Judge agrees: No it is!

To contact us Click HERE
M.N. Spear Library, Shutesbury
After hearing two hours of testimony on Monday, April 23 from both sides of the contentious Shutesbury Library Override debate , Judge Mary-Lou Rup decided in favor of the two challenged no votes but threw out two yes votes thus changing the original January 10 tie vote to 522-520, meaning the $3.5 million renovation Override failure is upheld.

"Friends of the Library" filed suit to have two "No" votes voided, those of Richard and Joan Paczkowski, who winter in Florida but spend nine months annually in Shutesbury in a home they have owned there for thirty five years.

Attorney Alan Seewald represented the NO side, and he argued that if the Paczkowski's votes are ruled out then the judge should also throw out Jessica Buck (wife of Chris Buck, who already had his vote ruled out by the Board of Registrars on January 25 because he signed a legal document in Kentucky a month before the Shutesbury vote giving up his right to vote anywhere else) and attorney Michael Pill's grown children Shoshana Holzberg-Pill  and Jacob Holzberg-Pill who live and reside in New York and California respectively.

The Judge's decision to uphold Richard and Joan Paczkowski's right to vote in their hometown combined with agreeing with Attorney Seewald's argument for nixing the yes votes of Shoshana Holzberg-Pill  and Jacob Holzberg-Pill brings the final vote tally to 522-520.

Judge Rup's Decision