By Beth David, Editor
The annual election for town offices in both Fairhaven and Acushnet will be held on Monday, April 1, 2019.
Deadline for requesting nomination papers and turning them in has passed. It looks like both towns will have at leaste one contested race, although there is still one last chance for candidates to change their minds and have their names pulled.
Deadline to withdraw papers is Wednesday, 2/27.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019, is the last day to register to vote for the town election. The Town Clerk’s office in both towns will be open until 8 p.m. that day.
In Fairhaven you may register to vote any day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Fairhaven Town Clerk’s Office, Town Hall, 40 Center Street, Fairhaven.
In Acushnet, you may register to vote at the Town Clerk’s Office, Parting Ways Building, 130 Main St., Acushnet, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Tuesdays 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Fridays 8:00 a.m.11:30 a.m.
Mail-in voter registration forms are available at both Town Clerk’s Offices, the Millicent Library in Fairhaven, and state and federal offices throughout Massachusetts. You may also register to vote online at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/
Polling Places
Polling places for Fairhaven’s town elections are: Precinct 1, Town Hall; Precincts 2 & 3, Hastings Middle School; Precinct 4, Fairhaven Fire Station; Precincts 5 & 6, Recreation Center. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on 4/1/19.
All precincts in Acushnet vote at the Elementary School on Middle Road.
Contacts
If you have any questions about running for office or registering to vote, contact your town’s Town Clerk’s office.
Fairhaven: office or registering to vote, 508-979-4023, Ext. 3; at Town Hall, 40 Center Street.
Acushnet: 508-998-0215; Parting Ways Building, 130 Main Street, Acushnet (adjacent to Town Hall).
Who’s up for re-election and who’s running?
Fairhaven: Do we have a race or two?
In Fairhaven, Selectboard member Daniel Freitas is up for re-election. He will face challenger Lisa Plante. Both have returned papers and will be on the ballot.
For the Board of Public Works, one seat is up for re-election, held by Michael Ristuccia. Albert Martin, whose bid for a seat on the BPW ended in a tie last year, has returned papers for that seat.
Frank Coelho has also returned papers for that seat, so we have a contest for the BPW.
Mr. Ristuccia, however, did not taken out papers for his seat. He pulled out papers for the Planning Board, but then did not return them, so he will not be on the ballot.
The School Committee has two seats up this year, but only one candidate. Incumbents for those seats are Michael McNamara and Stasia Powers. Both pulled papers; Ms. Powers returned hers, but Mr. McNamara did not return his by the deadline. Diane Hahn also pulled papers for one of those seats, but did not return them.
The Town Clerk seat is also on the ballot for a full term this year. Technically, it is vacant, because former clerk Eileen Lowney retired. Her assistant, Carolyn Hurley has been appointed acting Town Clerk. Ms. Hurley returned her papers with the proper number of signatures, and will be running unopposed.
For the Board of Health, Peter DeTerra is up for re-election. He returned his papers on 12/4/18, and has no opponent.
For Commissioner of Trust Funds, Barbara Acksen is up for re-election. She has returned papers for her seat and will run unopposed.
There are two people up for re-election on the Planning Board, Rene Fleurent and Wayne Hayward. Both have returned papers for their seats and will run unopposed.
There is also an unexpired term for PB, vacated when Nicholas Carrigg resigned. John (Jay) Malaspino was appointed to that position and has taken out papers to run. However, he did not return papers by deadline, so it will be a blank spot on the ballot.
The Housing Authority also has one five-year seat on the ballot this year, currently held by Anne Silveira. Three people pulled papers for that seat, but only Ms. Silveira and Nicholas Sylvia returned them. But we do have a race, with the two vying for one seat.
Acushnet: We have a race!
In Acushnet, the only contested race is for Selectboard.
David Desrosches is challenging incumbent Michael Cioper, who both returned papers.
For all other seats, the incumbents will be running unopposed, except for Library Trustee. Long time member Krisen Leotte decided not to run and no one pulled papers for that seat.
Incumbents who will be running unopposed are: Thomas Fortin, Board of Health; Liberio DaSilva Soares, Board of Assessors; Sarah Gomes and Jennifer Downing, School Committee; Nancy Francis, Trustees of the Free Public Library; Charlene Fortin, Cemetery Board; Marc Laplante, Commissioner of Trust Funds; Christopher Anderson; Park Commissioner; Andrew Gomes, Housing Authority; Richard Ellis, Planning Commissioner.
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