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Pittsfield Sees Potential Candidates for All Positions

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There are potential candidates for all positions on the Nov. 4 ballot.

There are several wards where only the incumbent councilor has taken out papers so far.

It's election season again, and as of Thursday, potential candidates have taken out papers for city clerk, councilor at large, Wards 1-7, and the School Committee. Nomination papers became available on April 3, and certified papers are due by Aug. 1.

A preliminary election will narrow the race down on Sept. 16 if a position has more than two candidates, or nine for at-large councilor.

The six-person School Committee so far has only five potential candidates: incumbents Daniel Elias and Sara Hathaway, and newcomers Geoffrey Buerger, Jacob Klein and Sarah Muil.

Tayshialynn M. Chaloux has taken out papers to challenge incumbent clerk Michele Benjamin.  Alexander Blumin took out papers for clerk and withdrew on April 11, but has not withdrawn from potential candidacy for council seats at-large and for Ward 2. 

Incumbent Kenneth Warren is the only person to take out papers for Ward 1. Craig Benoit, Blumin, Cameron Cunningham, Lindsay Locke, and Corey Walker took out papers for Ward 2. Brittany Bandani was elected in 2023 in Ward 2 over Blumin.


Benoit unsuccessfully ran for councilor at large in the last election.

Incumbent Matthew Wrinn is currently the only potential candidate for Ward 3, as well as incumbents James Conant in Ward 4 and Patrick Kavey in Ward 5. Edward Carmel has taken out papers for Ward 6, a race he unsuccessfully ran for in the 2021 election. Dina Lampiasi has been representing Ward 6 since 2020.

Former Ward 7 councilor Anthony Maffuccio is looking to make a return, as he and Katherine Moody took out papers for that seat, currently held by Rhonda Serre.

Incumbents Kathleen Amuso, Alisa Costa, Earl Persip III, and Peter White have taken out papers for at-large seats alongside Blumin, former councilor Karen Kalinowsky, and Lawrence Klein.

In 2023, now Mayor Peter Marchetti and Kalinowksy eschewed re-election for councilor at-large to instead run for mayor; Kalinowski did not make it past the preliminary election.

The city clerk will conduct a drawing for preliminary ballot name locations, if necessary, at City Hall on Aug. 7, and general election ballot name locations on Sept. 25.  Regular updates can be found on Pittsfield Community Television's Election Central page.


Tags: election 2025,   municipal election,   


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Truck Crashes Into Pittsfield's Samel's Deli

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Elm Street will be partially closed as cleanup continues. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wednesday morning was busy for Pittsfield first responders, as a pickup truck crashed into Samel's Deli & Catering and a fire broke out on First Street.

Around 9:45 a.m., the police reported that the street in front of Samel's Deli & Catering would be closed or down to one lane as a result of a two-car collision that sent the truck careening into the deli.

The department posted two photos on Facebook, one depicting the silver truck with New York license plates crashed through the glass of the front entrance and another of a white Honda CR-V with significant damage to the front end.

"A vehicle was coming out of one of the alleyways here and struck this truck, which continued into the building," Police Officer Craig Jones explained when iBerkshires arrived on the scene.

Jones reported that there was one injury but whether it was someone in the vehicles or in the deli. A crossing signal near Samel's front entrance was also taken out by the truck.

Around this time, crews worked to clear debris in front of the restaurant as the truck was towed away. That section of the road reopened around 11 a.m.

The police, firefighters and an ambulance responded to the accident and police intend to release a statement on the incident.

Around 6:15 a.m., the Fire Department reported that it had responded to a possible structure fire at 233-235 First St. Windows on all three floors of the multi-family building are now broken or boarded up and the cause is under investigation by the Fire Investigation Unit and investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office.

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