HOLDEN – Town leaders on Monday selected resident Don Varnum to fill the vacant SAD 63 board of directors seat, Town Manager John Butts said Tuesday.

He is replacing Patricia Sirois who resigned from the school board in December.

Varnum, the former school board chairman, actually ran against Sirois and Robert Kiah during June 2006 local elections and lost his seat.

Town councilors appointed him to serve on the school board until this year’s local elections, which is where the remaining year of Sirois’ 3-year term will be filled.

The elections are June 10, and candidate nomination packets will become available March 19.

Town councilors interviewed Varnum and Richard “Dick” Perry, another former school board member, for the vacancy. During the meeting, a couple of current school board members spoke against Varnum being appointed, Butts said.

Linda Goodrich, the current SAD 63 chairwoman, and Karen Clark both said they “would find it difficult to work with him,” he said.

The vote was 4-1 in favor of Varnum with Councilor Paul Amoroso opposing the appointment.

Varnum serves as chairman of SAD 63’s strategic planning committee and is a the resident member of the school reorganization committee.

During the meeting, the board also:

. Heard a presentation by the Kids of Liberty, a group of middle school students who are in the process of creating a Holden Veterans Memorial. “We’ve offered Public Works to do the ground work for them and the council is going to consider making a donation to them” during the budget process, Butts said.

. Listened to a presentation by Ray Foucher, Department of Transportation project manager for the Interstate 395-Route 9 connector.

. Appointed Ryan Warner to the town’s conservation commission.

. Agreed, after holding an executive session, to allow the town manager to live outside of town.

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