2025 marks my 50th year as a volunteer with Southern Berkshire Ambulance. My good friend, Ken Schumacher, is celebrating his 49th. Together, we've seen a lot of change. But one thing hasn't: We are there when you need us—24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The towns of Sandisfield, New Marlborough, Monterey and Tolland decided to share the pain by hiring an attorney who helped them navigate a legal pathway that would allow the towns to bid out the construction of a fiber optic network and sign a 15-year contract with a service provider to operate it.
Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration is quietly flirting with massive private companies like Comcast to deliver what will likely be inferior and expensive service to rural towns. “It’s a slow-rolling tragedy that will blight Western Massachusetts for generations.”
-- Susan Crawford, Harvard law professor and director of the Berkshire Center for Internet and Society
“This is an incredible opportunity, a watershed moment for us to move forward and be as competitive as we possibly can and stay viable as a community in a global economy.”
-- Tim Lovett, Berkshire Property Agents
“Broadband is an essential infrastructure like electricity, water and roads. We have all things to make quality of life here so great, but if you can’t do business, it’s not an option.”
-- Tim Newman, New Marlborough broadband advocate
