Ann Marie Foley plans run for Grafton Select Board

The candidates for Select Board have increased to four, with longtime recreation and environmental advocate Ann Marie Foley declaring her candidacy Friday.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a number of years and I guess I just felt the timing was right for me personally and professionally,” said Foley, who moved to Grafton 30 years ago after her marriage.

She joins Finance Committee member Andy Jefferson; Richard Whitney, a current member of the Community Preservation Commission and a retired businessman; and Carl Palmer, a senior cybersecurity analyst, in the race.

Incumbents Peter Carlson and Doreen DeFazio are not seeking re-election.

Foley spent a decade on the Recreation Commission and headed up the Field Coalition, a committee charged with finding spots for new playing fields. She was also involved in building the skate park, which was demolished during construction of Grafton High School, and served on the Super Park renovation committee.

She now serves as a member-at-large on the town’s ARPA Committee and runs the Green-Up Grafton Facebook page. She has worked as a physical therapist, in private practice, for 25 years and has been and adjunct professor at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

“I feel like I’ve been relatively engaged, and I want to do more,” Foley said. “I’ve been watching the Select Board meetings and I figured I should truly get engaged. I do enjoy learning new things, and this will be a good challenge.”

While the Select Board race tops the ballot, the School Committee looks to also be challenging. There are three School Committee seats on the ballot for the Town Election and incumbent Jennifer Connelly has announced she will not seek re-election. To date:

• Incumbent Amy Marr, the current School Committee chair, has pulled nomination papers for re-election to her three-year seat;
• Mariagraciela Vargas-Baker, who was appointed to the School Committee in February, has also declared for the one year remaining in the term of Rahul Rathi, who resigned in December.;
• Liora Bram, a communications and marketing professional who serves as co-chair of the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee, has pulled nomination papers for a three-year seat;
• Cherilyn Reno, who has degrees in biochemistry and linguistics, is running for a three-year seat;
• Craig Juelis, a former principal in Medway and North Attleboro, has declared for a three-year seat.

Town Clerk Kandy Lavallee has returned papers for what may be her final election — the town is considering making her position appointed rather than elected.

On Planning Board, David Robbins and Prabhu Balaji Venkataraman are seeking re-election.

Dana Wilson is seeking re-election to the Board of Library Trustees.

Nomination papers are now available in the Town Clerk’s office. Remaining seats on the ballot this year include:

• Select Board – Two 3-year terms, currently held by Peter Carlson and Doreen DeFazio, are up for election. Both are not seeking re-election. 
• School Committee — Two 3-year terms, currently held by Amy Marr and Jennifer Connelly and one 1-year term, now held by Mariagraciela Vargas-Baker. Connelly is not seeking re-election.
• Board of Library Trustees – Two 3-year terms, currently held by Dana Wilson and Daniela Sharma, are up for election.
• Planning Board – Two 3-year terms, currently held by David Robbins and Prabhu Balaji Venkataraman, are up for election. 
• Town Clerk – One 3-year term, currently held by Kandy Lavallee, is up for election.

Papers must be returned by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29 for certification. Nomination papers must contain the names of at least 50 registered voters of Grafton, but candidates are urged to submit more than the minimum number required in case some names or signatures cannot be verified. Candidates may withdraw their nomination papers up until 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 14.

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