 Egremont News |
|
Issue 23 |
September, 2005 |
Rules & Regulations of this Newsletter:
The purpose of this newsletter is to keep residents informed of what is going on in their community. It is printed on a bi-monthly basis by the Selectmen’s Office Staff. Articles submitted by Town Boards are not edited by the Select Board or Office Administrator. Outside organizations are allowed to submit articles of no longer than one column length. These articles are to be factual and will not be printed if they contain any political format, forum, or communication.
We welcome reader input and hope you enjoy reading the Newsletter.
The Town voted to join the AlertNow notification system at the July 18 special town meeting. This program will call every residence in Egremont in the space of 1 minute after a message is recorded. The message will be in the voice of a town official and your caller ID will show the Town of Egremont’s phone number. Messages will be left on answering machines, and the program redials multiple times if no response is received.
In order to implement this program, we need accurate contact phone numbers for each residence in Egremont. We have compiled a listing through our 911 program and our residency list. If you have phone numbers that you want us to use and you feel we may not have them, please let us know. This would be the phone number that you would like us to use to notify you of an emergency situation or of an important event taking place. You may call us, 528-0182, email us tegremont@yahoo.com or mail us your information.
The Select Board appointed a Committee to study the Right-to-Farm Bylaw issue to see if it would be appropriate for Egremont to adopt one. Fran Turner has graciously agreed to get the Committee rolling. If you have an interest in this bylaw, please let us know.
The Board also appointed a Technology Study Committee to look at the needs of Egremont residents in regards to Cell Phone Service and High Speed Internet Service. This Committee is to determine the needs and how best to accomplish meeting those needs.
The Board has met with a company, WiSpring, who is planning to install the equipment to bring high speed wireless internet service to Egremont. It has been determined that this type of service is allowed under FCC rules and no special permit is required from the Town. You should expect to be contacted by this company in the near future regarding subscribing.
The Historical Commission recently reported to the Board that there are many new items in the Archives room above the Library, with a total of 1616 items on display. The Commission is in need of a display cabinet for items included in the Twining bequeath. New history books have been printed and are on sale at the Archives room.
Water Department:
On Sunday night, July 31st, the main electric motor and main power switch suffered a direct lightning strike. The hit was so severe it completely destroyed the meter, power switch and approximately 100 feet of electric cable. Our propane fueled back up generator started immediately and a continuos flow of safe drinking water was supplied to our customers. Massachusetts Electric was called and came Sunday night to shut of the power to the destroyed equipment. Our contractor, Elm Electric, was at the site early Monday morning to assess the damage and begin repairs. Full electric service was restored to the treatment plant late on Thursday, August 4th.
During the time the treatment plant was operating under back up power, all of our pumps,
and water quality testing equipment worked flawlessly without any interruption of the distribution of safe water to all our customers.
The Egremont Water Commissioners would like to thank our plant operator, Jim Olmsted, for his dedication and long hours during this emergency situation. We would also like to thank Elm Electric for their prompt response and hard work in getting us up and running again under normal power.
Board of Assessors:
The Board of Assessors would like to remind all property owners that KBK Cama Consulting Company is in the process of doing a full list and measurements of all properties in North and South Egremont. They will visit every property and it would be beneficial for owners to cooperate and allow them to review their property inside and out. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue requires a full list and measure to be done by each Town every ten years.
The Board meets Tuesday night 7pm - 9pm. An Assessor is at the Town Hall Wednesday mornings 9am - 11am. Please contact us, 528-0182, ext 14, if you have any questions.
Council on Aging:
The Council on Aging invites women over 60 to a special program on September 8th at 1:00 pm at the senior center in Gt. Barrington. Come for tea and helpful information about Breast Cancer and the new Medicare Part D. This program could give you some extra special information....and provide great sociability with some of our friends. For more information, please call Rachel Shaw 528-3488 evenings after 5pm.
The Egremont water exercise program for elders at Simon’s Rock will resume in mid-September. Let us hear from you if you are interested, or need more information about this very worthwhile program.
Treasurer\Collector:
REMINDER - Real Estate & Personal Property Taxes were due August 1, 2005 - This is the first payment for Fiscal Year 2006,
and is a preliminary bill, as is the November 1, 2005 payment. Actual bills will be mailed by January 1, 2006, after the new tax rate has been set.
Motor Vehicle Excise - If you have disposed of a vehicle, please remember it is the taxpayers responsibility to file for an abatement. Do not ignore the tax bill as it will stay on our books until it is paid or abated. Again, we only have the information provided to us from the Registry of Motor Vehicles which comes from the vehicle owner.
On Line Banking - UNIPAY on line banking is ready to go. Go to the Town of Egremont web site www.egremont-ma.gov and click on pay your bills on line. Follow the instructions from that point. You will be able to use ACH or a credit card. Please give it a try.
Office hours - Tax Collector 7-3 Monday through Friday or by appointment.
Planning Board:
The board has spent a great deal of time in the past few months in preparation for the bylaw proposals presented at annual and special town meetings, researching telecommunications issues, holding public hearings, working with consultants on bylaw language and proposed amendments, and on other preparations for both the annual and special town meetings.
At the July 18, 2005, Special Town Meeting, townspeople voted to retain the present current telecommunications bylaw and overlay district for location of cell towers. These bylaws need to be updated and additional possible locations found for cellular equipment consistent with the needs of current technology. The board has met with the Selectboard to discuss funding and hiring of consultants. It is anticipated that it will take about three months to develop new telecommunication bylaw proposals.
Now that the recent bylaw votes have concluded, the board would like to return to the reformatting of the bylaw and proceed with other bylaw issues which had been put on hold in early spring due to other town matters.
Earlier this year the board completed a new reformatting proposal and presented it to townspeople at a Community Meeting in March. The present reformatting is a restructuring of our current bylaw, with no additional changes. In June 2004, townspeople voted to postpone indefinitely action on a proposal to reformat the bylaw and make changes which clarified some of its ambiguities. Following that meeting, there was feedback from townspeople that there were two many changes incorporated into the reformatting. Therefore the present proposal merely restructures the bylaw to group similar sections together, make it more understandable and user-friendly, and to put it into a form which will make it easier to incorporate bylaw changes which the town may approve in the future. Copies of this proposal will be available soon at the Town Hall, Library, and the general stores in North and South Egremont. Please watch for the posting of a public hearing on this reformat proposal.
The board would like to begin work in the coming year on whether to create new zoning districts in town for the village and rural areas. Presently the majority of the town is in one general zoning district, even though we have villages which are more densely populated than other areas. Our present bylaw doesn't reflect what existed in these village areas before we had a zoning bylaw, and this creates some confusion and complications. Creating a bylaw which more closely reflects what exists in our villages and rural areas will lessen these complications and also allow voters to establish more clearly what density and types of land uses the town would like in those areas.
The Planning Board will hold an informal community discussion on September 14, 2005, at 7:00 PM at the North Egremont Firehouse to begin work on the idea of Village and Rural Districts. All townspeople interested in being involved in this are invited to attend. The board recommends that this process begin by creating a survey of townspeople to get input on whether the town wants such districts, where the boundaries might be located, and what uses the town would like in each district.
Alford/Egremont Cultural Council
The Alford/Egremont Cultural Council, the local branch of the Massachusetts Cultural Council is gearing up for the 2006 grant cycle. The Cultural Council has in the past provided financial assistance to numerous programs in the area ranging from scholarships for local children to the Berkshire Children’s Chorus, playwright mentoring projects with the Barrington Stage Company, subsidizing admission tickets for school field trips and enrichment programs, storytellers at the Egremont Free Library and the Alford Children’s Library among others. If you are an artist or represent a cultural organization, if you would like to hold a community program or cultural event and if you can provide a specified venue and date sometime in 2006 the Alford/Egremont Cultural Council may be able to provide you with grant assistance.
Cities and towns of all sizes in the Commonwealth are eligible for Cultural Council state funding to support culture in their communities. It is up to the local committee to decide how they would like their funding to be spent based on the applications they receive. There are always more requests for financial assistance then the limited funding allows but committee members have in the past strived to deliver assistance to programs which offer direct benefits to community artists, art programs and the general public.
To get more information about the program please call the current chairman Juliette Haas at 528-2028 or refer to the highly informative web site for the Massachusetts Cultural Council at www.mass-culture.org. You can obtain a grant application at the Egremont Town Hall or the Egremont Free Library or download a copy from the web page. Grant applications for this year’s cycle are due by October 17, 2005 and the final selection will be performed by the committee on or before December 15, 2005.
Interested in serving on the Alford/Egremont Cultural Council? Give Juliette Haas a call.
Right to Farm Bylaw Advisory Committee:
The first meeting of this committee was held August 3, 2005. David Sheldon was elected the Chairman, Frances Turner, Secretary and Charles Proctor is the other member of this committee. We discussed several bylaws enacted by our neighboring towns, as a starting point.
The bylaw, and along with it an Agricultural Commission, will show that this town supports the various types of agricultural ventures happening in our town. It will help to explain to those unfamiliar with country living, that farming is not always pretty cows grazing on lush pastures, but may involve smells, noise and other inconveniences associated with growing livestock, vegetables, trees and even garlic. This bylaw and the Commission do not give farmers any special privileges, but will help to improve relationships farmers have with their neighbors.
Since the push for this bylaw in Massachusetts was part of the Governor’s Initiative for Smart Growth, we are planning to invite the Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture, Doug Gillespie, and other people who can explain this program more fully, to a public gathering as soon as possible.
We hope to have this bylaw ready to be put on the Town Meeting warrant in May 2006.
Our next meeting is Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 7:00 P.M. at the Town Hall. Everyone is invited to come and find out more as well as express your views.
Egremont Free Library:
The Friends of the Library would like to thank all those who supported the Craft Sale and Silent Auction in July. It was a huge success, and with some of the profits they will sponsor a
GIANT
HALLOWEEN
PARTY
for the town kids of all ages. Watch the newspapers for more news of this in October.
Lose your television or satellite during the recent summer storms? Discover something new: READ. READ. READ. It’s fun, and about once a month, the library gets a whole new supply of books. What a treat for you!.
Board of Health:
The Board of Health (BOH) has recently undergone a reorganization. All of the members are the same, but titles and responsibilities have changed slightly. For the past three years the Board has been a three person board with one alternate. Tom Carpenite, BOH member since 1998 is now the new Chairman. Tom Haas, previous alternate member has been appointed a regular member. Nancy DuVall’s membership status is unchanged. Previous Chairman and Health Agent Sandra Martin, will assume the alternate member position and no longer act as Health Agent. Tom Carpenite, Tom Haas and Nancy DuVall and the BOH clerk Juliette Haas will share in some of the Health Agent responsibilities.
While no longer Health Agent Sandra will, at least for the time being, be performing most of the Title 5 related field work for the office. In the event that she is unavailable the BOH is in the process of hiring an “on-call” agent to perform the work which requires state certification (soil percs and septic review which requires any kind of variance, for example).
Many in Egremont know Sandra from her work on the BOH or the many other town committees past and present in which she has served (Planning Board, Wastewater Management Committee, Emergency Management Committee, to name just a few). Perhaps you’ve seen her in action in the field performing percs or Title 5 inspections or speaking on behalf of the town at Town Meeting and wondered to yourself , “who is this highly intelligent, seemingly fearless person?”. Maybe you have turned to her for assistance and witnessed first hand her vast knowledge of the industry and professional stature. She has been there for the Town of Egremont countless times on countless occasions. Although she is not leaving Egremont completely we on the BOH are deeply grateful to her for her many years of hard work and skilled leadership and wish to thank her for all that she has personally done to make Egremont a better place for all of us.
The Board of Health would like to remind those with outlet filters on their septic tanks that Fall is an excellent time to perform the once-a-year necessary cleaning. Questions about this procedure?? Give the BOH a call.
Southern Berkshire Regional School:
50th Anniversary
The school celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, as the first and oldest regional school district in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While many planned activities will be taking place throughout the school year over all disciplines, the major kick-off event will be held on Saturday, October 22nd and on Sunday, October 23rd.
The Saturday evening will feature a fifties “Sock-Hop” dance to be held in the gymnasium, while the Sunday afternoon event will be a re-dedication ceremony in the Consolati Performing Arts Center. State and local dignitaries will be invited and the community is welcome and encouraged to attend both.
A planning committee is being formed and is looking for more volunteers. It would be extremely helpful to include individuals that were present, or part of the planning of the regional school district.
For more information please contact Bob Law, Planning Chairman at 413-229-8252.
“The Guys” to be performed
In the days after September 11, 2001, Flea artistic director Jim Simpson found himself sitting next to author and Columbia Graduate School professor Anne Nelson at a benefit dinner for a human rights organization. Keeping in mind a suggestion he had been given to do a play which addressed the recent tragedies, Simpson asked Nelson if she’ld give it a try. The first time playwright spent the next week fashioning the play that became “The Guys”. She turned it in, Simpson read it and rescheduled it within 48 hours.
“The Guys” based on Nelson’s real experiences, is a dialogue between a fire captain-who has lost most of his men in the Sept. 11 attack-and an editor who helps him write the eulogies as she struggles herself to come to terms with the event. Both find out, as quoted from the script, “We have no idea what wonders lie hidden in the people around us.”
“The Guys” is a benefit for the Eagle Fund, an endowment for the Southern Berkshire Regional School District. The Eagle Fund raises money for educational enrichment programs for students in the District for creative and innovative projects across many disciplines including the arts, sciences and technology. The Eagle Fund operates under the umbrella of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, a 501©(3) not-for-profit corporation.
Performances will be Saturday, September 10 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, September 11 at 2:00 pm.
The Saturday evening performances will feature a Pre-Performance dscussion at 7:00pm with playwright Anne Nelson, Hugh Hardy and director Liz Thompson, and a Post-Performance Dessert Reception at $60 per person. The Sunday matinee will be $25 per person and $15 per person for students.
Tickets may be reserved by calling the Performing Arts Department Office at the School at 413-229-8252
School opened August 31 - please watch for students who are waiting for school buses and drive carefully.
Recycling:
You should have gotten your FY 2006 transfer station sticker by now. They are blue. If you have not, please come by and get them or call so one can be sent to you.
Reminder: the Town is still collecting cell phones that are no longer used. Wireless Fundraiser.com will pay the town a nominal fee for each phone it turns in. Drop them at the Town Hall or the Transfer Station.
Board meeting schedule:
Subject to change.
Archives Room - First Saturday 9-noon & Third
Monday 2-4pm
Assessors - Wednesdays 9am to 11am & Tuesdays 7pm to 9pm
Board of Health - Monday by appointment, Tuesday 11am to 3pm, Wednesday 10am to 12noon, Thursday 10am to 12noon
Board of Selectmen - Meetings Tuesday evenings 7pm. Office 7:30am to 3pm. (Every other Tuesday during July and August)
Building Inspector - Tuesday 12:30pm to 3:30pm.
Conservation Commission - Second and Fourth Thursdays 7:00pm
Finance Committee - Wednesday 7pm as needed.
Library - Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 2-6pm &
Saturday 9-12noon
Planning Board - Second & Fourth Monday 7:30pm
Town Clerk - Tuesday evenings 7pm - 9pm
Water Department - Third Thursday 4:30pm
Zoning Board of Appeals - as needed
To reach a board member or to leave a message please call the Town Hall.
Business listings:
In an effort to promote local small businesses, the following businesses/services located in Egremont have agreed to be listed here. If we missed asking you and you wish to be included, please send your information to the Town Hall.
Baldwin Hill Farm B&B - Lodging and breakfast
413-528-4892 / 888-528-4092
www.baldwinhillfarm.com
The Silo B&B - guest accommodations
413-528-5195
The Weathervane Inn - Lodging
413/800-528-9580
John Andrews’ Restaurant - Restaurant
413-528-3469
Elm Court Inn - Restaurant
413-528-0325
Swiss Hutte Country Inn and Restaurant-
Restaurant & Lodging
413-528-6200
Howard’s Antiques - Antique Lighting & Restoration
413-528-1232
www.howardsantiquelighting.com
Red Barn Antiques - Antique lighting & fine metal polishing
413-528-3230
Blue Rider Stables - Therapeutic Riding Center
413-528-5299
Green River Arabians & Pintos - Horse back riding, training, lessons, breeding
413-528-2367
www.thearabianexperts.com/greenriver
Odyssey II Kennels - All breed boarding for Dogs
413-528-2816
Indian Line Farm - Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) & Farmers Markets
413-528-8301
House to House Hauling & Recycling-
Rubbish removal
413-528-0943
G&S Gventer “Books - Buy & Sell Books
413-528-2327
Cosmic Resonance (Elfie Six) Shiatsu/Acutonics®, Soundhealing,
413-644-9979
Peter Goldberg, Dipl. Ac - Acupuncture, Pain
Management 413-528-5055
Divine Automotive - Automotive repair
413-528-8007
Old Egremont Store - groceries, beer, wine, liquor, newspapers, lottery, & much more
413-528-4796
Blueberry Lane Home Design - Interior decorating
413-528-9633
Closet Collection - clothing & household
consignment shop
413-528-6236
Berkshire Veneer Company - wholesale/retail
wood veneer sales
413-644-9696
Catamount Ski Area - Skiing
413-528-1262
Anita Schilling - Real Estate Listing & Sales
Century 21 Franklin Street
413-528-8118 x12
Florence F. Browner Real Estate - Full Service
90 Creamery Road
413-528-3266
Kenver Ltd - Ski equipment and apparel
39 Main Street
413-528-2330
Maple Leafe Art Gallery - Jan Mentzinger
154 Hillsdale Road
The Agency Without Walls - Helen Krancer
Advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing. 413-644-9779
Support local businesses.
Town of Egremont
P.O. Box 368
South Egremont MA 01258
413-528-0182
Printed, on recycled paper, Selectmen’s Office Staff
as submitted by Town Department.
Survey prepared by Egremont’s Telecommunications Study Committee. We thank you for taking time to complete it. PLEASE FILL OUT ONE PER HOUSEHOLD. Use extra paper to expand your comments. Mail survey to Charles Flynn, Town Hall, P.O. Box 368, Egremont, MA 01258, OR drop it at Town Hall or the general store in the north or south village. THE SURVEY CLOSES SEPTEMBER 14.
Are you □ a full-time resident OR □ a part-time resident?
INTERNET USE
1. Do you currently connect to the Internet? □ Yes □ No
2. How many in your household use the Internet? ___________
3. How do you connect? □ Dial-up | □ DSL | □ T-1 | □ Satellite | □ ISDN
4. How many hours are you connected per week? Let your answer reflect the total for all members of your household. □ 0-10 | □ 10-20 | □ 20 or more
5. Do you connect for □ business OR □ non-business reasons?
If you are a business, is it an e-commerce business? □ Yes □ No
6. Why do you connect? (Check all that apply.)
□ Information/reference | □ Education | □ Entertainment | □ E-mail | □ Shopping |
□ Other ______________
7. Who is your Internet service provider? (e.g., AOL, Earthlink, MSN) ________
8. How important is high-speed Internet to you?
□ Not at all | □ Somewhat | □ Very
9. Does the lack of high-speed access impact you? If so, please explain.
____________________________________________________________________
10. If you have concerns about wireless internet technology, do they involve
□ health, □ aesthetics, □ property values, or □ other _______________?
Comments:
_______________________________________________________________________
CELL USE
11. Do you have a cell phone? □ Yes □ No
12. Do you have cell reception at your house? □ Yes □ No
13. Who is your cell service provider? ___________________________
14. Are you aware of cell service reception at your home from other providers?
□ Yes □ No If yes, who is that provider? _________________________
15. What street is your house on, and what street intersects it at the nearest corner? ____________________________________________
16. How much do you use your cell phone?
Approximate number of calls per day ___________________
Approximate number of minutes or hours per day ___________________
17. Where do you use your phone (e.g., car, Egremont, other towns/cities)?
_______________________________________________
18. Is your cell phone use for □ personal purposes, □ business purposes, or □ both?
19. How important is cell access to you?
□ Not at all | □ Somewhat | □ Very
20. Does the lack of cell impact you? If so, please explain. _________________
_____________________________________________________________
21. If you have concerns about cellular technology, do they involve
□ health, □ aesthetics, □ property values, or □ other _______________?
Comments:
__________________________________________________________________