NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday in what has so far been something of a lackluster election season to elect a new City Council, a mayor and three seats on the School Committee.
The campaign between Mayor Thomas Bernard and McCann School Committee member Rachel Branch has been about as low-key as it can get. There have been no debates — Branch has stated she's not running against Bernard but rather for the office — and only a few forums.
The City Council election will focus more on who will make the cutoff for votes for the nine at-large seats.
Incumbents Keith Bona, Benjamin Lamb, Marie T. Harpin, Paul Hopkins and Wayne Wilkinson are running for re-election. Lamb and Bona have consistently been high vote-getters, taking the first and second spots in the last election. All five incumbents garnered more than 1,600 votes each to get on the council.
There are two former councilors seeking to return to council — Lisa Blackmer and Robert R. Moulton Jr. — who both left in 2017 to run for state representative and mayor, respectively.
Also in the running are Robert Cardimino, Roger J. Eurbin, Peter J. Oleskiewicz, Bryan K. Sapienza, Ronald K. Sheldon, and Jessica Sweeney. The candidates are placed in alphabetical order on the ballot.
At minimum, there will be three new or returning faces on the council come January.
For School Committee, Karen Bond and Tara Jacobs are running for re-election to four-year terms. There are three seats open on the committee and three challengers — Emily Daunis, Robert R. Moulton Jr. (also running for council), and David Sookey III. Voters will place at least one of the challengers on the committee.
There will also be a race for the McCann School Committee, the first in some time. Incumbents George Canales and William R. Diamond will face challengers Peter E. Breen and Shannon M. Santelli for the two seats up for election representing North Adams.
The polls are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. All wards now vote at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center. Check back with iBerkshires for election news.
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Weekend Outlook: Wilco Weekend & Summer Fun
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
It's Wilco Weekend in North Adams and an estimated 10,000 people will be descending on the city. The band curates the every other summer three-day Solid Sound festival at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. It's too late to get tickets — the event's sold out! — but you can hear some of the performances in the downtown area. Or, you can listen for free on NEPM (New England Public Media) 88.5.
Check out the other events happening this weekend including parties, craft, and more
After her father’s unexpected death, 15-year-old Rory discovers that he was planning a trip for the two of them to the North Pole. So, she picks up his ashes, her passport, and her mother’s credit card, and sets out to make good on his plans. Produced by the Chester Theatre Company.
It's too late to get tickets — the event's sold out! — but you can hear some of the performances in the downtown area. Or, you can listen for free on NEPM (New England Public Media) 88.5.
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On Tuesday, June 16, Moulton was recognized by Superintendent Timothy Callahan during a Drury High School faculty meeting. She was presented with a commemorative certificate and a gift certificate for $200 for school classroom supplies. click for more
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition celebrated a community hero, its 40th anniversary and kicked off its $10 million campaign drive for a new home on Thursday.
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The college community bid farewell to President Jamie Birge last week as he ended his 10-year tenure at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. click for more
The School Building Committee was updated on the progress on Tuesday night by Todd Ashford, project manager with Collier's International, the city's owner's project manager.
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