JPNC election July 12


David Taber

Fifteen official candidates and at least one write-in hopeful will be contending for 20 seats on the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) in elections July 12.

The council has seats for five members representing three different areas in JP as well as five at-large members.

Going by the list of people who turned in enough signatures on their nomination papers, there are five candidates for at-large seats: Mark Pedula, Jesús Gerena, Michael Reiskind, Pamela Bender and Felix G. Arroyo. There are two certified candidates from area A: Sol Tangvik and Mark Pedula. Area B boasts four official candidates: Steve Backman, Yawu Miller, Francesca Fordiani and David Baron. In area C, Andrea Howley, Steven Lussier, Kevin Leary and Red Burrows are running.

Carlos Icaza, who currently represents area A on the council, said he was unaware of the election schedule and did not collect the signatures necessary to get his name on the ballot. He will be running as a write-in candidate.

As of press time, there are no contested seats in the election.

Area A includes Jackson, Hyde and Egleston Squares. Area B runs from the east side of JP Center up to Forest Hills. Area C covers Pondside, Moss Hill and parts of Forest Hills.

The election will take place on July 12 at Jamaica Plain Orange Line stations, as well as Hi-Lo Foods in Hyde Square, J.P. Licks, and in the parking lot next to Star Fish in Egleston Square.

Ten candidate’s biographical statements now appear on the Gazette Web-site (www.jamaicaplaingazette.com). In order to present as full a picture of the field as possible The Gazette will continue to post candidate’s biographies, as they are submitted, until 5 p.m., July 10.

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