Editorial

A Fish Tale

The headline read: Murder in Massachusetts; A Stockbridge Crime. The sub-head screamed “Bold Noonday Murder”

The indictment was brutal. “That on September 18, 1885, Henry Guy Carlton of Stockbridge Massachusetts did feloniously, deliberately, unlawfully and with malice aforethought…entice, lure, and lay violent hands…causing the death of the same against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the statutes thereof.”

News traveled through Stockbridge “on the wings of the wind and before nightfall the murder was the universal topic of conversation in Stockbridge.” The body was laid out in Stockbridge House (the Red Lion Inn) and many came to view it. Undersheriff Humphrey tracked the culprit through the Berkshire woods to Stockbridge House and arrested him; the brave sheriff was alone, but well-armed.

Humphrey could not lock Carlton in the Stockbridge jail, because the last inmate, in a fit of rage or a cloud of alcohol, kicked both the window out and the door down. Since there were no new inmates, there was no rush to repair them. Humphrey decided to lock Carlton in a room where the hotel where he was apprehended, and he slept peacefully in a room at Stockbridge House.

The trial was short, and in the end, Carlton was released on a technicality. The judge threw the case out because the victim could not testify in the first place, and in the second place, someone ate it.

It was a fish.

Carlton “did go to a lake in Stockbridge [Stockbridge Bowl] and there did affix a grasshopper, toad, bullfrog, shiner, sucker or worm to a line, rod and reel, and did there and then cast in the waters of said lake and did lay violent hands on a trout, causing its death.” Why was it a crime? Trout was out-of-season.

It was 1885. One may ask why the New York Times had such a screaming headline; why the “paper of record” called killing a fish, murder.

Well, the nineteenth century newspaper was just having a bit of fun. Teasing Stockbridge, that quirky, quiet, little village, with a statistical anomaly. Stockbridge was a place almost without crime of any kind. And murder? The words murder and Stockbridge might appear in a newspaper headline only when a local theater advertised a play with the word murder in the title.

Count our blessings and hope Stockbridge continues to incite — just — laughter.

by Carole Owens , Editor and Publisher

News

Notes from the Select Board Meeting, May 26, Hybrid Meeting

Present:

• Patrick White, Chair
• Chuck Cardillo
• Jamie Minacci
• Michael Canales

1. Public Hearing: Bob Flower, owner, 60 Main Street — permit to add deck — approved
2. Request for public comments moved to beginning of agenda — no comments
3. Berkshire Botanical Garden requests one-day liquor licenses for June 10, 11, 13, 17 and 25 for weddings, wedding rehearsals, and a fund-raising event. Approved
4. Chesterwood one-day liquor license for June 8 — fundraiser, Approved
5. Tanglewood — new manager for food service venues (10 on the property) White is an abutter of Tanglewood and upon Town Counsel advice recused himself — handed gavel to Cardillo. The new manager was present (off camera) and said “hello” — name inaudible.
6. Canales reported
   1. Phase one of Town Beach parking lot completed and useable for Memorial Day holiday weekend. In fall there will be more finishing work, grass, flowers, etc.
   2. Canales also reported there are two new kayak racks. If folks prefer these to the old ones, Town will buy more
   3. White asked about harvester. Canales said it is still not fixed because they are waiting for parts. However, the larger harvester is ready to go in the water
   4. The water chestnut (an invasive) will be picked by divers with the seeds. After that the harvester can begin
   5. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money — suggested use, Use $82,500 for extra compensation for First Responders in police and fire departments and Town Offices. Minacci asked how much will be left after paying this. Answer $531,000.
7. Payments approved
8. SB agreed to postpone the appointments to the boards, commissions, and committees until after the vote recount (Thursday June 2)
9. White said SB members cannot talk to one another outside of the meetings because in a three-member board, two is a quorum. He suggested:
   1. If townsfolk have an issue with a member, they should speak directly to that member. There is no point in telling one about the other as they cannot pass the message on
   2. A long “laundry list” of items to complete still remains, and White is not interested in personalities, but only in the work and getting it done
   3. White is committed to transparency
10. SB agreed to drop the morning SB meeting. They will have two meetings per month at 6:30pm and add a third if necessary. For example, during budget period in preparation for Town Meeting.

SB went into executive session to discuss contracts of police and fire chiefs — will not return. Meeting adjourned

News

Notes from the Conservation Commission (ConCom), May 24, Hybrid Meeting

Present:

• Sally Underwood-Miller, Acting Chair
• Jamie Minacci
• Joe DeGiorgis
• Lisa Bozzuto
• Michael Canales, Town Administrator via Zoom

1. Minutes of May 10 meeting approved as written
2. John McCarthy, 2A Interlaken Road, application to remove trees. Site visit scheduled
3. Steve Averbuch and Rachel Rivert (sic), owners, and Shannon Boomsma for White Engineering. Sixteen trees to be removed and 20 trees planted. Site visit scheduled to see erosion control. (Address inaudible)
4. Certificate of Compliance (COC) requested for 212 Old Stockbridge Road Attorney Jeff Lynch and Foresight Land Management on behalf of property.
   1. Underwood Miller explained the property was clear cut and that created consternation with neighbors.
   2. Planted “71 healthy trees 21 feet apart”
   3. Eliminated a pond which they apparently had a right to do since it was less than 10,000 sq. ft.
   4. No COC until work done — evidently Order of Conditions issued 9/2016 — complied with — need COC for that work and then move forward with more work
   5. Difficulties: The property spans Lenox/Stockbridge line; Scenic Mountain Act is engaged depending on work; length of driveway exceeds Stockbridge limit of 500 ft (although driveway may be in Lenox); Underwood-Miller “rumor has it there will be a kitchen in the barn” — that requires Building Inspector approval; apparently a host of other issues
   6. ConCom Chair Ron Brouker is away and member John Hart is sick — matter continued
5. Boomsma of White Engineering for Sandra and Eric Berkowitz, owners, 206 Old Stockbridge Road for proposed house
   1. To tear down a 1130 sq. ft. house and build a 1409 sq. ft house.
   2. That would constitute 13% coverage of lot; zoning allows 10% coverage
   3. Bozzuto said 13% unacceptable especially 35 feet from Lake
   4. Boomsma argued that somehow it was not a new build but an upgrade
   5. It would use “Perc—Rite” sewage disposal system with a pre-treatment system
   6. When asked, “why are they increasing size and lot coverage?” Boomsma replied “because they can”
6. Canales reported that the Town is tackling the water chestnut problem — divers will remove by hand the plants and seedlings. Should be done now while seeds still attached
7. Underwood-Miller shared an email from Alison Dickson, Housatonic Valley Authority (HVA). It said, a Greenagers crew observed Japanese knot weed — a highly invasive weed — at the culvert on Glendale Road. “It will take over” if not removed. Canales said he would discuss with Hugh Page, Superintendent, Highway Department.
8. John McCarthy joined via Zoom and they discussed site visit.

Meeting adjourned

Editor’s Note: 1. Perc-Rite is a unique fluid handling system for the dispersal of septic tank effluent wastewater into soil. The system incorporates filtration, time dosing, and low-rate drip distribution tubing. 2. Perc-Rite is a new waste disposal system for land that otherwise does not perc or does not have space for septic system field. It allows building on lots formerly unbuildable.

News

Notes from the Cemetery Commission, May 24, Hybrid Meeting

Present:

• Karen Marshall, Chair
• Patrick White
• Pat Flinn
• Terry Iemolini, Town Clerk
• Michael Canales, Town Administrator
• Candace Currie via Zoom

1. Minutes approved as written
2. Discussion about sewer line that serves one home and runs through the cemetery. Moving it, or somehow reconfiguring the road, would create more burial space. It is being looked into.
3. Work is continuing on cemetery garage.
4. Eleven cement posts are being replaced with marble posts. It was discovered that one more, a 12th, is needed
5. The policy and application for events to take place in the cemetery was discussed in detail. A revised edition of both policy and application will be presented at next meeting for review and vote by the commission.
   1. White asked if a copy of each could be displayed to make discussion easier to follow — not available
   2. Determined the applications would be approved by the Chair only, and unlike every other Commission, not brought before Commission.
   3. Canales said this whole process was initiated by a single event proposed for the cemetery in 2021. Not clear if event took place. Otherwise, for many years, the only “events” in the cemetery have been the Sedgwick family gathering and Stockbridge Library guided tours
6. Rich Atwood presented information about burials. (It appeared he was hired to oversee burials after Chris Marsden left?) No one is charged for burial, no one “owns” a plot, and only residents can be buried in Stockbridge cemetery.
   1. Nonresidents cannot be buried in Stockbridge cemetery even if their parents are
   2. Canales read bylaw and said the term “landowner” appears. He said that may create a problem and bylaw might be reviewed.
   3. Currie asked about grave liners. Rich said, concrete liners
   4. Currie asked about Green burials. Rich said they were “a long-term maintenance problem” and suggested there be a green burial area of the cemetery
7. Brief discussion by Chair of dates when she would not be available for meetings. Postpone? Name a vice chair to convene meeting? What if an application arrives while she is away? Chair was “tempted to wait for July” to have meeting since she is unavailable in June.

Meeting adjourned

News

Notes from the Select Board (SB), May 19, Hybrid Meeting

Present:

• Patrick White, Chair
• Chuck Cardillo
• Jamie Minacci
• Michael Canales, Town Administrator

1. Canales called the meeting to order as new SB must pick chair. As the custom is to rotate the chair, it was White’s turn and he was elected unanimously
2. Canales reported:
   1. Larrywaug Bridge completed
   2. Averic Bridge — completion by end of July/August
   3. Civil War Monument bids by June 1
   4. Roadwork per Chapter 90
   5. Children’s Chime Tower — fall start
   6. With respect to work pursuant to Town Meeting vote ($4 million infrastructure Article) — both bridges complete within two years
3. Canales thanked Terry Iemolini, Theresa Zanetti, Michael Blay, and Marie Ryan (Town Administrator West Stockbridge) for helping with Town Meeting and voting.
4. White asked about dredging; Canales will report next meeting
5. Stockbridge Police Dept. (SPD) Chief reports
   1. Congratulated Minacci on winning the election for SB
   2. Thanked SB, Finance Committee, and voters at Town Meeting for additional funds SPD needed
   3. Chad Heath completed Police Academy training in May, and SPD received a grant to reimburse for part of the cost
   4. Normal business: accidents and speeding and Special events including Memorial Day parade; Chris Greendale’s luncheon for the Aston Martin Club with an impromptu parade (private event); the annual event for Huntington’s Disease — walk from Alice’s Restaurant (Teresa’s today) to the jail (set up in front of old Town Hall for the occasion).
   5. “Sit down” with Tanglewood about the season and public safety — the Chair asked who handles safety on road and on property: SPD oversees, Sheriff’s Department outside/roads and State police inside on grounds
   6. August “mini–Mercy Sunday” (approx. 5000 attendees)
   7. Mental Health program with Lee and Lenox in which mental health worker will accompany police on certain calls
6. Michael Buffoni, Superintendent, Water Department
   1. Congratulated Minacci
   2. Thanked Canales, Hugh Page, Highway Dept, and Tony Campetti, Superintendent, Sewer for all working together so well on salt shed, Tuckerman Bridge, etc. (monthly meetings in Town Offices)
   3. Issue: raw water in main from reservoir to plant compromised, flow slowed. Problem found and fixed; flow returning.
   4. Issue: within 10 years, Page, Campetti, and Buffoni will be retiring. Commonwealth, DEP, requires a master plan and also a succession plan. Replacing superintendents with the new employees with proper training is difficult — should start hiring with that in mind within a year.
   5. Mass Dept of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) pays for forester who manages 370-acre watershed land (land around the reservoir). Allow lumber companies to cut. White asked why? Not for the money but for management of forest — forester marks trees to be cut and replaced with seedlings. Point to “improve habitat”
   6. Working on master plan required by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
   7. Town Counsel is working with Desisto School property owner on written agreement required by DEP. That is, there is an old water pumping station on Desisto property that serves the old school property and a few other houses across the street. On Desisto property, however, the Town is responsible for the free flow and the quality of the water
7. Tony Campetti, Sewer Superintendent
   1. White asked about Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) Answer: Phase 3 money approved at Town Meeting and engineering proceeding. Anticipated completion late summer
   2. Seven acres around treatment plant are suspect and require evaluation
   3. Relicensing and training completed
   4. On the David and Betsy McKearnan property (Larrywaug Crossroad) the septic failed and, due to wetlands, no room to dig new septic. Approved to connect to sewer system at Town Meeting
8. Canales introduced new initiative whereby citizens can receive information in their email boxes instead of going to Town web page. He was working on it since February. Canales put the contract out to bid and received two responses. Civic Plus, a corporation located in Kansas, and Mungy Studio, a Stockbridge-based company, that does the Town web site.
9. One-day liquor license for Chesterwood event on July 2 approved.
10. White said as new Chair of SB, he would welcome suggestions for the agenda. Send to Canales or directly to him. He also asked that documents pertaining to an agenda item always be included when agenda posted so can be read before meeting. Finally, he asked that the agenda “get out early as possible”.
11. White also asked the SB to “think about priorities” for the coming year and hoped to set priorities for the year at next meeting
12. White recommended, going forward, that whenever an applicant brings a lawyer to a meeting, the applicant should inform the board or commission in advance, so that Town Counsel can be present also. If not informed in advance, postpone meeting until Town Counsel can be present. He wanted a level playing field and pointed out Town board, committee, and commission members are volunteers, not necessarily lawyers.
13. Finally White intends to alter agenda and ask for public comment first

Meeting adjourned

News

Notes from the Historic Preservation Committee, May 16, Hybrid Meeting

Present:

• Carl Sprague, Chair
• Peter Williams
• Jorja Marsden
• Chantal Rhind
• Pam Sandler
• Another man present but not named(?)
• Hans Morris

1. Minutes for May 2 approved
2. Morris introduced his plans for restoring the Agrippa Hull house
   1. Structure added onto; poorly maintained, water damage
   2. Remove additions to return to original footprint when Hull lived there
   3. Move up the hill for improved drainage
   4. Establish true dating (Morris said, 1830 seems too late)
   5. Build studio and garage in proximity
   6. Hull House bright white while two adjacent structures “recede” as duller colors
   7. Lyon Miles did research on Hull’s land holdings in Stockbridge
   8. According to Bylaw “substantial alteration” of “historic Structure” not permitted. It is an historic structure and alteration (moving it and removing additions) are substantial, but are done in order to restore to original historic condition, therefore, project approved

Meeting adjourned

News

Notes from the Stockbridge Town Meeting, May 16

Town Moderator: Gary Johnston

Present: Select Board, Finance Committee, Town Administrator and Town Counsel, 99 voters as meeting commenced, 108 voters at the height, and 84 voters at end of meeting. No count on number who watched on TV or Internet — they could not vote.

1. Moderator announced masks not required unless unvaccinated and then masks provided.
2. Moderator bid farewell and thank you to Neil Holden who is retiring after serving on the Finance Committee for many years
3. First order of business — Article One — to appoint for one year: Fence Viewers, Measurers of Wood and of Coal, Weigher of Sand and Gravel, and Field Driver. Passed
4. Instructions on how to use voting “clicker”
5. Motion to accept all reports printed in Annual Report accepted. Passed
6. Motion to accept salaries of elected officials as follows:
   1. Tree Warden $2252
   2. Chair Board of Assessors $3987; members $3193
   3. Town Clerk $47,756,
   4. Town Moderator $252
   5. Chair Select Board $5552; members $4545
   6. Motion passed
7. All other Town salaries (up 2-3% plus new position in SPD) passed
8. Total proposed operating budget (minus schools) $7, 9057,779 up approx. $400,00. Passed
9. School budget $3,501,086
   1. Sally Underwood-Miller asked — how many students Ans: 118
   2. Passed
10. Approx. $90,000 for debt service/schools. Passed
11. $4,000,000 infrastructure Article. Passed
    1. Included Salt Shed, Tuckerman and Averic Bridges, and Pump Station/Park Street
    2. Richard Selzer asked why the Curtisville Bridge is not on the list as it has been out of use for years. Answer: Some years ago, Stockbridge accepted a grant from Mass Historic to repair that bridge. Thereafter, Mass Historic has to approve all work done on the bridge. That process is holding things up.
    3. John Hart asked for breakdown of $4 million: Tuckerman $1.7 plus $330,000 design; Averic $1.2; Fire Engine $750,000; Salt Shed $400,000 + $48,000; Pump Station $200,000 in addition to amount approved last year
    4. Article passed
12. Additional $250,000 for fire engines — passed
13. Next eight Articles were for transferring funds, borrowing funds, and purchasing vehicles for Highway Department, and also for Kampoosa Bog. All passed with little discussion. Selzer asked about the harvester and when it would be repaired, but Moderator ruled question out of order.
14. Following was the first Article with any debate: $35,000 for the Rest of the River (ROR) project. Charlie Kenny rose and asked that the article be tabled until it could be discussed at a public meeting.
    1. Shatz rose to say there was no reason for meeting as he had been answering questions for nine years.
    2. Tom Stokes supported Kenny urging transparency and saying voters were not well informed on this issue and still had questions.
    3. Town Counsel argued that the annual payment of $35,000 was a requirement pursuant to a legal agreement as was a $1.5 million escrow account.
    4. Moderator said a 2/3 vote was required to table the Article. The motion to table failed.
15. The CPC Articles were presented in declining amounts to be spent. The next items funded roof on the Town Beach building; tools for the Highway Dept; signage in Ice Glen and painting the Interlaken Firehouse
16. Articles 41 — 56 were all Community Preservation Committee recommended grants. Read individually, they were all approved by CPC, SB and the Finance Committee. All passed
17. The recommendation — non-binding — to change the Commonwealth Flag by removing the figure of the Native American.
    1. Proponents argued it was demeaning
    2. Nick Nadorff argued it preserved our honest history
    3. Passed
18. Town scholarship passed
19. Continuation of hybrid meetings (as amended) passed

Town Meeting adjourned at 9:27 (Three hours — nice to have our Moderator back)

Editor’s notes

1. The positions (mentioned in Article 1) are symbolic and an echo from our past. They also include Hog Reeve (to round up stray hogs), Pipestave (to inspect pipes, that is, barrels to be sure they were sound and made to measure), fence viewer (to establish property lines), wood measurer, coal measurer, and inspector of hay have obvious tasks, and a Field Driver collects all other animals running loose as a Hog Reeve does with hogs only.

2. ROR annual payment of $35,000 plus a $1.5 million escrow account is to pay for ensuring that GE honors the terms of the agreement. Examples of questions unanswered: Why are the five towns — the recipients of the award — paying to assure compliance? Why has Lee voted not to pay it? Shatz recited that the process has gone on for nine years, and he has attended perhaps 100 meetings as the Stockbridge representative. However, he did answer questions or explain why he did not have an obligation to report to the town. Finally, if Town Counsel (TC) is correct and this is a legal obligation pursuant to a signed agreement, why is it on the Warrant every year? Wouldn’t once, prior to signing the agreement, be enough?

News

Events

First Congregational Church

1. Pop Up Fair Saturday, June 18, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Service League of the Stockbridge First Congregational Church will hold a Pop Up Fair in front of the Stockbridge Library, weather permitting. We will be offering home baked goods, jams, jellies, and kitchen crafts.

Come see what we have been up to the past few months.

Berkshire Botanical Garden

2. During June the book, An Alphabetical Romp Through the Flora of Berkshire Botanical Garden: From Agave to Zinnia will be released and sold at Berkshire Botanical Garden gift shop.

Author Stewart Edelstein pulls up a bench at BBG and shares his essay on our beloved primroses. WATCH a video of Stewart’s first reading

June 1 – 5 in the Leonhardt Galleries “Hunt Country” a stunning exhibition of birds and butterflies by Slonem Hunt. 10 am to 4 pm

OLLI

3. OLLI presents: Honoring Our Indigenous Heritage: Native People, Plants, Pollinators Friday June 3. Misty Cook is a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. She is the author of the 2013 book “Medicine Generations: Natural Native American Medicines Traditional to the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans Tribe” and she will be speaking on June 17 to a class being given by Berkshire OLLI.

Misty’s book documents 58 Native American herbal medicines passed down through her family tree of Wolf Clan Medicine People, and via tribal stories. She describes gathering and identifying these plants and preparing them through teas, tinctures, salves, and poultices. And she highlights the spirituality of plant medicine and the gifting culture within which they are shared.

More information at https://berkshireolli.org/IndigenousSummerOne2022

Naumkeag

Naumkeag will hold a Day of Pride Sunday, June 5th, welcoming the LGTBQIA+ community to the historic home and gardens in Stockbridge.

The day will kick off with the “Berkshire Pride Family Picnic” with one show 10am – 12:30pm and a second show from 12:30 – 3pm, where families are invited to picnic on the grounds which will be decorated for Pride. Activities will include drag performances, games, and a kids’ cabaret sing-along, all of which will be age appropriate for children, yet fun for adults. Biggin’s Diggins BBQ will be on-site with its food truck serving throughout the day with gluten-free and vegetarian options available.

At 4pm, Naumkeag will welcome DJ RuBot of Occupy the Disco, fresh from his Paradisco residency at LeBain at the Standard Highline in New York City, to host the first ever Berkshire Pride Tea Dance. This event will be 18 and over and will also include food provided by Biggin’s Diggins BBQ, plus full beverage services which will require identification for purchasing alcoholic beverages. While there will be limited parking on-site at Naumkeag, there will also be a free shuttle that will run from the public parking lot on

1st Street in Pittsfield, leaving at 3:30pm and then departing Naumkeag again at 7:15pm. Parking in Pittsfield will be free of charge. Tickets for the event can be purchased at thetrustees.org/naumkeag. Pride Family Picnic tickets are $17 for adults and $5 for children. Tea Dance tickets are $27 per person, with a $10 parking pass needed per car for on-site parking at Naumkeag. Guests are encouraged to carpool whenever possible or to please use the free shuttle provided to and from Pittsfield. Participants to both events can also purchase a $15 meal ticket in advance which will cover the cost of a main dish and two sides from Biggin’s Diggins BBQ. Food can also be purchased ala carte on site on the day of the event.

All proceeds from both the Berkshire Pride Family Picnic and Tea Dance will go to support Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition, Berkshire Pride, and the Berkshire Pride Parade. For financial assistance to attend either event, please contact naumkeag@thetrustees.org.

The Trustees is ensuring our properties are welcoming, accessible, and inclusive places where everyone can feel a sense of belonging .

News

Upcoming Special Events:

1. Grappling with COVID19 — July 9

What can we learn from our experiences during the pandemic? Date: Saturday, July 9 Time: 9:00-10:30 a.m. Location: Outdoor Shrine of the Marian Fathers (at Eden Hill, Stockbridge) This is an outdoor event. Please follow the current CDC guidance about masks, as it may change by the time the event happens. Event Description: isolation, anxiety, depression, despair, grief, and anger have filled our days over the past two years, as our society has struggled through the pandemic and tried to figure out how to manage it. Healthcare workers, seniors, students, teachers, parents, restaurant owners, businesspeople, families, and town officials–many have felt alone with uncertainty, turmoil, and confusion, both about events in our individual lives and about changing governmental responses. Some have even discovered new aspects of resilience, of family and community engagement. This Community Forum is an opportunity to hear from each other and to learn from the range of our experiences.

2. Laurel Hill Day 2022 to Celebrate Frederick Law Olmsted in August

This August, Laurel Hill Association will join a National Celebration and will present special programs celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, the founder of American landscape architecture. Beginning in the late 1800’s, Olmsted’s firm designed parks and scenic settings throughout the United States and in the Berkshires.

“I am delighted to confirm that the President of the National Association of Olmsted Parks, Anne ‘Dede’ Petri, has agreed to be keynote speaker for our Saturday, August 27 ceremony at 2 p.m. at Laurel Hill Park,” said Hilary Somers Deely, President of Laurel Hill Association. “Dede is traveling across the United States as part of a national celebration, Olmsted 200. Environmental organizations, parks, and schools throughout the country are presenting programs that celebrate the enduring contributions of Frederick Law Olmsted to the American landscape.”

“Olmsted’s vision for landscape design can be seen throughout the Berkshires,” said Deely. “Signature properties such as Wheatleigh and Elm Court in Stockbridge, plus parks from the city of Dalton southward, all bear the Olmsted stamp.” Olmsted and his firm undertook projects across the United States, most notably Central Park in New York City. In the early 1900’s, the Olmsted firm was commissioned by the Laurel Hill Association to execute a plan for the landscaping around the iconic Stockbridge Station.

“This year we are having an exciting series of activities. On Friday August 26th at 5:30 PM in the Stockbridge Library we are planning a panel discussion ‘Olmsted in the Berkshires.’ On Saturday morning, we’re putting together a bundle of activities for children, including games and other entertainment. The formal program begins at 2:00 p.m. The event is rain or shine, and we look forward to welcoming friends and neighbors to the rostrum in the park.”

News

PSA from the 8 Town Regional School District Planning Board (RSDPB)

At its April 26th meeting, RSDPB recommended that the two districts merge to form a single K-12 regional school district among the eight towns, maintaining all existing elementary and middle schools, but creating a new merged high school grades 9 — 12 to be built on the campus of the current Monument Mountain High School. Among the 23 members of the RSDPB, the vote was 16 in favor, 6 opposed, and one absent.

The RSDPB’s next steps will be further development of the selected model, and drafting of a new regional school district agreement for consideration in the 8 member towns. A new 8 town regional school district will be formed only if a majority of the voters in each of those towns approve entering into a new regional school district agreement.

While the RSDPB’s April vote signals its interest in pursuing the recommended model, much work and community outreach lies ahead. The Board agreed to dig into further details regarding transportation, special education, facilities, and food service.

As the RSDPB continues its work, Berkshire Hills Regional School District is working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to secure state funding for a new or renovated high school. Should the 8 towns vote to proceed with a merger of the two districts, the new high school could be designed and built as a state-of-the-art facility to serve the students and larger community of all 8 towns.

There are many ways for members of the public to learn more about the RSDPB’s work and to provide direct input. Virtual community meetings are scheduled for the evenings of June 28 and June 30. Additionally, the public is invited and encouraged to attend meetings of the RSDPB, which are held virtually on Zoom and include time for public comment, and to visit RSDPB’s website at www.8 towns.org and to contact RSDPB Project Manager Jake Eberwein at jakeeberwein@gmail.com

News

PSA from The Town of Stockbridge

The Department of Public Works is seeking applicants with various levels of skills and experience for the 2022 Summer Employment Season. Responsibilities will include various public works seasonal tasks; primarily mowing and weed whacking of the town parks, cemetery, municipal buildings, grounds, and other related maintenance duties. Employment for up to 16 weeks beginning in June 2022. Positions are 40 hours per week, and compensation at $20.00/hr. Interested candidates must be at least 17 years of age and have a valid Massachusetts driver’s license and/or valid student identification. Must be willing and able to work outdoors in all weather conditions. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

News

Recount

Stockbridge Updates asked the Stockbridge Town Administrator: Will there be a recount?

A recount petition has been received by the Town, thus a recount will occur

June 2, at 9:00 a. m. Should take less than 2 hours. During the recount, just like on election day the votes will be counted, certified by the registrars, and the candidates will be notified within 24 hours. All votes were counted (on election day). There were four votes that were hand counted on election day, once again, all votes were counted and will be counted again.

Here is the Recount Process

Part One: Before the Recount

• Petitioning for a Recount — Candidates may initiate a recount by petitioning the town clerk
• Filing Procedure — Recount petitions must be filed with town clerk by (Date)
• Certification — After examining the petition, statement and certifying the registration of the signers, recount is scheduled.
• Setting the Date for the Recount — Recount time and place are selected, and three days written notice sent to each candidate.
• Prepare for the Recount — June 2, 2022, at 9:00 a. m.

Part Two: The Recount

• The Recount — The registrars or election commissioners sit as “judges” of the protested ballots; they do not tally the vote, but they may appoint the number of clerks considered necessary to do the actual recounting. In addition to clerks who read the ballot (ballot readers) and clerks who record the vote on the tally sheet (tally clerks), there should be “runners” to bring the protested ballots to the registrars for examination and decision.
• Paper Ballot Recount Procedures — Hand Count has been requested — Where paper ballots are used, the boxes should be brought into the room one at a time and an envelope containing a block of 50 ballots with its tally sheet should be delivered to each counting team one at a time.
• The Will of the Voters — All parties to a recount should keep in mind in their examination of the ballots that the will of the voters, if it can be determined with reasonable certainty, must be given effect. If the marks on the ballot fairly indicate the voter’s intent, the vote should be counted in accordance with that intent, as long as the voter has essentially complied with the election law.
• Protested Ballots — When a ballot is protested by any agent, the tally clerk should not record the vote. The tally clerk should call the runner to take the ballot to the registrars’ table where they make their determination in the presence of the candidates’ counsels
• When the Recount is Complete — The registrars then make and sign a statement of their determination of the results of the recount. All the materials and the statement are returned to the city or town clerk or election commissioners, who must amend all records that have been found in error. The amended records stand as the true record of the election.

Part Three: After the Recount

• If it appears as a result of a recount that a different person was elected than the one declared to be elected, the registrars will sign a certificate of that fact, including the number of votes for each candidate, and file it with the town clerk. The town clerk will record the certificate and, within 24 hours, deliver a copy of the certificate both to the candidate originally declared to be elected and to the candidate who by the recount certificate appears to be elected.
  
  Stockbridge Updates will send a News Alert if the recount changes the outcome.
  
  If the result remains the same, SU will not send a news alert

Perspective

From the Desk of Superintendent Peter Dillon

Berkshire Hills Regional School District (BHRSD)

Thank you for your support on the education related warrant articles.

As we get ready for Monument Mountain’s graduation on June 5th at Tanglewood, I’d like to share some of our students’ post-secondary plans. Monument has a great tradition of setting up young people for success. Our students choose to pursue a wide variety of opportunities in college, career and the military.

This year students are enrolling in small colleges and large universities all over the country including: UMASS Amherst (8), UVM (4), Holy Cross (3), Northeastern (2), Clemson, Santa Clara, Indiana, Middlebury, Skidmore, Wisconsin, RIT, RPI, Rhode Island, University of San Diego, Colorado School of Mines, Oregon, Virginia, Virginia Tech. They are studying arts and music at: Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Savannah College of Art and Design, School of the Arts Institute Chicago, Maine College of Art and Design, and Berklee College of Music. Some are staying closer to home at Berkshire Community College and MCLA. Some are working as plumbers, electricians, farmers, and mechanics. Some are taking gap years. To date, at least one student is enlisting in the Marines.

We conducted a longitudinal study of enrollment over the past 5 years and some colleges stood out as particularly popular. They include:

You can access the full spreadsheet here and we will update with the class of 2022 plans as they become more finalized.

Next week we will host our annual awards and scholarship presentation. Students benefit tremendously from town, philanthropic, and individual funds. Typically, students are awarded more than $200,000 in community grants as well as additional support in college based scholarships.

We continue to work on expanding our Career Vocational and Technical Education (CVTE) opportunities. As you may know, we have two approved Chapter 74 programs in Automotive and Horticulture. Over the next few years, we hope to expand programs in early childhood education, health, hospitality and small manufacturing and other areas aligned with community needs. We recently hired Keith Wright, an experienced Chemistry teacher and former Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching as our new assistant principal for CVTE.

As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions — Peter.Dillon@bhrsd.org.

Next issue, I’ll share some updates on our work with the 9th grade team which we will discuss at our School Committee meeting at 6PM on June 16th.

Perspective

Agrippa Hull (1759-1848)

It is not the cover of the book, but what the book contains is the question. Many a good book has dark covers. Which is the worst, the white black man, or the black white man? To be black outside or to be black inside? Agrippa Hull

Agrippa Hull, a free Black, son of Amos and Bathsheba Hull of Northampton, members of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards’ church, came to Stockbridge from Northampton at the age of 7.

Amos died in 1761. Bathsheba, freed in the 1750s, had for a time, held title to land in Northampton. The town challenged the legality of the deed and seized the property following court actions between 1765 and 1768.

By 1766 Agrippa’s mother sent seven-year-old Agrippa to Stockbridge to live with Joab Benny, a free black from Northampton, who was a tanner. Benny’s wife Rose was a slave of Rev. Edwards. It is not clear whether Edwards freed her, or she ran away. In September of 1755 Benny purchased 50 acres from a Stockbridge Mohican John Skushawmh (Skushawmn) in the southeast corner of Stockbridge. In 1768 the Indian Proprietors granted him an additional 30 acres.

Agrippa joined the Patriot cause in May of 1777 and was discharged in July of 1783 at West Point. His discharge papers were signed by George Washington. Hull served as a body man to General Paterson of Lenox and later as a body man for General Tadeusz Kosciuszko and was present for a number of the major battles of the Revolution.

Over time Agrippa acquired 84 acres of land in Stockbridge, starting with a home lot of 1/2 acre with a house at what is today 2 Goodrich Street. Purchased from John Taylor, the land went through a succession of owners, including Joseph Woodbridge, who purchased the home lot of John Pohphehonnewoh, aka, John Konkapot. Agrippa then purchased land on the north side of Cherry Hill Road near Castle Hill Road from Peter Maynard, which originally belonged to Jonas Wanwohwunauwth.

Hull married twice, first to Jane Darby, a slave who had run from her master in Lenox, later freed with the help of Theodore Sedgwick. They had two sons: James who died at 27 and Asaph who died at 34. After Jane’s death Agrippa married Margaret Timbrook. She was abandoned as a bundled baby in Great Barrington about 1782, she came to Stockbridge at age 18. Margaret and Agrippa married on February 14, 1813. Margaret and Agrippa adopted Mary Gunn, age 6, about 1827. Agrippa Hull died at age 89 in 1848. From her gravestone:

Margaret Timbrook wife of Agrippa Hull known as “Peggy”
Born in New York a slave, came to Stockbridge at the age of 18, was a Christian,
faithful & gentle. In the work of life resolute & cheerful, she was trusted by parents
and loved by children, she died May 15, 1879 in her 90th year. Her strong and
lifelong attachments are tenderly remembered.

Editor’s note: See Historic Preservation Committee meeting about restoration of Agrippa Hull house.

by Rick Wilcox

Perspective

SU…FYI

Apologizes to Peter Socha who did not appear in the Stockbridge Updates News Alert on election night. Socha received 389 votes and will continue to serve on the Water and Sewer Commission.

Thank you to Bill Vogt and Roxanne McCaffrey for their service. They and everyone who volunteers his/her time to Stockbridge deserves thanks and recognition.

Thank you to Jay Rhind who does the seasonal photograph for the SU banner. If you don’t know about that, check it out at www.stockbridgeupdates.com and just look at top of web page

Thank you to the Highway Department: Sometime overnight May 27-28 a huge limb came down and blocked Prospect Hill Road from side to side — impassable. At 7:50 am on a Saturday morning May 28th a Stockbridge Highway department truck was there and in no time the road was cleared. Thank you to Highway Superintendent Hugh Page and his team.

The Last Word

Reader to Reader

Dear Carole,

Everyone in town is entitled to an opinion about something. When they speak, townsfolk understandably may use hyperbole to highlight their viewpoints. Public officials have a higher level of responsibility. When an official speaks about something, the official has the obligation to be as accurate and honest as possible. An official should not distort the truth to put forward an agenda item. Such an official should not be re-elected.

Charles Kenny MD

Dear Charlie,

I am sad to say your note is as timely now as before the election. Anyone, no matter how disappointed, spreading lies and insults, stop. It is not the Stockbridge way. No one will thank you.

Carole

Carole,

If old enough, the odd tree [photo posted in May 15 issue of Stockbridge Updates] might be a Native American “Prayer Tree”. It was common along trails for the native people to deliberately “deform” trees as communications, markers, or signs for each other. You might check for permanent glyphs in the bark, though they would by now be quite high. The tree would need to have been here during the native presence unless they performed post-exile rituals. Someone might want to confer with the ancestors in Wisconsin. However, they are unlikely to affirm that such trees still (or ever) exist anywhere.

Jeff Herman

Dear Jeff,

Thank you. Your letter refers to the photo by Patrick White of a tree in Ice Glen with caption “Neither Bob nor a forester who attended could explain the tree in the photo on the right.” Your explanation is very interesting.

Carole

Hi Carole —

It is easy to agree that the PB and ConCom should work with owners of non-conforming lots to assure that new constructions on them do not exceed the impact on the lake of prior structures they may wish to replace. But to deny rebuilding is far from an “elegant solution.” It would inflict an enormous fiscal penalty on either the new purchasers of the lot — they may have paid a million dollars or more for what would then become worthless land — or on the current owners, unable to sell. And there would be a significant loss, as well, to the town’s tax base when that non-conforming lot must now be devalued as useless land.

Peter

The writer is Peter Strauss — he has property on Stockbridge Bowl and is a member of the PILOT committee (Payment in lieu of taxes)

Remembrance

In Memoriam: Martha Sauer

Martha Sauer
Stockbridge, MA
17 January 1955 – 22 May 2022
Photo: Jay Rhind