Friday, June 13, 2025

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Relay for Life of Berkshire County returns on June 28

Last year, the event was held outside at Monument Mountain's track. However, four hours into the event, a microburst storm hit the track, destroying the event area. This year, event organizer Ray Gardino told The Berkshire Edge they are not taking any chances and will hold the event indoors.

Abrahams and others ran unchallenged in GB elections

Selectboard member Ed Abrahams was set to face a challenger, Michelle Loubert of the finance committee.

Parking lot government: A Great Barrington town meeting for the ages

If the town meeting is not able to pass a budget by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, the town of Great Barrington, like hundreds of other small municipalities in the state with a town-meeting form of government, has a problem.

News Brief: GB ‘drive-in’ annual town meeting June 22

The Great Barrington Selectboard, Cutting Edge AV Inc. in Lee and Monument Mountain Regional High School staff are busy this week arranging for an outdoor sound system and an FM radio broadcast of the meeting, which voters can follow in their cars.

Town Hall Briefs: For the first time, Great Barrington will hold its town meeting outside; special permit for gated parking lot denied

The most important item is getting the budget passed before the end of the fiscal year Tuesday, June 30.

Reeling from COVID-19, South County towns and schools ‘pivot,’ brace for the worst

Invariably there will be other problems that we can't even foresee, in part because hard data is difficult to come by.

Great Barrington Selectboard postpones town meeting, elections until June, extends tax payment deadline to June 1

Town moderator Michael Wise said he thought it was important that the budget be passed by Tuesday, June 30, even if the other items of the annual town meeting warrant were pushed aside until restrictions on large gatherings were lifted.

Great Barrington declares state of emergency, will likely postpone town meeting, elections

Selectboard Chair Steve Bannon tried to reassure everyone that town government was functioning and that elected officials were active and town employees were still reporting to work.

News Brief: Volunteers sought for regional school planning committee

Great Barrington’s committee members will join with similar committees in other towns to form a Regional District Planning Board.

Alan Chartock: I Publius

A word of commendation for the people who drive the snow plows, both the private snow-plow people and the folks who work for the towns: They work without stopping, clearing the roads for our doctors and first responders and anyone else who has to get to work.

Great Barrington’s cannabis quandary: What to do with that pot revenue?

Proposals for how to use the cannabis revenue windfall will be discussed by the selectboard and the finance committee in the upcoming deliberations for next year's budget, with voters having the final say on how to spend free cash at the annual town meeting in May.

Great Barrington Master Plan anticipated infrastructure upgrades

The town’s Master Plan recommended that bridge repairs be prioritized in the town’s five-year capital improvement plans. The town has taken action about its deficient bridges in priority order as the Plan recommended.

News Brief: GB to hold town meeting improvements forum

The forum will consider how to encourage participation and how to improve the way the town meeting works.

It’s Not That Simple: Can Annual Town Meeting be improved?

Town Moderator Michael Wise will organize a forum this fall to discuss the Annual Town Meeting format, to seek ideas and consider changes, or possibly to just leave it alone. Please stay tuned to the program for a date.

ZBA says changes to 100 Bridge Street too great, putting CDC development plan at ‘significant risk’

The language that is always being used is that the CDC is ghettoizing our poor, or low- and moderate-income families ... We think that description is absurd, given where the site is ... and the fact that ... 50 percent of the families in Great Barrington qualify for these units." -- Tim Geller, executive director of the CDC

Finalists named in Great Barrington town manager search

Interviews will take place at Town Hall Tuesday, March 26, and Wednesday, March 27. The public is invited. Town residents wishing to submit questions for the candidates must do so no later than Friday, March 22, at 5 p.m.

Great Barrington town manager a finalist for similar post in Adams

The Adams town administrator search is being conducted by Community Paradigm Associates, the same firm that is leading the search for Tabakin's successor in Great Barrington. Paradigm principal Bernie Lynch did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
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