Cheshire Looking to Improve Voter Turnout

CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town clerk's office is looking to increase voter turnout this year.

Town Clerk Whitney Flynn said she was tasked with trying to help get the word out about elections and voting periods, after noticing Cheshire's turnout has been sparse. She reached out to other town clerks for advice and looked up the best ways to improve turnout.

"I found that this struggle is not exclusive to our town, and I also learned that the biggest issue is that the voters do not have clear direction for when they should be at the polls and don't have enough information."

She decided that it would be great to get the community involved in making signs to put out in their yards for passerbys.

Residents of the community donated 50 signs to the town. 

"Those wishing to be involved would come take out a lawn sign, give their contact information and sign a disclosure, and this information would then be utilized for notification of the specific elections, and would also enter them into a raffle for a donated gift card."

Residents are able to decorate their signs after discussing the expectations and what is allowed on them. They will be asked to take down any negative signs.

"I would anticipate that it would have a lot of coverage, and how. See if this would be something that would take off, then be a really great opportunity for people to really see the signs say, Oh, I gotta go vote today, you know, and get those numbers above the levels that they're at, especially for local elections and things like that that aren't like generally acknowledged," she said.

Flynn also said there will be a movie showing at the Council on Aging on April 8 called "Iron Jawed Angels," which portrays the struggle to secure women's voting rights. She is also hoping to help voters get registered and ask questions.

"At the same time, we're hoping to get members from Susan B. Anthony [Birthplace Museum] to come speak about voting, as well as I'm going to have opportunity for people to register to vote, answer any voted questions they may have. And, you know, get that kind of all out there so that they feel more comfortable with the process."

It was mentioned that the electronic sign at the Fire Department used to display voting information but it has been off for a couple of months because the computer cannot accept Windows 11, making the screen come out abnormal. The department is currently looking into pricing to fix it.

Flynn also announced that nomination papers are now available for registered voters seeking office in the upcoming annual town election.

Open positions are:

• Selectmen (three-year term)
• Assessor (two-year term)
• Assessor (three-year term)
• Board of Health Member (three-year term)
• Water Commissioner (three-year term)
• Cemetery Commissioner (three-year term)
• Planning Board Member (five-year term)
• Hoosac Valley Regional School District Committee Members: Cheshire and Adams, both three-year terms.

The deadline to obtain nomination papers is March 12 by 5 p.m. The deadline for all candidates to submit nomination papers is March 16 by 5 p.m. 

The town election is May 4 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Cheshire Community House cafeteria.

Native American Actor Brings History To Life at BArT

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
08:19AM / Sunday, February 22, 2026

Annawon Weeden, above, notices the 'settlers' when he stops to drink water. Later, he become a whaler, telling the native story of a familiar great white whale.

ADAMS, Mass. — Native American actor and activist Annawon Weeden brought his one-man show to Berkshire Arts and Technology (BArT) Public Charter School, confronting students with a challenging and visceral journey through American history.

 

"This performance is called 'First Light Flashback,' where I hand-carry individuals like yourselves and walk you through the history, the emotions, and the struggles," Weeden said after the performance on Feb. 11. "These are some of the lowest points in humanity … it is an emotional rollercoaster."

 

Weeden, of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, is a consultant, presenter, and performing artist. He is the director of the First Light Foundation, which offers educational and historic programming aimed at amplifying indigenous voices and stories.

 

Once students were settled, the lights were cut, leaving only a spotlight on a collection of traditional objects. After an uncomfortably long wait, Weeden burst through the back doors of the gymnasium, acknowledging the "settlers" in the auditorium only after several slow, deliberate sips of water.

 

The timeline on screen shifted from the 15th century — a time of Wampanoag sovereignty — to the 17th century.

 

"You have traveled very far, yes? You are friend, yes?" Weeden asked, performing as Tisquantum (Squanto) after an aggressive standoff with the students.

 

Tisquantum was a member of the Patuxet tribe of Wampanoags and a liaison between the Native American population and the Mayflower Pilgrims.