NORTHAMPTON — City Council President Alex Jarrett will not seek a fourth term representing Ward 5 this fall, one of several developments that continue to happen ahead of the deadline to file nomination papers for the upcoming municipal election in November.

Jarrett made the announcement in his monthly newsletter on April 13, citing personal reasons behind his decision not to seek reelection.

“It’s been such an honor to represent Ward 5 for over 5 years now,” Jarrett wrote. “It’s also been a life-changing experience for me, challenging me to overcome limits and do things I never thought I could do. I look forward to continuing to represent the ward and the city until the end of the term in January.”

Jarrett also stated he intends to stay involved in upcoming campaigns and participate in community engagement after serving his term.

According to the City Clerk’s office, three candidates have filed to replace Jarrett in representing Ward 5. They are David Murphy, who held the position for 14 years before losing to Jarrett in the 2019 municipal election, Vincent Rotello and Aline Davis, an at large member of the School Committee.

Three current city councilors — Ward 2’s Deb Klemer, Ward 4’s Jeremy Dubs and Ward 6’s Marianne LaBarge — have pulled papers to run for reelection in November.

As for additional challengers, Deborah Henson and Benjamin Spencer have filed to run for an at-large position, while Ward 3 looks to have at least three new candidates: Laurie Loisel, Lyle Labarge and Ace Tayloe.

Ward 5’s School Committee representative Ann Hennessey has also announced she is not seeking reelection, joining five other committee members who won’t run again. Those include Ward 1’s Holly Ghazey, At-Large members Davis and Gwen Agna, Ward 7’s Carrie LaBounty and Ward 6’s Margaret Miller.

Three new candidates so far have pulled nomination papers: Alena Bartoli for Ward 1, Angela Wack for Ward 2 and Cynthia Mahoney for Ward 6.

Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has also officially announced her reelection campaign. Currently one other person, David Dombrowski, has filed to challenge Sciarra.

Candidates for the upcoming elections have until July 21 to submit nomination papers to the Registrar of Voters for certification of signatures, with Aug. 4 being the last day to submit nominations to the city clerk. The municipal election will take place this year on Nov. 4.

C-Span honors NHS students

Two Northampton High School students earned honorable mention in C-SPAN’s 21st annual StudentCam competition for a documentary about the potential harmful effects of child influencers.

The documentary, titled “Behind the Screen: The Price of Digital Childhood,” was produced by juniors Jane Harrison-Millman and Shira Sweet. The students conducted interviews with experts such as author Sarah Frier, youth advocate Shreya Nallamothu and Georgia state Rep. Kim Schofield.

“The issue of child influencers and online exploitation is urgent and multifaceted,” Sweet says in the video. “While social media can provide children with opportunities for creative expression and financial independence, it also exposes them to signifcant risks, including predatory behavior, mental health issues and exploitation for profit.”

The students will receive $250 for the video, one of 150 total winning videos submitted as part of the competition. Jeromie Whalen, an educator at the school who served as an adviser in the StudentCam competition, was also recognized by the competition.

Water main flushing

The Department of Public Works Water Division is nearly two weeks into a 10-week annual water main flushing program. Crews began work on April 7, and are flushing mains, weather permitting Monday through Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. through mid-June.

The flushing began in Leeds and is progressing through Florence and Bay State, continuing to downtown Northampton and Ward 3. Water customers may temporarily experience low water pressure or discolored water during this service.

The flushing program is performed as a recommendation by the Department of Environmental Protection to maintain high quality water standards. For further information, contact the DPW at dpwinfo@northamptonma.gov or 413-587-1570.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.