballot. Electric Commissioner John Casey has pulled papers for re-election and will face Craig Cameron and William Carson for the two available seats. Commissioner Brett Langille has not pulled papers to run for another term.
Eric Robbins and Michael Thompson will run for re-election to the Board of Public Works, and are unopposed for these seats.
There are two seats on the Parks Commission on the ballot—currently held by Martin Grealish and Patrick Weir—and neither has pulled papers to run. Mark Giansante, vice-president of North Attleborough Little League, and Michael Izzo have turned in their nomination papers for the seats and so will be running unopposed.
