Clarksburg Names Town Administrator Finalists

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — A veteran administrator has been named as one of two finalists for the town administrator position.

The names of Thomas Webb, current town administrator of Cheshire, and Lenox attorney Barbara Kellogg were announced Friday morning at a brief meeting of the board.

Webb, of Williamstown, took the part-time Cheshire job in 2008, replacing Mark Webber. He worked for Berkshire Housing for 19 years, leaving as a senior vice president to establish Berkshire Home Works LLC, a property management company.

The candidates are expected to be interviewed next Wednesday, May 9, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the town offices.

"I don't think you can go wrong with either one," said Selectwoman Lily Kuzia.

The board, however, could could not come to a consensus when it came to appointing a town accountant. The two finalists for the 8-hour position are Town Treasurer Christa Marsh and Town Clerk Carol Jammalo.

They were interviewed on Tuesday morning; both spoke of their accounting knowledge and willingness to be available during the hours the board determined.


Chairman Carl McKinney and Kuzia both said it was very difficult to pick between them.

McKinney said Marsh had struggled with some components of the treasurer's position but he was impressed by her initiative and work with the town accountant.

Kuzia, however, said that since both were equally good candidates, she was basing her decisions "on past work performance" and selected Jammalo.

At an impasse, the board said it would take up the issue again next week. McKinney warned that the town needed someone in the post soon because the next Schedule A forms were due to the state in June or the quarterly $500,000 in state aid would be delayed.

The town lost both its town administrator and accountant to the city of North Adams over the past few months.

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North Adams Police Block Houghton Street for Crisis Intervention

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Houghton was blocked off between North and School streets, frustrating neighbors trying to get home. 

Update: Early this morning, the Police Department posted that the situation "has been resolved" and the road reopened. Officers may still be in the area to complete their investigation.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The upper section of Houghton Street was blocked off for hours on Wednesday night as authorities sought to deal with an individual reportedly having a mental health issue. 

 
In a Facebook post, police described it as a "critical incident" unfolding in the area and alerted people to avoid the upper Houghton "and allow first responders the space they need to safely manage the situation."
 
It started at about 9 p.m., said Police Chief Mark Bailey, speaking at about 12:30 a.m. He said no neighbors were evacuated and that mediators had been conversing with the individual. He declined to go into detail. 
 
He said further information would be provided either through him or through the mayor's office later in the morning. 
 
Members of the Berkshire County Special Response Team, including officers from Lenox and Pittsfield, were staged along the top of Brooklyn Street and Houghton was closed between School Street and North Street. 
 
Two ambulances were staged at the intersection with Brooklyn and Houghton, though one left before midnight. State Police stepped in to help patrol the city. 
 
Drones could be seen hovering over; Bailey said, "everything in the sky is ours at this time." 
 
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