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North Adams Council Has Four Open Seats for Election
05:38PM / Saturday, July 08, 2017
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — More names are being added to the list of candidates for City Council this fall, but two more names will also be missing, as of Friday.
 
The mayoral race has also added a candidate in Rachel Branch, who took out papers this week and has already returned them. Thomas Bernard and City Councilor Ronald Boucher have also announced for mayor. 
 
Kate Hanley Merrigan, who is completing her second term on the City Council, is bowing out for re-election and Lisa Blackmer, a former president of the City Council, is setting her sights for the state representative seat left vacant by the late Gailanne Cariddi. 
 
Merrigan made her intentions known on a Facebook post on Thursday, saying she could not make the commitment to the position because of circumstances in her personal life. 
 
"However, please consider this more of a 'pause' than a 'goodbye' where elected office is concerned," she wrote. "I am so grateful for the trust people have placed in me with their votes in the past two elections and the support I have received. I am sorry that I won't be able to seek the opportunity to represent you again in the next cycle."
 
Blackmer formally announced her run for the 1st Berkshire District on Friday and confirmed she is not running for re-election to the council. She had already taken out papers and was gathering signatures for council before deciding not to pursue a sixth term.  
 
That means, with the resignation of Nancy Bullett and Boucher's run for mayor, there will be at least four new members of the council next year, one of which could be Bullett's yet-to-be-named replacement if that person runs for election in November. 
 
There are some well-known names in the most recent listings, including Paul Hopkins, a longtime member of the Planning Board and Redevelopment Authority who is running for his first elected office, and Roger Eurbin, who's spearheaded the Hill Side Cemetery Restoration. 
 
Also in the running are incumbents Keith Bona, Eric Buddington, Benjamin Lamb, and Joshua Moran; Robert M. Moulton Jr. has not taken out papers so far. 
 
Former council member Wayne J. Wilkinson, Edward Lacosse, Rebbecca A. Cohen, H. Merle Knight, Bryan K. Sapienza, Jessica L. Cramer and Keifer Gammell have also taken out nomination papers. If all return their forms, that means 13 names so far on the ballot for the nine seats.
 
There is also at least one seat open this year on the School Committee, with John Hockridge declining to run for re-election. Hockridge was first elected in 2002 and has been instrumental in the work being done by the Berkshire County Education Task Force as the city's representative. 
 
"It has been rewarding to be involved in positive changes in the school district over the years, and under the leadership of our new Superintendent, Dr. Barbara Malkas, the North Adams School District is set for continued positive movement forward for its students, its educators, and the community-at-large," Hockridge said in announcing his decision not to pursue a fifth term. "We have a great school district and it will only be greater with the administration, educators, staff and school committee that continue to dedicate their time and talents on behalf of the kids.  
 
"I encourage others in the community to serve on the school committee, and I encourage everyone to support their school district in any way they can."
 
He said he will continue with the work of the task force, which is expected to be completed in September. 
 
Incumbent Heather Boulger has taken out papers for School Committee; Mark Moulton is also up for election but has not taken out papers so far. 
 
Incumbents Paul Gigliotti and Gary Rivers have taken out papers for McCann School Committee.
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