Update at 12:47 p.m., Nov. 3: Carolyn Greene will finish the last two years of a four-year term on Mount Greylock Regional School Committee. Results from Lanesborough gave Greene 759 votes to Elizabeth Beck's 536. The total vote from both towns gave Greene 2,831 votes to Beck's 1,527, a 1,304 vote difference.
“Lizzy Beck had an impressive showing with an important platform,” Greene said Tuesday night. “I was glad to see her center the issues of race, equity and inclusion.
“I am looking forward to continuing the work of the School Committee, and I am honored to have the trust of the majority of voters.”
Jose Constantine and Julia Bowen will take the two open four-year seats representing Williamstown. Bowen was the top vote-getter in both towns, garnering 949 votes in Lanesborough for a total of 3,430. Constantine polled 557 in Lanesborough for a total vote of 2,168. Jude Higdon-Topaz got 327 votes in Lanesborough despite dropping out of the race.
Lanesborough resident Michelle Johnson, facing no opposition for a vacant four-year seat, earned 1,329 votes in Lanesborough.
Lanesborough's turnout was 79 percent, or 1,887 of the 2,386 registered voters casting ballots.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — With the larger of the regional school district's two towns reporting, incumbent Carolyn Greene was on track Tuesday to retain her seat on the Mount Greylock Regional School District.
The unofficial vote tally in Williamstown when the polls closed gave the town to Greene by a margin of 2,072-991 over challenger Elisabeth Beck.
Lanesborough, which in 2018 had about half as many votes as Williamstown, had not reported its votes as of midnight.
Greene, who was looking to finish the last two years of a four-year seat she was appointed to fill after a resignation, was involved in the only contested race in the district.
While it appeared likely she would retain her post, three newcomers were elected to the seven-member regional school committee in unopposed races.
Lanesborough resident Michelle Johnson faced no opposition in her quest to fill a vacant four-year seat.
The ballot also had two four-year seats for Williamstown residents. Three candidates were on the ballot for those two seats, but one, Jude Higdon-Topaz, announced his withdrawal from the race and asked his supporters to back Jose Constantine.
In Williamstown, Constantine received 1,611 votes, and Julia Bowen was the top vote-getter with 2,481 votes. Higdon-Topaz, despite pulling out of the race, received 570 votes in his hometown.
In addition to the three newcomers elected on Tuesday, the School Committee will have another new face when it meets later this month. Last week, Lanesborough resident Curtis Elfenbein was appointed to serve the last two years on an unexpired term following a resignation.
Williamstown saw a turnout of about 76 percent, with 3,656 ballots returned from the town's 4,826 registered voters.
Three-quarters of Williamstown's 3,656 ballots came in before election day.
Town Clerk Nicole Pedercini reported that the town received 74 absentee ballots and a combination of mail-in and early in-person votes that totaled 2,715.
Pedercini said she and her poll workers processed the 2,789 early votes by about 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
The presidential ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took Williamstown by a margin of 3,088-487, about 86 percent of the vote going Democratic in the reliably "blue" town.
Williamstown voted yes on public question No. 1, the Right to Repair question, by a vote of 2,614-807. The town voters also supported ranked-choice voting, voting yes on question No. 2 by a margin of 2,228-1,226.
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National Grid Hosts Customer Assistance Events In The Berkshires
WALTHAM, Mass. — National Grid will hold a series of in-person Customer Assistance Events this December.
As colder weather sets in, these events are designed to help customers manage winter energy bills and explore cost-saving programs.
In Berkshire County:
Dec. 4 – Town Library, Williamstown, 4:00pm – 8:00pm, 1095 Main Street, Williamstown
Dec. 5 – National Grid Great Barrington Office, 11:00am – 2:00pm, 927 South Main Street, Great Barrington
Many of these events will continue to take place at local senior centers, making it convenient for older residents to access personalized assistance. Attendees at any location will have direct access to National Grid Customer Service Specialists, who can provide personalized guidance on payment options and energy solutions to meet each household's needs.
"As December begins, customers still have opportunities to find support and manage energy costs," said Bill Malee, chief customer officer, National Grid. "We're proud to host many of these events at local senior centers, ensuring customers have easy access to the support they need. Our in-person events are a great way for customers to connect with our team, learn about flexible payment options, and discover energy-saving programs that can help make a real difference this season."
Customers attending in-person events will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from National Grid, who will be on-site to assist with billing issues and provide information on:
Enrolling in National Grid's new Payment Assistance Bundle
Enrolling in Budget Billing
Enrolling in the Energy Discount Rate (for qualifying customers)
Scheduling home energy assessments and sharing information on other energy efficiency opportunities for homes or businesses
These events are part of National Grid's broader commitment to affordability and reliability. Customers can also access support by calling 1-800-233-5325.
National Grid customers can now sign up for a new Payment Assistance Bundle. The bundle combines three solutions to make it easier for managing energy costs and paying down past due amounts over a 12-month period.
Deferred Payment Agreement: Spread out past-due balance into future monthly payments.
Automatic Monthly Payments: Automatically deduct payments from your bank account each month and avoid missing due dates.
Budget Plan: Break down annual energy costs into balanced monthly payments, making it easier to budget and plan expenses.
Customers interested in enrolling in the Payment Assistance Bundle can do so online by visiting ngrid.com/hereforyou, at an in-person event, or by calling 1-800-233-5325.
From couture to canines and from crochet to carols, Williamstown Holiday Walk has you covered if you want to get into the spirit of the season this weekend. click for more
The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce reflected on this past year's success and the launch of a new coupon sales promotion at its annual meeting last week at Greylock Works.
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Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 1030 Simonds Road.
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