Letter: Support Ken Kuttner for Planning Board

To the Editor:

We are so blessed to have two thoughtful, dedicated community members running for the open Planning Board seat. I'm writing to share my support for Ken Kuttner because of the vision and approach he will bring to the planning board at this time.

The Planning Board has proposed zoning changes that are meant to address the need for more inclusive housing in Williamstown, a need embraced by both candidates. In Ken's "meet the candidate" video (on his website along with a lot more about Ken), he does a great job of explaining that — while he supports the planning board proposals to increase density in general residence — there are better, more creative and more impactful ways to increase housing access in RR2, that include good planning principles such as cluster development, protection of open space, and avoiding sprawl.

Please read more about Ken and what he will bring to the planning board on his website, where you can also see his candidate statement and watch the League of Women Voters forum with both candidates. Whatever happens, I hope you will attend Town Meeting on May 17, and be part of the comprehensive plan process for creating and achieving an inclusive vision for our community.

And, don't forget to VOTE Tuesday, May 10, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Williamstown Elementary School gymnasium, 115 Church St.

Wendy Penner
Williamstown, Mass.

Williams Grads Reminded of Community that Got Them to Graduation

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:14PM / Sunday, June 02, 2024

The graduates heard from two speakers — Phi Betta Kappa speaker Milo Chang and class speaker Jahnavi Nayar Kirtane. The keynote speaker, Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, was unable to attend and recorded his speech for playback. See more photos here.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams College said goodbye Sunday to its graduating seniors.

 

And a representative of the class of 2024 took the time to say goodbye to everyone in the community who made students' journey possible.

 

Milo Chang, the Phi Beta Kappa speaker for the class and one of two students to speak at Sunday's 235th commencement exercises, explained that the term "Williams community" applies to more than those who get to list the school on their resumes.

 

"It includes everyone who has shaped our experiences here, from loved ones back home to the dedicated staff members who make campus their second home," Chang told his classmates. "During my time at Williams, we've seen this community step up in remarkable ways to support us."

 

Chang talked about the faculty and staff who gave their time to operate the COVID-19 testing centers and who greeted students before they could take their first classroom tests in the fall of 2020, and the dining services personnel who kept the students fed and somehow understood their orders through the masks everyone was wearing when this class arrived on campus.

 

And he shared a personal story that brought the message home.

 

"We often underestimate the power of community until we experience a taste of its absence," Chang said. "I remember staying on campus after our first Thanksgiving at Williams, after most students went home to finish the semester remotely. I remember the long hours sitting in empty common rooms. I remember the days you could walk through campus without seeing another student.