The Declaration of Independence makes crystal clear that the Founders fought for the proposition “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed …” Having lost the 2020 election, Donald Trump became the first president in our history to oppose the peaceful transfer of power and to try, in...
A good independent bookstore is a community treasure. Owner since 2016 of The Bookloft in Great Barrington, Pamela Pescosolido shares an intimate view of a bookstore in transition in the midst of a pandemic.
If you're a restaurant owner who wants to stay open in the midst of a public health crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic, you essentially have one choice: trying to eke out a living by offering take-out, and perhaps delivery.
Interestingly, the need for more space was not factor in the move. The new space will actually be comparable in size to the Barrington Plaza store, which occupies two storefronts.
Whether one lane of the Brown Bridge is closed during construction or whether it is shut down altogether, the construction will be a major disruption to traffic, especially considering the fact that the town-owned Division Street bridge was closed by the state in the second week of September.
At Monday's Great Barrington Selectboard meeting at the Claire Teague Senior Center, concerns ranged from traffic, speeding, and the impact the closure of the Division Street and Cottage Street bridges are having on businesses and residents alike.
Ed loved Great Barrington and was very active in the civic life of the community. In 1982 he was elected to the board of selectmen and remained a selectman until 2002.
Successful businesses are always on the hunt for growth opportunities, and package stores are no exception. But the stores face competitive threats that were hard to imagine only 15 years ago.
The reality is that several businesses on that strip have closed in recent months, leading to the question of what replaces those businesses that have left and whether the current zoning is too restrictive to allow for a full range of replacements, including residential or mixed-use combinations.
"We have mothers putting babies in dirty water for baths. Come on. I'm just furious over this. I'm grinding my teeth over this."
-- Housatonic resident and Housatonic Water Works customer Michelle Loubert
When Framework Properties first proposed the 47 Railroad Street project in Great Barrington, which included only 13 market-rate apartments, they learned that it was the first building permit taken out in the town for a structure containing four apartments or more since 1990.
The battle royale involved the planning and select boards. For weeks, the two panels had been at odds over which should be the special-permit-granting authority in regards to the marijuana production and sales facilities, and whether most, if not all, of the facilities should require a special permit.
The challenge for the state's 351 cities and towns is to revamp their zoning regulations so that they're not caught flat-footed by applications from cannabis retailers and manufacturers.
"The new zone would continue to allow retail and commercial establishments, like the current B-2, but it would also allow for a variety of residential uses."
-- Great Barrington Town Planner Chris Rembold
Town manager Jennifer Tabakin reminded town residents of the upcoming deadlines for citizen petitions to have items placed for a vote on the warrant for the annual town meeting.
