This week is the last week that residents can take out nomination papers for elected office in the Town of Weston. Nomination papers ensure that names are printed on the ballot. While candidates can run for office after the nomination paper due date of March 20, 2021, it is not too subjective to say that things get harder for write-in candidates.

As of yesterday’s Town Election Update, nomination papers had been turned in to challenge two positions for School Committee–those of John Henry and Alex Cobb. There is no public word yet from either of those two sitting Committee members if they plan to run for re-election. Challengers are Attia Linnard and Ken Newberg.

Other incumbents who are quiet (at time of this publication) on their official willingness to volunteer again in their current positions: Chris Houston (Select Board), Marcy Dorna (Recreation Commission), Sanford Whitehouse (Commissioner of Trust Funds), and Susan Scott (Board of Library Trustees). Weston has also not heard from two Measurers of Lumber (Neil Levitt and Henry Viles) about their plans. As a side note, the Owl is sad to see that Aidan Fleming, who we believe was the youngest ever Measurer of Lumber at age 18, is not seeking re-election.

Incumbents for the following postions have signed up for running for another term, and are as yet unchallenged: Rip Hastings (Moderator), Gary Koger and Phyllis Kominz (Board of Assessors), Melissa Crocker (Recreation Commission), and Christopher Welles (Library Board of Trustees).

Lori Hess, current chair of Tree Advisory Group, has submitted nomination papers for the seat opened on Planning Board when Susan Zacharias announced her retirement. As of now, no one has stepped up for nomination to the Board of Health where there is an open seat (Elisabeth DiPietro’s has declined to run again).

Finally, nomination papers are out for these roles but have not yet been turned in. If they don’t make it back to the Town Clerk by Saturday’s due date, they “don’t count.”

• Select Board
• Board of Library Trustees (1 of 2)
• Commissioner of Trust Funds
• Measurer of Lumber (1 of 3)

Things tend to change quickly in this last week. Please follow along with current events on the Town’s webpage, or on Facebook Community, where accuracy is sometimes secondary.

On a personal-ish note, the Weston Owl will not be endorsing candidates, and will do its level best to be objective. All of these sitting Board members and hopefuls should have the utmost respect for the number of hours (not to mention the emotional commitment) they put in for Weston. We hope that this election season can break the recent spate of nastiness that threatens to envelop our semi-rural town. We’re all just trying our best, no?