Wednesday, September 22, 2004
North Adams Woman Chosen For Hess Award
Recognition for a woman who has contributed greatly to the
community.
Board members have chosen Norma Scott of North Adams as this year's
Carol Hess Memorial Award recipient.
Scott is being recognized for her initiative in forming the Foster
Grandparents' Program at Brayton Elementary School and for her development
of a cancer support network for the veterans of foreign wars Auxiliary.
She'll be honored Tuesday night at a dinner at the American Legion in the
city.
Williamstown Police Continue To Investigate Strange Incident At MGRHS
Police are trying to learn more
about a woman who walked into Mount Greylock Regional High School
last week, pretended to be a teacher and tried to search a female
student.
Acting Police Chief Kyle Johnson said the woman came
into the school last Wednesday at about 3:30 p-m.
He said police
didn't learn about the incident until much later, and said it's
the first such incident at the school.
Superintendent Mark
Piechota sent a letter Friday to students and parents alerting
them of the incident.
Bennington Man Sets Friends Mobile Home On Fire
A Bennington man is held without bail for allegedly setting his best
friend's mobile home on fire in the midst of a relationship dispute.
The Banner
Reports 21-year-old Shawn Braley confessed to police on Monday - and was
charged with burglary and arson-charges that could send him to jail for 25
years if he's convicted.
He pleaded not guilty yesterday in Bennington
District court.
Stamford Vt. Realizes Windfall From Real Estate Sale
A good weekend for Stamford, Vermont as the town received bids on 70
housing lots, which were formally part a defunct housing project.
This all will bring a nice chunk of revenue into the town.
20 lots of the former Alpenwald near the former Dutch Hill ski area
were sold outright -- while bids on 50 other lots were also put in.
Selectman David Saldo said the town received a nice windfall from
the auction Saturday.
Saldo said that there is a hope that the state of Vermont will amend
some water and septic laws to assure more of the lots can be built on.
The town chose to auction the lots off, after owners had failed to
pay taxes on the properties for several years.
Opposing points Of View From Adams Selectmen On Administrator Hiring
Two opposing viewpoints on the time-line of hiring a new town
administrator in Adams -- as the board looks to move on after the ditching
of talks with Dennis Luttrell.
While Board member Ed MacDonald suggested the town should take the
time it needs to find a new administrator -- finding a solid consensus among
the selectmen ---- Vice Chairwoman Myra Wilk said it's already getting a
little late in the game, in regard to the budget season.
During the last search for a town administrator -- Wilk had pushed
for a local candidate to be chosen.
The board will take up the issue in earnest this week -- with a
meeting Wednesday.
Cheshire Man Arrested In Fight On Union Street
A Cheshire man was arrested early Monday morning in North Adams, after a
fight broke out in the parking lot of Ace's Place on Union Street.
32-year-old Barry Dunnells of 6 Forth Avenue is charged with
disorderly conduct.
He was one of six men involved in the apparent brawl just after
midnight Monday morning.
Pittsfield Fiberglass Sheep Sell For $285,000
Seventy fiberglass sheep decorated
by local artists sold for 285-thousand dollars at a Pittsfield
auction Sunday night that ended their display around the city.
Local businessmen
underwrote the 300-thousand dollar cost of the summer-long
display. And the proceeds from the auction were split between the
city's public art initiative and local charities.
Howard Dean To Speak at Williams
Howard Dean is coming to Williamstown, as the presidential race
heats up.
Dean is credited for pushing other Democratic challengers, like John
Kerry to challenge the president over the Iraq war.
He'll be at Williams College later this month.
School spokesman Jim Kolesar, also pointed out that Dean created a
new way to campaign and reach younger voters, through the Internet
Dean will be at Williams College on September 28th, for a discussion
at 8:00 p.m., at Chapin Hall.
War Of Words Between Nuciforo And Challenger On Debates
The rhetoric picks up - A war of words over debate schedules is
developing between the campaigns of Democratic state Senator
Andrea Nuciforo Junior of Pittsfield and Republican challenger
Dawn Taylor Thompson of Richmond.
Nuciforo's campaign manager has
accused Thompson of engaging in (quote) "childish antics."
A
campaign official for Thompson says Nuciforo is dodging debates
so he will not have to defend his voting record.
IBM Donates Computers To Boston Schools
Boston city officials and I-B-M announced
Tuesday that the city's public school system and elderly programs
will receive 800 computers and related equipment used during the
Democratic National Convention.
The schools will receive 550 computers. Also donated to
schools and senior centers were servers, software, printers and
television sets.
I-B-M originally donated the equipment to the host
committee for the Democratic National Convention, with the caveat
that it be donated to public schools and non-profit organizations
throughout the city.
The convention was held in Boston from July 26th to July
29th.
U-Mass Students Seek Polling Location On Campus
U-Mass students want a local lawmaker
to help them vote on the Amherst campus.
To establish a polling
place for this November's election, a special bill would have to
be filed with the Legislature within the next two weeks.
The
Student Government Association, which is coordinating the effort
on campus, has asked state Representative Ellen Story to file a
bill on its behalf.
Dorset Vt. Backs US Forest Service Plan To Buy Land
The Dorset Vt. select board unanimously backs a plan for the U-S Forest Service
to buy 52 acres of undeveloped land owned by the Thornton Family Trust.
For
the most part-the agency plans to keep the land in the area off of Mad Tom
Road undeveloped.
A similar issue in Pownal Vt. is under consideration and a
town-wide vote is on the way in November when residents consider the forest
service;s proposed purchase of four-thousand acres owned by North Adams.
Romney Vetoes $76 Million In Supplemental Budget
Governor Romney is vetoing about 76 million dollars from a proposed 724 million supplemental budget approved by state lawmakers last
week.
Retroactive pay raises for state employees at public colleges and universities totaling 32 million dollars are among the items eliminated
from the spending plan.
Other vetoes include 15 million in additional Medicaid spending and five million for first time homebuyer assistance for teachers.
Romney also vetoed a section of the bill allowing students to opt out of dissecting animals in biology classes.
He let stand another section requiring the state to spend federal abstinence education dollars in the classroom rather than on television
advertising.
The budget also included 150 million dollars in school building assistance funds and 137 million for the state's rainy day fund.
Country Charm Restaurant To Close
After next week, no more yummy corn beef and cabbage, as a northern Berkshire landmark will soon be gone.
The Country Charm restaurant in Cheshire is set to be demolished after 33 years at its Route 8 location.
The Berkshire Eagle is reporting today that owner Trent Gaylord said he expects to demolish the restaurant and begin building
luxury homes on the five lots he owns at the restaurant's 5 State Road location.
He said he intends to sell the homes individually.
The restaurant will close September 26th.
Three Men Arrested In Fight At Gringo’s Parking Lot
Three men were arrested Friday night after a fight broke out in the parking lot at Gringo's bar in North Adams.
Police arrested 24-year-old Anthony Mazza, the third, of Pownal, Vermont; 20-year-old Richard Ehrhart of New York State; and
29-year-old Warren Winarski of 76 East Street, in Adams.
All of the men were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.
14 Arrested In Western Mass. Drug Probe
Fourteen people have been arrested in a Western Massachusetts drug investigation.
The suspects were arrested on Friday and face charges including distribution of cocaine, ketamine, Ecstasy and marijuana.
They are
being held at the Berkshire County House of Correction.
Great Barrington Police Chief William Walsh said the investigation began after an increase in drug-related violence earlier this year.
Four other people also are being sought in the case.
Police in seven other Western Massachusetts communities, as well as the Berkshire County sheriff's department and state police were
involved in the operation.
Town Submits Its Own Plan For $36 Million Resort
The small town of Adams is bidding to take over development of a thousand acres of state-owned land at the base of Mount Greylock.
The 36 million dollar resort proposal includes campgrounds, lodging and a 22-hundred-seat amphitheater.
Residents in the western Massachusetts town have become increasingly frustrated with stalled state development plans. They
submitted the only entry by this week's deadline for proposals.
State officials expect a decision on the town's bid by November.
For nearly two decades, environmentalists and developers have locked horns over the future of the rolling meadows with their
spectacular views of the state's highest peak.
The state took the property in 1985 with hopes of creating a public-private cross-country ski resort to revive the local economy.
State Unemployment Rates Edges Up To 5.4 Percent In August
The unemployment rate in Massachusetts edged up one tenth of a point last month to stand at five-point-four percent.
That was the same as the national jobless rate in August. The last time the state and national unemployment rates matched was in
January, when both stood at five-point-six percent.
The state Division of Employment and Security says the number of jobs in Massachusetts declined by about 43-hundred last month,
giving back some of the eleven-thousand,500 gained in July.
The number of jobs in the Bay State is still more than 25-thousand higher since bottoming out in February.
Education and health services gained 300 jobs last month while financial services made strong gains in August with 600 new jobs. The
professional, scientific and business sector were off by 800 jobs.
Pownal To Vote On U-S Forest Service Land Purchase
Residents of Pownal will decide this November if the U.S. Forest Service will buy four-thousand acres of land in town.
The land is now owned by the city of North Adams, Massachusetts.
This week the Pownal Select Board passed a ballot item that recommended the town hold three public information meetings on the
issue in October.
The Forest Service has said it will not buy the land without Pownal's approval.
A representative from the Trust for Public Land, which supports the purchase, says there is a time limit on the deal. She says North
Adams has had another offer on the land but did not know who the other buyer was.
Vermont Land Trust To Buy Land Along Lake Paran
The Vermont Land Trust is preparing to close a deal that would protect land next along Lake Paran in North Bennington.
The organization has received a 248-thousand dollar grant from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to purchase two pieces
of land next to the Lake Paran recreation area.
All together, 56 acres of land will be acquired.
The purchase will protect land from the park west along the the north shore of the lake and part way up Paran Creek.
The Vermont Land Trust hopes to complete the deal around Thanksgiving.
Pittsfield Man Sentenced To Jail On Sexual Assault
A Pittsfield man gets significant time in the slammer for sexual assault.
A jury deliberated for eight hours yesterday before returning with the verdict for 41-year-old Felipe Fowlkes -- who has several
aliases.
He was convicted of rape of a child and kidnapping -- stemming from a July 4th, 2003 incident in Pittsfield.
He'll spend 12-15 years in state prison.
North Adams Woman Charged With Hit And Run
A North Adams woman is charged in a hit-and-run accident after a late Friday night incident on Ashland Street.
Police pulled over 17-year-old Erin Halton of West Main Street, after a caller reported that a car matching the description of her's,
struck a parked vehicle and drove off.
McDonald Wants More Board Input On Administrator Selection Process
A plea from one board member to allow everyone to have more input the next time around -- as the town of Adams goes back to
the drawing board to find another town administrator.
Selectman Ed MacDonald said, after voting to break off negotiations with Dennis Luttrell, that he wants to see the entire board
have a greater hand in the process.
The board will discuss next week, in more detail, what the next step is to find another new administrator.
Romney, Reilly Hoping Auto Insurance Issue Drives Voters
Governor Romney and Attorney General Tom Reilly are staking out early ground on the issue of auto insurance rates well ahead of the
2006 governor's race.
Romney is calling for changes to the system to encourage more competition, which he says will lower rates.
Reilly is taking a more direct route. His office is trying to reverse a two-and-a-half percent hike in the 2004 auto insurance rates.
Insurance companies say they're being scapegoated for political gain. They claim state regulations are scaring off insurers, making it
harder for them to do business here.
Political analysts say auto insurance can be a good political issue because the rates affect so many people directly.
Massachusetts is the only state where auto insurance rates are set by the state, giving politicians a better chance to claim credit for
lower rates.
Bush Has Secret Post-Election Plan For Guard Call-Ups, Kerry Says
Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry says President Bush has a secret plan to call up more National Guard and Reserve troops
right after the election.
Kerry issued the charge while campaigning yesterday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as he criticized the president of glossing over a
worsening conflict in Iraq.
The Bush campaign calls the allegation -- quote --"false and ridiculous."
Republicans said Kerry was making a baseless charge to cover up his inconsistent positions on Iraq.
But Congressman John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat and ranking member on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee,
said he had learned of the call-up through conversations with Pentagon officials.
He said that the Bush administration plans to call up large numbers of the military Guard and Reserves beginning in November.
A Pentagon spokesman says no increase in the forces in Iraq is expected.
State Records Third Equine Encephalitis Case
Massachusetts has recorded its third case this year of Eastern equine encephalitis -- the most cases it has seen in one year since 1990.
The latest to be diagnosed with the rare viral illness is a Middleboro man identified in broadcast reports as Danny Francis. He went to
Jordan Hospital last week and was later transferred to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Boston, where he is now recovering.
This summer's two other Eastern equine victims -- a 64-year-old surveyor from Brockton and a Holbrook teenager -- died from their
infections. The disease generally kills up to half of its human victims.
Swamp-rich southeastern Massachusetts offers prime breeding for mosquitos, and historically has been the area first affected by
encephalitis -- although fewer than 50 cases have been reported in the Bay State since 1950.
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