HEATH — This year’s annual town election features a new candidate running for Selectboard, as well as contested races for constable and a two-year Planning Board position.
Polls will be open at the Heath Municipal Building on Friday, May 5, from noon to 7 p.m.
Robert Dane and Steven Thane are running to fill the two-year unexpired term on the Planning Board left by Bob Viarengo.
Working as a glassblowing artist by day, Dane previously served on the Planning Board for three terms from 1983 to 1998. He served as chair for his last six years in office.
During his time in office, Dane worked on the town’s zoning bylaws and subdivision regulations. He also completed a project defining which roads the town is responsible for and which roads are private or discontinued.
After his time on the Planning Board, he served on the Franklin Land Trust’s board of directors for 10 years.
“I have a great deal of experience in all matters related to the Planning Board, and I hope to continue to serve the town of Heath in this regard,” Dane wrote in a statement.
Thane also has considerable experience in town government. While living in Groton, New York, he served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for 10 years. He is also a current ZBA member in Heath.
“For the Zoning Board of Appeals, you often work with the Planning Board,” Thane said. “Zoning has always been an interest of mine.”
If elected, Thane said he hopes to keep the town proactive in making modern, relevant bylaws.
“With COVID, people are moving out in the country,” Thane said. “They have different ideas of how things are done. I think the town needs to keep an eye on things, and the Planning Board is a good place to do that.”
The position of constable is also contested on the ballot. Incumbent William Emmet, who also serves on the Finance Committee, is running against Stephen Bigelow.
Emmet is a retired engineer who worked at Yale University for 30 years. He has had a house in Heath since 2006, but moved to town full-time in 2020.
When he first ran, Emmet said, “I saw a lot of division in town. I saw myself as a newcomer and neutral, so I decided to run.”
Bigelow, a Heath firefighter, thought he might run for Selectboard, but changed his mind and decided to run for constable instead. He is a Vietnam veteran and has lived in town for 50 years.
“I just want to get into town offices and help out when I can,” Bigelow explained. “I hope to get things going the way they should, instead of the way they are.”
Despite being in a contested race, the candidates hold no hard feelings, with each of them saying they’d be willing to vote for the other.
Elissa Viarengo is running unopposed for the open Selectboard seat with a three-year term, as Brian DeVriese is retiring after more than two decades in the role.
Other uncontested races include:
■Assessor, three-year term — Anne Emmet, incumbent.
■Planning Board, five-year term — Douglas Mason, incumbent.
■Library trustee, three-year term — Emily Cross, incumbent.
■Municipal Light Board, three-year term — David Gordon, incumbent.
■Municipal Light Board, three-year term — Anne Emmet, incumbent.
■Moderator, three-year term — Eric Sumner, incumbent.
■School Committee, two-year term — vacant.
Reach Bella Levavi at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.