Election Season Brings Contests in Four Towns

With the calendar turning to March, four of the six Island towns
have now closed their spring election ballots. Only in Aquinnah and
Chilmark does time still remain for candidates to return papers and run
for elected town office. Where ballots are closed, voters will have
choices among candidates for the post of selectman in all the towns.
West Tisbury has a race for treasurer, and seats on Island boards of
health and planning boards are also attracting some competition.

Tisbury will open the town meeting season this year with its annual
meeting on Tuesday, April 1, and its town elections on April 15. The
Island's busiest political week brings annual town meetings in
Edgartown, West Tisbury and Oak Bluffs on April 8 and town elections in
all three towns on April 10. Chilmark plans its annual town meeting on
April 28 and its elections April 30; Aquinnah closes the season with its
annual town meeting on May 13 and elections the next day.

Overall, as the Island political season swings into gear, the
rundown of races for town office is as follows:

Oak Bluffs

The Island's hottest political season this year may be in Oak
Bluffs, where seven candidates are vying for two vacancies on the
five-member board of selectmen.

Roger Wey is seeking reelection. Also running are Karen Achille,
David Araujo, Gregory Coogan, Kenneth DeBettencourt, Linda Marinelli and
Hans VonSteiger. Ken Rusczyk is not running for another term.

Three Oak Bluffs residents are running for one three-year term on
the board of health. William White, seeking reelection, is opposed by
Frank Case 3rd and Michael Santoro.

Jesse Law has a lock on his bid for another three-year term as
cemetery commissioner, as does David Richardson for the one-year town
moderator position. Also running unopposed are Judith O'Donaghue
for the school committee, Joseph deBettencourt for tree warden and Kevin
Johnston for water district commissioner. All are three-year terms.

Mimi Davisson, Thomas Wilson and Frank Case 3rd are the only
candidates for three three-year term vacancies on the finance committee.
No candidates have returned papers for the one-year seat and the
two-year seat coming open on the finance committee.

Allan (Buddy) deBettencourt, incumbent, is being challenged by Gary
BenDavid for the three-year job as parks commissioner; David Wessling is
challenged by Phil Hughes for the five-year planning board seat; and
John Leite 3rd is defending against Robert Iadicicco for a three-year
seat on the wastewater commission.

The deadline for submitting nomination papers in Oak Bluffs was Feb.
20. The deadline for withdrawing is March 10.

Vineyard Haven

In Tisbury, where papers were due by the end of business Tuesday,
there are three contested elections on the ballot.

Ray LaPorte, who completed Ed Coogan's term, is seeking
reelection as a selectman. Running against him are Douglas Dias and
Jamie Douglas.

David Dandridge is challenged by Joanna Jernegan for a three-year
seat to the board of assessors. Clyde Griffin and Henry Stephenson are
squaring off for a five-year seat on the planning board while Nat
Orleans is running unopposed for reelection to a two-year seat.

The remaining vacancies in town offices are going unchallenged. Mark
Campos and Remo Fullin Jr. are the only applicants for two three-year
constable positions. Both are seeking reelection.

Four three-year and one one-year position on the finance committee
will be filled, respectively, by incumbents George Balco, Meverell Good
and Nancy Penhune and by newcomers David Willoughby and Bruce Campbell.
Three three-year terms on the library board will go to Nan Carter, Nancy
Hall and Nancy Hammond.

James Pringle is unopposed for reelection to a three-year term on
the board of health, and Arthur Dickson and John Thayer are unopposed
for reelection to three-year positions as public works commissioners.
Robert Tankard is unopposed in his bid for reelection to the three-year
term on the Tisbury School committee, and Jared Jernegan is unopposed in
his bid for a two-year seat on the school committee. Ralph Packer Jr. is
unopposed in his bid for reelection to a three-year term as water
commissioner.

The deadline for withdrawal in Tisbury is March 13.

West Tisbury

In West Tisbury, the deadline to withdraw is March 10. Papers were
due by Feb. 21. There are only two contested elections: for board of
selectman and treasurer.

In the selectman's race, John Alley is being challenged by
Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter for a three-year term. In the treasurer's
race, Katherine Logue and Donna Michalski are squaring off for a
one-year term.

Unopposed are incumbent F. Patrick Gregory for the one-year town
moderator position, incumbent George Manter for a three-year board of
health seat, incumbent Michael Colaneri for a three-year board of
assessors position, incumbent Brent Taylor for the one-year tax
collector job, incumbent Prudence Whiting for the one-year town clerk
job, incumbent John Gadowski for the one-year spot as tree warden,
Timothy Barnett for a three-year position as constable, incumbent Irene
Mentzel and Leslie Baker for two three-year seats on the library board,
incumbent David Douglas for a five-year planning board seat, Eileen
Maley for a two-year planning board seat, incumbent Peter Costas for a
three-year spot on the finance committee and incumbent Richard
Reinhardsen for a three-year position on the park and recreation
committee.

Edgartown

In Edgartown, Michael Donaroma and Mark Morris will compete for the
unfinished one-year term on the board of selectmen left vacant by the
December retirement of Fred B. Morgan. Arthur Smadbeck will run
unchallenged for reelection to a three-year term as selectman.

There are only two other races on the April 10 election ballot in
Edgartown. Jay Guest and Floyd Norton are both running for a seat on the
wastewater treatment commission. Incumbent Norman Rankow and Roger
Becker are running for a seat on the planning board.

Uncontested races are as follows: Wanda Williams for town clerk,
Deborah Thomas for town collector, Robert Hathaway for library trustee,
Bill Erickson for water commissioner, Jane Dooley for financial advisory
committee, Morton Fearey for financial advisory committee, Raymond Snell
for financial advisory committee, Larry Mercier for board of assessors,
David Murphy for board of health and Leslie Baynes for school committee.

No citizens have yet expressed interest in running for one
three-year-terms on the Edgartown library board of trustees. The
unfinished one-year term on the financial advisory committee, left
vacant at the end of last year after the death of Robert Chapman, has
also not been claimed by contenders.

Chilmark

In Chilmark, the deadline for candidates running for political
office is weeks away. There are as yet no political races. Selectman
Frank M. Fenner Jr. is running for re-election, although he hasn't
returned his nomination papers yet.

The deadline for obtaining nomination papers is March 10. The
deadline for submitting nomination papers is March 12. The last day to
object or withdraw is March 24.

Incumbent Leonard Jason Jr. has taken out papers for the board of
assessors, a three-year term and John Flender has taken out papers for
another three-year term as a cemetery commissioner.

Melanie Becker is running for a three-year term as treasurer, a post
from which Judith M. Jardin has retired.