Good morning! I’ve completed the list of the FY 2025 awards and want to add that the SCC is looking for a volunteer Co-Treasurer. The Co-Treasurers file the reimbursement requests of the grantees after the events have occurred and create the annual report. The position is not demanding but requires someone who is conscientious and eager support the work of the Council. Contact aferril@stockbridge-ma.gov

The SCC grants funds from the Town of Stockbridge and regrants funds from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to individuals and organizations for projects in the arts, science, and humanities. Decisions about which projects to support are made at the community level by a board of municipally appointed volunteers. The current members of the SCC are Anne Ferril(Co-Chair), Audrey Sachnow (Co-Chair), Joan Burkhard (Treasurer), John Perkel, Chelly Sterman, Naomi Spatz, Wendy Strothman. If you have questions or ideas for the Council, please email them to aferril@stockbridge-ma.gov. or asachnow@stockbridge-ma.gov

The SCC will seek 2026 grant applications again starting September 1, with application deadline of October 16. The SCC encourages applications from individuals or organizations seeking to enhance the cultural offerings in Stockbridge and surrounding areas. For further information, please visit massculturalcouncil.org/local-council/stockbridge/.

Anne Ferrill, Co-Chair Stockbridge Cultural Council

Would you please publish this in the next Stockbridge Updates. Thank you for all your help,

Best regards
 

2025 GRANTS – The SCC awarded 28 grants ranging from $350 to $1,000. Recipients were cultural programs in Stockbridge and the surrounding area. The SCC received 51 applications, The applications represented a range of projects including music, dance, theater, and the humanities. The Council awarded a total of $13,100. Funding was provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Town of Stockbridge.

This year, in appreciation and recognition of the $10,000 contributed by the Town of Stockbridge, the SCC once again focused its attention and funds on Stockbridge-based applicants and events. The Council is grateful for this significant Town support.

Grants were approved for the following Stockbridge-based applicants and projects:

• Mohican Art Exhibit at Stockbridge Library
• Celebrating Stockbridge/ Hill Town LGBTQ Pride Queer History & Culture
• Stockbridge Library Association/ Stockbridge Ice Festival
• Shakespeare & Company, Inc./ 2025 Fall Festival of Shakespeare
• Terry Wise/ Mohican Artist Exhibit at Stockbridge Library
• Cantilena Chamber Choir Corporation/ Stockbridge Children’s Chime Tower Historic Visit
• Stockbridge Library Association/ Remembering Stockbridge, Interlaken, and Glendale: Oral History Project
• The Stockbridge Sinfonia, Inc./ The Stockbridge Sinfonia Summer Concert Series
• Stockbridge Housing Authority / Stockbridge Resident Services Coordinator Media Arts Classes
• Town of Stockbridge / Council on Aging Arts and Lecture Series
• Q-MoB Inc / Celebrating Stockbridge/Hill Town LGBTQ Pride Queer History & Culture
• Olga Dunn Dance Company, Inc./ Nutcracker Seedling & More
• In addition, the Stockbridge Cultural Council provided funding for the following projects that it believes benefit the Stockbridge and Berkshires cultural community:
• Berkshire Concert Choir, Inc. Hope Unfolding
• Flying Cloud Institute, Inc. MakerSpaces: Making the Future Brighter!
• Birch Festival Inc. The Birch Festival: Celebrating Shostakovich
• Berkshire Children’s Chorus, Inc. We are the Music Makers: Celebrating 35 of years of Berkshire Children’s Chorus!
• Vocalis Youth Choir, Inc. Youth Choir Scholarship Program
• Canine Link Inc. Tuition Assistance for Therapy Dog Certification
• Triplex Cinema, Inc. “Selma”
• Berkshire Music School, Inc. Rhythms of Brazil: A Journey Through Traditional Musical Instruments
• Festival Latino of the Berkshires, Inc.
• Berkshire Theatre Group, Inc./BTG PLAYS! School Residency @ MBRES
• Berkshire Bach Society, Inc./ Berkshire Bach’s Annual Messiah Sing-Along
• Berkshire County Historical Society, Inc. / Inspired by Melville
• Anderson, Scott Edward/ Berkshire Nature Talk Series
• Arts in Recovery for Youth / AIRY Expansion Project
• Berkshire Lyric Theatre, Inc./ Educational Programs and Concerts
• MUSIC Dance.edu/ Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! – a dance series

Notes from the Select Board (SB), April 3, 2025, Hybrid Meeting

Self-contained breathing equipment (SCBA) is surplus and Town Administrator asked the SB if they would approve turning itk over to West Stockbridge. Passed unanimously 

The Interlaken Family Trust is selling property on which the Town holds a Right of First Refusal. The Trust asked if the 120 days allowed the Town to decide whether to exercise that right can be shortened or waived so the sale can go through. The outstanding tax bill to reimburse the Town for the five years the property was exempted from paying taxes due to a conservation restriction was $6025. No motion made Inter-municipal Agreement between Great Barrington, West Stockbridge, and Stockbridge with Stockbridge as lead community was approved. 

Review of Operational Budget

Clickers used at Town Meetings to count votes $1000

Meal and Room tax for this quarter up 112%; however, tax hike is still 3.6%

Amount set aside for legal services reduced from $100,000 to $25,000

 Review of Capital Budget

Police Cruiser expense – included rather than delayed

Undo the vote reducing the stipend for the Assessors and adding $500 per every elected Board member. Motion to undo passed

$15,000 to evaluate repair of the “envelope” (exterior of Town Offices approved)

Move money from Free Cash to Stabilization Fund as follows: of the $1.8million, leave $800,000 in Free Cash and move $1million into the Stabilization Fund. Approved There was discussion re: dock at the boat launch. $25,000 was appropriated for repairs but unspent. Now the repairs are critical. The hold up has been the Commonwealth unwilling or unable to move forward. Since the lake is delineated “a great pond”, the Commonwealth has control. 

Schedule: final budget April 18 – Public Hearing 35-37 Interlaken April 17. 

Warrant: voted to change the order of the Warrant items as follows: by law, the first 6 cannot be moved. Move 7 – 12 to the end. Move up items 13 – 18 because they are deemed to be more controversial and to generate more comments. Then the other items to follow Passed unanimously 

If a Town meets the Commonwealth criteria to be a Seasonal Community, then the designation has to be approved by Town Meeting. Patrick White wanted it placed on the Warrant, however, Jamie Minacci and Chuck Cardillo were opposed because the regulations guiding what the designation will require and what it will grant have not been finalized. The schedule is for the regulation to be complete by August. Vote to postpone consideration until after the regulations are published passed 2 – 1.

Editor’s note: 1. Inter-municipal agreements between two or more towns can be executed with approval of the board of selectmen only. The subject of the agreement can involve any activities or undertakings that town departments are normally authorized by law to perform. The maximum length of an agreement is 25 years. Once lawfully executed, the agreement is binding on the towns notwithstanding any bylaw or charter provision to the contrary. This is a method used to regionalize services. 2. Following the Peer Review, the applicant has the ability to postpone the Public Hearing

Notes from the Tri-Town Health meeting, April 9, 2025, Hybrid meeting

A presentation urging Tri-Town Health to evaluate and approve the “Nicotine-Free Act”. It makes it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born during or after 2024. The proposal will be discussed at the next meeting.

Tri-Town Health invited Berkshire Regional Planning Council (BRPC) to discuss the Emergency Preparedness Plan(s) so all could better understand them. James J. Wilusz, Director of Public Health/Registered Sanitarian, wanted to be able to read and review plans in other Berkshire towns or other departments (police, fire, etc.) to coordinate. Chair Dr. Charkes Kenny wanted to understand if there were any other plans. He said it was his understanding that BRPC had received state grants for the last 5 years to prepare Emergency Preparedness Plans – how much money did BRPC receive and how was it spent? Also, Kenny was very concerned that BRPC meetings were not recorded to view later or on Zoom so more could attend. Other members had more specific questions about preparing for certain emergencies. Since there did not appear to be any answers during the meeting,

Stockbridge Updates has invited BRPC to write a statement for the next issue simply telling us:

• Do plan(s) exist? Where can we read them?
• How much money did BPRC receive to create them?
• Will BRPC ever open the meetings?
• If not, why not? Isn’t BPRC governed by Open Meeting Laws?