The results are in from this year's Town Election, the races of which were all uncontested, and there are no immediate surprises, Town Officials said.  And while the voter turnout did not come as a surprise to officials and those manning the polls, the result was a tad higher than expected.  "It's a little bit higher than I expected, a 3 percent turnout," said Westwood Town Clerk Dottie Powers. "But overall a pretty quiet day. " Voter turnout in 2004 - when candidates last ran unopposed - was closer to 2 percent, with less than 200 ballots cast.  A total of 278 registered voters took the time…

This year’s Town Election in Westwood was full of uncontested races, and the turnout numbers showed. Only about 3 percent of registered voters made it to the polls on Tuesday. Still, the number was higher than in 2004 - the last time candidates ran unopposed - when turnout was only at 2 percent. Unlike the State elections last Novemner, which brought in 75 percent of registered voters, there were no signs for candidates out front. Traffic and lines to the polls were also noticeably low. With about an hour to go in the election, 229 of the roughly 10,000 registered voters casted a ballot. Town…

It's Election Day in Westwood, and we'll be bringing you complete coverage from the polls throughout the day, as well as final turnout and voter results this evening.  Unlike turnout from last fall's State Elections, this year's local elections are looking to bring in low voter turnout, according to Westwood officials. "We're just anticipating a quiet day overall," said Town Clerk Dottie Powers. "Even our absenttee voting is way down." All candidates in this year's race are incumbents running for re-election unopposed, something Westwood hasn't seen since 2004, Powers said. Prior to that, an …

Westwood's Annual Town Election is tomorrow, and a number of candidates across multiple town boards and committees are up for re-election.  The race this year, however, is looking to be a slow one, as all candidates are running unopposed. The lack of contested races has also prompted a cut back in polling hours for tomorrow: Polls will be open from 12 to 7 p.m. Check back with us throughout the day and evening Tuesday for complete election coverage from the polls, as well as final turnout and voting results.  The following candidates, many of whom began pulling nomination papers in January, …

Longtime Westwood Resident and Housing Authority Board member Jill Onderdonk is running for her fifth term, unopposed, in this year’s town election. Onderdonk was appointed to the Housing Authority in 1990 to replace a member who passed away. She was elected to the board in 1991 and has run for re-election every five years since. “I have experience in working with low- and moderate-income people, and in administering various housing programs,” said Onderdonk. “I have professional experience in advocating for programs and resources that I have gained over the past 23 years that I have worked …

After serving a single-year term as a replacement last year, Westwood Planning Board member Carol Chafetz is running for re-election this April. She'll be seeking a three year term, and, like all candidates in this year's Town Election, will be running unopposed. Chafetz admitted that since she is relatively new to the Planning Board, she is still learning various aspects. However, she said that her 20 years of experience as a town/city planner, and her Master’s Degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from Tufts University, has been a tremendous help. Chafetz has also held the positions of…

Editor’s Note: The following article is part of a series profiling several incumbents on various boards running for reelection this year. Like all boards and committees with open slots in the 2011 Town Election, the race for a seat on the Westwood Board of Selectmen is unopposed this year, with three-year incumbent Phil Shapiro running for reelection. In addition to his three years serving with the Selectmen, Shapiro has also been the Vice President for Finance/CFO at Babson College for five years. For 12 years, he ran the Boston office of Standard and Poor’s, where he did bond ratings of …

Editor’s Note: The following article is part of a series profiling several incumbents on various boards running for reelection this year. It’s looking to be a rather quiet Town Election this April, especially on the end of this year’s School Committee race, which involves two incumbents who are running unopposed. Each recently spoke to Westwood Patch about how they think the School Committee is working these days, as well as their thoughts on running without any challengers. Josepha Jowdy One of the incumbents up for reelection is School Committee Chair Josepha Jowdy, who recently said she …