The Year's Hottest Hits

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It's going to take time for the complete lists to roll in but most music-lovers already know which artists were the big winners in 2007.

It was the year of the tween, as both the "High School Musical 2" soundtrack and Hannah Montana's follow-up album, "Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus" made it into the Top 10 Albums of the Year, according to Nielsen Soundscan and the Billboard 200.

Fergie made a big splash as a solo artist in 2007, pumping out three number one hits and five Top 5 singles, while longtime favorites The Eagles and Linkin Park made comebacks that landed them on the list.

Top 10 Albums of the Year

Here are the Top 10 albums of the year, through the first week of December, though Nielsen notes that album sales increase during the holiday season.

1. High School Musical 2 - Soundtrack

2. Daughtry - "Daughtry"

3. Linkin Park - "Minutes to Midnight"

4. Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus - Soundtrack

5. Fergie - "Dutchess"

6. The Eagles - "Long Road Out of Eden"

7. Kanye West - "Graduation"

8. Nickelback - "All the Right Reasons"

9. Akon - "Konvicted"

10. Josh Groben - "Noel"

Source: Neilsen Media Research

Amazon.com's "Best Music of 2007" breaks down the year's hottest albums by genre and gathers the editors' picks as well as the customer favorites for the year's best jams.

 Top 10 Most Downloaded Songs

With much of the audience moving to iPods and digital downloads, it can be argued that the most downloaded songs of the year are a better reflection of popularity than CD sales. According to Nielsen and Billboard Hot Digital Songs, the virtual winners are:

1. "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" - Soulja Boy Tell 'Em

2. "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie

3. "Sweet Escape" - Gwen Stefani

4. "Makes Me Wonder" - Maroon 5

5. "Hey There Delilah" - The Plain White T's

6. "Way I Are" - Timbaland

7. "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" - T-Pain featuring Yung Joc

8. "Stronger" - Kanye West

9. "Cupid's Chokehold (featuring Patrick Stump)" - Gym Class Heroes

10. "Apologize" - Timbaland, featuring One Republic

Source: Neilsen Media Research

The list published by Apple's iTunes in early December tells a different story. The top hits of 2007, according to iTunes are:

1. Fergie - "Big Girls Don't Cry"

2. Gwen Stefani - "The Sweet Escape"

3. Plain White T's - "Hey There Delilah"

4. Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"

5. Fergie - "Glamorous"

6. Kanye West - "Stronger"

7. Maroon 5 - "Makes Me Wonder"

8. Akon - "Don't Matter"

9. Timbaland (featuring Keri Hilson & D.O.E.) - "The Way I Are"

10. Shop Boyz - "Party Like a Rock Star"

Most Downloaded Albums of 2007

In the same December release, iTunes also named their most-downloaded albums of the year.

1. Maroon 5 - "It Won't Be Soon Before Long"

2. Amy Winehouse - "Back to Black"

3. Kanye West - "Graduation"

4. Daughtry - "Daughtry"

5. Colbie Caillat - "Coco"

6. Linkin Park - "Minutes to Midnight"

7. Various artists - "High School Musical 2" soundtrack

8. Timbaland - Timbaland Presents: "Shock Value"

9. John Mayer - "Continuum"

10. Various artists - "Hairspray" soundtrack

Top 10 Most Played Songs on the Radio

No, it's not Rihanna's "Umbrella" (but that did make the list). Check out what dominated the airwaves last year and relive every song that made you want to throw the radio out the window.

1. "Buy U a Drank" - T-Pain, featuring Yung Joc

2. "Say It Right" - Nelly Furtado

3. "Irreplaceable/Irreemplazable" - Beyonce

4. "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie

5. "Sweet Escape" -Gwen Stefani, featuring Akon

6. "It's Not Over" - Daughtry

7. "Before He Cheats" - Carrie Underwood

8. "Umbrella" - Rihanna, featuring Jay-Z

9. "How To Save a Life" - The Fray

10. "Home" - Daughtry

 Source: Nielsen Media Research

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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.

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