Locals seek town, SAD 29 offices in November

HOULTON, Maine — Voters will have a number of choices on their ballots when they go to the polls Nov. 3 as several local residents are pursuing municipal and school board seats.
    According to Houlton Town Clerk Cathy O’Leary, 13 individuals have returned nomination papers for various town and school board positions. The deadline to submit nomination papers was Sept. 11.
O’Leary said individuals who were unable to get their nomination papers turned into the town office by the deadline can submit their names to be write-in candidates for any of the following positions.
Two newcomers and an incumbent are running for two, three-year terms on the Houlton Town Council. Nancy Ketch, Frederick Grant and Philip Bernaiche are each seeking one of the two available seats. Ketch is currently serving on the council, while Bernaiche has served on the council in previous years.
On the SAD 29 school board, four candidates are looking to fill three, three-year terms. Incumbent Bruce Clark, Lorie Holmes, Tammy Goetsch and Paul Cleary have all returned their papers. Cleary is presently serving on the town council, but his seat there is set to expire due to term limits.
There are two candidates for two, three-year terms on the Houlton Water Company board of directors. Gary Severson and Gary Hagan, both of whom have served on the board in the past, are seeking the seats.
Three open seats are also available on the board of budget review, but only two candidates — Carl Lord Jr. and Galen Wilde — have expressed interest in the seats.
Forrest Barnes is also running unopposed for a five-year term on the Cary Library board of trustees.