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Bailey Road is no longer 40 mph. The Select Board voted to drop it 35 to provide some consistency for drivers.

Lanesborough Select Board Decreases Bailey Road Speed Limit

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Traveling 40 mph down a section of Bailey Road is no longer permitted.

The Select Board on Monday voted to change the "questionable" 40 mph zone to a 35 mph speed limit.

Police Chief Robert Derksen came to the panel with the request, as there are currently three speed limits on the road.

It was hard to tell where the 35 mph and 40 mph speed zones were, he said, and there's a section that's 25 mph.

"From Route 7, there's a 25 mph zone and it also depends on what direction you're traveling so if you're traveling, I guess westbound towards Brody Mountain Road, it's 25, 35, and 40. At about Noppet Road is when it changes to 40," he explained.

"Now, the thing I did notice is traveling it from Brodie Mountain towards Route 7, it's not marked until that first sign, and if you're eastbound, right around where it changes from 40. If you're westbound, it's 35 so it's two different speed limits depending on the direction you're traveling."

The Police Department placed radar in the area hoping to gather data but the file was corrupted and unable to be used, Derksen said.

Select Board member Timothy Sorrell was ready to make a recommendation without the data, motioning to change the 40 zones to 35.


"I think keeping it 25 is going to be unrealistic for that road," he said.

Derksen agreed, recommending a few more signs.

"We should have one at the very beginning when you come up. Then you should have one when you turn, come off of any of the side streets either way, so you know what's going on," Sorrell said.

In other news, the Hometown Heroes banner program is coming to Lanesborough in 2025.

Town Clerk Ruth Knysh the hope is to have the banners out by Memorial Day and that they will stay up through Veterans Day. North and South Main streets will be adorned with signs honoring past and present armed forces members and first responders.

"I believe they said we have around 100 poles. The cost of the banners will be $200 and that includes the brackets and everything to hang them," she said.

"The Fire Department has actually volunteered to erect them out so that's nice. It will include picture, rank of service, any credentials, active duty or deceased military."


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CBRSD Makes Cuts to Lower Town Assessments

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — School officials say reductions in the Central Berkshire Regional School District's budget will be felt, but remain optimistic that it will not prevent them from being "the best regional district in the state."
 
Throughout the budgeting season, officials said they strived to keep the seven member towns informed amid contractual increases outside their control and concerns with a state aid funding formula described as "remarkably wrong."
 
The initial budget was about a 9 percent increase, but with "strategic reductions" the district was able to cut that down to 2.99 percent, bringing the total budget to $37,740,005. 
 
"This was no small feat," said Paul Farella, district's Finance Committee chair.
 
In earlier budget drafts, towns voiced concerns over significantly higher assessments, which ranged from approximately 7 to 15 percent, compared to prior years, when it was about 2 to 7 percent. 
 
With the revised budget, projected net town assessments are: 
  • Becket for $2,859,205, an increase of 5.49 percent
  • Cummington for $670,246, an increase of 5.11 percent 
  • Dalton for $10,106,445, an increase of 5.86 percent
  • Hinsdale for $3,277,495, an increase of 10.54 percent 
  • Peru for $1,083,751, an increase of 6.11 percent 
  • Washington for $826,774, an increase of 6.64 percent
  • Windsor for $995,438, an increase of 9.37 percent
"[The cuts] will be felt, but we believe that it is what is necessary for the time being to not overburden our towns while still being able to provide a quality education to our community," Farella said. 
 
Delivering high-quality education while responsibly managing public funds in a district, which like many rural areas, faces financial constraints is a duty Superintendent Michael Henault said he takes very seriously.
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