Letter: Breen Has Right Experience for North Adams Council

Letter to the Editor02:00PM / Wednesday, November 01, 2023Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

Well, I just voted, and I gave my first vote for City Council to Pete Breen. Why, you ask?

No other new candidate has the experience and devotion and has been as generous with their time. Over the past 40 years, Pete has served on many boards and commissions. He has worked for a variety of employers including MCLA, where Pete was a facilitator and instructor for technology and curriculum development and assistant registrar. Pete took that experience over into the town of Adams, where he implemented the town's entire computer system, serving as the town's technology administrator. Pete then went farther south, where he was a member of the adjunct faculty at BCC for four years.

Shifting gears into education, Pete taught computer science at Hoosac Valley for 12 years, while also serving in the district office and as the pupil transportation officer.

After retiring from compensated work, Pete set his sights on volunteering in North Adams serving on the License Board Commission and serving as the North Adams representative for the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District, and finally, Pete's current passion, serving on the Hoosic River Revival Board.

That's why I gave my first vote to Pete Breen. And I hope that you do too.

David Willette
North Adams, Mass.

Tags: election 2023,

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Ex-Veterans Clerk Ordered to Pay Restitution, Complete Community Service

Staff Reports09:19AM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city's former veterans services administrative assistant, Tina Samson, was ordered to pay $2,184.76 in restitution and complete 700 hours of community service.

Samson, 66, was charged with a single count of larceny over $1,200 by a single scheme for using gift cards donated to Veterans Services for personal use, the Berkshire Eagle originally reported on Oct. 13.

Her larceny case was continued without a finding on Friday, Oct. 19. Samson must pay the restitution and complete her community service by October 2028.

Samson was arraigned in July on larceny charges related to the theft of gift cards donated for local veterans. She pleaded not guilty.

City officials became suspicious when they learned that Samson had been stopped in Walmart for allegedly trying to shoplift about $200 worth of merchandise. According to the police report, Samson told store management she worked in Veterans Services and was taking items to support them. Walmart trespassed her from the property but did not press charges.

City officials noticed discrepancies in accounting for gift cards donated to or purchased for the Veterans Services Office and contacted Walmart Asset Protection about four e-gift cards totaling $575 mailed to Samson's city account last year.

The cards were loaded into Samson's personal Walmart account, according to the police, and used for clothing, groceries, and cash. In one instance, clothing ordered online was shipped to Samson's home address.

A police investigation was launched Jan. 13 into the Veterans Services Office, where Samson had worked for 12 years before retiring in December, and a search warrant was issued for the Walmart account connected to her personal email.

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