HADLEY — Even though residents on the May 16 town election ballot will not be able to gather for a meet-and-greet forum this year, the Hadley Mothers’ Club is continuing its tradition of holding a candidates night.
On Monday at 7 p.m., the event, using the Zoom app, will be broadcast live by Hadley Media, with the Mothers’ Club coordinating how questions are asked to the candidates.
Denise Devine, president of the club, said the organization had to be quick in arranging the evening. Even though it is still a few weeks before the election, there are likely to be many voters requesting to vote beforehand by absentee ballot because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the rules of the forum are changed by necessity using Zoom, including how the public is included.
“Usually people attended the event and submitted questions after the initial introductions from each candidate,” Devine said.
This year questions have to be submitted by email by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. to hmothersclub@gmail.com.
“We needed the questions to be submitted ahead of time so we can review them and group them together if need be,” Devine said.
The election features a four-way contest for one seat on the Select Board between Nicole Bercume, Brenda Fydenkevez, Jane Nevinsmith and Amy Parsons, a contest for a Planning Board position between incumbent Joseph Zgrodnik and Mark Howard, and competition for a health board seat between incumbent Richard Tessier and Susan Mosler.
Others on the ballot include incumbent Tara Brugger and Ethan Percy for School Committee, incumbent Randall Izer for moderator, William Banack for asseessor, James Shea for Park Commission, incumbent John Yusko Sr. for Housing Authority, incumbent Sheila Konieczny for elector under the Oliver Smith Will and incumbents Maureen Devine and Alan Weinberg for library trustees.
The event will be on channel 192 on Charter cable, through the Hadley Media website at https://www.hadleyma.org/hadley-media and via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLrWdivpqPaJAEc1rGVQe_g.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
