Voters in Whitman and Hanson elected some new faces to their boards of selectmen Saturday, May 20, but Whitman’s top vote getter was a voice of experience — Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski.
Hanson voters looked to voices of change as former Recreation Commission Chairman Jim Hickey garnered 579 votes as the top finisher in a four-person race. Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett was also elected as a Selectman with 543 votes. Incumbent Selectman Bill Scott fell short with 422 votes and former Selectman Jim Egan received 348.
With 680 votes in another four-person race, Kowalski was re-elected, the only incumbent in either town to win his race. Finance Committee Randy LaMattina was also elected to the Board of Selectmen with 626 votes. Newcomers Laura Howe, with 389 votes and Nita Sault, with 188 votes rounded out the field.
Whitman voters also passed a $310,000 Proposition 2 ½ override question to add three more firefighters to Whitman Fire-Rescue beginning July 1 by a margin of 591 for the override and 409 against.
In a three-person race for School Committee in Whitman, incumbents Steven Bois (693 votes) and Alexandra Taylor (549 votes) edged challenger Marshall Ottina (459 votes).