NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — For 24 years, Dan Bosley has been working on educational initiatives, community programs and big budgets — very big budgets. He'd hoped to translate those skills into the sheriff's office but it wasn't to be.

Voters overwhelmingly backed Tom Bowler's bid to become the first new sheriff in 32 years.

"I had a tough job," said Bosley at his gathering at Taylor's Restaurant. "I had to explain what the sheriff did and then explain why I was the best candidate, while the other person just said, 'I'm the best candidate.' "

Bosley said he'd called Bowler earlier to congratulate him and offer his support. "I think he ran a great race."

The candidates agreed on a number of things but diverged most prominently on the function of the job. Bosley defined it as public safety; Bowler, a Pittsfield Police detective, as law enforcement. He gained the endorsement and active support of local law enforcement agencies, the district attorney and the corrections officers. Saying the sheriff is a lawman and not a warden fit with the voters.

"I think the voters were more interested in security, more interested in putting a lawman there," he said. "And the voters have spoken."

Bosley had hoped to counteract Bowler's grip on Pittsfield with a higher turnout in Northern Berkshire. "I just couldn't crack that Pittsfield market," he said. Turnout was high enough in Pittsfield to give Bowler the advantage but not enough in North County to make a difference for Bosley, who won both Williamstown and North Adams but not Adams.

With a new representative selected on Tuesday in Gailanne Cariddi, the man whose name was once bandied about as a potential speaker of House has options open for the first time in years.

"I really have no idea what I'm going to do. I focused on this race and now tomorrow I'm going to focus on something else. ... well, I'm going to focus on some things my wife said I absolutely have to do," he laughed. "I'm a pretty talented guy, I'm pretty smart and I'll find something to do."

He decided to leave the Legislature because it was just time, he said, not because of any of the reasons many have speculated on, including his loss of stature with the new House speaker.

"It's been 24 years. I've done everything I've set out to do," said Bosley, referring to his work in education, insurance and green jobs, his efforts on economic development bills and in making Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the science center at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the reconstruction of the Hadley Overpass a reality. "I'm grateful for the support I had and we accomplished everything."

All but one bill he's been working on for a decade. Bosley doesn't think that one will ever happen but he plans to spend the next three months on tying up his two dozen years of service and transitioning everything over to Cariddi as smoothly as possible.

"I'm going to work hard until Jan. 3 and then, hopefully, I'll be down there to see her sworn in; I'll applaud and I'll leave.

"It's been a privilege serving the people of Berkshire County for 24 years."

To the Editor:

I read with interest the letter to the editor by Herman Bishop in the September 2 Transcript concerning the race for Sherriff. While I know that as a retired police officer, Mr. Bishop has a bias towards a fellow officer, I was left wondering if we had watched the same debate. Dan Bosley clearly had the command of the issues and even Mr. Bishop’s candidate  said that he was one of the "best orators ” in the state. I believe that this is an important quality because the next Sheriff has to be a good communicator. He has to persuade others of his vision and plans. He has to negotiate contracts, sell his budget, apply and win grants, and be very clear as to the rules and regulations of the facility with inmates, guards and others. Being one of the best communicators in the state is a big plus.

However, it is not how you say something that is as important as what you say. Since Mr. Bowler didn’t propose any new ideas to meet the challenges of the jail for the third debate in a row, Mr. Bishop is left to be an apologist for his candidate and can only question the details of Dan  Bosley’ s plan.

I find that I disagree with a lot of the interpretations of the debate from the letter. For example, Mr. Bishop wrote that a lot of the programs proposed are already at the jail. Yet Mr. Bosley has demonstrated many times that the services are not there and that more is needed. Again, you have to listen to the details of the plans to understand this. Mr. Bishop criticized Bosley for the budget cut over the past two years. Notwithstanding the fact that we have been in the worst recession in the past 80 years and all programs have been cut, Mr. Bosley has been the only one who has talked about the need to seek other funding sources. He has also proposed ways to cut expenses by using new technologies and changes in the operation. So far Mr. Bowler hasn’t proposed one budgetary change.

Mr. Bishop poses the question of whether  the correctional officers are police because they direct traffic and wear a badge. I hardly think that directing traffic makes you a police officer. The Sheriff doesn’t investigate crime nor do they act as the police department. This is an administrative job.

One final note on the issue of the Sheriff being the top law enforcement officer in the county. I would ask Mr. Bishop this question: If he were a victim of a crime or saw one in progress, would he call the police department or the Sheriff’s office? Anyone who has attended any of the three debates that have been held can only come away with one inescapable conclusion. The only one of the two candidates who is qualified to become the next Sheriff based on their knowledge of the job, their experience in areas that matter, and their ability to think and communicate is Dan Bosley.
 

Wilfred Parmenter
29 Crandall Street
Adams

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Daniel E. Bosley, candidate for Berkshire County sheriff, has released more details on his plans for expanded reentry programs for inmates.

"It is important," said the candidate, "that we become proactive on following inmates back to the community to ensure that they stick with their reintegration programs. Inmates need to have a place that they can call if they have questions and they need to know that people are watching to make sure they stay on the plan designed for them."

Bosley commented that the average sentence served in a House of Correction is approximately nine months. He said that, "On the day an offender walks into the jail we need to start preparing them for the day they leave. That means an individual plan for rehabilitation tailored to each inmate."

Bosley said those nine months, however, are not enough time to fully rehabilitate an inmate. The candidate said that is why his re-entry plans are so important. "If punishment alone worked, no one would re-offend. However, we know that some inmates come back again and again. It is important to continue to follow them as they leave the House of Correction in order to give them the best chance to stay out and not re-offend."

Bosley outlined plans to work closely with probation, parole, community corrections and local services in order to maximize efforts while avoiding duplication. "If we wish to be successful in returning people to our communities, we need to provide more than a plan. We need to keep in touch, coordinate our efforts with other services in the community and proactively follow people through the re-entry process in order to ensure that they continue their plan. If we can stop people from re-offending, we make ourselves safer, more secure and save the system the expense of incarcerating that inmate again and again."

Bosley said he would convene monthly round table meetings with all of the participating agencies to track re-entry and discuss individual treatment plans and challenges.

Bosley said that part of his plan is to be active in neighborhoods throughout the county in order to develop programs that have a positive effect on the community as well as for the inmates. "This is all about taking ownership of a community as most citizens do. It is about developing a sense of community and responsibility," he said.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Daniel E. Bosley, candidate for Berkshire County sheriff is refusing to accept campaign donations from employees at the Berkshire County House of Corrections (BCHOC) and asked his opponent to take a similar pledge and return any such donations.

“For too long, I have witnessed people donating to a candidate because they are afraid they will lose their job if they don’t write a check. People should be hired and promoted based on their ability, performance and experience; not on the size of their political contribution. The next sheriff will have to make a lot of decisions regarding personnel upon entering office. There should be no question that these decisions are made on merit, not campaign checks,“ the candidate said in a statement.

Bosley stressed that it is important for the public and employees to have confidence that the system works based on merit.

“This issue came up in a debate last week at MCLA. My opponent said that personnel issues shouldn’t be made based on contributions. If that is true, then neither of us should be accepting contributions from potential employees. I have never taken a contribution from one of my employees. It’s just not a good  practice, policy,  and doesn’t inspire public confidence," he said.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College, in collaboration with the Pittsfield Gazette and Pittsfield Community Television, will host the following debates Monday evening, Aug. 30, in K-111 on BCC's main campus. Seating is first-come, first-served and voters are invited to attend one or all three debates

The first event will begin at 6 p.m. with a debate between Democratic candidates Paul W. Mark, Noreen P. Suriner and Thomas S. Szczepaniak, who are vying for the nomination for representative for the 2nd Berkshire District.

Michael F. Case and Rosanne M. Frieri, the Republican candidates for the 2nd Berkshire District, will begin their debate at 7.

Jenn Smith, reporter for The Berkshire Eagle, will moderate both debates.
 
Daniel E. Bosley and Thomas N. Bowler, who are running to replace retiring Berkshire County Sheriff Carmen C. Massimiano, will debate at 8 p.m. Clarence Fanto, freelance newspaper and radio journalist, will moderate this debate.

The debates will be telecast live on CityLink, the government channel of PCTV, and through streaming at www.pittsfieldtv.org. The event will also be rebroadcast on PCTV several times prior to the Sept. 14 primary elections.