Candidates Night is tonight, WCTV's debate is next week, and the April 2 town election will be here before you know it.

The ballot features one contested race -- for two, three-year terms on the Board of Selectmen. Incumbents Steve Holmes of Onset Avenue and Cara Winslow of Peaceful Lane are seeking re-election. They are challenged by Frank DeFelice of Maki Way and Patrick Tropeano of Dowd Avenue.

Wareham Week will be running profiles on the three-year Selectmen candidates next week, but here's a bit about the candidates running in uncontested races.

Selectmen, one-year term

Judy Whiteside of Great Neck Road is running unopposed for a one-year term on the Board of Selectmen, created when Ellen Begley resigned earlier this year.

"I hope to bring some unity to not just the board itself, but also between the board and the School Committee," Whiteside said. "It bothers me that there's a 'we vs. they' attitude when it comes to the budget," she added, noting that the School Department's budget is part of the town's budget as a whole, and thus, is everyone's responsibility.

Whiteside served as Selectman in the early 1980s -- her last name was "Montminy" then. She resigned when the board appointed a town administrator she didn’t think was qualified for the job.

“The Board of Selectmen appointed a Town Administrator who had absolutely no qualifications. They didn’t advertise, they didn’t look around for the best candidate,” said Whiteside.

A year later, in 1985, she came to serve on the board again when four members of the incumbent board were ousted by a recall petition.

Whiteside has a few things she'd like to work on over the next year.

"I want to be able to start the process of getting a Red Cross safety shelter, not just a warming shelter," she said.

During the recent blizzard, the town's Multi-Service Center was used as a place for residents to warm up, but there is no budget for food or other services one might find at a Red Cross shelter.

"It's really unfortunate that it takes something scary to make people want to create something that makes sense," she said, referring to the blizzard. "We are a coastal community. Whether it's hurricanes or snow storms, we do lose our power frequently."

Whiteside would also like to work on getting the state to include mobile homes in its definition of affordable housing.

Right now, because Wareham does not meet a state-mandated percentage of affordable housing, the state allows developers to avoid many local zoning restrictions if one decides to units which are sold or rented at below-market costs to people who meet certain income and asset requirements.

If mobile homes were deemed "affordable," Wareham would likely meet its quota.

"When they were invented right after World War II," Whiteside said of mobile homes, "they were invested as affordable housing for returning GIs."

Whiteside has served on the Finance Committee, and worked as a commercial banker for 23 years, before becoming an English teacher at Wareham High School in 1999. She retired from teaching last June.

School Committee

Incumbent Rhonda Veugen of Glen Charlie Road is running unopposed for her second School Committee term.

With Superintendent Dr. Barry Rabinovitch retiring in July, and a $1.8 million difference between what the School Department is asking for in its budget and what the town is able to provide, Veugen realizes that there will be both challenges and opportunities in her second term.

"We are able to build a leadership team based on the needs of the district," said Veugen, noting that there are administrators retiring in addition to the superintendent. "I respect everything [the retiring administrators] have done, but we have to see this as an opportunity instead of an obstacle in being able to continue on with our goals."

With the current budget shortfall, Veugen acknowledges that tough decisions will need to be made.

"There's no way that we can't cut resources out of the classroom," she said. "And that's the last place that we need to cut right now. ... We have to come up with creative ways to bring resources into our classrooms."

Veugen, who has a background in fundraising -- and a first-grader in the school system -- says she's up for the challenge.

"You have to understand the whole fiscal picture of a district so that you can supplement" its resources with grants, fundraising, and other initiatives, Veugen said.

"We really have to embrace the challenges that we face, bring new ideas, and support the amazing teachers that we have," she noted. "But most importantly, we have to make the hard decisions to make an incredible school system."

Town Moderator

Incumbent Town Moderator Claire Smith of Old Plate Road is uncontested on the ballot, though Weweantic Shores resident Bill Whitehouse has announced his intention to run a write-in campaign for the position.

Whitehouse declined to comment for this story.

If elected, it will be Smith's second term as moderator.

"In the last three years, we've made some progress in how we prepare for Town Meeting, and professionalism in conducting Town Meeting," Smith said.

Smith has helped create a guide for citizens who want to write an article for Town Meeting and petition for it to be on the warrant, which includes instructions on how to make something into a formal Town Meeting "motion." She says she wants to continue such initiatives.

"We still have work to do," Smith says, "and I'd like to continue my efforts for another three years to accomplish more."

Town Clerk, Assessors, Housing Authority

Town Clerk Mary Ann Sliva is seeking re-election. Silva has served as clerk since 1998, and says she hopes to stay until it’s time for retirement.

Roxanne Barboza of Swifts Beach Road is running unopposed for a three-year Board of Assessors seat, which is vacated by Brenda Eckstrom. Barboza, who formerly worked in the Town Clerk's office, says she is running for the seat because she is passionate about helping people.

Robert Powilatis of Cory Drive is unopposed for a five-year term on the Housing Authority.

Powilatis served as the First Deputy State Auditor, retiring from the position in 2002. He stayed on as a consultant to the office until 2010. Before moving to Wareham in 2010, he served on the Holbrook Board of Selectmen, Board of Assessors, and the Housing Authority. He says his experience in state government will be useful to the Housing Authority in seeking grant money for housing programs.

Get to know the candidates during the events below!

Candidates Night

The Onset Protective League will host its annual Candidates Night at 7 p.m. tonight at the Dudley L. Brown VFW in Onset.

The event is an opportunity to get to know the candidates. Attendees will be permitted to ask general questions about the various offices on the ballot, and all candidates running for that particular office will respond.

WCTV Candidate Debate

Wareham Community Television (WCTV) is hosting its Candidate Debate on Wednesday, March 27, at 7 p.m. The debate will air live on Comcast channel 9 and Verizon channel 30.

Representatives from Wareham Week, the Wareham Courier, and the Standard-Times will pose questions for candidates. Wareham residents are invited to e-mail questions to debate2013@warehamtv.org. Include your name and address, and whether or not you'd like your name to be announced on-air. (Addresses will remain private.)

Wareham's Coffee Hour

Residents Bob White and Sharon Boyer are inviting residents to chat with candidates at Wareham's Coffee Hour, held every Thursday at 9 a.m. in room 225 of the Multi-Service Center, 48 Marion Road.

For more information, contact Bob White at wrcw@verizon.net.