West Stockbridge — There is good news for West Stockbridge canine owners who are “champing at the bit” to enter the town’s new dog park. According to West Stockbridge Dog Park Committee Chair Michael Bolognino, an October 5 grand-opening celebration for pets and humans is slated for the facility.
Construction on the park located adjacent to Town Hall, 21 State Line Road, began on June 16, and the bulk of the development is now complete, with the site’s pathways finished and fencing nearly done, Bolognino announced at the August 18 West Stockbridge Select Board meeting. “We’re going to have quite a party,” he said of the upcoming event.
Fundraising efforts for the endeavor are underway by Friends of the West Stockbridge Dog Park, the nonprofit formed to support the park’s maintenance fees, he said. The group has accumulated $3,000 to date.
Bolognino also thanked contractor Clark & Sons LLC for the company’s timely construction of the project.
“Quite honestly, the town’s really going to love this park,” Bolognino said. “It is not just grass and a fence. It is beautiful.”
Earlier this year, the Select Board approved the project’s 1.15-acre site plan that includes a separate area for small-sized dogs, with both areas accessible through the same entrance. That plan, designed by Berkshire Design Group, can be found here.
The project is funded through a $275,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation combined with $25,000 from the West Stockbridge Community Preservation Act, with the latter passed by citizens at the May 6, 2024, Town Meeting.
Special election discussion to fill vacant seat on Select Board
Following the July 30 resignation of Select Board member Andy Potter, the remaining two members of the Select Board—Chair Andy Krouss and member Kathleen Keresey—mulled their options to fill the vacant seat during their August 4 session, choosing to digest the information and make a decision at a later date.
However, both Krouss and Keresey agreed to discuss moving forward with a special election at their next meeting set for September 2 at 6 p.m.
Highway Department begins its search for new superintendent
With Town Highway Department Superintendent Jamie Boyer announcing his leave last month, Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Curt Wilton advocated for the Select Board’s approval to seek Boyer’s replacement sooner rather than later.
Wilton previously announced he would assume some of that responsibility along with longtime employee John Lyford who stepped up to the highway foreman position, as well as other employees, with the department staff receiving additional compensation in return. However, Wilton appeared before the Select Board via Zoom on August 18, and due to an injury he incurred, that plan was no longer workable. He received approval from the dais to advertise for a department superintendent immediately to oversee the crew and lead the group.
“To me, it seems imperative,” Keresey said.
Krouss added that the measure “is a must.”
The group also tabled a discussion of the town charter that was on the evening’s agenda.
