Letter: Support Voting Rights on MLK Jr. Day

Letter to the Editor03:30PM / Thursday, January 13, 2022Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family has requested that there be "no celebration" on the upcoming weekend in his honor until the federal voting rights legislation is enacted.

A group of concerned citizens, in an effort to honor Dr. King's memory, met to discuss what to do. We represent a number of organizations across Berkshire County.

As a collective, we are sincerely concerned about the recent attack on the rights of citizens to vote. Voting rights are the cornerstone of Dr. King's legacy. To truly honor that legacy, we agreed that it is time to rise up to "make some good noise" to protect and strengthen our democracy by doing all we can to support and protect free and fair elections in both parties, for all people.

As reported by the Brennan Center, 19 states passed over 33 discriminatory laws in 2021 that will make it harder for Americans, especially Americans of color, to vote. Moreover, more than 440 state legislative bills in 49 states offered provisions to restrict voting access. It is up to Congress and President Biden to reverse this ominous trend.

The Freedom to Vote Act, currently before the Senate, is a comprehensive package of voting, redistricting, and campaign finance reforms that would strengthen our democracy and promote racial equity for all Americans. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which has passed in the House, would complement the Freedom to Vote Act. It would largely prevent the implementation of changes to voting rules that discriminate on the basis of race or language minority status, and it would restore voters' robust ability to challenge discriminatory laws as established by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 but gutted in the Supreme Court decision Shelby County v. Holder.

We ask that citizens across the county join us by taking at least ONE SPECIFIC ACTION in support of voting rights to honor the memory of the Rev. Dr. King this month, and continue your support throughout this critical election year.

What to do? Telephone, text and email your legislative representatives, encouraging them to work enthusiastically at their level of government for open, fair and accessible elections. Additionally, please reach out with care to friends and family in other states to enlist their help. We have compiled resources here. We have also compiled a statement of support for election workers, to ask local leaders to adopt in action.

We also encourage everyone to attend Berkshire Community College's virtual Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, which will focus on voting rights in accordance with the wishes of the King family; Monday, Jan. 17, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In this way, we envision a surge of public support for these national initiatives to maintain integrity in the voting process and the enriched support and awareness of all elections in all the United States.

With urgency and on behalf of democracy,

Berkshire County Chapter NAACP, Dennis Powell, Pittsfield

Berkshire Democratic Brigades, Michael Wise, Great Barrington

First Congregational Church, North Adams, Lynn Rhoads

First Congregational Church, Williamstown, Lynn Chick, moderator

Four Freedoms Coalition, Sherwood Guernsey, Williamstown

Great Barrington Democratic Committee, Michael Wise, Great Barrington

Greylock Together, Alexander Davis, Jessica Dils, Wendy Penner, Williamstown

League of Women Voters Central Berkshire, Ramelle Pulitzer, Stockbridge

Left Field, Alyson Slutzky, Great Barrington

Rural Freedom Network, Sherwood Guernsey, Williamstown

Williamstown Democratic Town Committee, Arlene Kirsch, Hugh L Guilderson

Williamstown League of Women Voters, Anne Skinner

Concerned citizens: Paula Consolini and Jim Mahon, Williamstown

Tags: MLK Day, voting,

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Companion Corner: Princess at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:17PM / Wednesday, August 05, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There is an energetic girl waiting to find her new home at the Berkshire Humane Society.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Princess is a six year old shepherd mix that has been at the shelter for just over a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Princess.

"She's very social, very friendly. When you're out walking her, she just wants to go say hi to every single new person. Loves to make new friends. She's a lot of fun. She's very active. She's very spunky. She's very playful, and she's going to need a very very active family who's going to do a lot with her."

But Princess is no stranger to the shelter. She was a puppy five years ago and got adopted quickly, but now she needs a new family to take care of her.

"She was adopted out fairly quickly as a young puppy. She's been in the same home for the past five years. Unfortunately, they were moving out of state somewhere," Olivieri said. "They could not take her with them, so she ended up coming as a return to shelter, and she came back to stay with us."

Princess needs to go to a home as the only animal or with other male dogs that are her size or bigger.

"Her perfect home would be kids eight and up. No cats. No small animals. She has quite a prey drive. She could go to a home with another dog around her size or larger, preferably a male dog. She does a little bit better with male dogs, and she's looking for a home where people are home quite a bit, so that she's not left alone for too long. She has some separation anxiety," Olivieri said.

She also needs a very active home that can let her use her energy every day, as she is very rambunctious. Especially with playing with her favorite toy, the flirt pole.

"She could use a home where people are going to give her a lot of attention and more than just a few walks a day; she's going to need lots of exercise, lots of playtime, lots of mental stimulation," Olivieri said. "She likes to learn, so someone who would be willing to take her to training classes or work on some training with her, as well as hikes, getting out and about, doing new things, different things. She is very athletic. She'd excel at things like agility, some dog sports. Just someone who is really going to want to engage and do a lot of different kinds of activities with her."

Once you let her get her energy out, she is a cuddler who wouldn't mind being held like a baby from time to time.

"She's very sweet. She's very cuddly. She's very affectionate, but she is not a couch potato. She will stay on that couch with you for a little bit, and then she's ready to go off and do something else. So she's very busy. She's very active," Olivieri said. "Once all of her exercise needs are met during the day, she will settle down nicely, and she will want to be right by your side, cuddle with you at night on the couch, sleep with you."

Princess is very healthy but does experience some anxiety and is not fully potty trained and might have the occasional accident.

"She does have a little bit of anxiety, so she is on some medication for it right now," Olivieri said. "So a lot of structure, a lot of outlets, and familiarity, getting used to a new routine and everything is gonna be really good for her. I mean, she's just lovely. Like I said, she's very social. She likes to play with other dogs. She likes to meet new people."

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