Clarksburg Town Adminstrator Finalist Withdraws

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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Selectmen will have to determine what to do next after the board's first choice for the post of town administrator has withdrawn.

John Sanguinet of Plymouth has taken his name out of running after a contract agreement could not be reached.

The board is scheduled to meet tomorrow and Monday to discuss options. Applications for the post, with a starting salary of $38,000 to $41,000 with sick days and vacation time dictated by the employee handbook, are being accepted until it's filled.

Sanguinet withdrew Friday, the deadline the board set for an answer and three days after being the lone interview for a town administrator post in Northfield. That full-time post has a starting range between $61,000 and $75,000.

Northfield has not made a decision and a Greenfield Recorder story cites board members as looking for more feedback from others and possibly pulling in another candidate to interview to "be fair."



Clarksburg is seeking a replacement for retired Town Administrator Thomas Webb, who was hired two years. Officials eschewed a search committee this time around, having Webb forward qualified candidates directly to the Board of Selectmen. The town received about 15 applicants and interviewed four, although the board had originally scheduled for six.

Northfield is on its second search to fill a post left vacant last fall. According to the Recorder, the town's initial search "netted dozens" of candidates, none of whom made the grade, and the second search 23, of which a number of semi-finalists withdrew or took other posts. Sanguinet, who has an extensive background in municipal finance, was one of only two finalists; the second withdrew.

Clarksburg also interviewed former Selectman Carl McKinney, Great Barrington Health Director Mark Pruhenski and former Becket Town Administrator Craig Kleman.
 


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MCLA Green Living Seminar to Explore Climate Change Perceptions in the Middle East

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' (MCLA) Green Living Seminar Series continues on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 5:30 p.m. with a presentation by Dr. Nimah Mazaheri, Professor of Political Science and Dean of Academic Affairs at Tufts University.
 
The presentation, titled "Faith Under Fire: How Religion Shapes Climate Concern in the Middle East," will take place in MCLA's Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121.
 
The event is free and open to the public.
 
Mazaheri will discuss his research on how religion influences climate change perceptions across the Middle East, a region facing significant environmental challenges including extreme heat, recurring droughts, and water salinization.
 
Drawing from Arab Barometer surveys of 13,700 people across twelve countries, Mazaheri's research reveals unexpected patterns in how Middle Eastern populations view the climate crisis. His findings show that while Muslims tend to be less concerned about climate change compared to Christians in the region, individuals with a strong sense of religiosity across all faiths demonstrate greater concern about environmental threats. The research also uncovers a "culture war" dynamic, with religious Muslims who endorse Islamist government showing less concern than their secular counterparts.
 
Mazaheri's work focuses on the political economy of the Middle East and North Africa, with particular emphasis on how oil wealth shapes politics and economics in the region. His research has been published in leading journals including Comparative Political Studies, World Politics, and World Development.
 
This semester's Green Living Seminar series explores "Nature and Spirituality," a 12-week examination of how faith, religion, and spiritual traditions shape our relationship with the natural world. 
 
All presentations will be recorded as podcasts available at www.mcla.edu/greenliving.
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