Marblehead election season off to slow start

MARBLEHEAD – With a month to go until the March 21 deadline for filing nomination papers, there are only five candidates for the 12 available seats on the Board of Selectmen, School Committee and Recreation and Park Commission. The town election will be May 9.Selectman Jackie Belf-Becker and School Committee member Dick Nohelty have taken out papers for re-election to their boards.Roberts Road resident RoseAnn Wheeler McCarthy, a member of the Cemetery Commission, has taken out papers to run for the Board of Selectmen as well.Selectmen James Nye, Judy Jacobi, Mike Rockett, William Woodfin and Belf-Becker serve one-year terms and must seek re-election every year. Although he has not issued a formal statement, Woodfin has said publicly that he is unlikely to seek another term on the board.Patricia Blackmer, whose three-year term on the School Committee ends in May, has not taken out papers yet but Town Moderator Gary Spiess, another who serves a one-year term, has taken out papers for re-election.Incumbent Linda Rice Collins is running for re-election to another one-year term on the Recreation and Park Commission, and Gregory Street resident Charles Phillips has taken out papers for the commission as a challenger. The other members of the commission include Sam Ganglani, Derek Norcross, Charles Nyren and Charles “Chip” Osborne.Board of Health member Todd Belf-Becker, Board of Assessors member John P. Kelley, Cemetery Commission member Wheeler McCarthy, Abbot Public Library Trustee Jean Howe and Municipal Light Commission member Charles O. Phillips are seeking re-election to three-year seats and Housing Authority member Jean Eldridge is seeking re-election to a five-year seat.Glover Square resident John Arata is running for the Municipal Light Commission as a challenger.Incumbents who have not taken out papers yet include Abbot Public Library Trustee Robin Michaud, who also serves as Town Clerk, Planning Board members Philip Helmes and Kurt James and Water and Sewer Commission members John Doane and Bradford Nick Freeman Jr.