Candidates for Southampton Select Board to share views at Wednesday forum

By CAITLIN ASHWORTH

@kate_ashworth

Published: 04-25-2017 11:53 PM

SOUTHAMPTON — With two seats open on the Select Board and four candidates running, the town is holding an event Wednesday night to help inform voters.

Southampton’s “Meet Your Select Board Candidates” forum is at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 210 College Highway. The forum is open to the public, and will also be televised on Channel 191.

The two incumbents up for re-election in the May 1 town election are John Martin and Jacqueline Sears, and newcomers seeking a seat on the Select Board are Maureen Groden and Gary Swanson. 

Sears, an author and watercolor artist, has served on the board since 2011. She is also former co-owner of Western Mass Mechanical Contractor Inc.

Martin works as director of procurement and campus services at the University of Massachusetts. He has served on the Select Board since 2014. 

Groden has spent most of her career in hospice care, management and nursing education. She was elected to serve on the Board of Health as well as Hampshire Regional School Committee.

Over the years, Swanson has served on multiple committees — including a decade on the School Committee, health board and as moderator. 

At the forum, there will be a brief introduction from each candidate. Then candidates will answer two to three prepared questions by current Select Board members who are not up for re-election, and three to five randomly selected questions from community members at the event.

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Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.

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