News Briefs: Alex Morse in Sheffield; CDBG home repair info session

Sheffield Dems to hold meet and greet with congressional candidate Alex Morse

Sheffield — The Sheffield Democratic Committee will hold a town hall-style meet and greet with Alex Morse, the mayor of Holyoke who is running for Congress, Monday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. at Dewey Hall. Morse is seeking the Democratic nomination for the First Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield.

Morse, who grew up in a housing project in Holyoke, attended Brown University and was the first in his family to earn a college degree. While still in college, Morse announced his candidacy for mayor of Holyoke. He was elected to that post at the age of 22 and has been reelected three times. He is the youngest and the first openly gay mayor in Holyoke’s history.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact (413) 229-3448 or ben@benhillman.com. The Sheffield Democratic Committee does not endorse candidates competing in a Democratic primary. Neal has also been invited to speak to Sheffield residents but has not confirmed a date.

*     *     *

Great Barrington to hold CBDG home repair services info session

Great Barrington — The Great Barrington Selectboard is participating in a regional Community Development Block Grant to provide eligible residents with home repair services at no cost to the residents. The funding is provided by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and provides a 0% interest, deferred, forgivable loan of up to $40,000 to homeowners to make critical repairs to their homes. Examples of eligible projects are roof replacements, new siding, septic systems, correcting code violations, and door and window replacement. There will be an information session held Monday, Jan. 27, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Mason Library’s Community Room. For more information, contact the Mason Library at (413) 528-2403.