HADLEY — Contested elections for two seats on the Select Board, and one position on the School Committee, are expected at the May 17 town election after nomination forms were filed at the town clerk’s office by Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline.
Select Board incumbents John C. Waskiewicz II and David J. Fill are both vying to keep the seats they have held for nine and four years, respectively, while three other residents are also running, including former members Richard V. Wilga, who served from 1996 to 2002, and Molly Keegan, who was on the panel from 2014 to 2020, and current moderator Randall E. Izer.
For School Committee, newcomers Christine Pipczynski and Toni Lyn Morelli are running for the three-year term being vacated by Heather Klesch, who opted not to run again after serving since 2013.
The election, to be held from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hadley Senior Center, comes after the annual Town Meeting, set to take place at Hopkins Academy May 5 at 7 p.m. Voters last year approved the permanent change to have the election held on the third Tuesday of May each year, following the Town Meeting that has been held on the first Thursday of May most years.
The remaining positions will all be sought by candidates running unopposed, with former moderator Kirk Whatley, who held the role for nine years before stepping down in 2011, the lone candidate to assume that one-year position.
Incumbents are running for several positions, including William E. Dwyer, Jr. for a five-year Planning Board seat, Richard Grader for a three-year term on Board of Assessors, Gregory M. Mish for a three-year term on Board of Health, Jessica Spanknebel for a three-year position as town clerk, William Banack for one year as constable Diane Kieras-Ciolkos for Park Commission.
Newcomers are running for the remaining seats, including Dennis Pipczynski for a three-year term as constable, Maureen K. Devine for one year as elector under the Oliver Smith Will, Lynne M. Latham and Susan E. Mooring for three-year terms as library trustees, former Select Board member John H. Allen for a one-year position on Housing Authority and Harry Chadwick for a three-year position on Housing Authority.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
