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15 Vying for City Council in North AdamsBy Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
09:03PM / Tuesday, August 04, 2009
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Fifteen people are vying for the nine seats on the City Council this November.
With only minutes to go before the 5 p.m. deadline, all but two declared candidates had returned their nomination papers with the 50 required signatures.
City Clerk Marilyn Gomeau said she has been certifying the signatures as soon as the candidates have been returning papers. All of those who returned papers will be on the ballot.
Seven council incumbents are up for election: Alan Marden, Robert R. Moulton Jr., Lisa Blackmer, Gailanne Cariddi, Marie Harpin, Michael Bloom and Ronald Boucher. Vying against them are Brian L. Flagg, Michael S. Boland, Dennis J. Whitney, David A. Bond, Keith J. Bona, David A. Lamarre, Gregory B. Roach, and Eric R. Buddington.
Not returning signatures were Ronald K. Sheldon, Maryann Benoit-Albee and David Costa, who had decided last month he would not run. Christopher A. Tremblay also decided he would not stand for election; he did submit signatures in April but did not have the required 50 so his name will not be on the ballot.
If all four had returned papers, it would have triggered a preliminary election, said Gomeau. "It has to be double the number of councilors [9] plus 1."
The number of candidates is equal to that of four years ago; there were 16 candidates to start until incumbent William E. Donovan Jr. dropped out of the race a month before the election because he was moving to Adams.
The 2005 field was sparked in part by a controversy over the exhibition of an abstract sketch of a nude women in a gallery window. Four artists in the community — Kelly Lee, Buddington, Richard Harlow and Nikolai Rudd — threw their hats in the ring along with local businessmen Tremblay and Peter D. May, and resident and nontraditional student Andrew Etman.
Tremblay was the only challenger to win in that election but was ousted in 2007 by Blackmer in a quiet election that saw only three challengers, including Buddington again. Local businessman Howard D'Amico ran also, mostly on veterans issues.
This time around, there will be two fewer incumbents running and a pitched mayoral race that's drawing some well-known names into the fray.
City Councilor Richard J. Alcombright is challenging Mayor John Barrett III for the corner office, the first serious competition the longest-serving mayor in the state has had in some years. Councilor Clark H. Billings, who has moved to Rhode Island, announced his resignation effective Aug. 29.
Also up for election are Gary F. Rivers and Paul Gigliotti for McCann School Committee; and Mark P. Moulton, Heather Putnam Boulger and John Hockridge for North Adams School Committee.
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Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary. Comments are closed for this article. If you would like to contribute information on this article, e-mail us at info@iBerkshires.com |
ahh! dream city council:
Roach, smarty, cares about NA, will work to a more equal balance in the poverty levels in NA, will not let the mayor get away with anything shaky buddington, smarty full of integrity, will work to keep NA green and into progress;pro bona, will bring downtown businesses together to flourish Moulton, intereted in NA as for the others I can't speak. Harpin, leave us alone, Blackmer go back to you chain store, Marden, leave space for new visionary blood ans authentic leadership.All the current members voted against NA residents by not looking further into the insurance, let them go.they did not cared for us residents and our right to know where our tax dollars go. by-bye current council members.
Ahhhh! and Barrett gone! dream council! | | from: dream council | on: 08-05-2009 12:00AM
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| We have the opportunity to elect an entirely new city government. I don't know everyone in this race but those I do know are excellent candidates. Dick Alcombright - no brainer - should be the new Mayor. Mike Boland and Brian Flagg should definitely be elected to the council. They have several generations of family here and have proven that they care about this city. We went down the road with Keith Bona before - let's not go there again. | | from: New Council | on: 08-05-2009 12:00AM
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"Roach, smarty, cares about NA, will work to a more equal balance in the poverty levels in NA...", sounds like a page right out of chairmen obama's play book. it's the chapters on redistribution of wealth, exponential deficit growth and tax, tax, tax! as long as north adams has more than its fair share of subsidized low-income housing it will NEVER find its way out of its current socio-economic quagmire. NEVER!
a vote for roach is a vote for left wing liberal politics and an endorsement of continued feeble attempts at social engineering. “….a more equal balance in the poverty levels in NA.” what does that mean? how is that achieved and at what cost to whom?
“dream council”, what ever you’re smoking you might want to share it with NA’s impoverished. it might rebalance their numbers.
don’t bogart that joint my friend…..
| | from: say what? | on: 08-05-2009 12:00AM
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QUOTE:
***"sounds like a page right out of chairmen obama's play book. it's the chapters on redistribution of wealth, exponential deficit growth and tax, tax, tax! as long as north adams has more than its fair share of subsidized low-income housing it will NEVER find its way out of its current socio-economic quagmire. NEVER! "***
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RESPONSE:
For the record, I am the only candidate running for any office in North Adams who says we have too much subsidized housing. Please don't harm yourself when you realize I agree with you on that point.
http://www.gregoryroach.com/?page_id=5
I will be happy to discuss my actual policy philosophies, rather than your fantasies of what all liberals must believe, but you would have to use your real name. I'm in the phonebook and can be reached via the email address on my web site. | | from: Greg | on: 08-07-2009 12:00AM
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It's great that so many people are interested in becoming involved in city government! And, love this city!
| | from: Christa Abel | on: 08-12-2009 12:00AM
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May I assume Clark Billings retired from MLCA as well? Last of a fine group of profs who educated me many years ago!
Editor: You may. Professor Billings officially retires at the end of this month. | | from: Paula Thompson Pietrowski | on: 08-12-2009 12:00AM
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