 Egremont News |
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Issue 30 |
November, 2006 |
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.
Selectmen:
Flu Clinic - Monday, November 13, 2006 1pm to 3pm, North Egremont Fire Station.
The Town is still seeking members for its Conservation Commission. This Commission oversees the town’s wetlands.
The Board is still functioning without its third member due to the illness of Mr. Reilly. We wish him well and hope he can return to the table soon.
We recently accepted the resignations of Elizabeth McGraw from the Conservation Commission, Charles Ogden as the Town Coordinator to the Southern Berkshire Medical Reserve Corps, and William Wilson from the Finance Committee. We are sorry to see them all go as they all had vast years of experience with the Town.
We welcome to the Conservation Commission Jack Muskrat and Ben Barrett, to the Southern Berkshire Medical Reserve Corp Jann Renert, and to the Finance Committee Frank Penglase.
As well you will see some new faces in our Police Cruisers. Say hello to them when you get a chance.
The Logging at French Park has been very successful. Our Buildings and Grounds Superintendent reports that the logging has been done very neatly and is opening areas of the park that have long been unused. Logging should be done by early in November.
We are approaching winter. Please be prepared for bad weather with the possibility of power outages and bad driving conditions. Make sure you have non-perishable food items, bottled water, and batteries on hand.
There has been a great deal of inaccurate information in the local newspapers about the purchase of a Fire Truck for the Town. The process has been fraught with innuendos and accusations. The truth of the matter is that specifications were written by a consultant. Proposals were received based on these specifications. All parties agreed that none of the proposals was a good fit for Egremont. The specifications have been rewritten to allow for bidding by any company and we await bids. These will be reviewed based on how they meet our specifications and need and the price.
Did you know that there is a new law that requires residential properties to have carbon monoxide detectors within 10 feet of each bedroom, as well in habitable portions of basements, cellars and attics? The Fire Chief must inspect all residences upon transfer or sale for compliance. Landlords are required to install, annually inspect, and replace the batteries in these detectors in all rental units. Contact the Fire Chief, Bill Turner, for more details. If you are a senior, disabled or have children you may qualify for free detectors - contact Rachel Shaw at 528-3488.
Is there an interest in having a town wide party at French Park during the summer of 2007? The town of Monterey recently did this as a way for residents to meet and greet each other and town officials and have fun while doing it. The Town used to put on an event called “A Day In French Park” which was very similar to this type of thing. Any volunteers to help pull this together?
The Board’s minutes are posted on the web site and at both Post Office’s so that residents may be kept informed of what is going on. If you wish they can be emailed directly to you. Simply let us know your email address.
Recycling reminder: No caps on bottles or cans please. Bottles exceeding 2 gallons are not to be recycled. No aerosol cans. No gift wrapping paper.
High Speed Internet - Has Arrived!!! In the southern part of Egremont residents can get wireless service from Wi-Spring - contact Egremont Resident Matt Wall 528-5415 for installation or Wi-Spring directly at 528-5008. Those residents west of Town Hall along Route 71, and some of the side roads, can now get DSL through Verizon. You may sign up on line at www.verizon.com or call 1-877-483-5898.
Veteran’s:
Invitation to all residents, and particularly to all Egremont Veteran’s - November 11, at 12noon the Town will host a dedication of the new Veteran’s Memorial on the Green in the South Egremont village. A short ceremony will be followed by snacks in the South Egremont Fire Station.
Assessors:
The Board of Assessors continue to update the Assessor’s data base. We are now working on completing the necessary data needed to be submitted to the Department of Revenue to determine the 2007 tax rate.
Again this year there will be an inspection and review of one third of the properties in Egremont. We have begun a three-year cycle in which every property will be looked at every three years. This will help Egremont stay current in revaluation and prevent a costly 10 year revaluation in the future. The State of Massachusetts prefers this method of revaluation.
The Board of Assessors meets Tuesday nights 7pm to 9pm. An Assessor is at the Town Hall most Wednesday mornings 9am to 11am. Susan Rockefeller, Assessors Clerk, works Monday through Friday 7:30am to 3:00pm. Please contact us, 528-0182 ext 14 if you have questions.
Council on Aging:
SENIORS PLEASE NOTE:
Members of your Council recently learned some important information they wish to share with seniors and their families.....We have all heard that one should drink 8 glasses of water each day for good health......and most of us scoff at the idea, knowing that we get by but do not drink nearly that much!–When will this habit prove to be unwise for us????
Recently a local family had an elderly member complaining with a sore throat one day, and then a sore tongue the next, and excruciating pain in his the throat the next! The diagnosis was “a stone in the salivary gland”! Have you ever heard of that ailment? It is not a common problem, but when it does occur it is extremely painful, and difficult to diagnose because of the strange symptoms. – A local physician said that this could have been caused most certainly be a failure to consume sufficient liquids. Since many seniors must take 6 to 8, or more, tablets of medication daily, it is MOST IMPORTANT that they consume proper amounts of liquid when taking those medications. As we talk with clients, we learned that very few folks had ever heard of a stone in the salivary gland. We feel that this information is worth passing on, so that you or a member of your family may avoid the painful experience of this Egremont senior.
FREE SMOKE DETECTOR PROGRAM:
The Council, working with the local Fire and Police Departments, is making arrangements for the installation of the units, which were mentioned at the annual Senior Picnic. The units have been received from the Mass. Dept. Of Public Health, information packets are being prepared, and phone calls will be made to those who have registered to let them know when to expect the installers. No one will arrive unannounced to install a detector. More than 20 families are already on the list.....however, there is room for more. The program is for seniors, the disabled, or families with children. If your family fits one these categories, and the detectors in your home are more than 10 years old, we hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to make your residence a safer place to live. Please call 528-3488 or the town hall for reservation.
Water Department:
Leak detection and water quality have been the main issues of the Water Department this past month. Because the Water Department does it’s meter readings and billing on a monthly basis, we were able to identify and repair six very high usage situations which resulted in a savings of almost 20,000 gallons per day. A new 4 inch flush hydrant was installed on Seekonk Road which will enable the Department to adequately flush the Route 23 East water main and provide those customers with cleaner water.
Red reflective flag markers have been installed on all the hydrants throughout the system making the hydrant more visible especially during the winter months.
The Water Commissioners continue to work with the Board of Health and the residents of North Egremont in trying to find a solution to the problem of polluted wells in the north village. A meeting will be held at North Egremont Fire Station on November 16 at 7:00 pm to discuss the possibilities.
A reminder to all part-time residents - if you are planning to shut down your house for the winter please be sure the heat is adequate to prevent the water pipes from freezing and that all outside garden hoses and faucets are drained and shut off. If you are planning to be away for an extended period of time, please notify the Water Department so we can check your residence periodically for any water related problems.
The Department is looking for new users. Please call us at 413-644-9614 to learn of the many advantages of having town water.
Town Clerk:
The State Election will be November 7.
Poles will be open from 7:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m.. If you wish to obtain an Absentee Ballot for this election your request must be received in writing by 12:00 Noon on Monday, November 6. Please try to plan ahead if you think you are going to need an Absentee Ballot. For further information please contact me at 528-0182.
Library:
The biggest news at the library is that the container for your books is filling up quickly. Residents of Egremont can drop off donated books for “Hands Across the Water” at any time. The only thing the charity will not accept are magazines and old encyclopedias. So, if you would like to help others in this country and in other third-world countries, please bring your contribution.
Book Club:
The Egremont Free Library Book Club meets the last Tuesday of the month at 12 noon. Participants select a book to read and then discuss it the following month. Come, bring a sandwich and stimulate your mind by sharing your thoughts and ideas with others. All are welcome.
Egremont Agricultural Commission:
The Egremont Agricultural Commission has been appointed by the Selectmen as required by the warrant article concerning its formation passed at the May 2006 Annual Town Meeting. The Egremont Agricultural Commission will be working with the Right-To- Farm Bylaw, also passed at the May Town Meeting and since approved by the State Attorney General’s office.
The Agricultural Commission held its first meeting on August 18th.
The members of the Commission, term of office and office held as voted at the August 18th meeting are:
David Sheldon - 3 years - Chairman
Rhett Procter - 3 years - Vice Chairman
Elizabeth Keen - 1 year - Secretary
Carla Turner - 2 years
Jennifer Brown - two years
At the meeting we discussed our role as it relates to the Right-To-Farm Bylaw and agriculture in Egremont. Property owners having issues with agricultural operations in Egremont are urged to speak directly with the farmer and if the issue is not resolved to speak to the Board of Selectmen. The Agricultural Commission operates under the auspices of the Board of Selectmen, and will act on any request from them for assistance with agricultural issues.
We are presently working on drafting Right-To-Farm notices for posting in the Town hall, to send out to all Realtors doing business in Egremont, and for the Tax Collector to enclose with responses for requests for municipal lien certificates.
In discussing agriculture in Egremont we decided to establish a roster of all commercial agricultural operations located in the Town of Egremont. We are working on that roster and will publish it in a later newsletter.
At the present time we have decided to meet quarterly with additional meetings in between should issues come up that require our attention.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday November 15, 2006 at 7:00 P.M. at the Town Hall.
Pandemic Flu Planning:
Communities in America will be making a tragic mistake if, counting on the federal government to rescue them, they fail to make their own preparations for the coming avian (or bird) flu pandemic.
So warns Secretary Mike Leavitt of the Department of Health and Human Services, which spearheads the federal response to the emerging avian flu threat. Indeed, he emphasizes that the front line of defense against the pandemic will be each individual household in the country.
How real is the danger of a pandemic? Most public health experts say it is virtually certain to materialize.
When will the pandemic come? No one knows. Scientists identify five phases in its emergence. We are now in Phase Three. (Phase Six is the pandemic, itself.)
How dangerous will the pandemic be? Of the 12 possible scenarios on which the federal Department of Homeland Security bases its planning, only a nuclear bomb exploded in a big city is thought likely to cause more deaths.
It's worth remembering that the Spanish Flu of 1918, which the avian flu resembles in certain respects, killed more Americans than were killed in all the wars, taken together, that the United States has ever fought in. The avian flu could well exceed even that toll many times over.
The pandemic will differ from "ordinary" crises in several key respects. The first is that it will be lengthy, occurring in a number of waves that may each last between 6 and 12 weeks. The second difference is that it will be global, afflicting the whole country, in fact the entire world. In an "ordinary" crisis, help soon flows to the impacted area from outside. During the pandemic there will be no outside. Each community, and within each community every household, will go through this grim time largely by itself.
During the pandemic we will all confront a set of acute, even life-threatening, challenges which have little or nothing to do with the specific medical dangers of the avian flu virus. Experts predict that 40% or even more of all workers will be off the job during the pandemic. As a result, the supply of almost all goods and services we take for granted, and depend on, will be jeopardized. Electric power is likely to be severely disrupted - and with it, telecommunications and the internet, and thus even the banking system. Severe fuel shortages may develop, too, and the most critical consequence of that could be the disruption of food supplies. Even if you had enough gas in your tank to get to the supermarket, therefore, you might find that there was little or any food left on its shelves for you to buy. The same can be said of our medical-care facilities. Today's hospitals have almost no "surge" capacity. During the pandemic, they will quickly be overwhelmed. The supply of medications may become as unreliable as the supply of almost everything else…
Not everyone will be become ill from the flu virus, but everyone will be affected by the disruption of these goods and services. It will not be enough, therefore, for the Town of Egremont to ensure that its necessary functions, such as police, fire, water, and waste-disposal, continue to be performed, at least at some level, during the pandemic. Rather, we must also ensure that every household in the Town can support itself with food, medicines and other necessary provisions for a period of three months, that being the outer limit (as we now can foresee) of the pandemic's first wave.
With these supplies, every household will be able to quarantine itself, and no Egremont residents will have to wander around, exposing themselves and others to the disease, in search of food and other necessities which may in any case not be available. Quarantine is the only remedy against a highly infectious, dangerous disease we cannot prevent and have very little success in curing.
Not everyone in Egremont can afford to spend about $1,000 to buy freeze-dried food and/or other provisions for each person in their household. We are now exploring plans to stockpile food and necessary supplies for distribution during the pandemic to Egremont residents who cannot afford to buy them. Hopefully, the money for this can be raised by private donations.
The pandemic will be a very difficult and dangerous time for everyone. Nothing is gained by minimizing this fact. But to the extent that we plan for the pandemic now, we can surely make that time much less difficult and very much less dangerous. Understanding the nature of the threat ahead, and making all reasonable preparations to meet it, household by household, gives each of us the best chance of emerging unscathed.
Planning Board:
The new reformatted bylaw is now available at Town Hall. The bylaw has been restructured and renumbered in accordance with the vote at the March 29, 2006, Special Town Meeting following approval by the Attorney General. Within the next few months, this version of the bylaw will be revised again once the Attorney General reviews subsequent town meeting changes. The Attorney General has six months to review bylaw changes from the time they are submitted to him, following approval at town meeting.
The board has been compiling and reviewing information on village and rural districts, parking regulations, wind power bylaws, and adult entertainment district bylaws. We welcome input from citizens on these issues.
Alford/Egremont Cultural Council:
Two very significant events recently occurred which tie in directly and indirectly to the Cultural Council program. The first is the increase in funding to each individual Cultural Council across the state. State legislators, recognizing the countless benefits of cultural support and programming, found the resolve and the cash for substantial additional funding. The Alford/Egremont Cultural Council is very pleased to announce they will receive an additional $2000 this year from the state raising their total allocation to $8000!
On a global scale, it cannot go unnoticed that the Nobel Committee in Norway recently awarded their Nobel Peace Prize to a Bangladeshi economist who started a bank giving “micro” loans of $100 - $200 to the poor in third world countries to remove themselves from the enslavement of high interest loans from disreputable money lenders and start anew with a small business loan. What do the Nobel Peace Prize, “micro” loans to the poor and the Alford/Egremont Cultural Council have in common, you ask? The Alford/Egremont Cultural Council together with their parent group the Massachusetts Cultural Council understand the importance and power of “micro” economists. On the grand scale, a $250 or $400 art grant may not sound like much, but these grants not only support talented struggling state artists but provide entertaining, enriching and enlightening programming for local residents of all ages. Small art grants not only provide cultural programming but give a boost to the general population and the local economy. An all around win-win situation when you think of it.
Members of the Alford/Egremont Cultural Council are gearing up now for grant submission review and will be holding a meeting on November 15th at 5:30 at the Egremont Town Hall to officially vote on grants awards. It is something that is a great source of both pride and accomplishment for committee members. Many cultural events around the county, hopefully some you or your family members may have attended, have in the past either been fully or partially funded by Cultural Council dollars. The additional funding means more programming, more joy and more chances to partake in the wonderful world of art and culture.
The committee invites you to refer to the next Egremont newsletter for a full list of those individuals or organizations that received grant funding and get information on how you can partake in the programming.
Egremont Library Building Committee:
Sondra Vandermark met with the Trustees and the Library Director on the 26th of September to tour the current library, detail her reactions to the town-wide questionnaire, visit the proposed sites for a new library and to address the full Building Committee as well as the Select Board.
Upon her visit to the current library she observed the need for more space for books, more space for meetings, saw the limited room for relaxing and browsing and the limited equipment.
As to the questionnaire results she was quite surprised that nearly 2/3 of the respondents had “never” or “rarely” visited the library. She felt much of that was due to limitations that exist in the current facility as well as the size and quality of libraries in adjacent towns (Great Barrington, Sheffield, Simon’s Rock, etc.)
Her later meetings with the Building Committee and Select Board were a review of her impressions and a timetable for the completion of the Building Program application. Her presentation stimulated many good questions and laid out the groundwork for her future work on the project. Her first draft will be submitted to the Trustees by early November, reviewed by the Committee with a final application estimated to be ready by January 2007.
Ms. Vandermark will be available to attend a Public Hearing before the final application is submitted to the state. Date to be announced some time in the future.
Egremont Garden Club:
September, October and November is the time to clean up and bed down gardens for the winter. At our September meeting we plan workshops that will produce saleable products for our “Holiday Boutique”. Examples of the workshop items are dry and fresh flower arrangements, topiaries, wreaths both dry and fresh, dog biscuit wreaths, hot plate table runners, aprons, tree hangings, hand painted wood articles, ornaments for the tree, Lavender in quaint silk shapes, boxes of home made cookies beautifully wrapped, and pressed flower bookmarks. These examples are just a few of the gifts that will be available. Mark your calendar and be sure to attend the sale. The sale is to be held on Saturday, December 9, 2006 at the Egremont Library from 10am to 2pm.
We really appreciate your purchases. The money raised from this sale helps to pay for the materials purchased to make the wreaths for our Post Offices, Town Hall, Library, and Churches. It also pays for the lighting of the tree in the middle of the town. This year we have contributed over $2000.00 to the Horticulture Program at the Undermountain School. We provided funds for trips to the Berkshire Botanical Gradens as well as other educational trips for students. We enjoy helping students and working to beautify our town and appreciate your help.
Board meeting schedule:
Subject to change.
Archives Room - First Saturday 9-noon
Assessors - Wednesdays 9am to 11am & Tuesdays 7pm to 9pm
Board of Health - Monday by appointment, Tuesday 10am to 2pm, Wednesday 10am to 12noon, Thursday 10am to 12noon
Board of Selectmen - Meetings Tuesday evenings 7pm. Office 7:30am to 3pm.
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.
Community Notes:
Do you have something noteworthy you would like the community to know about - please pass it on.
The Pot Luck dinners at the South Egremont Congregational Church resumed for the winter season on October 19 . The next will be November 16 and then December 21 at 6:30pm. Bring a covered dish to share and your place settings. All are welcome. For more information contact Evelyn Willcox 528-3378.
Dedication of the Veteran’s Memorial on the Village Green in South Egremont, Saturday, November 11th, 2006 at 12noon.
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
Home - Asian Antiques & Interior Objects
195 Hillsdale Road (Route 23)
413-528-5383
Blue Rider Stables - Therapeutic Riding Center
413-528-5299
Green River Arabians & Pintos - Horse back riding, training, lessons, breeding
413-528-2367 arabpinto13@yahoo.com
www.thearabianexperts.com/greenriver
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
L and L Construction - Home repairs, additions,
new home building
413-528-5548
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
Linda Warner - Realtor Associate
Lance Vermeulen Real Estate
413-528-1428
FrogEstate@aol.com
Kenver Ltd - Ski equipment and apparel
39 Main Street
413-528-2330
Maple Leaf Art Gallery - Joan Mentzinger
154 Hillsdale Road, Route 23
The Agency Without Walls - Helen Krancer
Advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing. 413-644-9700
Cyber Knights - Matthew Wall
Egremont Heights, South Egremont
Computer repairs & sales
413-429-7884
Pictured below:
Veteran’s Memorial - Village Green
Support local businesses
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Town of Egremont
P.O. Box 368
South Egremont MA 01258
413-528-0182
Printed, on recycled paper, by the Selectmen’s Office Staff
as submitted by Town Department.