SOUTH HADLEY — The only contested race during this year’s town election saw a longtime incumbent and a brand-new candidate elected to the Municipal Light Board.
There were three candidates running for two, three-year terms up on the board, which oversees the South Hadley Electric Light Department, known as SHELD. Paul Dobosh, a 78-year-old retired Mount Holyoke College professor, came in first with 372 votes, according to unofficial results from the town clerk’s office. Kurt Schenker, a 59-year-old retired Fire District 1 employee who has sat on the board since 2016, came in second with 335 votes.
Coming in third with 310 votes was Ronald Couto, 60, who worked for 35 years developing electric markets for ISO New England, the region’s wholesale power grid operator. The Select Board had appointed him to a vacancy on the board late last year.
There was also another two-year seat up for election on the Municipal Light Board, which Denise Presley won in an uncontested race.
Dobosh had highlighted his background in chemistry and computer science, and focused his campaign message on the existential threat that climate change poses for humanity.
On Wednesday, Dobosh said that he was surprised by his victory and that he looked forward to his first meeting on the body.
“To be honest, my priority is to learn,” he said. “I like to listen as much as I like to talk.”
Schenker, meanwhile, had highlighted his work on the board as SHELD began installing fiber optic broadband internet across town. He also spoke about the need to keep electric rates down for the town’s ratepayers.
In a phone interview Wednesday morning, Schenker said it was the first he had heard about securing reelection. He said he was happy with the result and looking forward to continuing to move SHELD forward.
“I want to make sure our fiber continues forward and hopefully we’ll see it finish by the end of this term,” he said.
In other uncontested races, Renee Sweeney was elected to a three-year term on the Select Board, Eric Friesner won a three-year term on the School Committee and Lynda Pickbourn Smith secured a one-year term on the School Committee.
Christine McKiernan and Stephen Frantz won three-year seats on the Board of Health, Thomas Reidy earned a three-year term on the Board of Assessors and Joanna Brown will serve three years on the Planning Board. There were also three library trustees elected to three-year terms: Robert Berwick, Barbara Merchant and write-in candidate Gail Scanlon.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.