News

Events

On June 10th Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) presented VIM Live! Back by popular demand a second VIM Live! The Next Era of Care: Access, Innovation, and AI Tuesday September 30, 2025, in the Indigo Room at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

The League of Women Voters of Central Berkshire County will hold a candidate forum for the open seat on the Stockbridge Select Board. You will hear from contestants Sally Underwood-Miller and Jorja Marsden. Please join us on Wednesday August 6. Doors open at 5:30pm, Town Offices, 50 Main Street in the Select Board Meeting Room.

The special town election will take place August 26, 2025. Absentee ballots may be requested from the Town Clerk. In person voting will be held only on the day of the election.

Stockbridge Library presents the Community Dog Show, August 2, 2025, 10:30am and Grace Kelly in conversation with John Perkel July 31, 4:30 – 5:30pm. Reservations required.

News

Notes from the Affordable Housing Trust, July 17, 2025, new time: 3pm

Current members are Jan Ackerman, Bruce Auerbach, Mark Mills, Jamie Minacci, Lis Wheeler, Patrick White.

Chair Ranee Warner and member McCaela Donovan stepped down. Minacci took White’s seat as representative of SB and White took the chair.

Vice Chair Jan Ackerman tells Stockbridge Update, ” The Trust had a discussion of areas for the future. These include: 1) be a resource for the three existing AH locations within Stockbridge for emergency needs in between the annual CPC resources 2) explore ways to enable more development of ADU’s as long-term rentals 3) review existing properties in town as potential sites for AH and do the preliminary analysis of financials on certain properties, and 4) explore potential new housing opportunities should the Select Board and the Town accept the Seasonal Community designation. Lastly, Bruce Auerbach will contact Town Counsel to discuss measures the Trust might take for the disposition of the Glendale Middle Road property in light of the Trust’s decision at its last meeting to not move forward to develop the property. Let me know if you need more. Jan”

Perspective

The Government Tutorial – How Our Local Government Works

Introduction: I heard a man say he was disgusted that people do not care enough to get involved in their own government. I think we care enough, but maybe we don’t know enough. We all shy away from jumping in if we don’t know how the game is played.

Stockbridge Updates is presenting a four-part series, The Government Tutorial: How Our Local Government Works. All four parts will be available on You Tube, at CTSBTV.org, and in your issue of Stockbridge Updates. The parts will be presented by the best and the brightest. We will learn from a prominent municipal attorney, one of the most popular members of a local select board, and a top town administrator. In the fourth segment, it will be our turn to tell what we learned and what we still want to know.

Welcome to the SU tutorial on government.

Key Take Aways from Session One Jeremia Pollard is Town Counsel to eight of the eighteen South County towns plus one municipality in Hampshire County. He knows his stuff and he has seen it all. The tape runs just over 27 minutes. Here are a few of the key points Jeremia made:

If you want to know something, suggest something, or complain about something, go to the proper department. Potholes? That’s the Highway Department (HD), call the Super of HD. Public Safety? Call the Police Chief. Question about fireproofing? Call the Fire Chief. Taxes? Town Assessor.

No need to call a Select Board member or Town Administrator first. Call the department first, if there is no response or not the hoped for response, then kick it upstairs.

Ask to have your concern put on the SB agenda. If it is not put on the agenda – that is the purview of SB Chair — share the concern in the public comment period. That’s what it is there for.

The Select Board is the Executive. Town Administrator is executive staff. Approximately 100 volunteers and elected town officials are in the executive branch serving on our commissions, boards, and committees. The SB is the boss of all 100, that is, the SB hires and fires all employees and appoints the members of the volunteer committees.

Who are we? The voters are the legislature. Just like in Washington D.C. the legislature approves spending. Yup, that’s right. We can’t complain about spending because if we don’t approve it, then the executive branch can’t spend it. Never underestimate your power as a voter.

Never miss Town Meeting. We control the purse strings – exercise your authority. Sure, just like in Washington D.C., the Executive branch can overstep, but we have the power to control that too.

In the voting booth and at Town Meeting, we the people empower them, and they represent us. If they aren’t listening, there are solutions. So at Town Meeting, SB meetings, and committee meetings, show up and speak up.

Tune in next time – Meet Lee Select Board Member Bob Jones

Perspective

I Have A Dream

By Carole Owens

Two events solidified my dream. A guest arrived at my house. She stepped out of her car, threw out her arms and grinned, “Now I can breathe.”

She explained, “every time I come here, I breathe freer. It’s the space.”

She made me appreciate a luxury we enjoy that I had taken for granted — the distance between our houses and our great open spaces.

In the summer of 2024, we drove through all 18 towns in South Berkshire County. It is the loveliest of places. The stretches of green fields, shaded woodland, and wetlands are interspersed with buildings from as early as the 1700s.

The land is the source of revitalization for all creatures, including us. Unspoiled land produces oxygen, natural cooling, protection from the elements, and habitat for the birds and animals. As we build housing, shops, civic and cultural buildings, we must also protect open space. Historic buildings are the repositories of our memories. We point and say, there, in that place, our ancestors gathered to pray, to plan, to raise a glass in friendship, and so our story begins. To lose the building leaves a rent in the fabric of our story – who we were and what we stand for; to save the building connects us to our past. Preservation Inc will help those dedicated to saving historic buildings and repositories.

Those two moments solidified my dream of saving Berkshire land and buildings. To realize the dream, we needed to form Berkshire Preservation Inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and through strategic fundraising and grant awards, begin to preserve and protect our land and our historic buildings. We collaborate with other preservation nonprofits, and together, we will succeed and save what is exceptional about our home.

We have role models. Preservation Inc will emulate the fabulous builders of the carousel, the wonder woman who formed Laurel Hill Association, the saviors of the Berkshire Eagle, and many others who dreamt and then rolled up their sleeves. Join Us.

Editor’s note: Submit the story of your dream to Stockbridge Updates and dream on.

by Carole Owens

Watch Now!

Jeremia Pollard

The Last Word

Reader to Reader

Hi Carole,

Please see my note below. If you feel I missed something, please advise. Otherwise, please raise the matter with Town Administrator Michael Canales in the next issue of SU.

Many thanks. Larry Ackerman

Dear Larry,

You didn’t miss a thing. Here is your note to Michael. We also emailed it to him.

“Hi Mike, I read the minutes from the meeting where you reviewed the status and plans for our bridges, but didn’t see anything that talked about Curtisville. Did I miss it, or was it not mentioned? Many thanks. Larry Ackerman”

Larry, if Michael answers you, let SU know and if Michael answers SU, we will post the reply. Everyone, please feel free to contact any Board member or Town employee through Stockbridge Updates. It is a pleasure to pass it on.

Carole

Carole,

I would like to get a production credit if possible. If not, not a big deal.

Patrick White

Patrick,

My pleasure. I tell you, my heart stopped when you quit producing Stockbridge Updates between November 2024 and May 2025. Without you, the SU web page could not be updated or the archive of back issues. Thrilled to acknowledge your contribution. Send along what you think the wording should be and what you want the placement to be. Until then, thank you, Patrick, and please don’t ever quit again.

Best wishes as always, Carole