Editorial

More Alike Than Different 

On Sunday March 9, 2025, at 2:30pm at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, there is the “No Kings in America – Rally for Democracy.” Billed as a rally against Trump, it sold out – 1700 seats – in what seemed like minutes.

Maybe it indicates that what people really want, is something that will express their opposition to the present administration; that will provide signs that democracy has teeth, that the laws can impose limits, and that doing “bad” things has consequences.

Wait, what about the 76,000,000 who voted for Trump? What about my good pal up from Florida who thinks this administration is cutting waste? What about my girlfriend who brought homemade chocolates and takes care of the frail elderly? She loves Trump, and is afraid to say so because, she thinks, then everyone will hate her? They too are part of our lives and our community, what do they want and need? It seems like the greatest of great divides, but is it?

First, folks on both sides of the seeming divide agree these are challenging times. The National Catholic Reporter, headlined: Catholic Charities Warns millions of Americans who rely on this life-giving support will suffer due to the unprecedented effort to freeze federal aid supporting these programs.”

Locally, the Nonprofit Center warned, “This is without a doubt the most disconcerting time for nonprofits who fear they may lose a third or more of their funding.” Does the administration demure or deny? No, they agree.

President Donald Trump said that Americans could feel “some pain” from the emerging trade war triggered by his tariffs. Trump’s White House ordered a pause in all federal grants and loans, a sweeping decision that could disrupt Medicaid and education “med-ed.” Elon Musk says Americans must suffer “hardship” from his cuts.

So, we have an agreement on the shape of the problems to come. There is another thing we will agree on: as government services are taken away and folks begin to be homeless, hungry or must file a medical bankruptcy, we will all want to help – Democrats, Republicans, MAGA or Independents. That is who we are. That is our common ground. We don’t have to seek common ground – we are standing on it.

What people really need and truly want is to find a way to go forward together even when there is more than one side. They want to figure out how.

Without forgetting that Stockbridge Updates’ mission is to provide local news, right now, national politics is having a major impact on us locally. It will continue to. So, SU dedicated this issue to wondering how it is affecting us and what we can do about. We hope some of it is useful, and hope, if you have something to add, you will jump right in and join the conversation.

Editors note: Both the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid have recently been cut.

Carole Owens
Executive Editor

by Carole Owens, Executive Editor

News

News

Notes from the Select Board meeting, February 27, 2025, 6:30pm, Hybrid Continuation of the Public Hearing on 37 Interlaken – A vote on the submitted plan. 

The applicant, Patrick Sheehan, 37 Interlaken (formerly the DeSisto School) can withdraw the plan before the vote and seek to negotiate an altered plan. He can ask for a determination about continuing the process, or he can call for the vote on the plan as submitted.

If he does not withdraw, the SB will continue the Public Hearing culminating with a vote of the Board to continue the process, that is, complete the next step which is a review of the plan by an outside expert, or approve/disapprove of the plan.

The hearing was limited to one issue: buildings A – H are ostensibly 1 building by virtue of connection by a walkway. Two are within 200 feet of the mani building, the Berkshire Cottage, Beckwithshaw (Desisto). To fit into the bylaws, can the two in question be considered one? The applicant said yes; Town Counsel said it was a matter over which SB had discretion.

The applicant asked not for approval or approval but if the plan as submitted had enough merit to continue the process.

The vote was yes unanimously.

The Hearing will continue April 17 and presumably be voted upon then.

In order for the plan submitted by 37 Interlaken to be approved, the vote must be unanimous. That means, in effect, each SB member has veto power. The vote can be to approve, disapprove or approve with conditions.

If the vote is not acceptable to the applicant, he can appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). If the decision of the ZBA is not acceptable, applicant can go to Land Court.

Notes from the Select Board meeting, February 20, 2025, Hybrid meeting

As suggested in the editorial, we can come together to help our neighbors even when we disagree in other areas. That can be a model for decision making as well. This meeting offered an example that may help.

Turning Conflict into Constructive Decision Making

There was a moment in a recent Select Board meeting that revealed something about municipal finance but much more about the art of decision making. It was an annual budget review meeting. Stockbridge Town Administrator Michael Canales developed and presented his first draft of the annual town budget. He presented it to the Select Board, because it is the body charged with overseeing the spending of funds appropriated by the Town — property taxes, local receipts. The budget automatically sets the tax rate.

At one point, it sounded as if an ongoing disagreement was developing between Canales and Select Board member Patrick White. White identified a budget item and requested it be reduced or moved from an operating line item to free cash. Canales advocated for leaving line items unchanged. Then came the moment.

White said to Canales, “you are protecting the institution, and I am trying to protect the taxpayer.”

What do we do with conflict?

Too often in today’s world, we describe disagreement as division. We treat it as permanent. It becomes an obstacle to civility, a roadblock to problem solving. Must it? Perhaps not. Conflict is not new. As a country, we were born out of conflict, never existed without it, and yet, look at all we accomplished. The outcome of the current divide is not a standoff.

Over time, we have come up with ways to resolve conflict at every level of government. In 1787 there were conflicts at the Constitutional Convention. There was one exquisite point of agreement: political without violence. We found ways to work together and work it out. That was, in fact, the distinguishing characteristic of the new nation — the characteristic shocking to the rest of the world — the peaceful transition of power.

Make no mistake — it is work — hard work — but it is peaceful, respectful, dignified work.

Differences Do Not have to be Divisions

They can be the points at which, if we want to solve the problem, we roll up our sleeves. In this example, and many others, points on both sides can and do have merit. Protecting the institution and protecting the taxpayer are of equal importance. The taxpayers need the Town to be on a solid financial footing. The Town needs the taxpayers to be well served at a financial burden they can afford. It is both/and not either/or.

Separate the Process from the Content

We get caught up in content and voice ultimatums. If we do, no one gets anywhere quite literally. If we drop the idea that we have the best solution and trust process: we can work through it. In good process, we test the validity of assumptions, remind each other of the goal, make trade-offs, reach the best decision. Agree that it is the best decision at the time and is subject to change. All we can expect of one another is a process with civility and integrity. Let it be the process every time regardless of the content.

Notes from the Finance Committee, February 26, 2025, Hybrid meeting

Big ticket items discussed were the new fire house and shared fire and emergency services with West Stockbridge. The services will be fully operational in July 2027.

The fiscal 2026 budget is $13.2 million. It is an increase of 8.6%. However, Town Administrator Michael Canales explained, if we factor in additional revenues and reimbursements, the net increase is 3.85% and the increase in the town’s operating budget is only 2.59%.

It drops because of the $587,000 income from West Stockbridge, the 16% increase in health insurance costs, and a 6.6% increase in the Berkshire Hills Regional School District assessment. The actual increase is 3.85 “high quality public services” according to Canales.

Property taxes are estimated to bring in about $10 million, representing a 4%, about $396,000, and local receipts estimated at about $3 million in revenue, or about $587,000. State aid is estimated to increase in fiscal 2026 by about 6%, or about $13,000.

On the wish list were: installing a Revolutionary War Monument on the town green, repairing other local monuments, funding a mausoleum at the cemetery, setting aside funds for a July 4, 2026 celebration during the country’s 250th anniversary, and adding pickleball courts. SB Chair Jamie Minacci was concerned these could draw down all monies in the free cash account, while SB member Patrick White responded that other funds could be used as well.

Contributors

About Bullying

“I am coming to Boston, and I’m bringing Hell with Me”

President Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan criticized Boston police for not fully cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His words, quoted above, draw us in as they also make us very uneasy.

It sounds like a threat and the language of a bully not a public servant. Homan uttered the words on the lawn of the White House. Was he fired? Cautioned not to bully? Reminded that for 160 years, we have been the United States of America not the warring states? Nope, his boss echoed his sentiments.

At a meeting with governors, open to the press, presser, the president threatened the Governor of Maine. If she did not work with ICE, he would cut off all federal funding to her state. She countered that she would follow federal law. Trump replied, he was federal law. It was a moment reminiscent of the moment Louis IV uttered “L’État, c’est moi.” (I am the state.) It is hard for all of us to counter bullying. In the school yard or on the White House lawn, it doesn’t seem we were ever good at it.

If we are faced with a big kid who wants to take our lunch money or a president who wants to take our rights, our jobs, and our services, what do we do? Well, as suggested in the editorial, prepare to help those who will suffer from our most vulnerable individuals to our charitable organizations founded to help them.

Even if we do not all agree it is bullying, we can help the victims of whatever we want to call it. Also, we don’t wait and decide if its bullying or necessary cost cutting. Whatever we call it, we want to act to help our neighbors; act to determine the depth of the problems caused and the breadth of our response. Anything else we can do? Read on…

Those who Duck and Cover and Those who Stand Tall

The words of Michael Roth

Editor’s note: Thank you, Lionel Delevingne for suggesting SU spotlight his friend Michael S. Roth. He spoke at Stockbridge Library, July 27, 2024. Since the election he has spoken out frequently and here is a summary of his comments.

Michael S. Roth, Wesleyan University’s president, is advocating for articulated values in higher education. Other university heads, remain silent – cowering in the face of the Trump administration’s attacks on higher education.

Roth, however, described Trump as authoritarian. He speaks firmly in defense of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), transgender rights, and immigration. Roth is demonstrating resistance to the Trump onslaught on rule of law, civil society, and our institutions. Roth says, “Leaders in higher educational institutions should stand up for their values.” He stresses that he is not looking to pick a fight. He is determined to respectfully but unrelentingly defend a way of life.

He does not want to stand alone – he wants others, many others, to join him. Roth criticizes his counterparts who are equivocal in the face of an attack on the American way. There is no option for neutrality at this moment in history.

“Leaders in civil society shouldn’t be ‘demure’ in the face of authoritarian — Business and civic officials, religious authorities and college presidents should weigh in when they see the missions of their institutions — not to speak of the health of their country — compromised.”

He has been sharply criticizing Trump. Some have joined lawsuits against Trump’s executive orders. And Roth is president of a private school, in a Blue State, not reliant on government funds as public universities. Moreover, Roth is an intellectual historian who teaches classes where students read Aristotle and other long-dead White men — the kind of works many conservatives say don’t have a prominent enough role in modern curriculums.

Roth admitted, “I’m nervous. “

He stressed that hiding, remaining silent, is how tyranny gets instituted in a country. … I’m a professor, a teacher. I don’t look for trouble. But I would feel ashamed if I didn’t speak up for the values that have guided my institution and many others.”

“Leaders in civil society shouldn’t be ‘demure’ in the face of an authoritarian. Business and civic officials, religious leaders, and college presidents should weigh in when they see the missions of their institutions compromised – not to ention the health of their country.”

He has sharply criticized Trump where other of his colleagues have not. However, Roth is president of a private school, in a Blue State, not reliant on government funds; others are more reliant on funding and even public universities. Moreover, Roth is an intellectual historian who teaches classes where students read Aristotle and other long-dead White men — the kind of works many conservatives support.

Nonetheless, Roth admitted, “I’m nervous. “

He stressed, “Hiding, remaining silent, is how tyranny gets instituted in a country. I’m a professor, a teacher. I don’t look for trouble. But I would feel ashamed if I didn’t speak up for the values that have guided my institution and many others.”

What is Roth telling us to do?

Stand up, speak up, and trust that it matters to do so. It helps those It helps those on the frontline to feel someone has their backs. There is comfort in numbers. Articulate our values and follow them

The True Costs of Uncertainty: Psychologically and Economically

By Carole Owens

Psychological Costs

We prefer to have control over our lives. We anticipate outcomes, we calculate the odds, we choose wisely, cross our fingers, wait and see. But what if you can’t? What if there is no past performance, nothing on which to base an educated guess?

It can leave you feeling hopeless and depressed about the days ahead. It can exaggerate the scope of the problems you face. In the worst case scenario, it can paralyze you.

The awful thing about threats is it hardly matters if they are acted upon. The threat itself is dangerous.

Threats cut off rational discourse. They frighten and cause people to cower in place or withdraw. “Flood the zone,” “alternative facts,” and “retribution,” take away the ability to anticipate accurately. Such strategies deny us any sense of control. They create uncertainty; they wrest control from us.

Economic Costs

Let us take my favorite example, the one I have pointed to for the last five years, the United States Post Office. Benjamin Franklin served as the first Postmaster General (PG) from 1775 – 1776. The Post Office was critical to business, the war effort, and just plain folks. Its smooth running was an underpinning of progress and prosperity. That was true then, and it is now. Over the decades, the American postal service became the pride of this country delivering every piece of mail fast and unerringly. It was the model for the world. That is until the Trump administration. In no time, from the naming of Trump’s choice to be PG, it has faltered. Why? Trump appoints people who do not support the agency they will lead. You don’t solve problems by tearing it all down. Dismantling agencies causes purposeful and unnecessary unemployment. Unemployment causes a raft of attendant problems. There is a ripple effect and job loss occurs in the private sector. Think of the businesses that rely upon the postal service. Massive job loss shifts the balance of power from employee to employer.

Moreover, it causes uncertainty in the markets and from Wall Street to Main Street. Uncertainty destabilizes individuals and it destabilizes markets. The United States economy, up until now, has been one of the strongest in the world. We are about to see first-hand the true cost of uncertainty.

Bamboozled

We join together in an honest appraisal of our problems believing we are doing it in order to solve them. But what if our goodwill, like our best efforts, are being used and not for the purpose we imagine?

What if we don’t know why we are defining problems or exactly where we are going? Defining problems does not necessarily have anything to do with solving them. What if the problems are being used nationally to transition from a government of, by, and for the people to a government for the precious few? Internationally as an excuse to desert our friends? Not knowing creates a degree of uncertainty that can lead to destabilization and our own undoing.

What do we do?

Forget about deciding – be certain in what needs to be done. If there are hungry, feed them. If there are sick, treat them. If there are homeless, take them in. Do the job right in front of us with the Golden Rule to guide us. If in so doing there appears to be a government that would obstruct us, tell that government to behave differently.

Do what our forefathers did when faced with a greedy monarchy that would not listen. They trusted truth, science, decency and enlightenment. They decided that the government should be fair and share power and wealth. They decided to write it all down and make it the law. They then clung to the notion that the law was supreme, not powerful individuals.

We are facing challenges we never had to face before, but they did. Our founders carefully established what was ours – defend it. The powerful taking from the weak, whether it’s the big kid at school taking the weaker kid’s lunch money or the dictator taking rights, it’s wrong, hold the line.

Stand together, the more the merrier, act on what you agree upon and are certain of – the simple stuff you learned at your mother’s knee. – play nice, share your toys, don’t hit or threaten to hit.

Meet together and plan to help whoever turns out to be the victim of the upheaval in front of us. Whether it is necessary governance or unnecessary upheaval – a manmade tornado – this is a moment for communal response. Don’t waste time determining who is to blame – spend time fixing the problems. Whether the bully is a tinpot local or POTUS, you can spot him. Now move past and work the problem. Let the Golden Rule be your guide. Become certain. This is a moment for charity in all things material and spiritual, governing and socializing.

Watch Now!

CTSB Video os the Stockbridge Updates Program

Events

SU FYI

1. Attorney Leonard Cohen (1935 – 2025) dies. Len Cohen was an eminent Massachusetts lawyer. He practiced criminal law for 54 years. When I moved to Massachusetts 51 years ago, I didn’t know any lawyers, but I picked Len Cohen. Because I had a criminal case? No. Because I had a referral? No. I picked him because one of my best friends was named Len Cohen. I found him to be brilliant, kind, and funny. I picked him because of his name and happened upon one of the best in the business. 
2. At Rubi’s Café in Great Barrington, if you order an Arnold Palmer, Marian will squeeze fresh lemons to make the lemonade and brew fresh tea. What a treat. 
3. Artist Anita Kunz’s exhibition, “Original Sisters: Courage and Tenacity” features portraits of 285 women. On display at Norman Rockwell Museum until May 26, 2025, some of us were asked t pick a favorite and write a brief comment. I selected Miss Billie Holiday.

A Woman’s Life At eleven she went from quitting school to hearing Bessie Smith sing the blues. At twelve years old, she went from running errands in a brothel to a recording studio. As a young woman she went from a prison cell to the stage of Carnegie Hall. Billie Holiday, AKA Lady Day, born Eleanora Fagan, changed vocal interpretation and reinvented the phrasing of the American innovation — Jazz. – Carole Owens

Events

Events

4. The Colonial Theater, Pittsfield: “No Kings in America – Rally for Democracy”, March 9 at 2:30. Event is sponsored by the Four Freedoms Coalition led by Berkshire Democratic Brigades and the Rural Freedom Network in conjunction with Greylock Together (North County), Left Field (South County), Berkshire Indivisible, Progressive Democrats of America, and the NAACP. Senator Ed Markey will headline. The event is sold out. Contact the sponsors listed above to learn if there will be overflow space.
5. Norman Rockwell: Illustrating Humor on view through June 10, 2025 Norman Rockwell: Illustrating Humor follows What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine, this summer’s landmark exhibition of original art from one of America’s oldest humor publications. Illustrating Humor and What Me Worry? are thematically linked. The two exhibitions juxtapose and illuminate two strikingly different veins of American humor, from the gently comical to the outrageously satirical. The underlying unity, however, is apparent in the brilliance of the illustrations and invite rueful self-recognition. Members Free; Adults $25; Seniors & Veterans $23; Children Free; MA Teachers $22; College Students $10
6. Stockbridge Library Edible Book Festival, March 1, 11am – 1pm, March 1 11am – 1pm Do you like to read? Do you like to eat? Do you have some creative juices and imagination flowing inside of you? Join us for our first ever Edible Book Festival! An Edible Book Festival is a whimsical celebration of books and food and an opportunity to think/create outside the box! Participants can create edible works inspired by either a particular title or the concept of a “book.” Bring what you made to the Stockbridge Library on Saturday, March 1 to be displayed for the afternoon. Library visitors will then submit votes for which display is their favorite! Entries can be baked, cooked or assembled with completely (or mostly) edible materials and should be bookish in theme. Email info@stockbridgelibrary.org with any questions!

Statehouse Updates

An Opportunity To Influence Zoning Proposals That, If Enacted, Could Impact Home Rule

By Christine Rasmussen

Governor Maura Healey signed The Affordable Homes Act into law last August, authorizing over 5 billion dollars in borrowing to spur housing constriction. It reduces barriers for individuals seeking affordable home options, increases housing production and inventory, and creates more tools in the toolbox to help cities and towns offer more affordable housing options that include new regulations that allow construction of Accessory Dwelling Units, or “granny flats,” under 900 square feet by right on single-family lots.

This week, to continue the Governor’s campaign to build 220,000 new units by 2035, the state’s Commission on Unlocking Housing Production released a 108-page report with more than 50 policy recommendations to increase the housing supply. https://www.mass.gov/doc/building-for-tomorrow-a-report-from-the-unlocking-housing-production-commission/download

“In Building for Tomorrow”

The commission recommended that two-family homes, such as duplexes, be allowed by right on all residential lots in Massachusetts. It also called for buildings with up to four units to be permitted on any lot hooked into a municipal water and sewer system. The commission wrote. “Importantly, this recommendation does not mandate multi-family construction but removes unnecessary zoning barriers, ensuring that two-, three- and four-unit dwellings can be built without requiring variances or discretionary review.”

The commission also called for removing “parking minimums,” or the number of parking spaces town zoning bylaws require to accommodate anticipated cars without using on-street public parking. Instead, the Commission recommends allowing developers to determine the parking spaces they need to meet the demand.

According to the Commission’s report, minimum lot sizes “significantly hinder housing affordability” and should be eliminated. The commission also called for eliminating local rules against lot mergers and splits. The only exception would be on “environmentally sensitive and excluded lands.” At this time, these recommendations are just a report, not legislation. Governor Healey and state lawmakers have not expressed opinions on the recommendations, so this is an ideal time to influence what happens to the recommendation by letting decision-makers know your thoughts. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/email-the-governors-office#email-the-governor-&-lt.-governor-using-this-form-

Senator Paul Mark- Paul.Mark@masenate.gov

Rep Leigh Davis Leigh.Davis@mahouse.gov

Secretary Ed Augustus, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities

Recommendation for Local Regulation of Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Installations in Massachusetts

by Jeff Lacy and Michael DeChiara

An Excerpt
 

Introduction

The local regulation of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installations (herein, Solar Installations or Installations) is an important policy area that is actively evolving – both due to new scientific capabilities and policy understandings, and on a parallel track, legal and legislative decisions. Under the newly passed energy bill, S 2967, “An Act Promoting a Clean Energy Grid, Advancing Equity and Protecting Ratepayers,” installations of up to 25MW will remain under the purview of municipalities, but permitting standards and procedures will be set by the Massachusetts’ Department of Energy Resources (DOER). This paper seeks to begin the process of informing these guidelines in advance of the effective date of the law on March 1, 2026.

The Solar Exemption in Zoning

In 1985 when the state’s solar exemption – M.G.L. Chapter 40A, Section 3 (40A:3) – was enacted it was geared primarily to solar hot water systems on the rooftops of buildings. That exemption has now evolved (along with the technology) into a provision applicable to stand-alone ground-mounted Solar Installations of unlimited acreage and number, and even possibly standalone energy storage systems not physically associated with a solar system. The so-called solar exemption reads:

“No zoning ordinance or by-law shall prohibit or unreasonably regulate the installation of solar energy systems or the building of structures that facilitate the collection of solar energy, except where necessary to protect the public health, safety or welfare.”

Under the new energy law, it is understood that the Zoning Act’s solar exemption cited above will be presumed to be met by municipalities that have adopted the soon-to-be-developed DOER permitting standards. This would apply to Installations of up to 25MW – the size range of most if not all built in Massachusetts so far – and energy storage systems up to 100MW.

“Local governments acting in accordance with the standards established by the department for small clean energy generation facilities and small clean energy storage facilities pursuant to this subsection shall be considered to have acted consistent with the limitations on solar facility and small clean energy storage facility zoning under section 3 of chapter 40A.”

The Last Word

Reader to Reader

To: Stockbridge Updates

Amen to courtesy and curiosity!

Mary Langeron

Letter to the Editor, Stockbridge Updates

A priority for the League of Women Voters, including this chapter in Central Berkshire County, is voter education. We realize that even after all the work of 2024, we still have elections to consider this Spring in each of the 18 towns of this newly formed 3rd Congressional District of the Commonwealth. The State Secretary has a helpful list of the towns and the address and names of all the Town Clerks but does not list the dates for the elections or the town meetings. After an online search of each of the town websites, I was able to compile this list of dates for town meeting and town elections and for the last filing date for anyone interested in running for office in their town’ When I could not find the dates, Town clerks were prompt in their replies to me for clarification.

There are many dates for local elections in Massachusetts!

Here is a draft of a Town Election Schedule for 2025 across the 3rd Congressional District: (XX indicates missing date)

Ramelle Pulitzer, President, League of Women Voters of Central Berkshire County

Ramelle,

Thank you and your membership for all that you do.

Carole

Hello Carole,

I would let you know that I have been involved in real estate development since 2016 as well as consulting for the last year for the CDC of South Berkshire on their affordable housing, workforce housing and economic development work. So your accounting that only one person on the trust has any experience in the area is not correct.

I would also like to add that Jan Ackerman was the CFO of Yale. I don’t think she needs housing experience to be a smart and trusted voice on a volunteer trust. The truth is, the Affordable Housing Trust was created by members of the town, and is amongst the most educated of any of the volunteer boards in town. I do think having people with experience in the area is a great thing and am very much in agreement about that… but if you think that people with more experience in housing are going to advocate for Less housing, you’re probably mistaken.

I hope we can all come together to create housing opportunities that everyone can get behind.

Thanks,

McCaela Donovan

Dear McCaela,

Thank you so much for writing Stockbridge Update and thank you for the correction.

Carole

Email exchange: Stockbridge Updates inquired of Dr. Charles Kenny, Chair, Stockbridge Board of Health, if the 24 (or more) Stockbridge residents near enough to Housatonic to be on the Housatonic Water Works could safely dig wells instead of waiting for HWW to correct the water quality problems which seem bogged down in legal wrangling.

Kenny responded by contacting the EPA:

Re: Well – pcb contamination in Stockbridge

From: Kenny, Charles

To: Dumville, Kelsey

Cc: carole42@verizon.net

I have been asked if it is safe to drill wells for drinking water for homes along the Housatonic River, just north of Housatonic and just south of Glendale, or if there is any existing prohibition against it. I have been told that, in the 1970s, the wells in this area were tested (probably by Mass Department of Environmental Quality and Engineering (DEQE) and found to be contaminated by pcbs. They were condemned and closed. I understand that the Housatonic Water Works Company (HWW) extended its service into Stockbridge when all these wells were shut down. HWW is now facing a crisis in the service it provides and could limit them.

I asked Mr. Saadi Motamedi, Acting Deputy Regional Director of the Bureau of Water Resources of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (EPA – one of the spinoff departments when DEQE was dissolved), Western Regional Office, about the prior condemnation, or any existing prohibitions and he knew of none. He offered technical assistance to anyone who would drill such a well.

Understanding that well drilling is expensive, does EPA know anything about the prior well closures or reasons someone should not drill new wells? Would EPA have authority to test the groundwater for pcbs in that part of Stockbridge? If such contamination was indeed a factor in the well closures, would the current river remediation plan be expected to eliminate the contamination and permit well installations?

Thank you.

Charles Kenny MD

Chair, Stockbridge Board of Health

Good afternoon, Dr. Kenny,

I’m checking in with the site team to see if we have any information on the wells in this area. Will be in touch soon.

Best, Kelsey

Editor’s note: When the EPA supplies an answer, SU will post it.

Hi Carole,

My name is Brett Roberts, and I am a Senior Planner with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). I also happen to live in Stockbridge, so I appreciate the great service that Stockbridge Updates is for our town.

In my capacity at BRPC, I work on a program called the Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP). HMLP is a state-funded no-interest loan program to provide modifications to those in need of accessibility improvements to their homes. Eligible applicants include homeowners and landlords (with fewer than 10 units) with necessary changes needed to their homes to keep disabled or elderly family members in their own homes. I’ve attached a press release with more information on the program and how to get in touch with our staff regarding this opportunity. There is also a flyer attached for your reference.

I was wondering if this could be included in the next edition of Stockbridge Updates as a press release or just as information. We have presented this to a few boards in Stockbridge, but always great to have it where more people can see it.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!

Best,

Brett

Editor’s note: Brett Roberts is the Senior Housing Planner, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

Dear Brett,

Thank you for working with Stockbridge Updates getting the word out about this very important project. Helping older folks remain in their homes is as important to maintaining a stable and diverse community as helping young people to purchase houses and work in their hometown. SU looks forward to your article in our next issue.

Thank you, Carole

Hi Carole!

The B entered some stories in the New England Better Newspaper Competition, including your piece from issue 3 called “Born in the Berkshires.” We heard from the org that we won in several categories, including for your column for History Reporting! Congrats and thanks for a nice column!

Amy

Editor’s note: Amy Conway is Editor in Chief of The B, a new magazine from The Berkshire Eagle

Dear Amy,

Thanks! Aren’t you nice for letting me know, recognition is always appreciated by all of us. Please keep up your great work – the new magazine is looking good and reads wonderfully.

Carole

Editor’s note: About the New England Better Newspaper Competition The New England Newspaper & Press Association’s Better Newspaper (NENPA) Competition is New England’s largest journalism recognition program.

This prestigious competition celebrates the skill, passion, and determination it takes to produce top-quality publications. It offers an exciting opportunity for talented newspaper professionals to be recognized for their exceptional work.