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Williamstown Fire District Election, Meeting Tuesday

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williamstown Fire District will hold its annual election and meeting on Tuesday at Williamstown Elementary School.
 
The polls will open at 6 p.m. for the annual election of officers and close at 8 p.m., to be followed by the meeting, where voters will be asked to approve, among other things, the district's nearly half-million dollar operating budget for fiscal year 2020.
 
One item on the meeting warrant is a complement to an article that passed without commen at last week's annual town meeting.
 
Without debate, town voters on a voice vote authorized the Select Board to seek a permanent easement on a Main Street parcel that the fire district purchased with the intention of building a new fire station.
 
Article 2 on the fire district warrant would authorize the Prudential Committee to convey said easement.
 
The Prudential Committee, members of which will be elected in Tuesday's balloting, oversees the fire district, a separate municipal entity with its own taxing authority, like the Select Board oversees the town.
 
Another non-routine item on Tuesday's meeting warrant also relates to 562 Main St., which district voters decided to purchase in 2017.
 
Article 10, the final item on Tuesday's agenda, will ask district voters whether to spend $30,000 for "study, engineering, maintenance, permitting, clearing, filling, grading or other costs" related to property, "in preparation for future construction."
 
As for the operating budget, Article 5 on Tuesday's agenda, the Prudential Committee is proposing a budget of $488,151, an increase of $7,400, or 1.5 percent, from the budget approved for FY19.

Tags: fire district,   prudential committee,   town elections,   

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Williams College Receives Anonymous $25M Gift to Support Projects

Staff Reports
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams College has received a $25 million gift commitment in support of three major initiatives currently underway on campus: constructing a new museum building, developing a comprehensive plan for athletics and wellbeing facilities, and endowing the All-Grant financial aid program. 
 
The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, say the gift reflects their desire to not only support Williams but also President Maud S. Mandel's strategic vision and plan for the college. 
 
"This remarkably generous commitment sustains our momentum for WCMA, will be a catalyst for financial aid, and is foundational for athletics and wellness. It will allow us to build upon areas of excellence that have long defined the college," Mandel said. "I could not be more appreciative of this extraordinary investment in Williams."
 
Of the donors' total gift, $10 million will help fund the first freestanding, purpose-built home for the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA), a primary teaching resource for the college across all disciplines and home to more than 15,000 works. 
 
Each year, roughly 30 academic departments teach with WCMA's collection in as many as 130 different courses. 
 
The new building, designed by the internationally recognized firm SO-IL and slated to open in 2027, will provide dedicated areas for teaching and learning, greater access to the collection and space for everything from formal programs to impromptu gatherings. The college plans to fund at least $100 million of the total project cost with gifts.
 
Another $10 million will support planning for and early investments in a comprehensive approach to renewing the college's athletics and wellbeing facilities. 
 
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