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No Preliminary Election in North Adams

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There will be no preliminary election in North Adams this year. 
 
But there will definitely be some changes on the City Council with only six incumbents running for re-election in November. 
 
Tuesday at 5 p.m. was the deadline to get in 50 certified signatures to run for office. 
 
Jennifer Macksey is being challenged in her run to retain the corner office by Aprilyn Carsno, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor two years ago and was eliminated in a preliminary election. 
 
Richard David Greene and Rachel Branch also had taken out papers; Greene did not return signatures and Branch moved out of the city.
 
City Council incumbents Lisa Blackmer, Keith Bona, Bryan Sapienza, Ashley Shade, Peter Oleskiewicz and Wayne Wilkinson will be on the ballot.
 
Current Councilors Jennifer Barbeau, Marie T. Harpin and Michael Obasohan did not take out nomination papers. 
 
Hoping to fill those three empty seats — or unseat one or more incumbents — are Colin Bain, Peter Breen, Robert Cardimino, Andrew Fitch and Deanna Morrow. 
 
Bain is a recent McCann Technical School graduate; Breen is a retired computer science teacher who serves on the McCann School Committee and the city's Licensing Board; Cardimino has been a frequent candidate for council; Fitch has worked in inclusion and community engagement and is a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals; and Morrow is a recent graduate of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts who works in residential recovery. 
 
A total of 11 candidates will vie to be among the top nine vote-getters.
 
Emily Johnson, Jon Schnauber and Joshua Vallieres had also taken out papers but did not return them or return the required amount; Ronald Sheldon, a prior candidate, was not able to get his signatures notarized in time. 
 
Four candidates are running for three seats on the School Committee: incumbents Tara Jacobs and Alyssa Tomkowicz and newcomers Cody Chamberlain and Eric Wilson. 
 
Three candidates are running for the three seats on the McCann School Committee: George Canales, Peter Breen and William Diamond. 
 
The city election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 28.
 

Tags: election 2023,   municipal election,   


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Mass MoCA Commission Approves Mental Health Practices as Tenants

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Mass MoCA Commission on Thursday approved three new tenants for Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. 
 
Kimma Stark, project manager at the museum, gave the commission the rundown on each of the new tenants. 
 
Eric Beeman is a licensed mental health counselor who uses art in his therapy. He holds a master's degree in expressive arts and arts therapy from Lesley University, where he's also taught graduate-level practices and principles of expressive art therapy.
 
He integrates creative arts based interventions into his clinical work including drawing painting, poetry, writing, brief drama and roleplay, movement and sound. Beeman works one-on-one and with small groups and said he mostly works with adults. 
 
He will be operating as Berkshires Expressive Arts Therapy on the third floor of Building 1. 
 
Beeman said Stark has been very helpful. "It's different than just renting a space and she's been very helpful and personable and accessible," he said. 
 
Mary Wilkes, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist, works with individuals with severe mental illness, with attachment and relationship issues and needing support navigating major life transitions. She works with teenagers, college and students and adults. 
 
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