Letter: Thanks for a Successful North Adams Library Book Sale

To the Editor:

On Sept. 16 and 17, Friends of the North Adams Public Library held our annual book and bake sale. This sale not only raised money to improve the library and provide programming for children and adults, but was a great community event for the citizens of North Adams and our neighboring communities.

At this time, we would like to thank the City of North Adams, especially Mike Cirullo and his crew, as well as the Trial Court Community Service program supervised by Shawn Wright for their commitment to transport boxes of books to St. Elizabeth's Center.

Dedicated workers and volunteers cleaned, sorted, packed, moved, set up and dismantled the sale. A special thanks to
those who donated books, shopped and helped at the sale.

Although it is a tremendous yearlong job to coordinate and put this event together, the results speak for themselves. Books of every genre found new homes and our library patrons continue to enjoy ongoing benefits from robust sales.

We look forward to seeing all of you next year and hope you consider donating books starting in the spring of 2023.

Many thanks,

Friends of the North Adams Public Library

Submitted by Stephen Smachetti
Stamford, Vt.

Clarksburg OKs $5.1M Budget; Moves CPA Adoption Forward

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
08:44PM / Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Newly elected Moderator Seth Alexander kept the meeting moving. 

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The annual town meeting sped through most of the warrant on Wednesday night, swiftly passing a total budget of $5.1 million for fiscal 2025 with no comments. 

 

Close to 70 voters at Clarksburg School also moved adoption of the state's Community Preservation Act to the November ballot after a lot of questions in trying to understand the scope of the act. 

 

The town operating budget is $1,767,759, down $113,995 largely because of debt falling off. Major increases include insurance, utilities and supplies; the addition of a full-time laborer in the Department of Public Works and an additional eight hours a week for the accountant.

 

The school budget is at $2,967,609, up $129,192 or 4 percent over this year. Clarksburg's assessment to the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District is $363,220.

 

Approved was delaying the swearing in of new officers until after town meeting; extending the one-year terms of moderator and tree warden to three years beginning with the 2025 election; switching the licensing of dogs beginning in January and enacting a bylaw ordering dog owners to pick up after their pets. This last was amended to include the words "and wheelchair-bound" after the exemption for owners who are blind. 

 

The town more recently established an Agricultural Committee and on Wednesday approved a right-to-farm bylaw to protect agriculture. 

 

Larry Beach of River Road asked why anyone would be against and what the downside would be. Select Board Chair Robert Norcross said neighbors of farmers can complain about smells and livestock like chickens.