Dear Carole,
I think that residents need to be aware of the new environmental proposal’s provisions after [some] have expressed support for the expedited review.
Christine Rasmussen
Dear Christine,
Thank you for all your hard work keeping us informed about things that happen on the state level. I know you are apologizing for the length of your article, please don’t. This proposed legislation will impact The Berkshires and some of it may be negative. Folks should be informed.
Carole
Good morning, Carole,
I did not receive the latest Stockbridge Updates in my inbox or my junk box.
Please add my email address to Stockbridge Updates.
Thank you,
Jorja
Editor’s note: Jorja Marsden is a member of the Stockbridge Select Board
Morning Jorja,
Gosh, I don’t know why. You always received it in the past? I am forwarding this to the company that does all the mass emailing for SU and asking them to fix it. Meanwhile attached is latest issue. Also, all issues are always available, at http://www.stockbridgeupdates.com. I will post this so if this is a widespread problem, the email company can be alerted and look into it. Thanks for letting me know. Carole
Thank you for checking into this Carole. I did get it in the Select Board’s email but not my own which I always have received.
Jorja
Jorja,
Thank you for letting me know. Yours was not the only complaint. Worrisome, but look at the bright side: our little local paper is missed when not delivered and read when it is. Nice.
Thank you,
Carole
Hi Carole,
I’ve tried a number of times to subscribe to Stockbridge Updates through the website, but when I submit my name/email, the screen just goes into a never ending “hold on while we update our database” message, so I am unable to subscribe. Can you please add me to the mailing list? (And if you are able, you may want to see if this issue is a bug affecting others who have been unable to subscribe).
Thank you!
Sarah Downie
Dear Sarah,
I am so sorry that you experienced any trouble. I have forwarded your email to our professional mass mailing company. They will add you and it will work!! You can see most back issues at http://www.stockbridgeupdates.com — we archive as fast as we can — if you want a specific issue, let me know. Thank you for your sensitivity to others — I will post this letter in the next issue so they will know to contact me if they have trouble.
Carole
Dear Carole,
I hope this finds you in good spirits!
Would you be kind enough to post this reminder about the Stockbridge Cultural Council grant cycle closing soon.
Thank you for your help and for all you do for the community.
Best,
Anne
Editor’s note: 1. Anne Ferril is co-Chair of the Stockbridge Cultural Council. 2. The following email exchange concerns the proposed new fire station. This proposal will have an impact on your real estate taxes. Occurring at the same time as the proposed new school, the impact could be severe. We thank Anita, and all other SU readers, for keeping track of what is happening and sharing with SU. For example, we invite Jim Balfanz, Finance Committee member, who has had a sharp eye on taxes for many years, to write about the impact. We would welcome his opinion and we welcome yours. Thank you
On Sep 25, Anita Schwerner wrote:
Hi Michael,
When was the new firehouse approved? Was it at a town meeting or select board meeting? Please let me know where to find the details of the project and what plan has been approved.
Thank you in advance for a timely response.
Anita Schwerner
On Sep 25, 2025, at 11:22?AM, Canales, Michael wrote: No firehouse has been approved.
Michael J. Canales
Stockbridge Town Administrator
P.O. Box 417
50 Main Street
Stockbridge, MA 01262
Email: TownAdministrator@stockbridge-ma.gov
Phone: 413-298-4170 ext 100
Please note that e-mails to and from municipal officials are considered public records by the Secretary of State. Confidentiality should not be expected.
From: ANITA SCHWERNER
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2025 11:26 AM
To: Canales, Michael
Subject: Re: New fire station
Then why are we hiring a project manager before we have an approved project? Please clarify.
Thanks,
Anita
On Sep 25, 2025, at 12:12?PM, Canales, Michael wrote:
To clarify, no new fire station has been approved by either Town Meeting or the Select Board. The Town is seeking to engage an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) at this early stage to provide advice and consultation with respect to design, feasibility, and scope, as permitted under procurement law. If the Town ultimately decides to move forward with a project, the OPM’s role would then expand to include the additional duties outlined in M.G.L. c. 149, Section 44A 1/2, such as assisting with procurement, scheduling, and construction oversight. Engaging an OPM from the start ensures that the Town receives independent, professional guidance before any significant commitments are made.
Michael J. Canales
Stockbridge Town Administrator
P.O. Box 417
50 Main Street
Stockbridge, MA 01262
Email: TownAdministrator@stockbridge-ma.gov
Phone: 413-298-4170 ext 100
Please note that e-mails to and from municipal officials are considered public records by the Secretary of State. Confidentiality should not be expected.
From: ANITA SCHWERNER
Date: September 25, 2025 at 12:22:58?PM EDT
To: Michael Canales
Subject: Re: New fire station
Thank you for the clarification.
Anita
To the Editor:
You may have read the pieces in the Berkshire Edge and The Berkshire Eagle related to the walking paths I proposed around Tanglewood in north Stockbridge. I have heard that they were received with some ambivalence by at least some of our town leaders, and some hostility by at least one member of the Planning Board.
Now I will make a different case for the taxpayers of Stockbridge. It centers around risk.
Folks visit Tanglewood from all over the county and the country but Tanglewood is in Stockbridge and we are its stewards. A group of residents, some of them a religious minority, made the case to an elected official that there was a safety concern around the walkability of their neighborhood after concerts. For religious reasons, this minority has no other option. One town leader, when I explained this project said to me, and this is a direct quote, “Let them drive.” They can’t. It’s against their religion. More than that they informed us of the potential risk. What is it our obligation to do?
Thankfully, we have not had an incident where a pedestrian was struck by a patron leaving this venue since August 8, 1940. That night 24-yer-old Richard M. Booth, leaving the concert where he had been drinking, struck and killed Officer Thomas Killfoile as he directed concert traffic at Red Lion corner.
Students at the Tanglewood Institute, located between Lenox’s West Street and the other end of Hawthorne Street, are encouraged to walk home via West Street rather than via Hawthorne Street. West Street is better lit and there is a sidewalk. It is also a longer walk. My family has lived on Hawthorne Street my entire life. I can tell you from first-hand experience some ignore this advice and take the short cut with no lighting and no shoulder in much of the walk back.
I immediately understood the concern. Sheriffs posted nearby have recounted to me what seemed like aberrant driving by some over the years. Imagine the awful outcome, if after a concert, once again someone, or a group of people, were struck.
The Town was warned of the risk. If a pedestrian is stuck, that in and of itself will have been an avoidable tragedy. What happens next? First, you can kiss your picnics goodbye if they involve alcohol brought on the premises. For Stockbridge taxpayers, the potential suit could be financially catastrophic.
At least one of my neighbors seems to have the fantasy that the roads around Tanglewood are rural. They are not. Granted, they are beautiful, and we should work hard to keep them that way. But let’s be clear: these roads surround the largest concert venue in Western Massachusetts and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
To our leadership: Call me Cassandra if you like, but Stockbridge: you’ve been warned. Get this done. If you don’t and something terrible comes
Patrick White
Some more Fenway Photos
