Berkshire Restaurants To Be Featured On WGBY's On The Menu

Print Story | Email Story
On the Menu, the region's foremost cooking program and one of WGBY's most popular local series, returns for a 6th season on Thursday evenings beginning October 11. and will feature two Berkshire county restaurants among the 13 episodes. Betty Rosbottom, will return for her second year as host assisting chefs who will reveal the secrets behind the signature dishes of some of the region's best restaurants. Joining Rosbottom in a half hour of lively conversations and cooking demonstrations will be chefs Michael Marcus from Bizen in Great Barrington; and Michael Stahler from Bistro Zinc in Lenox. Like all of WGBY's locally produced programs, On The Menu will be offered in high definition. Joining Rosbottom, a founder of the nationally recognized La Belle Pomme Cooking School, will be favorites Paul Provost, Table & Vine, and University of Massachusetts pastry chef, Simon Stevenson. Provost, dubbed "one of the country's great wine merchants" by Robert M. Parker, Jr., author of The Wine Advocate, will offer expert wine recommendations to pair with each episode's featured recipes. Stevenson, a native of England and department head at the Connecticut Culinary Institute will host segments filled with cooking tips, reviews of the latest kitchenware and interviews with food professionals across western New England. With a loyal audience stretching from the Vermont border to southern Connecticut and a website boasting more than 20,000 visits and 2,000 recipe downloads per month, On The Menu has established itself as the premier local cooking program in western New England. For 35 years, WGBY www.wgby.org has connected the people of the region with programs and services that inform, inspire, entertain and promote life long learning. From the non-broadcast Education Services used in classrooms and by childcare providers throughout the region to our unparalleled portfolio of locally produced programs WGBY is uniquely committed to our community. WGBY is a non-profit organization with over 80 percent of its revenue provided by local sources and the support of its viewers.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.

Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.

The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.

Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is  appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.

Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.

Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.

Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.

The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.

The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.

Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.

Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years. 

He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.

Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.

Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve  a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.

Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.

View Full Story

More South County Stories