Mount Greylock School Election Causes Confusion

By Stephen DravisWilliamstown Correspondent
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Chris Dodig was technically turned out of his seat on the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee by Sheila Hebert, who's already serving on the committee.
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Sheila Hebert burst out laughing when told she won a seat on the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee.

The joke was: She did not want to win.

Hebert, who already is serving out a term on the committee, actively encouraged everyone she knew to vote for one of the other candidates vying for the single open Lanesborough seat on the committee.

But when the votes were tallied on Tuesday, Hebert had 1,630 votes (1,067 from Williamstown; 563 from Lanesborough). Her opponents, Chris Dodig and Mark Schiek, had 1,256 and 537, respectively.

"Are you kidding me?" Hebert asked when reached at her home on Tuesday night. "I'm a little shocked, to be honest.

"They do a Lanesborough newsletter electronically, and each of us put out statements, and in mine I said, 'I encourage you to give your vote to one of the other two candidates so they have a chance to get in.'"

Dodig, like Hebert, is filling out an unexpired term on the committee for members who resigned mid-term. Dodig's term expires at the end of November. Hebert’s current seat has two more years on a four-year term.

Hebert told iBerkshires.com in October that she did not want to win the seat Dodig currently occupies because it would require Williamstown's and Lanesborough's Boards of Selectmen to appoint someone to fill the seat she currently holds.

That may be the scenario the towns now face.

Or, it may not.

Lanesborough Town Clerk Judith Gallant said Tuesday that Hebert may be able to avoid displacing Dodig yet.

"She can write a letter declining the position, and then it would go to the next top vote-getter," Gallant said. "I think that's how it works. That's what we'd do in a town election.

"But I could be wrong. It's been known to happen."

Hebert said she will consult with Gallant on Wednesday to see what can be done.
Tags: election2012,   MGRHS,   school committee,   


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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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