Great Barrington Police Chief Bill Walsh said his department "played a minimal role in this operation"; that he reported it to his boss, Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin, the next day; and that he responded to media inquiries on the incident.
"It was kind of disturbing for everyone in here,” Will Curletti said of the customers and employees in his coffee shop. "You know, the government is shut down and we're still pulling people off the street. You hate to see that happen."
"We've got to do something. We can't kick the problem down the road to the next generation. We have bigger problems we need to start dealing with and this is just a start."
-- Matt Masiero, co-owner of Guido’s Fresh Marketplace
There are a variety of theories as to why the seasonal labor market has been tightening over the years. Birth rates have been dropping for at least a generation, and more students are willing to forgo a paycheck in the summer while taking a volunteer position or internship to build their resumes for life after college.
At 33, Kate Feuer Burke represents a much-desired but disappearing demographic in town: a young professional with children who brings new vision and energy to the board.
The six candidates for Great Barrington Selectboard range from two men and one woman who have been on the scene for a long time to younger office seekers looking for generational change on the board.
Friday, March 23, is the last day nomination papers can be obtained from the town clerk for candidates who want to be on the ballot for the Tuesday, May 15, nonpartisan municipal elections.
“It all started with the trees,” Fuel Coffeeshop co-owner Robin Curletti says, half joking, of the veritable downtown shuffle that was heralded by the controversial removal of the 35-year-old Bradford pear trees lining Main Street.
New head chef Alex Brink has revamped the food menu, and will further expand it, Fuel co-owner Will Curletti said. But don’t worry -- one can still get a McGuido.
“We’re still us, we’re just moving! We are grateful to our customers who have launched us and created the Fuel community; we are but the facilitators [of this next phase].”
--- Robin Curletti
“This young man here [Fire Chief Charlie Burger] works 90 hours a week. We’re burning him out. I asked for it for years. It’s very much needed.”
-- Former Fire Chief Harry Jennings
The fervor and message of what appeared to be a polarizing controversy that centered on the town’s frustration with increasing property taxes and the inability of local incomes to keep up, did not seem to fuel election outcomes this time around.
Decisions regarding our tax structure and our school district will be made over the next few years that will affect Great Barrington for generations. Thankfully, Will Curletti is running for Finance Committee.
In his letter to the editor endorse the candidacies of Bill Cooke, Sean Stanton, and Will Curletti, Ed Abrahams writes: "What I like about Sean Stanton, Bill Cooke and Will Curletti is that they are reasonable people with good judgment who listen to others before acting. All three of them get along with nearly everyone, and none of them are coming with a political agenda. They want to listen, to find ways to ease the tax burden, and to encourage economic development to broaden the tax base."
