Two Live Debates for District Attorney Candidates Aug. 15

PITSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Community Television, in partnership with iBerkshires.com, will present live debates for the Berkshire County Sheriff and Berkshire County District Attorney races.

The debates will both take place on Monday, August 15th, in the auditorium at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield.

The first debate will feature Berkshire County Sheriff candidates Thomas Bowler and Alf Barbalunga at 6 p.m.  and the second debate of the evening will be for Berkshire County District Attorney candidates Andrea Harrington and Tim Shugrue. The DA’s debate will begin at 7:30 pm.

The debates are moderated by representatives of iBerkshires and Pittsfield Community Television and will feature panelists asking questions. They are open to the public and will be broadcast live on PCTV CityLink Channel 1303 in Pittsfield, on the PCTV Select App available on Roku and Apple TV, and on the Pittsfield Community Television Facebook page.

PCTV and iBerkshires are also soliciting questions from the public. You can submit your question for the candidates to election@pittsfieldtv.org and the panelists may work some of the questions into the debates. 

Both elections will be settled in the Democratic primary election which will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 6.   

Dalton Special Town Meeting Rejects Land Buy for Police Station

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
09:29PM / Monday, October 19, 2026

Voters hold up cards to be counted on a vote to cast secret ballots on purchase of land question. Voters rejected the land purchase but authorized buying electronic devices for future voting.  

DALTON, Mass. — A special town meeting on Monday night authorized 11 of 12 warrant articles, only nixing a contentious proposal to buy land for a police station.

 

After nearly an hour of discussion, 113 voters rejected by secret ballot the purchase of land on West Housatonic Street for $69,700.

 

Article 2 needed two-thirds to pass, and failed 65-48, about 10 votes short. 

 

A motion was made by Robert Collins for the article to be voted on by secret ballot to ensure ballot privacy, which was approved by 72-19. 

 

Town officials have been debating options for a new police station for more than year, focusing on several parcels that could host a new building and, more recently, the possibility of a combined fire and police station. These included the West Housatonic site, another on Main street and the vacant Dalton High lot next to the Senior Center. 

 

Resident Adelard Nadeau Jr., who previously served on the Fire District's Prudential Committee, argued that the town is spending money that it does not have. 

 

He advocated for the lot by the Senior Center which he believed to be cheaper and shovel ready.