GT Newsletter, 2 May 2021

 

Dear Greylock Together,

WILLIAMSTOWN TOWN ELECTION is TuesdayMay 11
Please VOTE and spread the word! (7 am to 8 pm at Williamstown Elementary School) or Download your ballot application right now and drop it off at Town Hall by May 5th.

Know your candidates! Candidate forum links are below. We will send out a special edition newsletter with candidate responses to our survey in the coming week. 

(Other non-Williamstown election items included below as well…scroll down!)

Greylock Together Williamstown Candidate Forum—watch here
Videos of League of Women Voters forum:
1 years select board seat
3 year select board seat
Planning board seat
WilliNet Meet the Candidates:
Housing Authority

Thank you WilliNet!

Update from Wade Hasty, Candidate for Select Board one-year seat:
We all benefit the most when voters have a chance to engage with candidates. If you’re on the fence about me, disinterested in politics/voting, or plan to vote for someone else; I challenge you to reach out and contact me, or hopefully spare some time to meet at one of the planned locations. Regardless of the election results, I would welcome a chance to meet my neighbors.

1-year is left, 1-year to last, 0-people left out 

Bringing value to the community by working with our Public Safety on planned initiatives that supports their voiced needs. Emplace a lasting structure for accountability and transparency that serves to augment our town strengths while simultaneously preventing future rifts. Reinvigorate the Select Board by being an example of effective presence, setting a tone of caring and professional leadership that outpaces community concerns. 

TEAMWORK NEEDED:
Every donation helps! For signs and mailers!

Visibility matters: For Wade Hasty yard signscontact: wadehasty4selectboard@gmail.com; 413-672-1525

Update from Jeff Johnson for Select Board three-year seat: 
We are in the home stretch!!! Below is a list of a few things I have been up to the past week:
4/26:  DIRE & Select Board meetings
4/27:  I met with a few privately and discussed items related to affordable housing needs and opportunities in our town.
4/28:  I spent the afternoon with Lizzy Beck meeting with students at Buxton School to discuss the structure of our town government.
4/29:  I attended a fabulous RJPR sponsored Community Circle meeting!!!
5/1:  I spent the day at the transfer station meeting people and discussing my campaign platform!
Just 9 more days until the election, please VOTE on MAY 11!
I am sincerely asking you for your vote so WE can work TOGETHER to heal our town!

Still Two Sundays Left to Meet Jeff Johnson!
For Jeff Johnson yard signs contact: jeffjohnson4selectboard@gmail.com



VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: ELECTION STANDOUTS ARE CRITICAL – BRING A SIGN AND JOIN IN!
JEFF JOHNSON standouts
– location is at Corner of Cole Ave. & Main St.
WADE HASTY standouts  – location is at the rotary at Field Park
**BOTH SIGNS WELCOME AT BOTH LOCATIONS!!
ALL DATES AND TIMES BELOW ARE THE SAME

FRIDAY MAY 7 – 12 pm    
SATURDAY MAY 8 –  BOTH AT TRANSFER STATION – 10 am – 12 pm 
SATURDAY MAY 8 – 12 pm 
(Sunday, none)
MONDAY, MAY 10 – 12 pm
MONDAY MAY 10 – 4:30 pm 
ELECTION DAY, MAY 11BOTH AT THE YOUTH CENTER, SCHOOL ST.Please sign up for one or two hour shifts between 7 am and 8 pm.
Please sign up for a shift (it takes a village…seeing many faces really helps!). CONTACT:
jeffjohnson4selectboard@gmail.com  
wadehasty4selectboard@gmail.comTHE FIRST 100 DAYS! 
Much work ahead, but much to highlight and celebrate.
Thanks to Jim Mahon for sharing this terrific resource:
Joe Biden at 100 days: A Resource GuideFROM TEAM INDIVISIBLE:

Check out our For the People Project page to learn more about our plans and find ways to take action.  If we are going to remake our democracy into one that works for the people and achieve all of our progressive priorities—like affordable healthcare, a green new deal, a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants, and economic and racial justice—we need our members of Congress to use the majority that we built to defend our democracy. Watch the video

This is urgent given the 81 anti-protest bills being proposed by Republicans

Opinion | States should be listening to protesters. Instead they’re shutting them up.

Oklahoma Governor Signs Law Granting Immunity for Drivers Who Kill Protesters
 

Immigrants’ Day at the State House!

Every year the MIRA Coalition convenes hundreds of immigrant and refugee constituents from across the Commonwealth to meet with their legislators to advocate for legislative and budget priorities including the Safe Communities Act and the Work and Family Mobility Act.

This year’s speaking program runs from 11 to 11:40am, and will feature comments from Boston Mayor Kim Janey, Senator William N. Brownsberger, Senate President Pro Tempore, and SCA lead sponsor Representative Ruth B. Balser, House Second Division Chair, as well as Dalida Rocha, Political Director of SEIU 32BJ and Gabriel Camacho, Political Director of UFCW Local 1445.

This program will be followed at 11:45am by Regional Roundtables hosted jointly by legislators and member organizations for an informal exchange—an opportunity to advocate for the bills.

IMC and several local Indivisible groups are members of the Safe Communities Act Coalition. We hope you’ll join us on Tuesday, May 4 to advocate for this and other legislation to support immigrants. Register HERE

DRAWING DEMOCRACY:
If you want to ensure that underrepresented communities have the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice who best reflect their needs and interests, check out Drawing Democracy, a coalition of community organizations, civil rights lawyers, public policy advocates, data and mapping experts, and political scientists working on this issue. You can find resources about redistricting, sign up for their newsletter, or volunteer to help. 

STOP GUN VIOLENCE: An Act To Prevent Mass Shootings

Bill H.D. 4192 & Bill S.D. 2588: On Tuesday April 20, State Representatives Marjorie Decker (D-Cambridge) and Frank Moran (D-Lawrence) filed legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Cynthia Creem (D-Newton) and Rep. Bud Williams (D-Springfield), that would prohibit the in-state manufacture of assault weapons that are banned in Massachusetts. The text of the bill can be found here

Massachusetts law prohibits the sale, transfer or possession of assault style weapons and large capacity feeding devices with 10 or more rounds. Yet, companies located in our state continue to manufacture, possess, transport and export assault weapons that are prohibited in the Commonwealth – contributing to gun violence, injuries and deaths in other states. The legislation would prohibit these weapons from being manufactured in the Commonwealth.

John Rosenthal, founder of Stop Handgun Violence: “Our duty extends beyond our State borders. Thousands of military style assault weapons are manufactured in Massachusetts that can’t even be sold in the Commonwealth because of our permanent assault weapons ban. There is a mass shooting of four or more people every single day in America and many of the assault weapons used by mass shooters are made right here in the Commonwealth. If these weapons of war can’t be owned here, why should they be able to be made here and then used to massacre people in other states? We must do everything we can to prevent their manufacture in Massachusetts for distribution across the United States.”

LOCAL ACTION: Call and write to our State Reps and Senators.
They need to cosponsor this critical legislation and they need to hear from us! 
Senator Adam Hinds
Representative John Barrett

GOOD NEWS:  – Both Senators Markey and Warren are cosponsors of federal legislation S.736 – Assault Weapons Ban of 2021. Be sure to thank them! (And yes, this actually matters.)

VOLUNTEER DRIVER NEEDED…it takes a village!

Helper needed! One of the Berkshire Immigrant Center‘s clients in Williamstown is scheduled for her naturalization ceremony on Friday May 7th in Springfield at the District Court, 300 State St. She has no transportation. Congratulations to this neighbor!

BIC is looking for a volunteer driver. Please contact Charles Bonenti ASAP for details if you can assist. This client is vaccinated and needs to be there at 12:15 pm.  volunteer@berkshireic.org or 413-458-4886. THANK YOU!!!

FOOD SECURITY: From Morgan Ovitsky

At the last North Berkshire Food Access Collaborative meeting, many were eager to continue the planning and implementation of a “Food Hub”. During the Community Food Assessment process this group prioritized and set the goal of: 

  • Goal 1: A Food Hub provides farmers and community food security organizations with increased food preparation and distribution infrastructure and services.

If you are interested in continuing this conversation, please let me know your availability by responding to this doodle poll

Check out more news from this week at Muckraker Farm.

Events (GCal,iCal)

United Against Racism – BLM Weekly Vigils Fridays @ 5 PM, Field Park, Williamstown 



Gender Identity Series: Mondays May 3, 10 & 17 @ 7 pm, hosted by FCC (First Congregational Church), Williamstown

  • May 3 – documentary film screening and discussion of The Trans List
  • May 10 – book discussion of Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt (please order a copy from the library today!)
  • May 17 – Conversation with Mx Chris Paige (pronouns they/them) author of OtherWise Christian: A Guidebook for Transgender Liberation

CONTACT INFO FOR GT TEAM ACTION:

Resist and persist!
Wendy, Jess, Alexander

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