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Mayoral candidates Karen Kalinowsky and John Krol put their names in the tumbler to decide where they will appear on the ballot. The third candidate, Peter Marchetti did not attend the drawing.
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Registrar of Voters Clerk Joshua Munn, Assistant City Clerk Heather Brazeau and Assistant Clerk of Registrations and Elections Ashley Gangell did drawings for candidates who did not attend.

Pittsfield's Preliminary Ballot Positions Drawn for Mayor, Two Wards

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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The tumbler used to draw names randomly for ballot positions. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Preliminary election ballot positions were drawn on Thursday for the mayoral race and two wards.

"We just want to welcome and congratulate all of you on your nomination for elected office," Assistant Clerk Heather Brazeau said to a small audience in council chambers.

The city will hold a preliminary election on Sept. 19 to trim the candidate fields for mayor, Ward 2 and Ward 7 to two candidates each.

Peter Marchetti and Karen Kalinowsky, both incumbent councilors, and John Krol, a former councilor, are running to replace Mayor Linda Tyer. Krol and Kalinowsky were in attendance to pull their names out of the city's tumbler.

Kalinowsky will appear first on the ballot followed by Marchetti in the second position and Krol in the third.

Soncere Williams, Alexander Blumin and Brittany Bandani are vying for the Ward 2 seat. Current Councilor Charles Kronick is not seeking re-election.

Blumin and a representative for Bandani attended the drawing. Blumin pulled the third position on the ballot and Bandani will be in the first position followed by Williams in the second.



Ballot positions were drawn by city staff for Ward 7, as none of the candidates were in attendance.

Incumbent Anthony Maffuccio was pulled for the first position, Jonathan Morey in the second position, and Rhonda Serre in the third.

The other races did not meet the criteria for a preliminary, including the remaining wards and School Committee.

Brazeau, Assistant Clerk of Registrations and Elections Ashley Gangell and Registrar of Voters Clerk Joshua Munn prepared small cards with the candidates' names and addresses on their voter registrations. Before being drawn, the names are sealed in a small envelope and dropped into the tumbler.

If a candidate or a representative is not there, the names are dropped in by city staff.  Once all of the names are in, one card is drawn at a time and the names are announced accordingly.

The last day to register to vote for the preliminary election is Sept. 9.


Tags: election 2023,   municipal election,   preliminary election,   


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Adams Man Convicted in Murder of Stephanie Olivieri

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An Adams man was found guilty in the 2019 murder of 32-year-old Stephanie Olivieri, a Pittsfield native and mother of two.
 
A jury found Tyler Sumner, 30, guilty on Friday of murder in the first degree and possession of ammunition without a Firearm Identification Card.
 
The trial was held in Berkshire Superior Court. Judge Francis Flannery will schedule sentencing.
 
"Today justice was served in the tragic death of an innocent bystander, Stephanie Olivieri; however, this guilty verdict will do nothing to bring her back," said Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue. "Tyler Sumner murdered Ms. Olivieri while she sat in a car filled with gifts and decorations for her child's birthday. She was preparing to celebrate a wonderful event when her life was ruthlessly cut short."
 
Olivieri, who had been living in Yonkers, N.Y., was found sitting in her running car on Columbus Avenue when police responded to reports of masked men near South John Street and heard gunshots on the way.
 
The officers found Olivieri gasping for breath and blood running down the right side of her head. She was treated by emergency medical services and then transported to Berkshire Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. The Chief Medical Examiner found the cause of her death to be a homicide caused by wounds sustained from a bullet to her head.
 
Multiple individuals testified that they believed Sumner was targeting an individual living in the area of the shooting and that Olivieri was not the intended target.
 
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