Milne Library Hosts a Community Eco-Fair in Honor Climate Preparedness Week

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -—On Sunday, Sept. 21st from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. the Milne Public Library will host an outdoor, Community Eco-Fair, to raise awareness about changing climate in honor of Climate Preparedness Week and to celebrate the many Berkshire groups working towards social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Because September is also National Preparedness Month, staff will provide guidance on making "Go Bags," to prepare attendees for weather-related disasters, with the help of the Williamstown Police and Fire Departments and the Central-Western Massachusetts Red Cross.

Attendees can also learn more about initiatives in Williamstown, including Energize Williamstown, the Town's Net Zero Plan, and the sustainable features of the new Fire Department building and The Williams College Museum of Art.

There will also Food, live music, lawn games, a bouncy house and a seed bomb craft table. 

Stop by and meet these local organizations:

  • Energize Williamstown/COOL Committee

  • Williamstown Garden Club

  • HooRWA

  • Rural Lands

  • Purple Valley Trails

  • Berkshire Grown

  • Second Chance Composting

  • Coral Crochet Project

  • The Plant Connector

  • Menstrual Justice Initiative

  • Williams College Zilkha Center

  • Williams College Museum of Art

  • Bee Friendly Williamstown

  • Remedy Hall

  • ABC Clothing Store

  • Buy Nothing Williamstown

  • Goodwill

  • The Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center

  • Williamstown Police and Fire Depts.

  • Central-Western Massachusetts Red Cross

  • Milne Public Library: "Go Bag" guidance

  • Milne Public Library: The Thingdom (Library of Things)

  • Milne Public Library: Seed bomb-making for kids

In case of bad weather, the event will take place inside the library.

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

Williamstown Finance Committee Finalizes Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Proposal

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The tax bill of a median-priced single family home will go up by 8.45 percent in the year that begins July 1 under a spending plan approved by the Finance Committee on Wednesday night.
 
After more than a month of going through all proposed spending by the town and public schools and searching for places to trim the budget and adjust revenue estimates, the Fin Comm voted to send a series of fiscal articles to the May 19 annual town meeting for approval.
 
The panel also discussed how to appeal to town meeting members to reverse what Fin Comm members long have described as an anti-growth sentiment in town that keeps the tax base from expanding.
 
New growth in the tax base is generated by new construction or improvements to property that raise its value. A lack of new growth (the town projects 15 percent less revenue from new growth in fiscal year 2027 than it had in FY26) means that increased spending falls more heavily on current taxpayers.
 
The two largest spending articles on the draft warrant for the May meeting are the appropriations for general government spending and the assessment from the Mount Greylock Regional School District.
 
The former, which includes the Department of Public Works, the Williamstown Police and town hall staffing, is up by just 2.5 percent from the current fiscal year to FY27 — from $10.6 million to $10.9 million.
 
The latter, which pays for Williamstown Elementary School and the town's share of the middle-high school, is up 13.7 percent, from $14.8 million to $16.8 million.
 
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