Carole,

Back in September we had forty + companies (CEOs and spouses) come to Stockbridge for our annual business meeting. Of course, I followed up in-person and via email for comments. There were no complaints about rooms, food, or service related to their stay at the Red Lion Inn.

There were two guests in the group who mentioned the sounds of the trucks approaching the stop sign at Red Lion corner and their unnecessary use of “Jake brakes.” If you don’t know what they are: most diesel heavy trucks have them. They use the exhaust system to slow the vehicle. (if you live within ear-shot of the Mass Turnpike their sound is very prevalent especially at night.

Each truck is equipped with a switch that turns this feature off. That leaves them depending on the regular braking system that does not make the bam-bam-bam noise at all. Additionally, When the trucker goes to move after the stop, if they have not switched the Jakes off, the Jake brakes kick in as they shift between gears along Main Street.

In addition to the guests at the Inn, I find all this noise unnecessary and very uncharacteristic of our ‘quiet’ New England Village. This is a problem that can be solved with simple signage that reads either “Noise sensitive community” or even “Truckers turn off Jake Brakes”

Saturday night HA Kirrschdorfer and I went to the Lion’s Den. Sarah Eustis and family were there. She asked me if our international guests had enjoyed the Inn. I related my concern to her. She agreed, “If there’s a way to get rid of the truck noise I’m 100% behind it.”

So here’s my question: Other than writing this up for Stockbridge Updates, how should I approach this with our Select Board? I would enjoy knowing your thoughts regarding this matter.

Regards, JH

Editor’s note: JH is John Hart. John and Mary own and operate businesses that distribute brochures and magazines, and also create and distribute local maps. Jake brakes are compression release brakes on large vehicles that are very noisy.

Dear John,

Thank you for writing Stockbridge Updates. We are happy to post your letter. I suggest you copy it to the Select Board and in the copy to the Chair request the issue be placed on the SB agenda to discuss the matter. If you are given a slot on the agenda, great, if not, attend the meeting and bring it up during public comment. Good luck and best wishes.

Carole

To Carole Owens:

I read, as always, Stockbridge Updates with interest. Thank you for keeping this valuable source of information going.

Sally Underwood-Miller

Sally,

Thanks, and right back at ya for all you do for Stockbridge.

Carole

To the editor:

I have been a photographer, a subscriber and a friend to the Boston Symphony Orchestra for some 50 years.

I am deeply upset at what seems a rush to judgment regarding a nonrenewal of the orchestra’s music director, who has been there for 13 years. That is more than the average conductor keeps a post with any orchestra.

It’s inconceivable to me that the board of trustees — who as fiduciaries are held legally and financially responsible for the institution — made this decision without careful and informed thought. The question that no one seems to be asking is why did one of the most circumspect boards since the BSO’s founding in 1881 vote unanimously to not renew the conductor’s contract?

There is most likely a mutual nondisclosure agreement that prevents the board and Nelsons from speaking — although the orchestra is free to say whatever it chooses. But until the story is told, it’s premature to assume the board is wrong.

The music director of an American orchestra is much more than a conductor. He should be a prominent member of its home community, its outreach programs and its fundraising. It’s worth noting that the board of trustees was created to build and manage the vision of this extraordinary and beloved institution.

Lincoln Russell

To the Editor,

I first attended Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood as a child with my parents.

I still thrill whenever I step into either venue and attend upward of 20 concerts a year at both.

I have clear memories of all the resident conductors during my lifetime. Andris Nelsons stands out for his warm rapport with his orchestra players. Their mutual support and appreciation infuse the concerts with a human connection that I don’t recall with previous maestros. No wonder his audiences respond to him, too. My family and I eagerly anticipate the concerts he conducts.

Mr. Nelsons has won more Grammys for the BSO than any other conductor. He has championed such young composers as Iman Habibi, Jessie Montgomery and Toru Takemitsu among many others. Carlos Simon, the new composer-in-residence, is an exciting presence. The Tanglewood Learning Institute has been showcasing musicians from an eclectic range of classical genres. During Nelsons’ tenure, the BSO has become an orchestral and chamber music mecca. Why would the board of trustees fire him?

The management-related reasons given for that decision don’t make sense, either. As music director and conductor, Mr. Nelsons is not responsible for deferred maintenance, deficits or ticket sales which began declining long before he arrived. The BSO has the largest endowment of any orchestra in the United States. Endowments for nonprofits are meant to cover capital expenses and to help with deficits.

Ticket sales can be boosted by educating and building audiences for what the BSO already offers. Instead of reshaping the institution to chase audiences with programming they can find elsewhere, highlight the assets that together make the BSO unique globally: a storied orchestra with more than a century of excellence, a commitment to new and exciting orchestral and chamber music, a world-famous conductor and two spectacular properties like none-other in the world.

I have been fortunate to visit concert and cultural venues in this country and abroad. My observation is that places trying to offer something for everyone end up blurring into an interchangeable sameness. Each time I return to the BSO, I am reminded that there is just nothing like it anywhere in the world.

I dearly hope the BSO’s trustees will reconsider and find a way to keep Andris Nelsons here and to embrace the uniqueness of their — our — orchestra, prioritizing his innovations that value and enrich its world-renowned tradition.

Eleanor Tillinghast

Editor’s note: Both letters first appeared in the Berkshire Eagle. The Eagle had other letters about the BSO and Andris Nelsons, to read click here: HTTP://www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion/

Carole,

The leadership team of the Dalton Clean Air Coalition (DCAC), after more than a year’s activism, received good news on Wednesday night (March 18, 2026). Permitting for Berkshire Concrete/Patricca Industries was denied. As the Dalton Democratic Town Committee voted over one year ago to support the DCAC, I thought you’d be interested in this development. This development underlines the importance of citizen action in our local community. As someone once said, “In the political world, if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’ll find yourself on the menu.” Let’s all remain aware–and involved.

Best, Michele Marantz, Chair Dalton Democratic Town Committee

Michelle,

Congratulations and thank you for sharing. In this issue, under Perspectives, there is an article by CAC leaders, David and Lisa Pugh. It tells how to work for change. While the issue was specific to Dalton, the larger issue, making change in government, is important to many at this time in America. The article, Making Change, this is a very helpful article.

Carole