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)
