No Lanesborough Residents Showing Interest in Mount Greylock School Committee Seats

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.—With just more than two weeks left to turn in nomination papers, a three-way race is shaping up for two seats on the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee.
 
Two other seats have yet to draw any candidates' interest.
 
On Tuesday, the district office told iBerkshires.com that three Williamstown residents have taken out nomination papers to appear on the November ballot for the seven-person committee.
 
Incumbent Steven Miller is the first candidate to return papers with the required number of signatures.
 
Another incumbent, Carolyn Greene, and a newcomer, Laurel Bifano, also have taken out papers.
 
Two of four seats designated for Williamstown residents and two of three seats designated for Lanesborough residents will be on the ballot in November.
 
As of Tuesday, no resident of Lanesborough had taken out nomination papers, Superintendent Joe Bergeron reported.
 
Currently, the committee has two members whose terms are expiring this year: Curtis Elfenbein and Christina Conry.
 
Potential candidates for a four-year seat on the School Committee need to return papers with at least 45 verifiable signatures of residents of either Lanesborough or Williamstown or both.
 
The deadline to submit those signed papers is July 21.
 
Since residents of both towns vote for all seven members of the committee, the district runs its election on federal election days every two years -- the days when voters in both the district's member towns go to the polls.
 
If all three of the candidates who have shown interest in the Williamstown seats complete the process, the top two vote-getters on Nov. 3 will win seats on the committee.
 
Nomination papers are currently available at the district office, next to the middle-high school on Cold Spring Road (Route 7) in Williamstown or at Williamstown's town hall.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

West Nile Virus Confirmed in Mosquitoes From Pittsfield

Staff Reports

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) announced today that West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitoes collected from Pittsfield.

The City of Pittsfield has confirmed two isolations at the Pittsfield-Richmond town line on Route 41 and the other at Garland Avenue.

WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection. 

At the time, there are no confirmed human cases of WNV, but residents are encouraged to take the following actions:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

  • Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin. 
  • Clothing Can Help reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
  • Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours - The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. When risk is increased, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

  • Drain Standing Water – Many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools and change water in birdbaths frequently. 
  • Install or Repair Screens - Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all your windows and doors.

While the City of Pittsfield and Berkshire County Mosquito Control project continue to work closely with the MDPH and other agencies, locally we are taking the following actions: larvicide application, conducting targeted education programs, distribution of fact sheets on WNV and on reducing exposure to mosquitos and treating catch basins.

Additional information about WNV and reports on current and historical WNV virus activity in Massachusetts can be found on the MDPH website at: www.mass.gov/dph/mosquito.

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