COOL Committee Promoting LED Lightbulbs

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williamstown COOL Committee is launching a campaign to promote LED lightbulbs.

LEDs (light-emitting diode bulbs) are the most efficient bulbs on the market. They use 80 to 85 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 40 times longer. LED bulbs generate substantially less heat than other bulbs and contain no mercury. LEDs call for a larger up front investment but because of their longevity they are more cost effective than incandescent or compact fluorescent.

The COOL Committee will be selling LED bulbs at upcoming outreach venues for the reduced price of $5, and will have educational material and sample bulbs available for viewing. Only one bulb per household is available at the promotional price (limited quantities available) but additional bulbs can be purchased locally at Aubuchon Hardware and online at efi.org.

Residents can also get a free LED bulb with a no cost utility sponsored home energy assessment from Mass Save. The Mass Save program provides resources to help weatherize your home and upgrade your appliances.

Purchase discounted bulb at the following locations:
Images Cinema’s showing of "Winged Migration":  Monday, April 21
Wild Oats Community Market: April 22, 12:30-5 p.m.
Milne Public Library May: May 3

The Williamstown COOL Committee is a citizen group that promotes sustainable living practices in Williamstown in a way that inspires community engagement, prompts individual action, and promotes exchange of ideas and practices in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For more information go to www.coolwilliamstown.org.  Schedule a Mass Save assessment by calling 866-527-7283.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Mount Greylock School Committee Votes Slight Increase to Proposed Assessments

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to slightly increase the assessment to the district's member towns from the figures in the draft budget presented by the administration.
 
The School Committee opted to lower the use of Mount Greylock's reserve account by $70,000 and, instead, increase by that amount the share of the fiscal year 2025 operating budget shared proportionally by Lanesborough and Williamstown taxpayers.
 
The budget prepared by the administration and presented to the School Committee at its annual public hearing on Thursday included $665,000 from the district's Excess and Deficiency account, the equivalent of a municipal free cash balance, an accrual of lower-than-anticipated expenses and higher-than-anticipated revenue in any given year.
 
That represented a 90 percent jump from the $350,000 allocated from E&D for fiscal year 2024, which ends on June 30. And, coupled with more robust use of the district's tuition revenue account (7 percent more in FY25) and School Choice revenue (3 percent more), the draw down on E&D is seen as a stopgap measure to mitigate a spike in FY25 expenses and an unsustainable budgeting strategy long term, administrators say.
 
The budget passed by the School Committee on Thursday continues to rely more heavily on reserves than in years past, but to a lesser extent than originally proposed.
 
Specifically, the budget the panel approved includes a total assessment to Williamstown of $13,775,336 (including capital and operating costs) and a total assessment to Lanesborough of $6,425,373.
 
As a percentage increase from the FY24 assessments, that translates to a 3.90 percent increase to Williamstown and a 3.38 percent increase to Lanesborough.
 
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