Letter: Project 2025 Is an Urgent Threat to Democracy

To the Editor:

I have watched the recent resurgence of the Democratic Party with growing optimism for America's future. Kamala Harris offers America a sane, intelligent candidate who clearly understands the critical importance of American democracy, domestically, and for world stability.

Harris' pro democracy stance contrasts dramatically with Project 2025, the de facto policy platform of Donald Trump and his Republican Party. An urgent threat to American democracy, Project 2025 creates a step-by-step playbook for a second Trump administration, blatantly laying out an authoritarian master plan for the replacement of American Democracy with autocracy.

Project 2025 abolishes constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms for all Americans. The plan's anti-American highlights include a nationwide ban on abortion, imposition of Christian Nationalism on America's public institutions, elimination of the Department of Education, criminalization of LGBTQ-plus individuals, rejection of the scientific reality of climate change, censorship banning teaching about slavery and black history, and the forced roundup and imprisonment of millions of immigrants in internment "camps."

Sally Filkins
Pittsfield, Mass.

Dalton Elects Incumbents, Write-in for Planning Board

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
09:06PM / Monday, May 11, 2026

The last-minute write-in campaigns for Planning Board resulted in higher than normal write-in votes — 306 — for Monday's election. 

DALTON, Mass. — The unofficial results for the town's annual election indicate that Planning Board registered candidate William Striebel III and write-in candidate Richard Hall have secured the two seats.

 

Some 413 voters cast their ballots at the Senior Center on Monday. There were 82 mail-in ballots.

 

The Planning Board race began with just one candidate for the two available positions, leaving one vacancy initially unfilled, but as Election Day approached, two additional candidates launched write-in campaigns, transforming it into a competitive contest.

 

The Planning Board saw a significant number of write-in votes, totaling 306. Striebel secured 238 votes, Hall 163, and Mary Tresa Devereaux with 133. 

 

Both Hall and Devereaux have been endorsed by the Dalton Clear Air Coalition, of which Hall is a member, and Democratic Town Committee. 

 

Hall decided to run for Planning Board last Monday inspired by the Berkshire Concrete situation wanting to ensure that the company follows the town's zoning bylaws. 

 

"Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I look forward to helping the town. It's a privilege being on the Planning Board," he said.