Letter: Say No to Immigration, Yes to Making Pittsfield Great again

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To the Editor:

This past November election has taught us all many things. It has reminded us that the "long shot" should never be counted out and sometimes it ultimately prevails. Donald Trump is now our president, an upset to some and a relief to others.

I am of the latter. I am a huge Trump supporter. Why not build the wall and protect ourselves and to help pay for it, he can start by taking money away from sanctuary cities. I am for veterans before immigrants. Love him or hate him, he is making a nation think about issues we have all taken for granted.

Which leads me to the anger I felt when the city of Pittsfield claimed that they will welcome immigrants with open arms. While working with [state Sen. Adam] Hinds and [state Rep. Tricia] Farley-Bouvier, [Mayor] Linda Tyer says yes, we will give them all the support possible. Wait, pump the brakes, don't you think that should have been a community input discussion and not the great hierarchy of Western Massachusetts?

Did the elected officials forget that is what they are elected. They are supposed to represent one and all not just a minority of voters. You see the people who control the budget were asked if they can stay here. I am sure the city will get some sort of payout considering we are a "sanctuary city" aka refugee resettlement community. The question is how much? And will the taxpayer see it? I doubt it. We just keep getting asked to pay more and more.

What needs to happen is the "Mayor" should be protecting who is already here. The reason she got into office. This city is in dire straights. Financially we are a whisper away from the ever breaking threshold of economic failure. Plus there seems to be a spending problem going on even more so now within the last few years. Lets face it we need to make Pittsfield great again and the current administration isn't cutting it.

Getting the same type of people to run for office again won't fix the situation either. There has to be people that truly want change and who will vote for change regardless if the other members agree or not. We don't need more special interests, we need more strong minded opinionated people.

If a nonpolitician businessman can become president, than anything is possible. That includes improving the local government.

Tammy Ives
Pittsfield, Mass.

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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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