Everyone's a Winner in Williamstown Races

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — It was an uneventful town election day on Tuesday, with all of the candidates on the ballot easily winning their non-races.

Jane Patton won a seat on the Board of Selectmen, which also will see the return of incumbent Ronald Turbin. Patton garnered 748 and Turbin accumulated 788. Blank entries in the selectmen's vote totaled 569, and five voters turned in ballots with write-in candidates.

One thousand, fifty-five voters took ballots in the town election, which was held in conjunction with the statewide primary for the special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Secretary of State John Kerry.

Ten more ballots — 1,065 -— were taken in the U.S. Senate primary. Rep. Edward Markey was the favorite among Williamstown voters in the Democratic primary, with 820 of 942 votes cast. In the Republican primary, Gabriel Gomez carried the Village Beautiful with 72 of the 123 GOP ballots.

In the town election, J. Adam Filson won an uncontested race for town moderator, while incumbents Valerie Hall and Dan Caplinger were returned to the Williamstown Elementary School Committee along with newcomer Richard Reynolds.

Carol Stein-Payne will join the Planning Board when it reconvenes after the May 21 annual town meeting, and James Gazzaniga will continue as the town's representative to the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School Committee (McCann Tech).

Four candidates, including three incumbents, won uncontested races for spots on the David and Joyce Milne Public Library Board of Trustees. In a possible sign of voter disinterest, the blank votes in the library trustees vote (1,114) easily outpaced the number garnered by the leading vote-getter, incumbent Peter Mehlin (835).

Williamstown Board Opts to Negotiate with College on Water St. Lot

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:04AM / Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Newly elected board member Nate Budington, far left, participates in his first in-person meeting along with, from left, Matt Neely, Stephanie Boyd, Peter Beck, Shana Dixon and Town Manager Robert Menicocci.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday decided to enter into negotiations with Williams College on the sale of the vacant town-owned lot at 59 Water St.

 

But the board members made it clear that the college's proposal to acquire the lot is a starting point, not a final deal that the elected officials would accept.

 

"For the sake of continued conversation, I'm in favor of [awarding Williams the site], but if this process wasn't continued with the opportunity for further negotiation, I wouldn't vote to continue this," Peter Beck said. "I think that next step is necessary for us to get to a yes on this."

 

"I think there's wide agreement on that," Matthew Neely said just before the 5-0 vote to enter talks with the college.

 

Williams was the sole respondent to a town-issued request for proposals to develop the former town garage site, currently a dirt lot.

 

The college's stated intent is to build a new Facilities office and create up to 170 parking spaces at 59 Water Street. That use will allow the college to redevelop the current Facilities building site and parking lot as part of a reconception of the school's indoor athletic and recreation facilities.

 

Under the terms of the RFP, the college's proposal was subjected to review by an ad hoc advisory committee to the town manager, who brought the question to the Select Board. That board will have the final say on any purchase and sales agreement.