NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Committee to Elect Gailanne Cariddi has plans for supporters of the 1st Berkshire District's first woman representative to see her sworn in.

Cariddi, elected in November to replace outgoing Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, will be sworn in at the State House on Wednesday, July 5, at 11 a.m. with other incoming legislators.

The committee has engaged King Ward Coach transportation to accommodate the many requests of people in the 1st District to attend the ceremony. The cost for the round trip to Boston is $30 per person. There will be ample time to visit the State House, surrounding historical areas of Boston and enjoy lunch.

The bus will leave North Adams at 7 a.m. from TD Bank on Main Street. There will also be one stop in Pittsfield at the Crowne Plaza, departing at approximately 7:45 a.m.

The State House ceremony includes the oath of office for the governor, lieutenant governor, senators, representatives and members of the Governor's Council.

Anyone interested in attending the celebration should contact Antoinette Cariddi at 413-652-2023 or Marie Harpin at 413-664-4362 by noon, Thursday, Dec. 9. Participants may make their check payable to the Committee to Elect Gailanne Cariddi and send them to 100 Galvin Road, North Adams, MA 01247. 

From Google/CNN at noon on Nov. 3:

 Nov. 3, 10:39 a.m.: Results in from Williamstown:

Three candidates running for two four-year Williamstown seats on the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee: incumbents Carrie Greene (1,312) and David Langston (1,456) keep their seats from challenger David Backus (837). The two-year seat was won unopposed by Abigail Reifsnyder (1,837). All three questions were defeated: Question 1: Yes 569, No 2,012; Question 2: Yes 514, No 2,043; Question 3: Yes 496, No 2,169.

We're also kind of astounded that the Question 1, which repeals the tax on alcohol sales tax, passed 52 percent to 48 percent by Bay State voters. Seriously? The petition was generated by package store owners near the New Hampshire border claiming their sales were significantly affected. The question had little impact here in the northwest corner but apparently those in the northeast don't think they should pay tax on their booze — unless they buy it in a restaurant.

Opponents say the state will lose $110 million in revenue over this question and programs to help substance abusers and prevent teen drinking. Let's see how it plays out.

Paul Mark's campaign sent us info on where the representative-elect will be today:

Mark, staff, and volunteers from his campaign will be out on the campaign trail performing four roving "Thank You" visibilities. A small group of supporters will be joining Mark starting at noon in Cheshire for sign-holding and greeting voters to say "thank you" for electing him state representative. The informal schedule will be roughly as follows: Cheshire at noon at Church and Route 8; Dalton at 1:30 at Routes 8 and 9; Shelburne Falls at 3 at State and the iron bridge; and Northfield at 4:30 at Routes 63 and 10.

Campaign staff encourage supporters to leave Paul Mark signs on their lawns until Friday evening, as volunteers and staff will collect them by Friday. If a sign has not been picked up by the weekend, supporters may call 413-306-9242 to have them removed.

Nov. 2, midnight: Not wrapped up quite yet. We got a text from Paul Mark's campaign manager Steven Hoesche confirming Mark had won the four biggest towns in the Franklin County section of the 2nd District. Mark's won all the Berkshire towns so far , so it's not much of a stretch to call him the winner.

We also got some numbers from Clarksburg: Gov. Patrick continued his hold on the county with Clarksburg voters handing him 340 to Baker's 146. Cahill picked up 45 and with Stein trailing with a handful of votes. Some 549 ballots wer

Clarksburg also rejected all three questions pretty forcefully. No. 1 went down 346-200; No. 2, 393-132; and No. 3, 385-160. One and two had a couple blanks but No. 2, on repealing the so-called 40B law for single-permitting affordable housing, had 24 blanks. A couple dozen couldn't make up their mind - or weren't sure.

The senior housing planned just a few hundred feet away from the polling station could fall under the 40B law.

Patrick won re-election with 48 percent of the vote statewide.

Lenox rocked out at 61 percent; 2,266 voters out of 3,718 made it to the polls to vote for Patrick (1,697-419); Coakley (1,701-506); and the rest of the Democratic ticket, including handing Bump 1,267 votes against Connaughton. More Lenoxians did check the box for Nat Fortune in the Green Party; he polled 138 votes, which is so far the highest we've seen. All the questions went down three or four to one.

Numbers in from Cheshire at about 11:25. We only asked for governor and 2nd District to see how the voting went in that town.

Patrick continued his sweep of his adopted county (he polled 586-123 in Richmond, with 63 percent turnout) with Cheshire handing him 711 votes. Baker, however, did better than in other county towns, earning 311. In the 2nd District, Mark extended his victory with 624 votes to Case's 430 and Racz's 47.

Town Clerk Christine Emerson said turnout was 1,132 out of 2,316 voters, or just a hair under 49 percent.

Adams had a turnout of 42 percent, with 2,352 of 5,663 voters casting ballots. The results were similar to other towns, with Patrick winning 3-1, or 1,629 to 548. Cahill did nab 132 votes and Stein 22. We've mostly left them out of our tallying because their numbers are so low across the board.

The Mother Town went Democratic; it also tossed all three questions out (No. 1 1,391-903; No. 2, 1,623-618; No. 3, 1,657-663). State Rep-elect Gailanne Cariddi, running unopposed, took 1,864 votes. Town Clerk Haley Meczywor speculated native son David Bissaillon, trounced by Cariddi in the primary, might gain some write-in votes. Or maybe some disappointed Bissaillon backers couldn't bring themselves to check Cariddi's name.

In case anyone was wondering, Sen. Benjamin B. Downing was elected unopposed, as was District Attorney David F. Capeless. Tom Bowler, who like Cariddi won the Democratic primary, was also elected unopposed.

Rep. Smitty Pignatelli inherits Dan Bosley's mantle as dean of the Berkshire delegation. Pignatelli defeated Laugenour overwhelmingly with numbers missing from only  a handful of towns.

Laugenour and Miller's hoped-for Green revolution didn't come to pass but they certainly gave it their all. Final numbers between Speranzo and Miller were 5,440 to 4,459, a difference of 981 votes.

 We're wrapping up for the night, pending any crazy breaking news. We can say it looks like the Democrats have hung on to power in Massachusetts, if not other parts of the country.

At 9:45, Gov. Deval Patrick is leading Republican Charlie Baker; Tim Cahill and Jill Stein are barely in the running. Suzanne Bump of Great Barrington is leading Mary Connaughton and Nate Forutune. Martha Coakley claims a victory over Jim McKenna for attorney general. We were sent a question about whether McKenna's name was on all the ballots. We haven't heard otherwise and took a photo of the ballot in Clarksburg to be sure.

Congressman Olver beat Republican and tea party candidate Bill Gunn handily, two to one. Having met Mr. Gunn, we thought it might be closer but maybe he needs more seasoning in local office first.

All three ballot questions appear headed for defeat; Question 1, on the exemption for alcohol sales tax, is rather close. Hmm.

We talked to a couple voters who said the ballot questions were what really drove them to the polls.

I wanted to make sure I voted on the questions," said Kathy Kierstand of North Adams. "Those were very important to me."

The possibility of bearing brunt as homeowners if the sales tax was rolled back (Question 3) played a part in bringing Dully and Tracy Saimbert in Adams.

Accompanied by their two very young children, Tracy said, "our property taxes are high enough as it is ... It was very important to vote.

They weren't convinced by proponents assurances that the rollback wouldn't affect aid to cities and towns. "They have to get the money from somewhere," said her husband.

 With most of Pittsfield reporting in, it looks like Mark Miller wasn't able to catch incumbent Chris Speranzo. The Green-Rainbow Party had pinned its hopes on an upset in the 3rd District but that rainbow seems to be fading. We're tallying up numbers from PCTV; it looks like Miller came within a 100 votes or less of Speranzo in most wards. It looks like Speranzo hung onto his seat by just under a 1,000 votes. Final unofficial tally per PCTV is 4,004 to 3,098.

Can anyone think of a third-party candidate who came closer?

Miller's party colleague Scott Laugenour (seen at right) didn't do as well. A bit of Pittsfield is in the 4th District. Precinct 5B went for  Pignatelli 652, Laugenour 159, reports PCTV.

Pittsfield turnout was 44.4 percent; 12,781 out of 28,995 registered voters went to the polls.

There's still a few more minutes until the polls close in the county but we've got a pretty good idea off the turnout - high.

In Cheshire, the number of voters surprised Town Clerk Christine Emerson. "It's been really steady," said Emerson, who added the town was closing in on 50 percent at 5:30. Just over 900 of the 2,300 registered voters had cast ballots by that time with 2 1/2 hours left.

Williamstown Town Clerk Mary Kennedy put the turnout at 63 percent with nearly an hour left to go. "It's pretty normal for a state election," said Kennedy. "We're on pretty much on target here."

The polls were slower but steady in Adams, with Town Clerk Haley Meczywor putting it at about 33 percent early in the evening. "It's been steady all day," said poll worker Frances Meier.

In Lenox, the tally was 2092 out of 3,684 voters at 6 p.m., or 57 percent. Turnout was expected to be higher in South and Central Berkshire because of the three state representative races.

Reporter Nichole Dupont ran into Scott Laugenour, Green-Rainbow candidate for the 4th Berkshire District, who was feeling good about his party's chances. He'd seen a lot of Green signs around the region.

Berkshire County heads to the polls today to select state and congressional representatives, and a slew of officials for the state's high offices.

Polls opened at 7 a.m.; polling locations are listed here.

We'll be adding information as the day proceeds but don't know if we'll have counts for all the towns tonight - there are too many towns to cover. We appreciate any help in getting final numbers: if you have any results send them to info@iberkshires.com, text to 413-652-0808 or tweet us @iberkshires with hashtag #mapoli and/or #Berkshires. You can also post on our Facebook page. See how easy it is?

In North County, we're predicting Gailanne Cariddi as winner in the 1st Berkshire District. Considering she's the only candidate we feel pretty safe saying that. Tom Bowler, who also is running unopposed, will be the winner in the Berkshire County sheriff's race.

There will be one local race: three people are running for two four-year seats on the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee to represent Williamstown. They are incumbents David Langston and Carolyn "Carrie" Green and challenger David Backus, a three-term member of the Williamstown School Committee. There is also a two-year seat to fill a vacancy, for which Abigail Reifsnyder is the only candidate.

Incumbent Robert E. Ericson is running for one of two seats to represent Lanesborough; the second seat, being vacated by Ronald W. Tinkham, a longtime member who decided earlier this year not to run again.

Voters in both Lanesborough and Williamstown will vote on the committee members.

There's a lot of talk about early voting across the nation. We asked a couple town clerks if they've seen anything out of the ordinary for early voting:

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott has endorsed Bill Gunn for U.S. representative in the 1st Massachusetts District.

The chief formally endorsed Gunn at the Holyoke Republican City Committee's annual event.

"Mr. Gunn supports the pollicies and principles that I know will put our communities and country back on right track towards prosperity and security," said Scott. "Mr. Gunn will have my vote in November."

Scott's letter of endorsement can be found at www.billgunnforcongress.com.
 

BOSTON — Suzanne Bump, Democratic candidate for state auditor, has received endorsements from two Latino community organizations, two women's advocacy groups and three LGTB organizations.

MassEquality, the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, and Bay State Stonewall Democrats have all endorsed her candidacy.

"This election is critical and we need candidates in office like Suzanne Bump who understand the importance of watching out for all citizens of the commonwealth, including LGBT citizens," said MassEquality Executive Director Kara Suffredini. "Suzanne Bump is someone who, from early in her career, has been very supportive of LGBT people and MassEquality enthusiastically endorses her for state auditor."

Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts have endorsed Bump's candidacy.

"We believe that Suzanne Bump's background and experience make her uniquely qualified to be Massachusetts' next state auditor. She has a strong track record of support for working families and we can count on her to protect the interests of the taxpayer," said MWPC Executive Director Priti Rao. "As former secretary of labor for the commonwealth, she demonstrated that commitment by developing and streamlining programs that resulted in minimized costs and maximized opportunities for workforce and small business development. In this very challenging economy, Suzanne's experience will be an invaluable asset in her role as the state's fiscal watchdog. We proudly support Suzanne Bump for state auditor."

¿Oíste?, a statwide political organization consisting of six regional councils that advances the political, social and economic standing of Latinos and Latinas, and La Semana News, a leading Spanish-language community newspaper in the Boston metro area, have also both endorsed Bump.

Bump has also received the endorsement of the Massachusetts Coalition for New Americans.

"Suzanne Bump has a long history of supporting civil rights and the programs that help all Massachusetts citizens, including immigrants and their families," said Eva Millona, the coalition's executive director.

Question 1

"A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou beside." So goes the famous stanza (or at least one translation of it) from Omar Khayyam's the "Rubaiyat" celebrating the simple necessities of life. There was a time, perhaps, when alcoholic beverages were a necessity. Stored properly, they could last for years — a plus in the pre-refrigeration and soda pop days.

But is it a necessity now? Should it be lumped in with that loaf of bread — or gallon of milk — and be exempt from the state sales tax? We don't think so.

Question 1 on Tuesday's ballot is asking voters to exempt the retail sale of alcoholic beverages from the 6.25 percent sales tax. The petition question has the support of the Massachusetts Package Store Association, which says the sales tax is an example of double-dipping since an excise tax is paid at the wholesale level.

The imposition of the sales tax on alcoholic beverage sales last year has hurt mom-and-pop stores, especially those along the New Hampshire border, the organization says. Opponents say allowing the exemption will cost $110 million in state revenue, all of it targeted toward treatment programs for kids and adults. These critical services help keep people out of jail, out of the hospital and out of trouble — all of which could cost the state far more in the long term.

The revenues are critical and we think the negative effects not quite so bad — the no-sales-tax boogeyman of New Hampshire rings hollow out here in the northwest corner. Our neighboring states have taxes comparable or higher. Massachusetts' excise tax on both beer and wine is less than the national average; distilled spirits is a bit higher. It comes out to about 10 or 15 cents on bottle of wine — no matter the quality.

This is not the time to be giving out exemptions for package-store purchases. We say vote no on Question 1


Question 2

Question 2 would repeal the state's so-called 40B law that allows nonprofit organizations to build affordable housing under a single comprehensive permit.

Proponents say the law has provided incentives to construct mixed housing with both market rate and affordable units. Opponents say the law hasn't provided housing for the people who need it and has cost citizens in taxes and infrastructure.

The arguments for each side are extensive; Wicked Local has an excellent article on the subject here.

We say vote no on repealing the law. While not perfect, we believe it would be better to review how well it's worked and amend it, rather than toss it out altogether.

Question 3

This citizen's petition would roll back the 6.25 percent sales tax to 3 percent. The measure would save consumers a few bucks at the register and devastate the budgets of towns and cities and throw the state into a budget crisis.

According to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, making up the estimated $1billion in lost revenue this year could mean drastic cuts in local aid this year, and more next year. North Adams alone could lose nearly $1.75 million in city and school funding.

Proponents say halving the sales tax would save families about $1,000 a year and boost job growth. They say it wouldn't affect local aid, though it's hard to see how. The cost of keeping city and town services would still fall to the taxpayers in each town through rising property taxes and fees.

We don't like taxes either but at least the sales tax is one we have more control over through our spending habits. Right now, it's at $6.25 for every $100; Question 3 would drop it to $3 per $100. That loss in sales tax will wipe out gains the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce has been in encouraging in its "Buy in the Berkshires" campaign, says chamber CEO Michael Supranowicz.

"I think it's very important for the business community to understand that if we roll the sales tax back 3 percent ... fees and increases in real estate will affect us all in our pocketbooks one way or another," he told chamber members last week.

We agree. Think of it as the price of a fancy coffee for every $100 you spend; the few dollars you save here and there isn't worth the massive cuts that would affect all of us.

Vote no on Question 3.