Candidates We Support for Town Election: May 12, 2025

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Board of Selectmen

Christopher Faulkner

Chris was raised in a military family mostly in Massachusetts and is a proud veteran himself. He served as a Cavalry Scout in the Army and after being honorably discharged, earned an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from Fitchburg State and a graduate degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security at National University. Working in the banking and investment side of residential and commercial construction, he has learned to develop and maintain complex budgets and analyze and anticipate possible effects and impacts projects might have on communities. Christopher and his wife Adelle moved to Holden in 2020 and have put down roots in the community. Christopher is dedicated to conducting thorough research on policies to ensure that decisions made will positively impact our neighbors and our community. He would love the opportunity to serve the town that he has made his home

William Holmes

Will and his wife moved to Holden from the Boston area in 2020. Will is an aeronautics engineer by training and brings formidable problem-solving, project management, and research skills to the table, all skill sets that are sorely needed in town government. Will and his wife are expecting their first child this summer, so the main focus of his campaign is making Holden an even better place for families to live, especially when it comes to housing affordability and investing in our schools.

 

WRSD School Committee

Jana Brennan (incumbent)

Jana Brennan is a dedicated and passionate member of the WRSDC, committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all students. As a school committee member for the past three years, and Chair of the Business and Finance Subcommittee for two years, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the position. She has helped establish a new foundation of collaboration and transparency between the Committee and school administration, and through her advocacy efforts, forged close relationships at both the local and state level. She is excited to continue her positive contributions to our schools and help shape a brighter future for our students.

Maleah Gustafson (incumbent)

I have had the honor of serving on the WRSD Committee for the past 7 years, and I am running as a candidate for re-election. Throughout my tenure on the School Committee, I have been a passionate advocate for all our students and families. I care about the needs and education of ALL of our students and want to continue to use my skills and experience to help create the kind of schools they deserve and our residents expect. During my time on the SC, I have learned about our schools, community needs, and roles & responsibilities of the school committee by serving on the Strategic Planning working group; the Business & Finance Subcommittee for 7 years (chair & VC); Legal Affairs Subcommittee (VC); the Equity, Diversity, & Anti-Racism subcommittee (Chair & VC); Audit Advisory Board (Chair); School Committee Liaison to SEPAC (the Special Education Parent Advisory Council); and SIMCO Member at Dawson Elementary. I am passionate about our town, our future, and our children. A Holden resident for 21 years of my adult life, I am committed to providing all children in our district with access to the education they deserve.

William (Bill) Fisher

Bill is immensely grateful for the education he received in Holden. He is a staunch believer in the potential of public schools to alter individuals’ lives. His dad never finished high school, working in a dairy making ice cream, and his mother was a clerk in a retail store. Nevertheless, the strong educational foundation he received in the Holden schools equipped him to attend and graduate from Clark University, obtain a masters degree and Ph.D. from Northeastern University, and become a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Bill’s career as a sociology professor at UMass Lowell makes him uniquely qualified to take an evidence-based approach to developing school policy. With two grandchildren in the Wachusett Regional School District, Bill feels that our schools should provide every student with the foundation for realizing their potential. As a member of the school committee, Bill will work with his colleagues to help ensure that they always will.

2025 Town Election Info – List of candidates coming soon!

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The Holden Town Election is MONDAY, May 12.
There is no early voting, but you can request an absentee ballot by mail by May 6th (form is on the town website) and the last day to vote by absentee is May 9th at 5pm. If the ballots are available (May 1st or so – you can call) you can go fill out your absentee ballot in the clerks office.

Also save the date for the Town Meeting, Monday May 19th at 7:00 pm in the auditorium at Wachusett High School.

Voting in Holden

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Follow and share about our candidates on social media and don’t forget to vote on May 13!!!

Aidan Slaten for Board of Selectmen

Linda Long-Bellil for Board of Selectmen
Lauren Salmon-Garrett for Wachusett Regional School Committee
Richard Maurer and Alan Degutis for Trustees of Damon Memorial
Holden Democratic Town Committee

Good Neighbor Award for 2024

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The Holden Democratic Town Committee announces the recipients of its annual Good Neighbor Award, this year its 29th. The award honors citizens of the town who have made significant and/or long term contributions to the community through their volunteer activities. It’s an opportunity for friends and neighbors to say “thank you” to those people who have touched our lives through what they have given.

Jessica Cosenza
Verena M. Welch 

Jessica is being recognized for her work with Holden’s Community Garden. Verena, a high school senior, is being honored for her work in addressing period poverty. She is also the student running the TOPSoccer program.

The recipients will be honored at a friendly, informal ceremony and reception held on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at Holden’s Senior Center, 1130 Main Street. The time is 7:00 pm. Tim Ethier will make the presentation, which will be telecast live on HCTV Channel 191.

We sincerely hope you can join us.

Shannon Poole – write-in candidate for Wachusett Regional School Committee

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Name, town: Shannon Poole, Holden

Position sought: Representative to the Wachusett Regional School District School Committee

My name is Shannon Poole. I’m running a write-in campaign for school committee to give Holden voters more choice.

My family moved here in summer 2022 looking for a great school district for our three young boys, two of whom attend Davis Hill Elementary. My wife is an artist and middle school teacher in another district. I work in IT at a leading software company.

My interest in education stems from my experience as a parent. In our prior district, I saw firsthand how underfunding, teacher burnout and large class sizes can hinder student progress. We wanted a better district for our kids, and that’s how we ended up in Holden.

Now that we are settled, I want to give back and help Wachusett move forward to support all kids, as well as the teachers and staff who work wonders every day.

I am optimistic that we can address the issues our district faces. Some issues on my mind:

• I will be a positive and respectful committee member and pledge to model civil political discourse and civic engagement for our kids.

• I will focus on the committee’s essential function of financial and operational oversight. While investing in teachers, staff, materials, technology and facilities is necessary to maintain high performance, the committee needs to keep a critical eye on the budget, especially given the financial issues uncovered in the external review.

• The capital needs of our schools include space issues, playground accessibility, and school security. The committee should ensure that administration is following its long-term capital plan. Many projects can only be accomplished through collaboration with town leaders.

• The outdated literacy curriculum needs to be changed to an up-to-date, evidence-based curriculum with more emphasis on phonics. The committee should push the administration to move quickly on this change, while ensuring that staff are adequately trained.

• I will work with others to organize and advocate for more funding from the state for regional school transportation costs.

• Finally, I strongly believe that every kid deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and supportive environment. If elected, I will support policies that foster rigorous academic outcomes, while also providing a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Find me on Facebook and Instagram for more information. Most importantly, VOTE on May 8. Write in Shannon Poole, 12 Windsor Court for School Committee. Thank you.

See Write-in voting in Holden for additional information.

Tom Curran for Holden Selectboard

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Candidate name: Tom Curran.

Position sought: Three-year term on Holden Board of Selectmen.

Hello, my name is Tom Curran, and I am running for Holden Selectman. I was elected to fill a vacancy last year, and have learned much about local issues every day as a selectman. I am running for a three-year term to continue the work for Holden.

My wife Amy and I have lived in Holden for 18 years with our wonderful daughters Jane, 21, and Ellie, 14. Both Jane and Ellie have had great experiences in the Wachusett schools. I have been active in the community throughout their childhood by coaching their sports teams and helping with their Girl Scout activities. My family and I actively support local businesses and attend townwide events.

As a selectman, I contribute the skills I use in my career as a software engineer to analyze issues carefully and thoroughly and strive for solutions that achieve the greatest good. I spend my time attending multiple town committee and board meetings, including those of the Finance Committee, to educate myself on the town’s needs. We are heading into a complex period of budgetary challenges, and understanding all facets of the issues is key to making good decisions as a Selectboard member. I focus on issues that are critical to make Holden strong and united. We are stronger together. I served six years on the Wachusett Regional School Committee (2013 2019), where I was known for being a thoughtful listener and for my ability to view issues from multiple angles. I worked closely with the WRSD administration to implement the ALICE safety protocol in all the WRSD schools. During my time on the School Committee, I also learned a great deal about how the WRSD schools are funded. All the district’s children deserve the best education possible for a brighter future.

Being civically engaged is important to me. I attend town meetings and vote in all elections. I value feeling connected to the community and promote positive change. Holden is a wonderful place to live, with great schools and amenities like the town pool and numerous recreation facilities. Our town is a magnet for folks to move to and raise their families in, as there is so much to offer here.

To learn more about me, follow my candidate pages on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ TomCurran4HoldenSelectboard) and Instagram (@tomcurranforholdenselectboard), or email tcurran@holdenma.gov. Thank you.

VOTE for Tom Curran on May 8.