Marblehead elections set

MARBLEHEAD – Shortly before 5 p.m. Monday contested races were in the cards for three town boards in the May 14 town election: the Recreation and Parks Commission, Municipal Light Commission and Water and Sewer Commission.Recreation and Parks Commissioners Charles “Chip” Osborne, Derek Norcross, Sam Ganglani, Linda Rice-Collins and Gerald Tucker face a challenge from Marblehead High hockey coach Robert Jackson.Municipal Light Commissioners Philip Sweeney and Wilbur Bassett also have a challenger, Leggs Hill Road resident John Williams.Fire Chief Jason Gilliland is challenging former Recreation and Parks Superintendent P. Thomas “Tom” Hamond for a seat on the Water and Sewer Commission.Boston financial trader Douglas Percy will seek re-election to a seat on the Board of Assessors unopposed. Pond Street resident Rufus Titus took out papers for the seat but did not return them.Planning Board incumbent James Bishop will seek re-election, but Karl Johnson, whose term also ends in May, did not take out papers for re-election and neither did anyone else. Unless there is a successful write-in candidate, Johnson?s successor will be chosen by selectmen and the remaining four Planning Board members after the election.Running unopposed are Selectmen Jackie Belf-Becker, Judy Jacobi, James Nye, Harry Christensen and Brett Murray, Town Moderator Gary Spiess and School Committee member Eu-Rim Chun.