SOUTH DEERFIELD — First elected in 2003, Carolyn Shores Ness says it’s “energizing” to have an opponent this year.
Faced with competition from political newcomer Erich Brown, which some residents have noted has been less friendly than usual, Ness said she has gone door-to-door, campaigning and meeting people and renewing relationships with people in town.
“My biggest strength is connecting with people,” Ness said. “I just try to figure out ways we can all work together to move ahead.”
Deerfield’s election is Monday. Ballots can be cast between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Town Hall.
Ness has lived in town since 1980, grew up in Bernardston, and has served in local government since the 1980s, when she was on the Planning Board before becoming a selectwoman 15 years ago.
She sees a host of issues in the town coming up that she can continue to assist with, including problems related to climate change, like mosquitoes, ticks and concerns over the Bloody Brook.
“You have to think out of the box and I really enjoy that,” about solving problems on the Selectboard. She hopes to stay for at least another term, as she continues to serve on dozens of local and regional committees.
Most recently Ness has spearheaded the Pioneer Valley Mosquito District as a way to mitigate issues not only specific to mosquitoes, but to use state and federal money from endeavors like this to help solve other water related issues. She will likely be the commissioner in the coming year.
“I’ve been working for years, since 2005 when we had $4.5 million of damage related to intense storming events,” Ness said, while calling herself a watershed expert.
She hopes to fix in the very near future the Mill Village culvert, near Old Deerfield.
Her other plans are to push forward the project at the former South Deerfield Congregational Church that have been somewhat idle.
“I’ve been working on senior housing since before I was elected and it’s just very disappointing that we haven’t gotten the money we need,” Ness said.
Ness explained that the church is planned to become a senior center and housing for seniors. The project, however, is hung up in court. The town has hired a consultant to create the master plan for the building, using the money from the departed senior director of the church.
“I’m absolutely shocked it’s taken this long,” Ness said about the church project. She plans on lobbying legislators to move it forward. “It’s been a year and a half. We’re ready to go.”
The structure of how the schools are funded may change in the next few years, Ness said, and they have three to five years to ensure the long-term sustainability of the schools given these pending state changes.
In regards to the recently passed recreational marijuana bylaws, Ness said moving forward, “The number one priority for me with the host agreement is making sure we have a very good, successful outreach program to the schools.” She hopes to partner up with the school resource officer to educate students on proper social media etiquette and develop a good relationship with the students.
Regardless of who sets up shop in town, Ness emphasized the priority is in creating a host-agreement that values real educational programming.
“Someone can come in and look real slick,” she said. “I want to be a real program for the schools, and builds on what we have already been doing.”
As for farmers growing marijuana, Ness said, “whatever it takes for our farmers to keep farming. “I’m not crazy about it, but if it’s going to keep them going,” then she’ll support them.
You can reach
Joshua Solomon at:
jsolomon@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext. 264