Supporting Democracy Leadership Award Winners Named

10:32AM / Wednesday, June 11, 2025Print Story | Email Story

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williamstown League of Women Voters named the Supporting Democracy Leadership Award winners to student essayists ages 16-21.

The three first place essay winners were Ella Bissaillon from Hoosac Valley High School, Lilliana Penna-Ward from Wahconah Regional High School and Tyler Nourse from Mt Everett Regional High School.

Each student was the recipient of $500.00 and were able to shadow an elected official.

State Senator Paul Mark welcomed the students to his District Office in Pittsfield. Winners shadowed the senator during the day. Students were able to observe meeting sessions with constituents from the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Special Needs.

Senator Mark also brought the winners along to the State House where they had a behind the scenes tour that included a view of Boston from the front of the building balcony. They also were told historic stories. Later they attended a meeting with the Senate Chair of Labor and Workforce Development that took place in Ludlow.

Essays were 300 words and students must be pre-registered or registered to vote.

Ella Bissaillon, 16, wrote: "Until I am eligible to vote I will do my part by volunteering at polling places within my community. By staying informed, speaking out and advocating for those who need it, I hope to help create a society that values justice and equality."

Lilliana Penna-Ward, 17, wrote: "...civic engagement means addressing societal concerns and increasing community well-being through efforts in policy, volunteerism, activism, and /or involvement. Acts of civil engagement serve to support and empower the community ultimately contributing to a stronger and more representative democracy. Through exploring topics like environmental policy and environmental justice in school, I have learned more about how governance systems, past and present, mediate and shape interactions between people and the environment with lasting effects…I hope to deepen my studies, further enabling me to fight for my community and for the environment perhaps through policy."

Tyler Nourse, 18, wrote: "Voting is meant to be one of the easiest ways to make a difference, but for many young people it can feel confusing, frustrating, or even pointless. In today's world, there are plenty of obstacles to casting a vote that truly reflects our values…But these barriers aren't unbreakable. Schools, communities, and even simple conversations among friends can help make voting easier and more accessible. The more we educate ourselves and each other, the more we can turn obstacles into action."

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Williamstown Studying Major Overhaul for Main Street

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:14AM / Wednesday, July 29, 2026

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The town is working with a Worcester civil engineering firm to redesign Main Street with an eye toward a major project sometime in the next decade.

Community Development Director Andrew Groff was before the Select Board on Monday night to talk about Town Hall's use of a $500,000 state grant to do preliminary design on major improvements to that portion of Route 2 that runs from Water Street west to the Field Park rotary, through the middle of Williams College's campus.

Groff introduced the elected officials to Amanda Bazinet of Worcester's Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, who is helping the town to develop a plan for Main Street that would align with the commonwealth's Complete Streets Program.

"Our project goals, in addition to the increased pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, is just, in general, improving the sightlines and improving the intersection geometry," Bazinet said.

"Complete Streets … has a lot of different facets to it. As Andrew had mentioned, the goal is to improve the safety for all of the roadway users — not just the motorists. We're looking at improving it for pedestrians, bicyclists, anyone using a mobility device. We want to create streets that are safe for all ages and abilities to use. So, while bicyclists will still be allowed, legally, to use the roadway, we want to look at providing a separate bicycle accommodation along the corridor, whether it's a shared use path along both sides of the streets that is a little more accessible to young children or older people with disabilities to look at all transportation options."

One goal is to encourage "active transportation." The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, who the town hopes one day might fund the construction, has a "healthy transportation policy," Bazinet said.

That MassDOT funding would come through the Transportation Improvement Program, which is managed locally by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. The design work underway now is being done with an eye toward going after TIP funding years down the road.

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