Quabbin Area Democrats Organize
Nearly sixty Democrats representing eleven towns jammed the Belchertown Town Hall Auditorium in a regional meeting of Democratic Town Committees on Saturday morning January 28. Amherst, Belchertown, South Hadley and Granby were among the well-represented towns. Gus Bickford, Chair of the Democratic State Committee, was the main speaker. Also attending was State Senator Anne Gobi, who represents Ware and communities in Worcester County.
The meeting was called to help focus attention on the need for Democrats to work together to improve government services in Western Massachusetts. In response to a question regarding unfunded mandates, Bickford said that Democrats in Boston and Washington have been fighting to fund these mandates, but face continued resistance.
Hampshire Register of Deeds Mary Olberding of Belchertown helped organize the meeting, with the support of State Senator Eric Lesser and other legislators. Ken Elstein, Belchertown Democratic Chair, was "delighted with a turnout that was more than double what we had anticipated." He encourages those interested in joining, regardless of residence, to contact him at Elstein@charter.net.
