Clark Art Screens 'Berlin: Symphony of a Great City'

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Thursday, April 11, the Clark Art Institute kicks off its three-part film series exploring lyrical depictions of cities in films that resonate with the Paper Cities exhibition. 
 
The Clark shows "Berlin: Symphony of a Great City" at 6 pm in its auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.
 
According to a press release:
 
This emblematic "city symphony" film is structured to follow the life of Berlin and its inhabitants across the course of a single day, from dawn to dusk, to create “a symphonic film with the thousandfold energies that make up the life of a great city,” as described by the director, painter Walter Ruttman. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City still speaks volumes about how German Expressionism crossed into every artistic medium. (Run time: 1:05)
 
On view in the Eugene V. Thaw Gallery for Works on Paper, located in the Manton Research Center, Paper Cities examines representations of cities in works on paper created from the late fifteenth to the early twentieth century. The exhibition asks the following questions: Which cities or sections of cities are these artists presenting? Are they emphasizing specific architectural or social elements, and if so, what motivates these choices? What roles do the cities play in advancing the narratives of the overall artworks?
 
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 549 0524. 

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Williamstown Fire District Expects Slightly Lower Tax Rate

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A rise in operating expenses for the Williamstown Fire Department will be offset by lower debt service payments on the new fire station, resulting in a slightly smaller tax bill from the district, officials noted last week.
 
One week after the Prudential Committee, which oversees the district, reviewed the fiscal articles it will send to May's annual district meeting, the fire chief explained that while operational funding is up by by nearly $125,000 from the current fiscal year to FY27, a drop in principal and interest payments will make up the difference.
 
Currently, the tax rate for the district — a separate taxing entity apart from town government — is projected to be $1.15 per $1,000 of valuation in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The current rate is $1.24.
 
In FY26, district taxpayers paid $1.9 million toward principal and interest for the Main Street fire station. The draft warrant for the May 26 annual district meeting calls for $1.7 million to be raised for that capital expense, a drop of just more than $198,000.
 
"The impact of the new debt and, indeed, the entire budget is offset by certain revenue items, particularly the $5.5 million in gifts from Williams College and the Clark [Art Institute]," Chief Jeffrey Dias wrote in an email discussing the proposed budget.
 
The $500,000 pledge from the Clark and the $5 million donated by Williams College are being utilized at the start of the payback period for the bonds that fund the station's construction — when those payments are higher.
 
Melissa Cragg, chair of the Fire District's Finance Committee, explained that the use of those gifts early in the process will not necessarily mean a sticker shock down the road.
 
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