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Nancy Bullett being sworn in as vice president in 2016.

North Adams City Councilor Bullett Resigning

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City Councilor Nancy Bullett is resigning from the council effective July 1.

Bullett, a city native, is in her fourth term on the council.

In her letter dated May 16 to Council President Benjamin Lamb, Bullett did not give a reason for her resignation but had indicated she did not plan to run for office again in November. The retired physical therapist also placed her home up for sale after purchasing a house out of state.

Her letter thanks the people of North Adams for the "honor and privilege of representing you" as well as the mayor, councilors, city employees and volunteers she's worked with over the past six years.



Bullett was first elected in 2011 and easily placed among the top four vote-getters that year and in the following three elections. She has served as vice president for several years and was chairman of the Finance Committee. She currently is a member of the Community Development Committee and also serves on the Windsor Lake Recreation Commission and the Traffic Commission.

The city code allows the remaining council members to fill any vacancies, which has been traditionally been the 10th highest vote-getter. In the 2015 election, Wayne Wilkinson lost re-election when he came in 10th by 51 votes. The last time a councilor resigned during a term was Clark Billings in 2009. Billings had left in August 2009, only a two months prior to the election and his seat was not filled.

"I was never a political person but have gained a lifetime of practical experience as a member of this council," she writes in her letter. "I would urge others who have not considered a run for office — especially the women of our community — to get off the sidelines and give it a go."

Nomination papers for November's election are currently available and must be returned with 50 signatures of registered voters by Aug. 7.


Tags: election 2017,   North Adams City Council,   

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North Adams, Pittsfield Mark King Day With Calls for Activism

By Tammy Daniels & Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Alÿcia Bacon, community engagement officer for the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, speaks at the MLK service held Price Memorial AME Church in Pittsfield. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Wendy Penner can be found pretty much everywhere: leading local initiatives to address climate change and sustainability, championing public health approaches for substance abuse, and motivating citizens to defend their rights and the rights of others. 
 
That's all when she's not working her day job in public health, or being co-president of Congregation Beth Israel, or chairing the Williamstown COOL Committee, or volunteering on a local board. 
 
"Wendy is deeply committed to the Northern Berkshire community and to the idea of think globally, act locally," said Gabrielle Glasier, master of ceremonies for Northern Berkshire Community Coalition's annual Day of Service. 
 
Her community recognized her efforts with the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peacemaker Award, which is presented to individuals and organizations who have substantially contributed to the Northern Berkshires. The award has been presented by the MLK Committee for 30 years, several times a year at first and at the MLK Day of Service over the past 20 years. 
 
"This event is at heart a celebration of our national and local striving to live up to the ideals of Dr. King and his committed work for racial equality, economic justice, nonviolence and anti-militarism," said Penner. "There is so much I want to say about this community that I love, about how we show up for each other, how we demonstrate community care for those who are struggling, how we support and and celebrate the natural environment that we love and how we understand how important it is that every community member feels deserves to feel valued, seen and uplifted."
 
King's legacy is in peril "as I never could have imagined," she said, noting the accumulation of vast wealth at the top while the bottom 50 percent share only 2.5 percent the country's assets. Even in "safe" Massachusetts, there are people struggling with food and housing, others afraid to leave their homes. 
 
In response, the community has risen to organize and make themselves visible and vocal through groups such as Greylock Together, supporting mutual aid networks, calling representatives, writing cards and letters, and using their privilege to protect vulnerable community members. 
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