Lanesborough Opts Out of Early Voting By Mail

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Voters will not be able to cast ballots early by mail but can they can still request an absentee ballot for the town election.

Last week, Clerk Ruth Knysh asked the Select Board to opt out of early voting by mail for municipal elections. Her request came after the state expanded access last year.

"An act passed to allow early voting by mail for local elections. It used to be just state and federal," she said. "So my thought on that is it's not in my budget, it's a lot of extra work added on me. I'm only one person in there."

Knysh explained that all of the mail-in ballots would have to be opened and processed by herself before being checked against signatures in the state computer.

"It's a process and the local elections are not well participated in," she said. "I'm just worried that if that is an option to vote by mail, we're going to get hundreds of people that don't typically vote wanting to vote by mail because they can."

The Select Board accepted the request, understanding the nature of Knysh's concern. The board also approved her request to have a police officer at the polling location for every election to "preserve order and protect the election officers." This also is now required by the state.

So far, incumbent Michael Murphy is being challenged by Barbara Davis-Hassan and Deborah Maynard for a three-year seat on the Select Board. 

Dalton Youth Center Celebrates Refresh of Space

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:36PM / Sunday, September 06, 2026

Spectrum donated $5,000 to the the Youth Center.

DALTON, Mass. — The Dalton Youth Center celebrated its refreshed building to better serve youth from across the county.

 

On Wednesday, parents and children, public officials like state Rep. Leigh Davis, and more gathered at the center's building at 27 South Carson Ave. to view the new updates.

 

Executive Director Ariana Massery, who started her role in January, welcomed the public and thanked everyone for attending and those who helped bring the more than 100-year-old building to what it is today.

 

"This building and this organization has existed in many ways to serve youth since 1909, and we have recently, in the last six months, made an investment to bring things to life, both from a programmatic standpoint and from a facility standpoint," she said.

 

The center, part of the nonprofit Community Recreation Association, got new paint, an updated gaming room with new furniture, a new gym floor, a refreshed kitchen with new appliances, and Smartboards and other technology to support tutoring.

 

It also celebrated programming through new partnerships with Berkshire Music School, Berkshire Innovation Center, and the Becket Arts Center. Youth will be able to learn robotics, how to write music, and more.

 

The center also partners with Berkshire Bounty to provide healthier snacks.