Clarksburg Sees Races for Select Board But No Candidates for 5 Offices

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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Select Board has the only races on the ballot this year but five elected positions have no candidates. 
 
Voters will select a Select Board member for a full three-year term and member for a one-year term, which will complete the term of Allen Arnold who quit the board last fall. 
 
Danielle Luchi, who stepped down last month to apply for the town treasurer/tax collector position, returned signatures to run for a second three-year term. Challenging her is Robert Norcross of Conti Heights, a former member of the board and a current member of the Recreation Committee. 
 
Luchi has to wait until she is off the board for 30 days before being eligible for the town treasurer position. The town has been without a treasurer since last fall and has not been able to hire a suitable candidate, prompting Luchi to decide to apply. She has been assisting in the treasurer's office since last year and has continued to do so with Assistant Treasurer and Police Chief Michael Williams. 
 
State law allows her to run again for office under the so-called "selectmen's exemption" but, if appointed as treasurer, she can take only one salary and may not accept another position or promotion while serving on the board, or vote on any matters pertaining to the treasurer's post. 
 
Newcomers Daniel Haskins of Pine Avenue and Scott Robert Smith of Henderson Road are vying for the one-year term. 
 
Running for re-election are Michael Rivers of Cross Road for Board of Health, Richard Bernardi of Horrigan Road for McCann School Committee, Patricia Denault of Middle Road for library trustee, and Edward Denault of Middle Road for War Memorial Trustee. All these offices are for three years.  
 
No candidates emerged for moderator, tree warden, or for two seats (two and five years) on the Planning Board. 
 
Also vacant is a three-year seat on the School Committee after Eric Denette declined to run for second term. 
 
The town election will be held on Tuesday, May 31, from noon to 7 p.m. at the Community Center. The last day to register to vote in the election is Wednesday, May 11. 
 
Correction: the number of open seats on the Planning Board was incorrectly given as three; this has been fixed. 

Tags: election 2022,   town elections,   

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Police Grant Raises Concerns for North Adams Council

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council postponed action on a federal policing grant until the city solicitor could weigh in on several clauses referring to federal investigations. 
 
A motion to accept the grant failed 4-2; a motion to postpone to the Oct. 13 meeting and refer to the solicitor passed unanimously. 
 
The fiscal 2025 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant is in the amount of $14,231. Mayor Jennifer Macksey explained that this grant is for the construction of an evidence room — not for technology or equipment — but to meet "best practices for secure storage documentation and then long-term holding."
 
Police Chief Mark Bailey said anyone brought into the station is under constant video and audio surveillance and that the goal was to ensure a continuity of evidence from the time it is taken from a suspect until it appears in court. 
 
"This buildout is to actually make our current evidence room into something more efficient for us, and to make sure that we're following the the accreditation process," he said. 
 
The current evidence room is not big enough or secure enough internally for storage of evidence, including drugs and firearms, that might be kept for years as cases work their way through the court system. 
 
"My goal is to eventually get accredited with the state. In order to do that, we have to have certain parameters for our evidence room, not just cameras or locking mechanisms, but within the evidence room as well," the chief said. "So this buildout is to actually make our current evidence room into something more efficient for us, and to make sure that we're following the the accreditation process."
 
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