Pittsfield Councilor Resigns for Clerk's Spot

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Linda Tyer
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City Councilor Linda Tyer has resigned her seat to become the next city clerk.

Tyer, who was re-elected unopposed last year for Ward 3, will replace Jody Phillips, who is leaving City Hall for a job with General Dynamics.

Mayor James M. Ruberto said on Wednesday that he will name Tyer the city's 20th clerk after the state-mandated waiting period of 30 days. She will be appointed during a special City Council meeting on Jan. 9, 2009.

"I am honored to have Mayor Ruberto's nomination," said Tyer. "I am looking forward to using my administrative skills and everything I have learned while on the City Council and serving Pittsfield in a new and challenging position. 

"Jody has served the citizens of Pittsfield with distinction. Many people have great respect and admiration for her service and I will strive to carry on the tradition."

The city will hold a special election to fill the remaining year of Tyer's term.

Tyer has represented Ward 3 since being swept into office in 2003, one of three successful candidates endorsed by the Women Helping Empower Neighborhoods (WHEN) political action committee.

"Linda has been a great city councilor over the past five years, and I look forward to working with her on a daily basis as the clerk," said Ruberto.

Tyer received her degree from Bay Path College in Longmeadow and has lived in the Berkshires since 1988. She and her husband, James, purchased their first house together on Ventura Avenue seven years ago. She has worked for the Lenox Public Schools for 17 years, 12 as the administrative assistant to the superintendent of schools.

"I think Linda is an excellent choice especially for two reasons: first, she is definitely a people person and, second, she is very detail oriented as shown both at the City Council and the Community Development Board," said City Council President Gerald Lee.

A special meeting of the City Council has been called for Friday, Dec. 12, at noon in the clerk's office to approve warrants for the special election. Nomination papers will be available in the clerk's office immediately after the meeting. 

Prospective candidates must collect 50 signatures from registered voters in Ward 3 by Jan. 6. If a preliminary election is needed, it will be held on Feb. 24 with the general election to be held on March 31. The two polling places will be at All-Souls Church on Pembroke Avenue and Providence Court on East Street.
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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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