ASHFIELD — Besides electing a president, and weighing in on state ballot questions on Nov. 8, many West County voters will help pick a new state senator to fill the shoes of Benjamin Downing in the coming Legislative session.
On Thursday, Oct. 13, rival candidates will face-off in a forum from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the Ashfield Town Hall, at 412 Main St.
Republican candidate Christine Canning of Lanesborough and Democratic candidate Adam Hinds of Pittsfield will field questions by both a media panel and the audience in a two-hour debate, moderated by Ashfield Town Moderator Buz Eisenberg, and sponsored by The Recorder and the town’s Council on Aging.
Canning is an educational specialist who has worked for the Springfield, Holyoke and Pittsfield public schools. She owns two educational consulting businesses: Boston Manhattan Group Inc. and New England Global Network LLC.
Hinds grew up in Buckland and is a Mohawk Trail Regional High School graduate. He worked on election campaigns for former U.S. Rep. John W. Olver and for former presidential candidate John Kerry from 2003 to 2004. He now heads a North Adams coalition that provides family and child support services.
Each candidate will have up to four minutes to answer questions and 30 seconds for an optional rebuttal.
The last half-hour of the evening will give residents a chance to mingle and to meet the candidates.
The media panel will include: Cathy Buntin, director of the Shelburne Senior Center, representing the Ashfield Council on Aging; reporter Stephanie Slysz of WHMP radio, and reporter Diane Broncaccio of The Recorder. Jean Cherdak of the Northampton Area League of Women Voters will field audience questions.
Falls Cable TV in Shelburne Falls will tape the debate and make it available for viewing on many formats, including The Recorder’s website, Recorder.com, for those unable to attend.
The event is sponsored by the Ashfield Council on Aging, League of Women Voters, Falls Cable TV, WHMP, The Recorder, and Daily Hampshire Gazette.
The Franklin County towns represented in this state Senate district are: Ashfield, Conway, Shelburne, Buckland, Charlemont, Hawley, Heath, Rowe and Monroe.