By Mickey Smith & Andrew Martin

     Town Meeting Day is quickly approaching as the winter moves on, and around Lamoille County each town has several openings on their selectboards and school boards. For those towns in the county that elect these officials to these boards using Australian Ballot, the deadline to turn in a petition is by the close of business on Monday, January 30.
     Hyde Park uses Australian Ballot, so candidates have until January 30 to turn in their petitions to run for the various seats, and several have already done so. The town’s school board actually has three seats that will be filled in March. A pair of two-year terms will be filled, as well as a single two-year term which has one year remaining. No petitions have been filed as yet (as of last week) for candidates hoping to fill those seats.
     Hyde Park also has one three-year term on the Lamoille Union High School Board that is up for election, and John Eisenhardt, the individual currently holding the seat, has already turned in his petition declaring his intention to run for the seat again. The town’s selectboard also has two seats available in the upcoming election, one two-year term and a three-year term. Current member Roger Audet intends to rerun for his seat, while current chairperson Rick Heath has stated that he will not seek re-election.
     In Johnson, two selectboard seats are up for bid.  Doug Molde is planning to run again for the three-year position which he currently holds.  But Margo Warden has chosen to retire from the board, which leaves a two-year seat open.  Johnson Town Clerk Rosemary Audibert said a petition has been picked up for this seat, but has not yet been turned in to get onto the ballot.
     On the  Johnson School Board, Teresa Butler is running for the three year term previously held by Christopher Poshpeck.  Butler was appointed to fill out the term after Poshpeck moved.  Edson Jones currently holds the other seat up for grabs, but Audibert said she has not heard from him yet to know if he is, or is not, running again.
Morristown has three seats open on the schoolboard, as Judy Geer and Will Spalding have chosen not to run again and Christy Snipp, who was appointed to the seat vacated by Kathy Demars, has switched to run for a three year seat. Town Clerk Maryann Wilson said along with Snipp's petition for the three year seat, she has received a petition for the one year seat (to fill out the Demars' term) from Jeffrey F. Ciochetto.  A two year seat also is vacant, but no petitions have been turned in regarding that seat yet – but she did say at least one has been picked up from her office.
     On the selectboard, Dave Yacovone has decided not to run. Steve Rae has thrown his hat into the ring for that three-year seat.  Bob Beeman is running again for the two-year seat he currently holds. Wilson said another petition has been picked up for that seat, but has not yet been filed.
     Stowe also uses Australian Ballot at its Town Meetings. The town has one two and one three-year position open on both the school board and selectboard. The three-year term on the school board is currently held by Don Post, while Susan Segal holds the two-year term. On the selectboard, Cornelius Van Dyke currently holds one of the seats up for election, while Norman Williams III holds the other. None of the four incumbents on the two boards have returned a petition at this time, although Jacqueline Shiner has done so for the two-year seat on the school board.
     The other towns in the county elect their selectboard and schoolboard members from the floor.  Petitions are not needed for those seats, those seeking election simply must be nominated and seconded from the floor at Town Meeting.