Selectboard Chair Fred Baron is facing a challenge from political newcomer but longtime Pioneer Valley resident Joshua Harris in the only contested race on Tuesday’s election ballot.
Polls will be open at Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Frederick U. Baron

Baron, 66, is seeking reelection to a second Selectboard term with the goal of pushing forward the long-term projects the town has started in the last three years, while also maintaining continuity in town offices where the town administrator, assistant town administrator, town clerk and other positions have seen turnover in recent years.
His top three priorities are working on a feasibility study for a new Highway Department garage, finding a use for the former Center School that has positive financial benefit for the town, and spurring economic development around the Exit 35 neighborhood, which has been the subject of an ongoing study process.
“The past year, if you look at it objectively, you don’t see a lot of major projects finished, but there’s been a lot going on and it’s been going on in a time of a lot of personnel turnover,” said Baron, who has run High Ridge Books for 40 years. “I’ve learned a lot about the town, I’ve learned how it functions and the budgeting process, and with the turnover we’ve had, maybe a little continuity wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”
On top of these priorities, Baron said the main challenge facing Whately is the battle between bringing economic development to town while also preserving the rural character that defines it.
“We’re largely an agricultural community, but if we don’t have economic growth, we will fall behind budgetarily,” Baron said, adding that the town faces economic pressures from neighbors like Northampton, Greenfield and Amherst. Environmental concerns also hamper development, as more commercial areas, like near the Whately Diner, are surrounded by wetlands and the community needs to be mindful of it.
Balancing development and town character, he added, happens on a “case-by-case basis.”
“It’s on a case-by-case basis and a lot of talking to residents and working things out and getting community involvement, so it’s not always the same people’s ideas in meetings,” Baron said.
Along with his three years on the Selectboard, Baron has also served on the Planning Board and Finance Committee, and he currently serves as Whately’s representative on the South County EMS Board of Oversight.
“I think I’ve done a good job of representing the attitudes and wishes of the community; I’ve listened to people and we try to treat everyone who comes before us with respect,” Baron said. “It’s been an honor to work with the people of Whately.”

Joshua S. Harris

Harris, 46, is a detective with the Amherst Police Department and has lived a life of public service through his work as a police officer around the valley, as an EMT and through his community volunteering. While a political newcomer in Whately, Harris said he is deeply familiar with how town government works through his time as a municipal employee and he has served as police union president and vice president at points throughout his career.
He is running on a platform of “common sense ideas and fiscal responsibility” with the goal of listening to voters and preserving Whately’s rural and agricultural character.
“I am not a politician, I’ve been in service to others my entire life going back to high school. I don’t have any self-serving interests in this,” Harris said. “I’ve been a servant of the public, which is what I enjoy … and maybe taking that next step to where I can have a voice based off what my neighbors, friends and constituents say, I may be able to change things or better things a little bit.”
As is the case in any small town, Harris said budget challenges are always front and center, and to him, the biggest priorities are ensuring long-term planning is always being conducted and continuing to work with the excellent schools.
Planning, he added, doesn’t just include the long-term capital projects like fire engines or Highway Department trucks; it also includes things like a backup generator to get water to residents in the event of a widespread power outage and communicating what grants the town has applied for.
In that vein, he said he’d like to welcome department heads to quarterly Selectboard meetings to prioritize needs in a collaborative manner.
“It’s not just my opinion, it would be feedback from department heads, if we form committees, then committees and the public. I want their feedback,” he said, adding that he will be “that shoulder for people to lean on. “I want to be able to listen to them, I want to be able to give them a voice.”
Harris said his time working in the Pioneer Valley has allowed him to build up a wide network of contacts at both the local and state level as well.
“Locally we can have a direct effect on our neighbors and community,” he said, adding that when things are too big for the town to handle that network comes in handy. “When we have issues here, if we have that liaison or that relationship with them, we’ll be able to say what Whately needs.”

Other races

The other uncontested races on Tuesday’s election ballot are as follows:
■Moderator, one-year term — Nathanael A. Fortune, incumbent.
■School Committee, three-year term — vacant.
■Frontier School Committee, three-year term — William J. Smith, incumbent.
■Board of Assessors, three-year term — Frederick P. Orloski, incumbent.
■Board of Assessors, two-year term — Jenny Miriam Morrison.
■Library trustee, two seats with three-year terms — J. Robert Klinger, incumbent, and Virginia J. Selman.
■Library trustee, two seats with two-year terms — Debra Louise Carney and George Howe Colt, both incumbents.
■Cemetery commissioner, three-year term — Darcy Jane Tozier, incumbent.
■Board of Health, three-year term — Francis Fortino, incumbent.
■Water commissioner, three-year term — John Matthew Lukin, incumbent.
■Elector Under Oliver Smith Will, one-year term — Keith E. Bardwell, incumbent.

Hi all, so I got my first kitten from a local shelter yesterday and she’s only 11 weeks. I grew up with cats in the house, but it’s been about 5 years since I’ve lived with cats and I have some questions! My kitten has to be separated from my roommates cat for a week incase she has what they call a shelter kitty cold. I feel bad because she’s cooped up in my room all day. Yesterday she was really laid back and getting used to not being in a cage, but today she’s very energetic and running around and keeps running out of my room. My room is only about 9 by 10 and I feel super bad. I bought her some balls with bells in them and a feather toy. Last night I had to put her in the washroom for the night because she wouldn’t let me sleep and kept eating my cords. I put a blanket in there for her with her food and water and litter box and she was okay but I felt awful. My questions are: When it is time to introduce her to my roommates cat, how do I go about that? How can I kitten proof my apartment? I’m a little worried about my railing if she runs between them or jumps because it’s a far drop. Are there any toys or supplies anyone recommends? How can I keep her content in my room for the week? Can I use litter deodorant while her litter box is in my room until it is moved out of my room? I bought litter box deodorizing crystals from the dollar store. Thank you (:

https://bananaservers.ca Hey fellow gamers on Reddit! Are you in search of a reliable and high-performance server for your favorite games? Look no further than BananaServers.ca! Here's why they might just be the best choice for hosting your game server.
Why Choose BananaServers?
1. Wide Range of Supported Games BananaServers offers server support for a plethora of popular games including Minecraft, Rust, ARK: Survival Evolved, and many more. Whether you’re into survival games, creative sandbox experiences, or intense strategy games, they have you covered.
2. Rapid Server Setup One of the standout features of BananaServers is their quick setup process. You can have your server up and running in less than 10 minutes! This is perfect for gamers who want to dive right into the action without lengthy setups.
3. 24-Hour Free Trials Not sure if BananaServers is right for you? They offer a 24-hour trial period for all their servers—absolutely free and no credit card required. This allows you to test the server with your specific game and see if it meets your needs before committing.
4. User-Friendly Management Panel BananaServers uses the Peel panel, a user-friendly server management interface that makes it easy for both beginners and experienced server admins to manage their game servers. Whether you need to install mods, adjust server settings, or manage backups, it’s all streamlined through their intuitive panel.
5. Competitive Pricing With plans starting as low as $1.00 per month, BananaServers provides affordable options without compromising on quality or performance. They also offer scalable options to grow with your gaming needs, ensuring you always have the right amount of resources.
6. Robust Security Online security is a major concern for many gamers, especially when running popular servers. BananaServers provides advanced security features, including DDoS protection, to keep your server safe from attacks and ensure stable gameplay.
7. Stellar Customer Support BananaServers boasts a dedicated support team that’s available 24/7 to help with any issues you might encounter. Whether it's a technical glitch or a billing question, their knowledgeable staff is there to assist you promptly.
Website: https://bananaservers.ca Discord: https://discord.gg/6ePuuP5cRr
​
https://preview.redd.it/he1bnq408izc1.png?width=3837&format=png&auto=webp&s=773cddb50b6405198df3df2b1fad4602659d4edf

1/2
So I was not vetted at all for this job and the website was very vague as to what it actually was. There were a bunch of fake testimonials by "John Doe" and "Seamus". Some of their positions were even marked as "Designation" showing they forgot to add it. I only noticed this when I revisited the site (which was difficult since when I searched the name google came up blank for some reason. I found it through my history.).
2/2
The website was called ForeCruitelite, but this person seems to be recruiting for Codica, what they describe as a digital marketing agency in Kharkiv (one of the biggest hotspots of the ukraine war), but the codica website seems to be a software development firm. They only recruit british nationals (no verification, just a yes or no question), and the person I was talking to was quite clearly british. I'm not sure what to make of this but something stinks. Can one of you online experts tell me: Is this a scam?