Election 2009: Flagg Campaign Plans City Walkthrough

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Brian L. Flagg
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – North Adams City Council candidate Brian L. Flagg is holding a "Get Started On The Right Foot" event on Sunday, Aug. 2, from 1 to 5. Flagg and volunteers for his campaign will be walking through city neighborhoods introducing Flagg and his ideas to the community.

"I know many citizens here personally. However, I want to take this as an opportunity to meet the folks I may not know," said Flagg. "These people see names in the paper and online all the time but may not have an opportunity to ask them questions or voice their own opinions. This will give them the chance to put a face to the name."

Flagg has stated in previous communications that he will not hold fundraisers or actively seek donations to his campaign. Because of this, he realizes the importance of meeting citizens face to face.

"This is a difficult economic time," he said. "People have a difficult enough time feeding their families and paying their bills. I don't want them to have to pay money to come see me and ask questions. It is a privilege to serve and the citizens of this city should keep their money. I think they would appreciate someone taking the time to come visit them rather than the reverse."

Anyone wanting to volunteer for this event or to be part of the campaign can do so by calling 413-281-0069 or e-mailing FlaggForCityCouncil@gmail.com.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Community Hero: Noelle Howland

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Noelle Howland is committed to keeping alive the late Pittsfield ACO Eleanor Sonsini's mission of helping animals ... albeit farther north in North Adams.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — No Paws Left Behind Executive Director Noelle Howland has been selected as the November Community Hero of the Month. 
 
The Community Hero of the Month series honors individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact in their community. The series sponsor, Haddad Auto, has extended this initiative for one more month.
 
Howland breathed new life into the mission of the former Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter, which closed in August 2023. 
 
The shelter in Pittsfield operated under the mission established by Eleanor Sonsini, a local animal rights activist and longtime animal control officer in Pittsfield, to be a no-kill shelter committed to finding surrendered and abandoned pets new forever homes. 
 
Howland's love for animals, dedication to their well-being, and expertise in animal behavior and training and shelter management brought this mission to new heights at No Paws Left Behind, a new shelter for dogs located at 69 Hodges Cross Road. 
 
"I want people to understand that I know it's hard to surrender. So, my biggest thing is [making sure] people know that, of course, we're not judging you. We're here to help you," Howland said. 
 
When Sonsini announced its closing, Howland, who was the shelter's manager, worked to save it, launching fundraising initiatives. However, the previous board decided to close the shelter down and agreed to let Howland open her own shelter using their mission. 
 
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