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Pittsfield Municipal Election Preview

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Voters will elect a city clerk, six School Committee members, four at-large city councilors, and seven ward councilors on Tuesday.

Polls for the municipal election open at 8 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. 

After a tumultuous year in the schools, the School Committee will be largely brand-new come January. The only incumbent running is Daniel Elias, and the only other candidate with experience on the committee is Katherine Yon. Newcomers are Ciara Batory, Sarah Muil, Jacob Klein, Geoffrey Buerger, Heather McNiece, Vicky Smith, and Carolyn Barry.

On the City Council, at-large incumbents Kathleen Amuso, Earl Persip III, Peter White, Alisa Costa, are being challenged by Lawrence Klein, Karen Kalinowsky, Sara Hathaway. Klein is the father of 18-year-old Jacob Klein, who is running running for School Committee; Kalinowsky is a former councilor, and Hathaway, former mayor, currently serves on the School Committee. 

Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren, Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn and Ward 4 Councilor James Conant is running unopposed for re-election. 

Corey Walker and Cameron Cunningham are vying to represent Ward 2, and incumbent Patrick Kavey is being challenged by Michael Grady in Ward 5. 

Incumbent Dina Lampiasi is being challenged by Walter Powell in Ward 6, and former councilor Anthony Maffuccio and Katherine Nagy Moody are running to represent Ward 7. 

Candidates have participated in an iBerkshires questionnaire, debates hosted by iBerkshires and Pittsfield Community Television, as well as several other publications to give voters an idea of their priorities for Pittsfield. 

School Committee Q&As can be found here and City Council's here.

City Clerk Michele Benjamin is running for re-election unopposed. 

All positions have two-year term lengths. The last municipal election, which included the mayor's position, had a 31 percent turnout for registered voters. 

Pittsfield polling locations: 


* Ward 1, Precinct A: Reid Middle School, 950 North St.
* Ward 1, Precinct B: Reid Middle School, 950 North St.
* Ward 2, Precinct A: Morningside Community School, 100 Burbank St.
* Ward 2, Precinct B: Somerset Fire Station, Somerset Ave.
* Ward 3, Precinct A: Providence Court, 379 East St.
* Ward 3, Precinct B: Egremont Elementary School, 84 Egremont Ave.
* Ward 4, Precinct A: Herberg Middle School, 501 Pomeroy Ave.
* Ward 4, Precinct B: Williams School, 50 Bushey Road
* Ward 5, Precinct A: Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Ave.
* Ward 5, Precinct B: Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Ave.
* Ward 6, Precinct A: Columbia Arms Housing, 65 Columbus Ave.
* Ward 6, Precinct B: Conte Community School, 200 W. Union St.
* Ward 7, Precinct A: Fire Station, 54 Peck's Road
* Ward 7, Precinct B: Capeless Elementary School, 86 Brooks Ave.


 


Tags: election 2025,   municipal election,   


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Former Miss Hall's Teacher Arraigned on Rape Charges

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Warning: this article discusses sexual assault. 
 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former teacher pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to three counts of felony counts rape related to his tenure at Miss Hall's School.
 
Matthew Rutledge, 63, was indicted last month by a Berkshire grand jury following accusations dating back to the 1990s of sexually assaulting students at the girls' school. 
 
"Today, Matthew Rutledge was arraigned for raping me. He began grooming me when I was 15 years old, a student at Miss Hall's School, and his abuse of me continued for years after I left that campus," former student Hilary Simon said to a large crowd outside of Berkshire Superior Court.

"After more than two decades, this case is finally in the hands of the criminal justice system."
 
Simon and Melissa Fares, former students, publicly accused Rutledge of abuse and called out the school for failing to protect them. 
 
They provided testimony at his indictment and, on Wednesday, were in the courtroom to see their alleged abuser arraigned. 
 
Rutledge was working at the day and boarding school until the allegations surfaced nearly three years ago. Pittsfield Police investigated the claims but initially concluded no charges could be brought forward because the students were 16, the age of consent in Massachusetts. 
 
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