SOUTH HADLEY — As town elections in April inch closer, a contest for the Select Board has taken shape after four residents returned nomination papers for two seats.
After nine years on the Select Board, Andrea Miles has opted not to run for reelection, while her fellow member Nicole Casolari has returned to the ballot to seek another term. New candidates David King, Pricella Marion and Kevin Hennessey also returned papers for a three-year term on the board.
There are only a few additional contested races on the ballot. Newcomer Richard Matteson submitted papers for a seat on the Housing Authority currently occupied by incumbent and chair John Duda. Three people from Precinct B are competing for a single, one-year term seat as as a Town Meeting member, and nine people in the same precinct are vying for eight available three-year term seats in Town Meeting.
However, several spots on the ballot remain vacant. Both the Planning Board and Board of Health chairs Diane Supczak-Mulvaney and Karen Walsh Pio, respectively, are running for reelection, but no residents returned papers to run for seats held by vice-chairs Nate Therien and Tony Judge.
One Town Meeting member seat in Precinct A and Precinct E remain open to a write-in candidate.
Several people who returned papers are running unopposed. Nicholas Prentiss and Tracie Kennedy returned papers for two available seats on the School Committee. Kennedy has served on the School Committee since September 2025 after the Select Board appointed her to fill Daniel Vieu’s seat.
Municipal Light Board Chair John Hine and Board of Assessors Chair Kevin Taugher pulled papers to continue their tenure on the two boards.
Three incumbents Susan Crowther, David Morrell and Gillian Woldorf will run for a three-year term on the Trustees of the Free Public Library. Newcomer David Penn Solender-Clark returned papers for a one-year term as trustee.
The town election takes place on April 14 at South Hadley High School.