CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town may look at switching out street lights with LED, or light-emitting diode, units.
Interim Town Administrator Edmund St. John IV told the Selectmen on Tuesday that he has applied for a LED street light grant and has contacted National Grid about the process.
"We are not committed to anything but it gets us in the pipeline," he said.
St. John said National Grid owns the town's street lights and that Cheshire would have to buy them back to make the switch.
Selectman Robert Ciskowski said the town could have National Grid continue to maintain the lights but this would leave virtually no savings.
He said there would be more savings if the town maintained them.
"That way the savings would be almost nil but if we take the leap and own them we are looking at tens of thousands of dollars in savings," Ciskowski said. "A lot of towns are going that route."
He added that Cheshire would likely have to contract with a vendor to service the lights but the savings should easily pay for this.
In other business, St. John said he is still collecting department requests forms to inform the budget.
"Today was the due date, which is fine, we just wanted to get the process going," St. John said. "We are getting the requests to see what they want then we will meet and work backward from that."
Highway Superintendent Blair Crane said most of the week was spent plowing and maintaining the roads.
"It has been a weather week," Crane said. "It has been feast or famine and we have either been dealing with snow and zero-degree temperatures or it's mud. So, we will continue to deal with it as it happens."
He said the salt shed has been depleted to 30 percent and a new order has been put in. He did add that other communities have also ordered and Cheshire is on the list.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Cheshire Tag Sale and Bazaar
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Cheshire Community Association (CCA) announced the return of the Cheshire Community Tag Sale and Bazaar for its second year.
Scheduled for Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 9 AM to 1 PM, the event offers a day of treasure hunting, local craftsmanship, and treats at the Cheshire Community House located at 191 Church St, Cheshire.
Attendees can explore a variety of offerings, including handmade crafts, antiques, collectibles, and food options. The hot food truck, operated by the Berkshire Lodge of Masons AF & AM, will be stationed in the courtyard, serving up treats throughout the event.
One of the highlights of this year's event is the fundraising raffle, with all proceeds set to benefit the Cheshire Food Pantry. Participants can purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes, supporting a worthy cause that serves the local community.
Registration for vendors interested in participating in the bazaar is currently open, with fees ranging from $10 to $30. Cheshire residents looking to showcase their items from home can have their locations advertised on the event map for a fee of $10. The deadline for registration is set for Friday, April 26, 2024.
Registration forms can be obtained from various locations across Cheshire, including A to Z Printing, Cheshire Community House, Cheshire Library, Cheshire Glassworks, Cheshire Senior Center, the Cheshire Community Association Facebook page, and the Cheshire Town website.
For more information about the event, including vendor registration and sponsorship opportunities, interested parties are encouraged to contact Jenny Gadbois at (413) 841-0844 or via email at jlgadbois@icloud.com.
Taylor Garabedian scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Abby Scialabba scored 16 points for the ‘Canes, who got 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Ashlyn Lesure. click for more
On Saturday afternoon at Lowell’s Tsongas Center, the Hurricanes will take aim at Division 5 State Championships in girls and boys basketball. click for more
Pittsfield High's Matt Dupuis and Lee's Bella Kotek Sunday completed a Berkshire County sweep at the State Bowling Championships at Bowlero.
click for more
Emily Holian’s strike to open the 10th frame of the Wildcats’ second game against Worcester Tech all but assured Lee a team title at Bowlero Chicopee.
click for more
Hoosac struggled to get into rhythm on the offensive end until Joey McGovern got the 3-ball working. McGovern finished the game with 21 points including a triple in the fourth quarter that cemented him in the record books. It took him nearly the whole game but he was able to join the 1,000-point... click for more
Pittsfield High's Eliza Mullen won state title and in the giant slalom and slalom, winning the former discipline by 1.6 seconds and the latter by nearly 2.7 seconds.
click for more