With Super Tuesday fast approaching, last-minute campaigners are out in the Berkshire community in full force, vying for your attention and, more importantly, your vote.

 

Competing with the newly-formed "Berkshires for Hillary" campaign, a local arm of the campaign for presidential hopeful and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has scheduled a host of visibility events for the coming days in an effort to the word out to county voters.

 

According to Tela Zasloff, the Williamstown resident who has taken the helm of the Obama campaign in Northern Berkshires, a core group of 30 volunteers has been working for more than a week to organize the vote-getting effort.

 

"Our group started at a bagel brunch at my house last Sunday [with] about 25 people attending. We've grown since then and we're made up of Democrats, Independents, some Republicans and formerly nonvoters," Zasloff said.

 

Working with Michael F. Wilcox, the Western Massachusetts coordinator for the Obama campaign, the Berkshire County group will be working throughout the weekend. Visibility events in Pittsfield, North Adams and Williamstown will continue today and tomorrow, with time set aside for "phonebanking" over the next four days.

 

Both Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Williams College will host events to support the Obama campaign on Saturday. Students on the MCLA campus will lead a visibility event in front of Murdock Hall at 1 p.m. and "Why Barack Obama – Why now?" - an informal lecture and free pizza event – will take place at 5 p.m. at Williams' Paresky Center.

 

"People really want a turnaround from the past, from past administrations, from the way we've been behaving as a nation. That's why Obama's "Change" motto appeals so much, especially to the young," said Zasloff. "He represents real change, and is the best candidate, with his personal qualities and political and life experience, to lead us in that direction."

 

Major state lawmakers have also voiced their support for the young senator, supporting a man they believe will move the country in a new direction. Joining U.S. Sens. John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy, Gov. Deval Patrick, Berkshire legislators Sen. Benjamin B. Downing and Rep. Denis E. Guyer have endorsed Obama in the final weeks before the primaries.

 

"I am supporting Senator Obama because I respect his judgment and leadership and I believe that he is the Democratic Party's best choice to win the November election," Guyer said on Friday. Guyer, who originally supported former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, announced his support of Obama earlier this week in a statement.

 

Events for the next four days throughout the county are as follows:

 

 1. Visibilities:

    Saturday, Feb. 2 - noon: Field Park, Williamstown

    Saturday, Feb. 2 - 1 p.m.: MCLA 

    Saturday, Feb. 2 - 5 p.m.: Park Square, Pittsfield

    Sunday, Feb. 3 - 11:30 a.m.: Park Square, Pittsfield 

    Monday, Feb. 4 - noon and 5 p.m.: Park Square, Pittsfield

 

2. Obama student phone bank at Williams, Friday and Sunday

 

3. Obama table set up at Williams, Friday and Saturday, Paresky main entrance, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

  

4. Obama (free) pizza event : Williams College, Paresky Room 220, 5 to 6 p.m., Saturday.  Discuss campaign and student sign-up for phone banking. 

 

To help out with the Obama campaign, county captains are available by area.

 

For north county, contact Tela Zasloff at jzasloff@adelphia.net or 458-4846.

 

For Pittsfield, Pat Gable will be hosting phone banking on the fifth floor of the Clocktower Building, 75 South Church Street at the following times..

For Lee and nearby towns, contact Mary Palmer at marpal@verizon.net or 243-3607.

 

For south county, contact Mary Pat Akers at mpakers@gmail.com or 413-528-5409 or 413-250-4664.

 

In Great Barrington, David McCarthy will be hosting phonebanking on the third floor of 291 Main Street (follow signs to Martello Investment Management) on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.