The remaining incumbents for the May 18 Town Election have announced their plans for candidacy.
Town Moderator Bill Barton and Davida Bagatelle, a library trustee, will both be running for reelection. On the other hand, two seats on the board of trustees for Warner Free Lectures will be open as Jeff Boudreau and Jennifer Malloy Combs step down from their positions. Two weeks ago, Jen Manell announced she would be running for reelection as a library trustee; and Sharlene Cronin and Shannon Molloy announced they would seek reelection to the School Committee. Lucy Wallace said she would not run for reelection to the Select Board, and this week Erin McBee announced she will be running to fill Wallace’s seat.
Town moderator
Barton has held the position of town moderator since 2018. “I think it’s really important to give service back to our town, and I appreciate people who give back in all sorts of capacities,” he said. A member of the Harvard Fire Department since 2007, Barton said he enjoys being able to contribute to the community. In particular, Barton enjoys the challenges of facilitating town meetings. It is “really important for all town residents to participate in our decision-making process,” he said.
Barton added that he is encouraging everyone to consider participating in town government, especially considering the large number of vacancies across the different town committees. “The more new people and voices we have, the better,” he said.
Warner Free Lecture board of trustees
In announcing his decision not to seek reelection as a Warner Free Lecture trustee, Boudreau said, “I hope some interesting and qualified people will step up,” encouraging other community members to run for the open position.
Combs said she would not be running for reelection either, and she expressed a similar sentiment to Boudreau’s. Throughout her last term on the board, Combs said she met lots of new people and helped to plan a lot of great events. “I had a really great time [on the board] and I would encourage anybody to run,” she said.
Harvard Public Library board of trustees
Bagatelle has been on the Harvard Public Library board of trustees since she moved to Harvard in 1996 and hopes to be reelected to the board again this year. “I still have more to give and more to add,” she told the Press. “I bring everything I have to what I’m doing, and I bring that to the library.” Bagatelle said she was approached about joining the board when she first moved to Harvard, and she soon became one of the youngest board members. Now, as a longstanding library trustee, her “institutional knowledge” and continued curiosity offer a unique perspective. Bagatelle said she finds that her ideas both complement and challenge the board, creating a balanced perspective and cultivating creativity. Particularly as the library begins the process of reopening post-pandemic, Bagatelle said she looks forward to figuring out how to safely open the library for the community. As a trustee and a teacher of more than 40 years, Bagatelle has felt it important to support the library and find ways to improve it. “I’m a lifelong learner,” she said.
