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Clarksburg Passes Debt Exclusion, Votes in New Select Board

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Voters passed by simple majority a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion by a vote of 196-157. 
 
They also returned a former Select Board member and ousted an incumbent in an election that once again filled the board with three members. 
 
Danielle Luchi won the three-year term on the ballot, defeating Karin Robert, who won seat last year to complete the end of a term. Luchi polled 236 to Robert's 143.
 
Jeffrey Levanos, who has held the chairmanships of both the Select Board and the School Committee, was elected on a write-in vote to complete a three-year term. 
 
Levanos had said he was done last year when declining to run for office again. But the failure of a candidate to run for term prompted he to return.
 
"They can't run with two selectmen," he said on Tuesday afternoon, as he offered stickers with his name to voters driving in to the Senior Center. 
 
He, Luchi and Robert were standing in the rain waving to supporters as a steady stream of vehicles made their way down the driveway. 
 
Town Clerk Carol Jammalo said total turnout was 394 out of 1,123 registered voters, or 35 percent. The two races on the ballot — and especially the debt exclusion question — appeared to have driven up turnout. Last year, barely 10 percent of voters came to the polls. 
 
Eric Denette, a behavior analyst and special education teacher, won the three-year term on the School Committee over David Robert, who still picked up a five-year unopposed seat on the Planning Board. 
 
Also re-elected, although it's not clear he will accept, was Bryan Tanner as moderator. Tanner has held the post for years and indicated this year he was not interested in continuing. However, he hasn't had any challenger in years and would sometimes not bother taking out nomination papers — voters would just write his name in.
 
Luchi said she felt confident coming into her first election. 
 
"I knew that I had great support from our community and our schools to back me up," she said Tuesday night. "I knew that they would come out to vote."
 
Luchi described the contest as a "good race" and noted she and Robert had worked together at the North Adams Regional Hospital for more than a dozen years. She also been a delegate for SEIU1199.
 
"I'm in it for our students, for our town employees. I'm here for them," she said. "My platform is let's take care of what we have ... and let's make the right decisions for this town. ... 
 
"Not quick fixes, long-term goals."
 
Luchi and Levanos will join Ronald Boucher, elected last year, on the board. Over the last several years, the board has found itself short as members have left prior to their terms ending. Luchi said she would finish what she started. 
 
While the debt exclusion passed by 39 votes, it may have a more difficult approval on Wednesday, depending on turnout. Borrowing the $1 million to fund a capital plan over five years will require a two-thirds vote. Town meeting begins at 6:30 at Clarksburg School. 
 
Also winning office unopposed on Tuesday as Tree Warden Ernie Dix, Town Clerk Carol Jammalo, Board of Health member Michael Rivers, McCann School Committee member Richard Bernardi, Library Trustee Patricia Denault, and War Memorial Trustee Edward Denault.

Tags: election 2019,   election results,   town elections,   


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BCC Wins Grant for New Automatic External Defibrillator

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is the recipient of a $2,326 grant, funded by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, for the purchase of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) device. 
 
The grant specifically covers a device for use inside one of BCC's security vehicles for easy access when traversing the campus.  
 
In total, the Commonwealth awarded more than $165,000 in grant funding to 58 municipalities,
13 public colleges and universities, and nine nonprofits to purchase AEDs for emergency response vehicles. The program is designed to increase access to lifesaving equipment during medical emergencies, when every second matters.  
 
An AED is a medical device used to support people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. An AED analyzes the patient's heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.  
 
"Immediate access to AEDs is vital to someone facing a medical crisis. By expanding availability statewide, we're equipping first responders with the necessary tools to provide lifesaving emergency care for patients," said Governor Maura Healey. "This essential equipment will enhance the medical response for cardiac patients across Massachusetts and improve outcomes during an emergency event."  
 
The funds were awarded through a competitive application process conducted by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR), a state agency that is part of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).  
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