Pittsfield Preliminary Election Ballot Set: Caccamo Takes No. 1 Spot

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
Print Story | Email Story

City Clerk Linda Tyer did a random drawing on Thursday to determine the order of names on the preliminary election ballot.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The ballot order for the preliminary election on Sept. 22 was decided on Thursday with the spin of a box by City Clerk Linda Tyer.

The random drawing determined placement for the 10 mayoral candidates vying for two spots in the general election and the three ward races, also for two spots each in November.

Names were placed in small envelopes and placed in the tumbler; the nine candidates attending the drawing were able drop their own envelopes in. Tyer spun the tumbler in between pulling each name.

Coming up in the first position for the mayoral was Nicholas J. Caccamo, followed by Patricia "Pam" Malumphy, incumbent James M. Ruberto, Mark A. Marciano, Rick E. Moon, Daniel L. Bianchi, Paul Kwasniowski, Stephen A. Fillio, Lisa M. Boyd and Jeffrey W. Ferrin.

In Ward 2, Peter T. White is in the No. 1 spot, followed by Kevin Morandi and incumbent Louis Costi.

In Ward 4, Christopher Connell was the first name drawn, followed by incumbent Michael Ward and Terry Kinnas.

In Ward 7, incumbent Anthony Maffuccio took the top spot, followed by J.D. Hebert, Joseph Nichols and Loren Paduano.


Ward 2 Councilor Louis Costi places his name in the tumbler.
An expected preliminary race in Ward 6 did not emerge after former at-large councilor Jamie R. Williamson pulled her name from contention on Wednesday, a day after names had to be submitted for certification by the city clerk. David W. Murphy Jr. and John M. Krol Jr. will run in the general election. The incumbent, Bianchi, is running for mayor.

In other election news, Jody L. Phillips has abandoned her quest to return to City Hall. The former city clerk left for another position earlier this year; Ruberto appointed Tyer in her place. Phillips submitted nomination papers but on Tuesday, the last day for certification, she decided not submit her signatures and so will not appear on the ballot. Phillips reportedly declined to give reasons for her decision, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

The Pittsfield Gazette in collaboration with other groups is hosting a series of debates and forums. The schedule can be found here.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at The Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

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.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories