Election ballot has been set

Thursday, March 11, 2010

MERRIMACK – The filing period closed Friday in Merrimack, with plenty of contested races on tap for school and town positions.

Dan Dwyer, Jacqueline Flood, Thomas Lynam and Raymond A. Whipple will vie for two open seats on the Merrimack Town Council. (Incumbents Nancy Harrington and Tim Tenhave announced recently they would not seek re-election.)

Dwyer has been a frequent candidate in municipal races during recent years, running for council in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Dwyer, who also ran for school board in 2007, has been unsuccessful in those bids.

Flood is the chairwoman of the town’s Watson Park Committee, and Lynam, a former military man, also ran for council last year.

Five candidates are seeking two open seats on the school board, places being vacated by Emily Coburn and Rose Robertson-Smith.

The candidates are Shannon Barnes, Todd Beard, Michael Beck, Sally Kinney and Christopher Ortega.

Barnes has run for the board during the past two years and was edged out both times. Beard, Beck and Ortega are all current budget committee members, with Ortega’s term expiring this year, Beard’s next year and Beck’s the year after that.

Kinney is a former math teacher who retired from Merrimack High School in 2009 after 30 years.

Here are the other candidates for town seats:

•Ethics committee, three years, two seats: incumbents Richard Barry and Fran L’Heureux.

•Library trustee, three years, one seat: “Chuck” Charles Rossier, SallyAnn Trepanier, Martha Wagner, Richard Barnes and “Bob” Hamm. None are incumbents.

•Treasurer, two years, one seat: “Jeff” Christensen and Bruce W. Moreau. Neither are incumbents.

•Trustee of trust funds, three years, one seat: Chris Christensen.

•Moderator, two years, one seat: Lynn Christensen.

•Supervisor of the checklist, six years, one seat: Debra Huffman.

Other candidates for school seats:

•Planning and building committee, three years, two seats: incumbents Gage Perry and Stanley Heinrich.

•Planning and building committee, one year, one seat: incumbent Finlay Rothhaus.

•Budget committee, three years, four seats: Dawn Zebuhr, Bill Boyd, Robert Bergin, Emily Coburn, incumbent Stanley Heinrich and George Markwell.

•Moderator, three years, one seat. Davis Powell and Lynn Christensen.

•Clerk, three years, one seat: incumbent Pat Heinrich.

•Treasurer, three years, one seat: Richard Hastings Jr.

Election day is April 13.

Karen Lovett can be reached at 594-6402 or klovett@nashua telegraph.com.