The launch of Stockbridge Updates was a pleasantly surprising success. The measures of success were positive comments and close to 100 requests to receive future issues. You thanked me, but I would like to thank you.

Hopefully both measures indicate that the goal of Stockbridge Updates to present facts about a wide range of local issues is the right one.

One commenter asked that Stockbridge Updates go beyond reporting what is happening in town and express what should (or should not) be happening. That is outside Stockbridge Updates‘ mandate: Stockbridge Updates will (factually) update Stockbridge. However, we encourage readers to offer opinion pieces. Just email your opinion pieces to me. Include your name and brief identifier.

There was criticism. One Stockbridge Bowl Association (SBA) member objected to Professor Coote’s survey results and called the Stockbridge Updates editorial “fiction”. Another member felt the editorial was unfair and unkind to SBA President Richard Seltzer.

However, three days later, on August 9, Seltzer wrote to “SBA Board members: Our elusive enemy, Eurasian Water Milfoil, has evaded capture and destruction by disappearing this summer… If the amount of milfoil found this week were typical of every year, no one would be spending time and money seeking to eradicate milfoil in our lake.”

It is welcome that all are now dealing with the same facts, can ask the right questions, and based on the best answers, work in concert to protect and preserve our lake.

Carole Owens, Editor