News & Notes: Ward 3 Has New Councilor; Fools Take Over Park Square
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city of Pittsfield has a new Ward 3 councilor today.
Paul Capitanio defeated Melissa Mazzeo in a tight race for the City Council seat vacated by Linda Tyer, who became Pittsfield city clerk in December. Capitanio captured 767 votes to Mazzeo's 686.
Capitanio made a brief statement to his supporters last night and said he was humbled by the support he received during his campaign and vowed to keep good to his word and start crime watches in Ward 3.
The election results were closer then many of the Capitiano supporters throught they would be with, only 81 votes separating the candidates. When the polls closed at 8 p.m., Mazzeo won Ward 3-A at Providence Court by a handful of votes but when Ward 3-B reported in from Egremont Elementary School, Capitanio had the victory.
He had topped the three-way primary race in February, outpolling Mazzeo and Dan Zunitch and capturing 51 percent of the vote. Zunitch, who came in third, was eliminated in the primary.
At Mazzeo headquarters, Mazzeo thanked her supporters for their hard work and said she was elated when she learned that she had won Ward 3-A by nine votes but when Ward 3-B came in, she had lost the race. Mazzeo said she would run again to represent Ward 3 in the municipal election in November.
Capitanio will serve out Tyer's term until the November election.
Park Square to Be Relocated for Fool's Festival
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City officials say because of the expected rise in traffic during the weekend of April 3-5, Pittsfield's oldest and most confusing rotary will be temporarily relocated to the corner of Center and Depot Street. The relocation will take place Wednesday evening, April 1.
Some 20-odd shows and events will be taking place downtown during the Berkshire Fools Festival. Visitors have RSVP'd from as far away as London and the Pleiades, say organizers, to see the festival's lineup of theatrical productions, exhibits, Clown Games and the "Spring Folly" costume ball April 3.
"It's going to be a logistical mess," said Park Relocation Director Clement Nadley. "People don't realize how much taxpayer money goes into moving a major site like that overnight. Plus the combination of evening and the Depot Street location is going to be problematic for the workers, as they'll be distracted by the new Fools Ale over at Brew Works."
The city advises citizens that because of the relocation of the Park, North, South, East and West streets will be closed from 4 this evening until 5 Thursday morning.
The 1st annual Berkshire Fools Festival, slated to be the largest April Fools Day celebration in the Northeast, is an interorganizational arts festival spearheaded by Zeitgeist Gallery and Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development.
April Fool: The park may not be moving but there'll a motley crew of clowns, mimes, fools and buffoons waving protest signs at Park Square today from 11 to 11:30 this morning. Beware of clowns.
Park Square Changes for Real
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The $2.6 million makeover of the Park Square began Tuesday with the closure of the lanes turning left from East Street onto South Street.
The project, expected to be completed by summer's end, will link South and North Street into a straightaway and install new traffic lights, including on West Street, to move traffic. The turn around Park Square on the East Street will be discontinued and barriers put in place.
Motorists now trying to get to South Street from East will enter the lanes normally used to continue onto West Street and wait for the traffic light.
Shooting Suspect Turns Self In
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A suspect wanted in the March 18 drive-by shooting on Columbus Avenue has turned himself into police.
Ryan Aulisio, whose last known address was on Glenwood Avenue, walked into the Pittsfield police station shortly after 9 a.m. yesterday and was charged with armed assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and other weapons charges. He was also charged with failing to register as a sex offender because the address on file didn't match the address where he currently lives.
The shooting took place on the afternoon of March 18; police arresting two men shortly afterwards.
Provided by the Berkshire News Network, Radio Stations WNAW/WUPE, news partners of iBerkshires.
