Leigh Davis, Jamie Minacci and Patrick White were invited to speak Wednesday at the Dalton Democratic Town Committee meeting. The candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for the Third Berkshire District.
Patrick White is a Stockbridge Select Board member with a background in finance.
Jamie Minacci is a Stockbridge Select Board member and a special education paraprofessional.
Leigh Davis is vice chair of the Great Barrington Select Board and works in the nonprofit sector.
Committee Chair Michele Marantz introduces the candidates.
DALTON, Mass. — The three Democratic candidates campaigning so far for the Third Berkshire District spoke at a Dalton Democratic Town Committee meeting on Tuesday.
Leigh Davis, Jamie Minacci and Patrick White spoke about their experiences, priorities, and their strategy if elected.
They also answered questions from residents surrounding topics on climate change, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs,) and the cost of living, child care, and college.
The candidates are seeking to replace William "Smitty" Pignatelli, dean of the Berkshire delegation, who is stepping down after 22 years representing South County and parts of Central Berkshire.
"We have three very intelligent Democratic candidates for state rep right now, and they all succeeded in convincing the group of their commitment to the region and they have very ambitious goals, different strategies, but basically the same goals," committee Chair Michele Marantz said.
The Berkshire County residents are aware of the beauty of the area and are invested in keeping it that way, she said. "The other thing that I heard tonight, that I hear in conversations, is the issue of affordability and whether or not people's children can actually remain in the area.
"This is an issue that is, I think, throughout many states, but it certainly is a very sensitive one. In Berkshire County people are frustrated about that."
White, serving his second term on the Stockbridge Select Board, highlighted his financial background and the importance of not only obtaining as much funding as possible but also "making money cheaper" and developing alternative sources of revenue.
"What I want to do is make sure that we don't have this awful choice between people who can't afford their taxes and having the government we need," he said.
"We need to focus on more grants. We need to have a focus on economic development. And we need to have a focus on alternative sources of revenue. Things like ticket taxes and other ways that we reduce our reliance on property taxes."
White is a graduate of Monument Mountain Regional High School and Boston College. He founded a successful graphic design studio and several internet startups, and is now chief financial officer for the nonprofit Berkshire Waldorf High School. He also serves on the Stockbridge Bowl Stewardship Commission and the Affordable Housing Trust Committee.
Minacci is also a Stockbridge Select Board member, elected in 2022, and serves on the Conservation Commission and the Berkshire Regional Transportation Advisory Board and as the town's representative to the Stockbridge Bowl Association. She studied at Salve Regina and Central Michigan universities and is a special education paraprofessional in the Lenox Public Schools.
"I work hard. I am an advocate of the Berkshires and for the people in. I'm a special ed teacher. I work with the blind and the deaf and I have to listen, I have to be able to communicate, not only verbally but non-verbally," she said.
Minacci stressed the importance of providing Berkshire residents with good wages so they can buy homes and groceries, pay their bills, and take care of their families without needing three jobs and struggling.
Although as a commonwealth there are a lot of programs that support residents such as food and fuel assistance, she wants "to give people the dignity to be able to have jobs and raise their families and buy homes."
If elected, one of her priorities will be infrastructure. "We cannot let our small towns go disproportionately into debt because they can't pave their roads and build bridges," she said.
Davis, vice chair of the Great Barrington Select Board, emphasized the importance of community and making the area affordable so people can support their families.
She noted her wide range of experiences as a mother of three, business owner, professor, marketing coordinator, among other hats. Growing up, her family instilled the importance of conversation, she said.
"I grew up in a household being a biracial child. My father was a Republican and my mom was a very liberal progressive …I have this tapestry of experience," Davis said.
"[While growing up] our dinners were very, very interesting. We had a lot of conversations around balance and listening to other people's perspectives, and really seeing through different lenses, [such as racial and gender lenses.]"
Davis left her tenured professor position in Ireland because of the high cost of living and moved to the Berkshires to raise her family as a single mother. She did the "Berkshire shuffle" to reinvent herself. She struggled so she empathizes with residents who are struggling, Davis said.
She says she has established a network in the State House and connections to top officials.
Davis is in her second term on the Select Board is chair of its housing subcommittee and is liaison to the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee. She also serves on the Lake Mansfield Improvement Task Force and the Community Preservation Committee. She graduated from Ithaca College and holds a master of arts from Ireland's National University. She has volunteered and worked with a number of nonprofits in the area and is currently communications director for Construct Inc.
Whoever is elected the Berkshires will be well representative, committee member Steve Marantz said following the meeting.
"We need a loud voice since we're way out here and no one in Boston pays attention to us. We need someone to jump up and down and let them know we're here and that issue is not insignificant," he said.
"I think these candidates are well informed about what confronts us. So, I thought it was very educational, very informative, and I'm enthused that we have good people to choose from."
It is important to have people campaign who are passionate and bring their experiences to the table, committee member Valerie Conte-Mesquita said.
"We have a lot of people that care and that are extremely talented, and thank goodness that they are interested in helping us shape our world and our home."
The state primary is on Sept. 3; the last day to register to vote is Aug. 24.
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Belchertown Stops Pittsfield Post 68
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Belchertown Post 239’s Cooper Beckwith set the tone when he crushed the game’s first pitch to left-center field for a double.
The visitors went on to pound out 14 more hits in a 9-1 win over Pittsfield Post 68 in American Legion Baseball action at Buddy Pellerin Field on Monday night.
Beckwith went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice, and Chase Earle went five innings on the mound without allowing an earned run as Post 239 improved to 15-0 this summer and completed a regular-season sweep of Post 68 (12-4).
“He’s a good pitcher,” Post 68 coach Rick Amuso said. “Good velo[city], kept the ball down. We didn’t respond.”
Pittsfield did manage to scratch out a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, when it already trailed, 7-0.
Nick Brindle reached on an error to start the inning. He moved up on a single by Jack Reed (2-for-2) and scored on a single to left by Cam Zerbato.
That was half the hits allowed by Earle, who struck out three before giving the ball to Alex West, who gave up a leadoff walk in the sixth and retired the next six batters he faced.
Water runoff reaching the drainage outlet behind the property is flooding it, unable to reach an intermittent stream meant to carry that runoff. click for more
The $25,000 raised will directly assist the Berkshire Humane Society in funding its various programs aimed at improving the lives of animals in need throughout the Berkshire County area. click for more
The short film follows Tom Levardi, who has been a supporter of the hiking community over the last 45 years by allowing Appalachian Trail hikers to camp in his back yard.
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On Thursday, the commission issued 36 conditions for the city project that include a new boardwalk, access stairs, paring improvements, seasonal docks, and a new swimming beach on the park’s two properties at 1447 North St. and 40 Hancock Rd. click for more
Mike Ressler was unhittable on the mound, and the Pittsfield Little League All-Stars completed a convincing run through the Don Gleason District 1 Tournament with a 19-0 win over Dalton-Hinsdale on Thursday. click for more