Plans for Lanesborough's Tour de Greylock Bike Ride Nearing Finalization

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Economic Development Committee was updated on the Sept. 24 Tour de Greylock bike ride and plans to finalize details soon and begin registrations.

The ride will take bikers around the entire base of Mount Greylock and back to Lanesborough. The exact bike route, as well as promotional and registration materials, are nearing finalization.

The committee expects to have more information finalized by the next meeting. Recording Secretary Patricia Hubbard briefed the committee on the ride on Tuesday.

"Most of what you updated us on covers just waiting on the hard copy of the logo and all paperwork, the registration, ironing out the location," said board Chair Barbara Davis-Hassan. "And then we'll move things next meeting and have a little bit more information to report on."

The committee expects 50 to 100 riders to register and plans on needing about 20 volunteers to run the event.

In other business, the committee has planned the next business-to-business networking event, set from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 12 at Lanesborough Local. The board also discussed doing more similar throughout the rest of the year.


Davis-Hassan said she is excited to begin holding business-to-business events again, as the COVID-19 pandemic limited the ability to run them.

"It's a meet and greet and networking. It's going to be great to be back to doing this," she said.

In addition to the networking events, the committee is also drafting a letter to send to new businesses when they begin operating in town.

"[It's a] welcome and, 'we'd like you to stay and be successful' and 'what we can do to help you? Feel free to mention anything we can do that makes your business thrive better that we can help with,'" Davis-Hassan said.

The committee also discussed the vacant seat previously held by Joe Prince, who resigned due to schedule conflicts. Davis-Hassan said she has worked to get the word out on the vacancy.

"I was at a Selectmen's meeting during the general public comment period, and I did make an announcement that we did have a vacancy there," she said. "And I also gave the information to the town Secretary so it could be posted online. So if and when they do see any applications, I will make sure to bring them forward to this board."


Tags: economic development,   

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

Dalton Fire District Voters OK Annual Meeting Articles

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — Voters approved all articles but one on the warrant at the annual Fire District meeting on Tuesday night at the Stationery Factory.
 
Some 48 voters attended the meeting, which lasted an hour and 40 minutes, to vote on several articles that make up a total budget of $3,663,081. 
 
However, that amount was reduced to $3,660,581 after voters decided the town would assume responsibility for funding the required 50 percent match for a state Department of Conservation and Recreation grant.
 
If approved, the grant covers forest fighting in fiscal year 2027. The Fire District and the town are separate governing entities, and under state law, responsibility for funding the Forest Warden position and all related expenses falls to the town.
 
Historically, the district has included a $2,500 article to fund the match, but this year the request was "tabled." However, because articles at annual meetings cannot formally be tabled, the action effectively resulted in the request failing.
 
"The Forest Warden budget does provide enough money to supply. I believe it's $3,900 … within the budget to cover that amount of money," the town's Finance Committee chair  William Drosehn said. 
 
Drosehn, who also moderated the annual meeting, clarified before making the comment that he was speaking in his capacity as finance chair.
 
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories