Two contested races set for Swampscott election

SWAMPSCOTT – With nomination papers certified Tuesday, the only two contested races in the upcoming town election scheduled for April 29 are for the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Health.There are three candidates vying for two seats on the Board of Selectmen – Jill Sullivan, Robert Mazow and Matthew Strauss.Selectman Marc Paster is not running for re-election this spring and Sullivan was elected Oct. 2 in a special election to serve out the remainder of Reid Cassidy’s term, which expires this spring.Sullivan, who moved to town in 1995, is a Town Meeting member and a former member of the Planning Board. She graduated from Brown University in 1989 and holds a Master’s degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard. Sullivan lives in town with her husband and their three children.Mazow, who is an attorney, is a North Shore native. He said if elected his priorities would include putting pressure on the state delegation to ensure the town receives its fair share of Chapter 70 funding. Mazow, who lives in town with his wife and three children, said one of the things he would like to do is help bring back a sense of community.Strauss has lived in town for 17 years and is a Town Meeting member.Strauss, who has been employed in the hospitality industry for 30 years, said he believes his experience in business leadership would be an asset to the town. He lives in town with his wife Danielle, who is the town recreation director, and their children.Martha Dansdill and Marianne Sperenza-Hartmann are jockeying for a seat on the Board of Health.School Committee members Daniel Yaeger and Shelley Sackett are not running for re-election so their seats are up for grabs. Glenn Paster and Maureen Thomsen are the only two candidates running for School Committee.Moderator Martin Goldman is running unopposed for re-election. Incumbent Eugene Barden is running for another five-year term on the Planning Board and Patrick Jones is running unopposed for a one-year term on the Planning Board. Incumbent William Sullivan is running unopposed for the Board of Assessors. Richard Callahan is running for a seat on the Housing Authority and Jonathan Penyack is running for library trustee.Tuesday was the last day to submit nomination papers to secure a spot on the April 29 ballot. All nomination papers for the town election have been certified and the ballot order will be drawn on March 18 at 10 a.m. in the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall, 837 Humphrey St.