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Pittsfield Having a Quiet, Rainy Election Day

A normally high traffic spot at St. Elizabeth's Parish in North Adams only had a handful of supporters although the crowd was larger across the street. 

UPDATE: As of 6:30 p.m., Pittsfield has a 34.4 percent voter turnout rate.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It has so far been a relatively peaceful — and rainy — primary election day in the city. 

City Clerk Michele Benjamin reported that as of noon, there was only a 12 percent voter turnout.  She hopes to see more votes cast later in the day and that the gloomy weather conditions don't deter too many people.

"It's going pretty well, we haven't had any problems or anything," she said around 3 p.m. at the Berkshire Athenaeum polling site.

Last year's municipal election had a 21 percent voter turnout and the 2020 state primary election yielded a 37 percent turnout.

The primary was expected to have a higher turnout with two hot local races as well as some competitive statewide races on the Democratic ballot. Republicans, too, have an open primary for nominees for both governor and lieutenant governor.

North Adams wasn't much higher at 17 percent around 4:30 p.m. So far, 1,578 out of 9,470 registered voters had cast ballots. 

Election official Nancy Canales, who'd been at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center since 5:30 a.m. to set up, said the numbers had been steady but light.

The two major races in the primary are for sheriff and district attorney. With the candidates all on the Democratic ballot -- and no Republican challenger -- the presumptive winner will be determined Tuesday.

Supporters of incumbent Sheriff Thomas Bowler, his challenger Alf Barbalunga, and district attorney candidate Timothy Shugrue said they have been getting along while holding signs outside the library in Pittsfield and that it had been a great day -- aside from the rain.

"It's been a great day," Aaron Sugarman said, holding a Barbalunga sign. "It's been very wet and a little bit cold but there's been a lot of activity in and out of the library since 11 a.m. so people are definitely getting out to vote."

At around 2:50, Ward 5A had 380 votes cast and 5B had 522. There were more than 550 early and absentee votes in the ward.

Reid Middle School — the polling station of Ward 1 A and B — had an array of candidate supporters with signs for incumbent DA Andrea Harrington, Shugrue, Bowler, Barbalunga, state Senate candidate Paul Mark, and Governer's Council candidates Tara Jacobs and Jeff Morneau.

At 3 p.m., Ward 1A had 259 votes and 1B had 547.

There was a fairly large Bowler contingent in North Adams across from the polling station. They'd set up a canopy to keep the rain off. The driveway into the parish center is normally buzzing but the rain apparently kept away large crowds. City Councilors Marie T. Harpin and Jennifer Barbeau, holding Harrington signs, were under a small tree to help keep off the rain. Harpin said she'd been there most of the day, only going home to warm and dry off mid-afternoon. 

John Barrett III, running for a third term in the state House of Representatives against challenger Paula Kingsbury-Evans, said he'd been making the rounds in the expanded First Berkshire District. The once nine-town North County district now includes Savoy, Windsor, Hinsdale and Peru. 

"One of the reasons I decided to run, I think more than anything else, is because of the reduction of four representatives to three, making sure that we, hopefully, will have a chairmanship or two out of out of the three that are left," he said, referring to the loss of a House seat from redistricting. "We have make sure that Berkshire County still has a voice."

Former Country Club Reopens as The Venue at Skyline

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:30PM / Monday, February 02, 2026

The new Patty Barnaby's name is all over the venue. 

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A new but familiar space is opening for event rentals as The Venue at Skyline.

Patty Barnaby recently leased the former Skyline Country Club building at 405 South Main St. Barnaby used to attend events there, including holding her own "Jack and Jill" wedding shower.

"I've been to the golf tournaments. We've been to fundraisers. We've been to benefits. Actually, sports banquets for our girls, my oldest daughter. We had quite a few of her sports banquets here, just town events, truly, but our Jack and Jill was here," she said. "I had my stepfather's retirement party here, so, we've had a lot of events here as a family."

The golf course closed in 2021 after 58 years and sold to Mill Town Capital, which is using the course for a solar installation. The town's eyed the driving range for a new police station, and the club has been used intermittently, such as for the town's winter festival last year.

Barnaby is active in the community, including serving on the Lanesborough Community Development Committee. She enjoys hosting events and having get-togethers.

"I just have always loved to bring people together, like at our house, doing parties. And our house is very small, so it's always a big summer party," she said.

Barnaby wanted a place for people to host events that may be too big or busy for their homes, but also in an open and beautiful area.

"We need a space like this, not only in Lanesborough, for Lanesborough residents, but in general, for people to be able to come and have events, whether it be inside or outside when the weather permits," sshe said. "It's a beautiful spot, it really, truly is. And I didn't want to see it sit because it really is one of those staples in our town that everybody just knows."

Barnaby had indicated interest in the space after the Winter Festival. She signed the lease on Oct. 31 and has worked hard to make it her own.

She's painted, added new seating, redone the bathrooms, and some other cosmetics upgrades. She also added six televisions, more bar equipment, and will be adding a jukebox.

Barnaby kept the name Skyline because of the location's history and just added "The Venue" to make it her own.

"I just love this space. It is just one of those spaces that, like you don't want to see ever sit," she said.

The former pro shop will be turned into a thrift store. She currently sells clothes out of her house and hosting pop-up thrift events but is now excited to have a permanent space. It will have hours outside of events and will be listed on her social media page once it is ready. 

Barnaby is asking that vendors should reach out so that she can compile a list for those who want to host events. She is also looking for a food vendor to sublease the space.

"I would love to have people reach out to me as I have reached out to them, to be put on a list of like vendors that we can suggest to people that are coming up for events," she said.

Barnaby said she'll help with planning at the location and that she wants to create a comfortable and joyous environment that people would like to come back to.

"It's family friendly, like I am very community-oriented and being very family oriented, so I understand when you're trying to plan a birthday party, or you just need a space, or you're trying to put little details together. I want to be able to help with that," she said.