By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — At press time on Wednesday the Transcript was awaiting confirmation from the Town Clerk’s office that all of the candidates who had submitted nomination papers for various elective offices in the annual Town Election on May 3 had been confirmed.
In order to be assured placement on the ballot, each candidate must submit a minimum of 50 certified signatures of current North Reading registered voters. The deadline to submit nomination papers was 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 15.
According to Stephanie Connolly, executive assistant to the Town Clerk, every candidate who had taken out nomination papers had returned them by the deadline after which the certification process begins.
Changing of the guard on School Com.
Two candidates who will be absent from the ballot are School Committee incumbents Janene Imbriano, 11 Bishops Way, and Chris Pappavaselio, 54 Spruce Rd., both of whom opted not to seek re-election as they did not take out nomination papers.
However, the voters will likely see a crowded ballot for the pair of three-year terms on the School Committee given the fact that all six newcomers had returned their nomination forms by Tuesday’s deadline.
Those likely candidates are Courtney C. Greene, 18 Magnolia St.; Kristen M. Omara, 5 Damon St.; John P. Barrette, 2 Dogwood Ln., Jodi Cloney, 365 Park St.; Jeffery L. Friedman, 51 Lindor Rd.; and Noelle Rudloff, 29 Duane Dr.
School Committee looks to be the only race on the ballot.
On the Select Board, both incumbents, Liane R. Gonzalez, 4 Clover Rd., and Richard F. Wallner, 57 Lakeside Blvd., are seeking re-election to their second three-year term on the board. No other candidates took out nomination papers for a seat on the board.
On the Community Planning Commission, both incumbents, Warren R. Pearce Jr., 219 Haverhill St., and David Rudloff, 29 Duane Dr., are seeking re-election to a three-year term on the board. They do not face any opponents.
Town Moderator John J. Murphy returned papers to retain his one-year term in that position which he has held for the past 17 years. He does not have an opponent.
• Incumbent Housing Authority member Michele Mawn, 5 John Bickford Way, is seeking to fill the remaining three years on the five-year seat formerly held by Mary Prenney rather than seek re-election to the five-year seat she currently holds.
Sherri Greer, 8 Voke St., another newcomer to elective office, is seeking the five-year open term currently held by Mawn on the Housing Authority.
Elective offices for 2022
The following seats are up for election this year. The names of incumbents are listed in parentheses:
• Two seats for three-year terms on the Select Board (Liane Gonzalez and Richard Wallner);
• Two seats for three-year terms on the School Committee (Janene Imbriano and Chris Pappavaselio);
• Two seats for three-year terms on the Community Planning Commission (Warren Pearce and David Rudloff);
• One seat for a one-year term for Town Moderator (John Murphy);
• One seat for a five-year term on the Housing Authority (Michele Mawn);
• One seat for the remaining three years of a five-year term (Mary Prenney, who resigned Dec. 31, 2021 after retiring and moving from town).