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Pittsfield Welcomes New Mayor, Council on Tuesday

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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Peter Marchetti will be sworn in to a four-year term as the new mayor of Pittsfield on Jan. 2. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city will inaugurate a new mayor and swear in city councilors on Tuesday morning at City Hall.

Peter Marchetti will be sworn in for a four-year term as mayor, replacing Mayor Linda Tyer who did not seek a third term.

After unsuccessfully running for mayor in 2011, this second time was a charm for Marchetti. In November, he was victorious over John Krol in the general election with 60 percent of the vote.

The incoming mayor has a decades-long tenure with the city, serving as council president for the last eight years, and will leave behind a more than 35-year career with Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.

His administrative team will include Catherine Van Bramer, who will continue her role as director of administrative services, and Brittany Walsh will be  his executive assistant.  

Several new faces will be sworn into the City Council and School Committee.

Kathleen Amuso and Alisa Costa will join incumbent at-Large councilors Earl Persip III and Peter White.

This will be Amuso's second time as a councilor. She served two terms at large after 10 years on the School Committee until deciding not to run again in 2017, though she has been active on other boards and committees. This Costa's first election but she has been involved in a number of civic boards and was four years the initiative director for Working Cities Pittsfield.

Both Marchetti and Karen Kalinowksy eschewed re-election for councilor at-large to instead run for mayor; Kalinowski did not make it past the preliminary election.


There will be new leadership in three of the city's wards after two councilors did not seek re-election and one was ousted by their challenger.

Brittany Bandani will serve as Ward 2 councilor and Matthew Wrinn will be sworn in for Ward 3 after replacing Charles Kronick and Kevin Sherman, respectively, decided not to run for re-election. Rhonda Serre won the Ward 7 seat over incumbent Anthony Maffuccio.

Returning are Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren, Ward 4 Councilor James Conant and Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey, all of whom were unopposed, and Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi, who was unsuccessfuly challenged. 

Newcomer School Committee members Diana Belair, William D. Garrity Jr. and Dominick C. Sacco will join incumbents William Cameron, Daniel Elias and Sara L. Hathaway.

City Clerk Michele Benjamin will also be sworn in.

The public is invited to join the inauguration ceremony in council chambers at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2, and the event will be streamed on Pittsfield Community Television. Following the ceremony, Marchetti is hosting a public reception at Hot Plate Brewing Co. with light hors d'oeuvres from Otto's Kitchen and Comfort.
 


Tags: inauguration,   swearing in,   

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Central Berkshire Picks Insider Henault for Next Superintendent

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Michael Henault is interviewed by the School Committee on Wednesday. 
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee didn't go far to find its next superintendent. 
 
The committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to offer the post to Michael Henault, who has been the district's assistant superintendent for three years. 
 
"He is an incredible candidate. It doesn't matter for what district, and I think he is ready, and certainly chomping at the bit to take on the next challenge," said Charlotte Crane, committee member. 
 
"I suspect that we wouldn't be able to hold on again for too much longer in the assistant superintendent position." 
 
The vote came at the end of a four-hour meeting during which Henault and two other finalists — John Franzoni, superintendent of the Northern Berkshire School Union, and Matthew Bishop, interim deputy superintendent for the Pittsfield Public Schools — were interviewed. 
 
The 13 of the 15 committee members representing the seven towns in the district agreed that it was a difficult decision because of the quality of the candidates. 
 
"I'm extremely torn right now," said Ellen Lattizzori of Dalton. 
 
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