By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – A longtime School Committee member is hoping someone will run for her job this fall.

Ronella Paradis, who has filled the Ward 6 School Committee seat for the last eight years, said she has decided not to seek another term.

“I’m tired,” she said. She and her husband, Mark, the Ward 6 city councilor, are moving to a new home in their ward, and she started a new job at the state Department of Human Services last month.

“It’s just too much at this point,” she said. “I tend to take things personally and bring School Committee stuff home with me. I can get pretty red in the face about things. I just need to take a break from that for a little while.”

Now Paradis said she’s hoping someone steps forward to fill her shoes in this November’s election.

Candidates have almost a month left to take out nomination papers. The Ward 6 School Committee spot is currently the only one in the city not to have a potential candidate.

Candidates for city office have until 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 to hand in their nominating petitions. At-large School Committee candidates must submit petitions with at least 50 signatures, but not more than 100, of registered city voters. Candidates for other School Committee seats and for City Council must submit signature papers with between 50 and 100 signatures of registered voters in their ward. Candidates for mayor need to gather signatures of 100 to 200 registered voters from anywhere in the city.

Four incumbents have already met the requirements. Ward 4 Councilor Ron Jean, Ward 7 Councilor Normand Rousseau, Ward 1 School Committee member John Butler and Ward 2 member Laurier Lachance are all on the Nov. 8 ballot. Charles Soule, seeking the mayor’s job, has also met the city’s requirements and will be on the November ballot.