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Selectman Robert Ciskowski, right, is frustrated at the pace of enlarging the Board of Selectmen. The town has two very different legal opinions on how to proceed.

Cheshire Still Unclear On Select Board Increase Process

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen still have no clear direction on how to proceed with increasing the board from three to five members.
 
Town Administrator Mark Webber told the Selectmen on Tuesday that he held a conference call with special legal counsel to discuss adding two more members. Although Town Counsel Edmund St. John III was supposed to be involved in the conversation, he was unable to attend the meeting.
 
Webber provided notes from the discussion but Selectman Robert Ciskowski felt really no ground was made because the lawyers still had different opinions: special counsel said the town must petition the Legislature and town counsel said that wasn't needed and outlined a less involved process.
 
"She is saying there is a much more complicated process and St. John is saying there is this little process that will be quick," Ciskowski said. "I still don't think I am any further along than I was before."
 
Ciskowski questioned the special legal counsel altogether because when the attorney general flagged the article passed at town meeting to increase the board, the Selectmen never discussed bringing on a different lawyer. 
 
"I don't really have any faith in this other law firm because it is not in the minutes that we decided to do it," he said. "It was done six months before I found out about it so I didn't participate in it and I don't have any confidence in it. I hope it is not a stalling technique." 
 
Ciskowski advocated that the town go with St. John's opinion because he has always been the final legal word for the town. He added that if they go with the simpler process, they could potentially bring on new selectmen in the May town election.
 
Residents showed a strong interest in increasing the board during the Master Plan survey, he said, and he'd rather not wait much longer.
 
"It has been missed call, missed call and missed calls and maybe it will just continue like that but there are a lot of people interested in this," he said. "If you look at the results from the survey this is a grassroots idea."
 
Webber said he did tell St. John to directly contact the special legal counsel to figure out the difference in opinion and Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said she would contact St. John herself to quicken his opinion.
 
In other business, Webber said the town will open bids for the Sand Mill Road Bridge project Dec. 15. He said Foresight Engineers has already given out bid packages to seven contractors. 
 
The Conservation Commission will meet with the engineers to go over the project Dec. 16 and the DEP has suggested mitigation in the form of plantings along a stream or river in town. 
 
Francesconi asked Department of Public Works Director Peter LeFebvre if he could think of a suitable place in town for mitigation if the conservation commission saw fit.
 
LeFebvre said he rather not plant near a stream.
 
"I don't like to see them around streams," he said. "All it does is grow bigger and plug up the river and invites beavers, but we can figure it out."
 
Ciskowski was troubled that the commission could make substantial changes to the plan that could increase bids for the project. With bids opened the day before this could cause trouble. 
 
"If bids are opened on the 15th and there are $10,000 worth of mitigation that they weren't aware of, we can't do an addendum after that," he said.  
 
Francesconi said the Conservation Commission may make no changes at all and if it does, it would be the town's responsibility because it is the applicant.

Tags: bridge project,   Selectmen,   

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Hoosac Valley High School to Stage 'Suessical'

CHESHIRE, Mass. — Hoosac Valley High School will showcase their rendition of "Suessical," a musical based on the tales of Dr. Seuss by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.
 
The performances are scheduled for Friday, March 15 at 7 pm, and Saturday, March 16 at 2 pm and 7 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online via the provided link. Prices are $8 for students and $10 for adults.
 
Directed by Rebecca Koczela and Amanda Watroba, the production features around 50 students participating as actors, pit band musicians, and backstage and tech crews. Notably, this year's cast includes several middle school students who have joined the high school production, marking their first experience performing on stage.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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