Five village news

By Holly Morse

Jeremy Stanton moved to Southfield in 2008 when he married Emily Newman, a veterinarian and nine-year resident of Southfield. They catered their own

reception. Barking Dog Farm, their home in Southfield (and homestead to their chickens, grape vines, peach trees, vegetable garden, and, yes, barking dogs), is a gathering place where friends can experience another kind of wedding — the couples’ shared interest in local, sustainable foods and Jeremy’s culinary brilliance. Emily adds to these events her delicious breads — soon to be baked in an outdoor oven they have planned. A Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and proprietor of The Fire Roasted Catering Company, Jeremy is a self-proclaimed grilling maniac. He has custom-built grill trays and rotisserie to prepare extraordinary meals from open wood fires. Fire Roasted is a mobile catering company that arrives, gear in tow, to work its magic. One of these feasts, last August, was the launch party for The Meat Market, Jeremy’s newest entrepreneurial adventure. He hopes to open the new butcher shop, in Great Barrington, this year.

Jeremy came to the Great Barrington area as a boy with his family. An enterprising sort, he was already doing prep work in the kitchen of The Old Mill, in South Egremont, when he was only fourteen. He worked in a variety of other kitchens before attending the CIA. After graduation in 1994, he was a chef at La Bruschetta in West Stockbridge for five years. Jeremy’s entrepreneurial career kicked off with the opening of The Stellar Pasta Company in five hundred square feet of his parents’ barn. The company’s handmade pastas, made from the best local ingredients, were immediately in great demand. Soon Stellar Pasta required a two-thousand square-foot space. In time, Jeremy left the company and found his way to Stafford Premium Meats in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, a slaughterhouse owned by The New England Heritage Breeds Conservancy. It is there he learned the skills necessary for his newest venture.

Jeremy’s vision for The Meat Market is three-fold. First, it will be a traditional butcher shop providing fresh cut-to-order meats. It will also make terrines, pâtes, cured and fresh sausages from a variety of recipes, meat pies, and in-house charcuterie — products that use the entire animal, without waste. Second, it will support local farms by purchasing their whole, grass-fed, and pasture-raised animals, and third, it will test the concept of a new community-based funding strategy called “Slow Money” or “nurture capital.”

Jeremy’s belief is that not wasting any part of the animal — a policy of snout to tail — honors the animal. He also recognizes it as a practical, traditional way to add value to lesser cuts of meat by transforming them into products like smoked bacon and Tasso ham (made from cured pork shoulder that has been smoked with a spicy, peppery coating—a key ingredient in gumbo and Jambalaya), as well as soups, braises, stocks and demi-glace.

Making great bacon, for example, from hogs raised on small-scale, nearby farms creates an important link in the emerging farm-to-table, local-food movement that is transforming the way more and more people choose to eat. The Meat Market will provide both a beautiful retail outlet and a processing shop for finished wholesale cuts,

5New Marlborough

April 2010

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Clayton • Hartsville • Mill River • New Marlborough • Southfield

Continued on page 2

Slow Money and a new MarketButcher Jeremy Stanton Plans To Shorten the Distance Between Farm and Table

Jeremy Stanton and Emily Newman at The Meat Market launch party.

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New Marlborough 5 Village News April 20102

Slow Money and New Market, continued

which will be returned frozen to local farmers. Farmers can then sell the frozen cuts directly at farmers’ markets. Supporting small farms in these ways ultimately helps to preserve land and the community’s access to healthy, flavorful, sustainable foods.

Slow money, or nurture capital, like a barn raising, relies on a community coming together. The plan for financing The Meat Market is distributed

across two investment groups: Founding Supporters and Partners. The Founding Supporters (there are twenty so far) contribute $1,000 each toward the venture, which will be returned in products and services once the shop opens. Partners, with an investment of $10,000 each, will gain a partnership interest in the business. The idea, in the words of Woody Tasch, founder of the Slow Money Alliance and former venture capitalist, is “to shorten the distance between investors and their investments” and “to create new economic models that deliver a return but that also put community, soil fertility, and the environment into the calculation of the bottom line.”

Jeremy Stanton wants to draw closer ties between our farms and our homes. Standing as an alternative to food production that skirts accountability to community, Jeremy’s venture is poised to bring home the bacon. q

Among The Meat Market’s special preparations will be chicken baked in a covering of bacon.

. . . our biggest worry was whether the millennium bug would scramble our computers. A lot has changed since then, but one thing has not: The New Marlborough 5 Village News, launched in April 2000, has been published with clockwork regularity ever since. With the goal of bringing our disparate villages closer together, it has reported the deliberations of our selectmen and other town committees, sightings of flora and fauna in back yards and back forties, and the occasional kerfuffle among competing town interests. It has even had a little fun from time to time (see page 16). It has tried to remain true to the the goals (reprinted here) that appeared in Vol. 1, No. 1.

And one other thing has not changed: the steadfast support of the people of New Marlborough. We are gratified by this endorsement of our efforts and look forward to another decade of service to our town.

The Editors

Let’s Do It!New Marlborough! What is it? Where is it? We all live

in it - all 1,107 of us, according to the last census - but it’s a town with a difference. It’s scattered all over the countryside in the form of five villages. It takes eighty-nine miles of road to connect us. We’re so far-flung that news of what’s going on in one village is not likely to reach the others until the event is all over. That’s why we feel it’s time to connect us all with each other in the form of a monthly news-letter we’re calling the New Marlborough Five Village News.

We plan to provide a mix of things: a calendar, listing upcoming events; a report on selectmen’s meetings; a Nature column; prose and poems, humorous and otherwise; written by residents of all ages. We want you and you and you to contribute. We want this paper to

reflect the interests of the whole commmunity. Are cash contributions also welcome? You bet! All of us involved in putting out this newsletter are volunteers. But paper, postage, and printing don’t come for free - even if you say you’re from New Marlborough. q

ten yearS ago...

New Marlborough 5 Village News April 2010 3

Some people live out their whole lives without

ever seeing a shrike, either the northern shrike or the loggerhead – a name that makes you wonder with what or whom this bird is at loggerheads. This winter, two New Marlborough birdwatchers saw a shrike. (Neither was sure which kind.) Janice Boults saw her shrike in Canaan Valley, where she lives. Charlie Parton saw his at the other end of town, on

the north edge of New Marlborough village. Shrikes have an ominous nickname: the butcher bird.

This is because they prey on other birds and often stick the smaller bird onto a thorn. They aren’t mean. They’re carnivorous. Like hawks. Like us. At any event, Charlie’s shrike had its eye on the Partons’ canary, in its cage, behind the plate-glass window. The shrike attacked, but the glass foiled the attack. It gave up and flew away.

Around mid-February, when the snow lay deep and had not yet crusted over, Roy Blount, Jr., of Mill River, saw a blue jay struggling in the snowbank under his bird feeder. The bird had been scratching for spilled seed and, apparently, had dug itself in so deep it could not get out. The tail seemed to be wedged in at an angle. Roy took out a cloth bag, to wrap around the bird. The jay grabbed hold of the bag with its talons and would not let go. Roy dragged bag and bird over the snow and up the stairs and into the mud room and closed the door. He fed the jay bits of apple and a dish of seeds. The bird warmed up, ate heartily, flew up onto a perch, seemed at home, and stayed overnight. The next day, after Roy freed the bird, it came back to his window to look at him apparently eager to continue their relationship.

At about the same time, Ann Getsinger, who lives west of Mepal Manor on Route 57, went for a walk in the

winter wildlife SightingS: a randoM SaMpling

woods and saw a doe and two yearlings, downwind and about seventy-five feet away. She froze. She was holding a long strip of birch bark, and, for a while, the deer seemed to have considered her a tree trunk. Then the doe, Ann writes, “did the oddest thing. She deliberately stamped, hard, first with one front leg, then with the other, stamped right in place, trying perhaps to make me move, then she gave her alarm cry and the three ran off, all white tails blazing.” Ann adds that she had lots of bluebirds around her house – all winter.

Owen and Arlyn Hoberman, like Janice Boults, live on Canaan Valley Road, together with two dogs and a greater sulphur-crested cockatoo named Stevie. From living with the dogs, Stevie has acquired the ability to bark. And it appears that the cockatoo behaves more like a dog than the dogs, at least when it comes to sounding the alarm at the approach of other animals. The first time Stevie barked, the Hobermans looked out the window and saw a porcupine. More recently, when the bird began to bark, they looked out and saw “a young, healthy red fox strolling nonchalantly across the ridge above the Whiting River. It dug through the snow and soil and retrieved and devoured some morsel. Not once did the dogs react, but Stevie’s racket never ceased.”

Ed Harvey, who also lives in Canaan Valley, reports having seen “twenty black waterfowl on the swampy area north of Thousand Acre Swamp” – too far off to allow for identification. He also spotted an owl as he was driving by the Huxley Cemetery on Norfolk Road, in Southfield, which is only a stone’s throw from where Tara White and Edgar Zukauskas saw a fisher slipping down into the pond below their house.

And then, on March 5, Joan Griswold of Mill River, looked out at her lawn and, she said, “It was as if a Trailways bus had disgorged a busload of robins. They were everywhere!” q

reported by Jon SwanNote: Ed Harvey, whose hobby is taking wildlife photos, would appreciate tips from readers on the possible locations of owls, raccoons, moose, bear, coyotes, and large birds.


The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. so that the Selectmen could review the Highway Department budget. reported by Nat Yohalem

March 8: Selectman Chuck Loring spoke with Carl Gustafson of Berkshire Engineering about agreed upon amendments to the proposal for the Hatchery Road Project. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has raised the possibility that it might pay some of the engineering costs as outlined in the proposal. The selectmen voted to accept the Berkshire Engineering proposal, funding for which was approved at the 2009 Annual Town Meeting, at a cost of $23,000.

Specifications have been received for the new ambulance, and with four-wheel drive it is expected to cost between $150,000. and $190,000. (Note: A previous report in the 5 Village News that the cost estimate would exceed $200,000 was in error). The proposed specification for four-wheel drive has been studied carefully and discussed with other towns. Salisbury, Connecticut, has had its four-wheel drive vehicle for ten years and has had virtually no significant problems. The Town will be asked to purchase the ambulance, with the exception of certain loose equipment, which will be purchased with funds from community donations to a First Responders Association account. A warrant item proposing the purchase expenditure, in excess of Proposition Two and One Half, will be submitted to the Town Meeting for approval. The Board recommended regular maintenance for the new ambulance and noted that a regional company had been endorsed by several First Responder units in surrounding towns because of the quality of its work.

Tim Newman, representing the Technology Committee asked that the selectmen propose a warrant for the Town Meeting that would state that the Town supports the efforts of the Eleven Town Group in its efforts to bring broadband services to the underserved communities of Berkshire County. In view of the diminishing prospects for state or federal funding, Eleven Town Group, following the lead of Vermont, is proposing a forty-four town association called “Wired West,” with the goal of building a municipally owned fiber-optic network in underserved western Massachusetts towns.

The selectmen endorsed this plan wholeheartedly, noting that fiber-optic has become an educational necessity to keep pace with communities that have this capacity. Fiber-optic cable would give a similar boost to home-based businesses and residents and would have a significant impact on attracting and retaining new growth and opportunities. Each of the selectmen spoke in favor of the proposal.

February 22: The meeting was called to order by Selectman Larry Davis at 6:30 p.m. with the first order of business being the Board’s request to the assessor’s office for information regarding what properties are tax exempt and their value, what properties are in conservation restrictions and their value, and how is it determined whether a parcel has “view enhancement” for valuation purposes.

It was reported that the Town received a $64,575 thermal efficiency grant and thanks were extended to Louise Yohalem, who was instrumental in preparing the grant application. Regarding the contemplated repairs to Hatchery Road, two additional engineering reports are awaited, after which a decision will be made as to how best to proceed with the perpetual problem of washouts.

Joyce Sachs, co-chair of the Cultural Council, announced that seventeen recipients received grants from the Council totaling $13,000 (see page 7 for a report on the award recipients). Many of the awardees were present to receive their certificates, and during the course of the year we’ll all be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, artistic, creative, and scientific ability.

reported by Owen Hoberman

March 1: All members of the Board were present. Minutes of the February 22 meeting were approved as amended.

The Board continues to wait for additional design proposals for possible repairs to Hatchery Road. There was a discussion about the type of repairs that are needed and arranging interviews with two companies that have submitted proposals so far.

The Board decided to submit the specifications and bid package for a new ambulance to town counsel for review. Administrative Assistant Mike Skorput announced that March 18 was the last day to submit petitions for Town Warrants.

Due to a conflict with the Passover holiday, the Town Caucus date was changed to Wednesday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m.

The Board announced that the Town has purchased a new copy machine to replace the existing machine, which has been constantly malfunctioning for the last six months. It was due to arrive in mid-March. The cost of the new machine, to be financed over four years, will be about $18 more a month than the existing charge.

The Board noted the passing of John Groener. It expressed its sympathy to his family and noted that he served the Town often and with dedication. (Remembrances of John Groener appear on page 8.)

town BuSineSS iS your BuSineSSBoard of Selectmen

continued on page 5


March 3: James Mullen and Patricia Hardyman were both present. Tara White attended as secretary. John Groener’s sudden death, on February 21, has profoundly affected the Planning Board and was the topic of the meeting. The Board feels John’s loss keenly: where His cheerful participation and great good humor were invaluable. Some of the evening was spent in fond remembrance. The Planning Board is also pressed, in the wake of John’s death, to deal with the difficulty of being without a quorum to conduct business. Although, Tom Billard wishes to remain on the Board, he is not, at present, able to attend meetings. Mr. Mullen indicated that, the Board, being in effect, reduced to two members, cannot function. Mullen asked if Tara White would be willing, and able, to be appointed by the selectmen to serve until new members can be appointed or voted onto the Board at the Annual Town Meeting, May 10. She agreed to ask The Board of Selectmen if that might be possible. The selectmen and the Planning Board can jointly appoint anyone stepping forward for the interim before the town election held on the second Monday in May. Prior to that time, interested parties

Planning Board

The question arose as to the necessity for a warrant article, because the Town has already given authority to the Board to enter into inter-municipal associations. A non-binding resolution on the Town Ballot was suggested, whose objective would be to promote knowledge and support among New Marlborough residents for this development, not to ask them to pay for it. Financing of fiber-optic networks in other states has been designed to be self-liquidating.

Selectman Tara White, speaking for the Historical Society, indicated that the Society wants to open the Great Hall for supervised display on weekend days of the exhibits of historical memorabilia and for Society-sponsored events. The Society would like this summer to be a test of the interest and usage. The program would kick off with a grand opening – including the traditional coffee and doughnuts – on Memorial Day. The selectmen

Board of Selectmen, continued

will discuss the implications of such activity with the Town’s insurance representative and the possible need for a lease or letter of agreement with town counsel. The Society believes this would give guidance to the possibility of a longer-range agreement between it and the Town.

Peter Marks, Highway Department supervisor told the Board that the highway crew will remove approximately 100 feet of road surface from a section of the Clayton-Mill River Road and replace it with gravel until the road reclamation process can be implemented.

March 15: The meeting confined itself to approval of various budget items, postponing other matters on the agenda, because of possible conflicts with individual selectmen. q

reported by Charlie Parton

can be written in as candidates for three-, four-, or five- year terms. Anyone interested in helping the town plan its future should contact James Mullen at 528-0616. q

reported by Holly Morse

February 22: The scheduled meeting was cancelled due to winter weather.

Please note that the monthly meeting time has been changed to the last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. q

Conservation Commission berks

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a Medal for Betty taylor The First Women Pilots in the Air Force Finally Get Their Due

In the fall of 1943, Elizabeth Eyre Taylor,

now a long-time resident of Southfield, learned that a branch of the U.S. Air Force was looking for women pilots. Never mind that she was an eighteen-year-old, freshly graduated from Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut, with a bare thirty-two hours of flying experience. She applied. Naturally, she

was rejected: Too young, they said, and not enough flying time. Two weeks later, however, she received a letter from General H.H. “Hap” Arnold, then the commander of the Army Air Force, inviting her to Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, for training. Maybe it was the fact that she grew up next door to Amelia Earhart or that her father was a pilot in World War I. But among the 25,000 women who applied to join the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, Betty Eyre was one of just 1,830 accepted. When she graduated in May 1944, she became a WASP, one of the 1,074 women who were pressed into service to take the place of male pilots needed in combat.

It wasn’t until 1977 that the WASPs were recognized as veterans and given veterans’ rights. But it took thirty-three more years for the nation to honor this group with the respect they had earned: On March 10, some 200 WASPs – most of the sisterhood is deceased,

Betty Taylor at the March 10 ceremony.

thirty-eight died in service – attended a ceremony in Washington, D.C., where they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Betty Taylor was there. (So was Kristin Lent, sister of Clayton resident and 5 Village News staffer Jon Swan.)

“I flew B-24s and B-26s [both bombers], testing them to make sure they were air-worthy after maintenance,” says Ms. Taylor. “I flew non-flying officers across the country, and I towed targets for student gunners to shoot at.” Did the trainees ever miss the target and hit the plane, instead? “Oh yes,” says Ms. Taylor. “They were young kids with machine guns. Bullet would spray all over the place.”

The WASPs were disbanded in late 1944, and Ms. Taylor eventually settled down in Southfield. But she never quite lost her zest for flying. For a time, she

served as co-pilot for a regional airline making runs between New York City and Hyannis, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. And a few years ago, she says, she took a National Public Radio reporter for a plane ride out of Great Barrington.

“We are all your daughters,” said Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the House, to the WASPs gathered in Washington. “You taught us how to fly.”

“Yes, we did,” says Ms. Taylor. q

reported by Joe Poindexter

Elizabeth Eyre as a WASP

Unique products to help you attract and feed

wild birds or to help you create a

beautiful birdscaped backyard habitat.783 South Main StreetGreat Barrington, MAPhone: 413-644-9007www.wild-birdstore.com


The New Marlborough Cultural Council awarded $13,000 for seventeen projects (thirty-two applications

were received) for 2010. The funds for these grants come from donations to the Cultural Council through its annual appeal and fundraising events and an award of $4,000 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Forming a rich mosaic of cultural opportunities to the town’s residents, they are:

• Berkshire Bach Society, $1,500, to debut an ensemble at the Meeting House that will present a program on the intricacies of the fugue from the traditional to the contemporary.

• Berkshire Children’s Chorus, $250, to provide scholarships to the premier children’s chorus (fifty singers, grades 3 through 12) in the Berkshires.

• Berkshire Theater Festival, $500, to help fund a fourteen-week in-school program in which 4th-6th grade students develop and write their own plays, some of which will be performed at the program’s conclusion. BTF Artists will also perform an original version of Grimms’ Fairy Tale “Hansel and Gretel”. Three or four students will receive scholarships to attend the summer writing residency.

• Community Access to the Arts, $300, to fund “I’m a Part of Art,” which will bring an exhibit of CATA artwork created by artists with disabilities to the Meeting House – in partnership with the New Marlborough Village Association.

• Flying Cloud Institute, $1,450, for four programs, including: Arts & Science day-long field trips for students in grades 1 - 8 investigating fields, wetlands, and forest at Flying Cloud; “Dancing Our Ideas,” a ten-day artist-in-residency program at New Marlborough Central School and six days at Mount Everett and Undermountain Elementary; “Learning Through the Arts,” a monthly after-school workshop for the study of chemistry, the art of snow and ice, and geometry in indigenous ceramics at New Marlborough Central School; and “The Chemists of Ancient Egypt,” an interdisciplinary lesson that will be part of the 7th grade study of Ancient Egypt with potter and chemist Jane Burke.

• IS 183 Art School of the Berkshires, $100, to further the art school’s mission of encouraging people of all ages, means, and skill levels to enrich their lives through hands-on experience in the visual arts.

• New Marlborough Village Association, $4,500, for two programs, including: a reading, modeled after NPRs “Selected Shorts,” of works of six writers (five widely recognized, one emerging) by two actors from Berkshire theaters – to be held at the Meeting House as part of the Music and More 2010 series; and two free performances by professional musicians of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf in a dramatic production – including sets, costumes, characters, publicity materials – created

Cultural CounCil’S 2010 awardSA Year of Artistic Enrichment

by students of the Southern Berkshire Regional School district – in collaboration with the Southern Berkshire Regional School District

• Project Bee, $2,500, for the preservation of honeybee arts and culture through education programs at the New Marlborough Central School, Burritt Day, and at monthly beekeeping meetings.

• Sandisfield Art Center, $150, for ten 2010 season passes to residents of New Marlborough for programs in the Sandisfield Art Center Performance Hall.

• Sculpture Now, $150, for an October 14 field trip for thirty-five students from Mount Everett High School to visit “Sculpture Now in Lee 2010.”

• Earth Rhythms: Songs for the Environment, $400, for an hour-long interactive program of songs, stories, facts, and humor that teaches environmental responsibility – part of the New Marlborough Library’s summer reading program.

• Amy Murray, $400, for student field trips Colonial homesteads to help bring alive the study of eighteenth century Massachusetts.

• John Weinstein, $600, for an exhibit of the works of Li Heyun, an important contemporary Chinese calligrapher – plus a hands-on calligraphy workshop, a lecture on the Chinese language, and an introduction to Japanese flower arranging, all events to be held in the Meeting House Gallery. q

Grant recipients, Cultural Council board members, and Town officials present at a February 22 award ceremony included, front row: Maureen Hosford, Cultural Council; Marius Louw and Laura Endacott, Project Bee; Joyce Sachs, Co-Chair, Cultural Council. Middle row: Jean Atwater-Williams, Sandisfield Arts Council, David Hosford, President, New Marlborough Village Association; Maureen Guidi and Susan Emerson Clapp, Berkshire Children’s Chorus; Back row: Nikki Hayes, Cultural Council; Robin Tost, Sculpture Now; Paula Hatch, Berkshire Bach Society; Charles Loring, Selectman; Owen Hoberman, Cultural Council; Tara White, Selectman; Lawrence Davis, III, Selectman. Cultural Council Co-Chair Louise Yohalem and Flying Cloud’s Jane Burke also attended the ceremony.

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John Groener died at his home in Southfield on Sunday, February 21. He was sixty-seven years old. Born in Brooklyn on July 7, 1942, the son of

the late Fritz and Mary Lane Groener, he graduated from Midwood High School and Baruch College both in New York City with a BS in Marketing. He retired from a career as a management consultant in 2008. In 1982 John and his wife, Francine, bought their home in Southfield. “John just loved living here,” says Francine. “His work took him to every state in the Union, but there was no other place he wanted to live. He loved interacting with people, but he also loved nature and privacy. This was his paradise.”

John is survived by Francine and their two sons, Eli and Austen. Services were held on Friday, February 26, at Old Parish Church. Burial will take place at the Lee Memorial Cemetery in the spring.

John was a valued citizen of New Marlborough. His work as a member of the Planning Board is well known, but he also pitched in in smaller

ways, like helping count ballots after Town elections. But speaking personally, John’s visits to the Mill River Store always provided a bright moment. Before he’d leave, he would grab a couple of pretzels and tell a joke or two. He had a fine sense of humor. His presence will be greatly missed by those of us who had the good fortune of knowing him.

– Dave Herrick

John confided in me that he was a compulsive buyer, an addiction for which he did not ask my help in curing. To the contrary, he offered to help me acquire it. The four cars,

two motorcycles, a Ford 8N tractor as old as him, many bicycles, all incredible bargains. It was never about more possessions, but all about the thrill of the hunt.

Last summer he called to ask my advice on whether to purchase the beautiful yellow sea kayak many of us saw for sale on the lawn of a home in Mill River. Of course he immediately bought it, and at an incredible price. We soon took it on a maiden voyage to Twin Lakes. After an hour of paddling, John said perhaps this was not going to work, as he was somewhat uncomfortable. I admire him because he immediately acted to deal with the situation. No, he didn’t sell the kayak. He bought another one at yet again an incredible price.

It was good paddling through life with you, John.– Bob Dvorchik

I have been best friends with the Groener family for as long as I can remember, and then probably even longer than that. I remember when we were growing up, Eli (The Groener’s elder son) and I could not have been more than

eight years old, John got this old antique tractor. I think it was from the 1930’s. The only natural thing to do was go for a ride in it. He had a trailer that hitched up to the back. Now, there were not any seats in the trailer so John made his own by getting some lawn chairs and throwing them in the back.

All systems were go, so we started down Rhoades and Bailey Road. Everybody reading this knows how steep that road is, but we didn’t mind because we knew we were in safe hands with John. As we went down the road, he would always give us a look back and have the biggest smile. As we went down the road the trailer decided it would fall off from the tractor. We were young so we thought it was all part of the plan. I remember it was only Austen and Eli and myself on the test run. We were all having a good time, and what did John do? Well he stopped the tractor and backed it up and hitched it up again. We always loved riding in the back of that thing. We knew it was going to be an adventure every time.

That is one of my fondest childhood memories from here in New Marlborough, we all still can’t believe he’s gone. It feels like we were talking to him just the other day.

– Eli Dvorchik

John loved the Berkshires. He enjoyed spending time outdoors and many weekends were dedicated to antiquing. He was a member of the Cinncinnatus Lodge AF & AM Masonic Lodge in Great Barrington and Old Parish

Church in Sheffield, where he was a deacon.John was known and loved for his graciousness, his optimism, his affability, and his willingness to help others. He

was particularly proud of the accomplishments of his two sons, Eli and Austen Groener.– John Wightman

MileStoneS

John Groener in 1982

John Groener, continued on page 9


With tears in my eyes I share with you the sad news of my husband Edmund Ormsbee’s passing on February 10, 2010. He was only forty-five and

died suddenly from a heart attack. He grew up in Sheffield with his parents James and Britt and sister, Jamie. But you would find him at the family farm known as Freeman Elms with his Nana and Uncle Freeman (brother of John Ormsbee) almost every weekend and all summer. There he would hang out with his cousins, ride dirt bikes and snowmobiles, hunt, and get his Uncle Freeman to let him drive anything that had wheels. There was no where else he wanted to be.

He worked at Brunnschweiler Farm and Sheffield Lumber while in high school and later for Wilkinson Excavating. In 1987 Ed was employed by Connecticut Sand & Stone, driving a cement truck, until its closing in 2000. From then on he worked driving a tractor trailer for Bonsal American, hauling Sakrete bagged concrete. He always took pride in his work, never getting any tickets or having any safety violations. Edmund was instrumental in getting his company to donate the concrete for the New Marlborough playground project.

In 1991 Edmund and I, along with our son Brandon, bought a piece of land and built our first home on “the hill,” Sisson Hill that is. We welcomed our second son, Charles in 1992. This June, Charles, like his dad and brother Brandon, will graduate from Mount Everett High School in Sheffield. Edmund and I had been together for twenty-seven years and loved living in the woods, raising our family, enjoying our home, and riding four-wheelers, snowmobiles, and motorcycles.

We also enjoyed visiting Brandon, his wife, Tiffany, and our grandchildren, Hayden and Collin, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Edmund enjoyed surfing the web (he was upset to learn that we were among the 10 percent of New Marlborough residents who could not get high speed internet) and would research anything for anybody. He was an all-around handyman and would rebuild and repair computers for friends and family.

He raced cars at Lebanon Valley, went to car shows with his Model A, enjoyed playing guitar with his son Charles, and went on ATV trips with his family and friends. His recent passion, after a four-wheeler trip to the coal mountains of West Virginia, was installing a coal-burning furnace to heat our house and provide hot water. I admired how Edmund could talk to anyone on any subject and loved learning new things. His main goal in life was to take care of us, his family, and that he did. It is just heartbreaking that he left us way too soon. He will be deeply missed and in our hearts forever and a day.

Paula Ormsbee

MileStoneS

Edmund Ormsbee delivered Sakrete for Bonsal American. . .

. . . and rode ATVs in his spare time.

John Groener served tirelessly on the New Marlborough Planning Board for over two years, ever striving for the development and then implementation of a comprehensive plan for the Town. He was tireless and unflappable

in his efforts, whether the task of the evening was to reach out to community members to ensure their voices and ideas were heard; review and edit lengthy (and some dull) documents, or simply make copies or pick up pastries for a community meeting. Moving New Marlborough forward as a “green community” while protecting its natural and rural beauty were the themes of John’s service.

At our sometimes long, Wednesday evening meetings, his “can do” attitude and patience to reconcile different views while moving forward were very much appreciated. His entertaining stories and lively concern for all, gave us laughter and balance.

Many, many sincere thanks to John. He is already sorely missed.The Planning Board

John Groener, continued


The New Marlborough Fire Company

2010 Spring Dance

Saturday May 1st at

gedney Farm6:30 – 11:00

Proceeds to the new Firehouse Project

Buffet SupperCash Bar

Live Music & Dancing

Tickets at $35.00 each available at the Mill River General Store

a new MarlBorough firSt?

The following inscription was typed on the back of a faded snapshot discovered by Southfield

resident Dave Edelman in the house of the late Pearl Rhoades on Rhoades and Bailey Road:

“Probably the first auto accident in New Marlboro (sic). Alva Roys and Charles Curtiss passenger ran off the road into the Umpachene river 1½ miles west of Southfield. The men jumped out unhurt, but the car was totally demolished. Picture taken by Edward Rhoades around 1906.” q

Mill RiverMill RiverBuilders

RenovationRenovationRAll New Construction

ContractingLicensed & Insured HIC #109858

413229-7728

LLet Us Build fofof rYoYoYuu

L


a feaSt for the fearleSS

Fifty hardy souls braved a nor’easter’s wind, rain, and snow on March 13 to attend the potluck supper and

musical entertainment co-chaired by Joyce Sachs and Nikki Hayes, and sponsored by the Cultural Council. (Finding a route to the Town Hall not blocked by fallen trees was a challenge not even GPS could help with.) Following a varied and delicious dinner, the group enjoyed “Fiddling Demystified” with Donna Hebert on fiddle and Claude Galinsky on guitar and mandolin. They presented a lively mixture of French-Canadian, Irish, and Scottish tunes, which even caused some impromptu dancing. q

Enjoying their dinners are, from left, Richard Stebbins, David Lowman, Tara White, Sheila Fitzpatrick, Barbara Lowman (partly obscured) and Sheila Baird.

The music was worth braving the elements for, from left, Samantha Twing, Catherine Twing, and Lauren Scapin.

Presented by Music and More 2010

WWinninginningWinningWWinningW story performed by inning story performed by inningprofessional actors (BTF)

with works by local authors of note for

at New Marlborough’s Meeting House, August, 2010Berkshire Selected Shorts

Open to all residents of New Marlborough

Prize of $200

Writing Writing Wri Contest

humorous submissions encouraged: 1800 to 2500 words deadline June 1st

Send coversheet with name and contact information plus story to Berkshire Selected Shorts, P.O.Box 265, Mill River, MA 01244

or online to: [email protected] to be chosen by committee

Phot

ogra

phs

by L

ouise

Yoh

alem


the white elephant Barn

Spring cleaning just got more fun! Dig out those gently-used household items, toys and tools and donate them to the Elihu Burritt Day White

Elephant Sale. Drop-off is at the Olenbush-Levine barn directly across from the Town Hall between 10 a.m. and noon, Saturday, April 17 – or any third Saturday through July.

Recent donations: a magic show kit and a box of plates decorated with French cheeses from Arlyn and Owen Hoberman and two cartons of treasures from Barbara and David Lowman – including a nearly-new 22-inch tabletop Christmas tree. Who says August is too early to get a jump on holiday preparations? q

NANCY E. DINAN and DEBORAH D. MIELKEBroker Broker

70 Corashire Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230Office: 413-528-0014 or 413-528-1871

FAX: 413-528-4809www.corashire.com e-mail: [email protected]


upCoMing: Events Calendar for April and May

Last day to sign the nomination paper. If you are one of the top two vote getters at the Town Caucus, you must sign at the Town Hall by 5 p.m., April 2, to be put on the ballot.The Social Art of Chinese Calligraphy, The life and work of Master Li Heyun; opening reception, April 2, 5 p.m., in the New Marlborough Meeting House Gallery - gallery hours: April 3, 4, 10, 11, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Related events: Chinese for Everyone: A Language Lesson for the Community, April 3, 2 p.m.; Lecture: The Social Art of Chinese Calligraphy, April 4, 2 p.m.; Hands-On Calligraphy Workshop, April 10, 2 p.m.; Demonstration: Ikebana, the Art of Japanese Flower Arranging, April 11, 2 p.m. All events in the Meeting House Gallery.Voter Registration – If you are not registered to vote, you may do so at the Town Hall until 8 p.m., April 13

New Marlborough Land Trust Annual Meeting, April 17. Meeting House, 10:00 a.m.Kiss of Death The Village Association film series concludes with this classic example of film noir on April 24 at 5 p.m. in the Meeting House Gallery. Charles Jones will introduce the movie and explain the origins of the genre.Last day to burn, April 30.Why we need a fiber-optic network, an information session led by the Technology Committee’s Tim Newman, at the Meeting House, 10 a.m. May 1.Fireman’s Ball, May 1, 6:30-11:00 p.m., at Gedney Farm. Tickets, $35., are available at the Mill River General Store.

Annual Town Meeting, May 3, 7 p.m., Town HallTown Elections, May 10, noon to 7 p.m., Town HallPeter & the Wolf, the Prokofiev classic performed May 16, at the Meeting House, 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.Memorial Day Parade and ceremonies, May 31, starting at 9 a.m. in downtown Mill River. Followed by coffee and doughnuts in the Town Hall Great Room, hosted by the New Marlborough Historical Society.

Glen Chamberlin’s car is overflowing with trash picked up from Old County Road at the road cleanup last fall

Saturday, April 2710 a.m.

Help cleanup our roadsides!Meet at the Town Hall parking lot

Picnic to follow at the Inn on the Green at noon

sponsored by The New Marlborough Land Trust

SPRING ROAD CLEANUP!

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To the Editor: The question I heard most frequently as tax collector was, why did my taxes go up when

home values are declining?The answer is the budget to which we commit ourselves at the May Annual Town Meeting

is the total we must raise in taxes. If we spent more this year than we did the previous year, taxes go up because we need to raise more money. When the construction of new homes was booming, we could rely on new growth to offset some increased spending, but we no longer have that luxury.

Think of the Annual Town Meeting as a trip to the mall. Everything you spend must be paid for in the following year’s levy. If you do not want taxes to go up, don’t spend more money than the previous year. Pretty simple!

When I look around the residents of New Marlborough, I see the majority are either retired or self-employed. The self-employed are probably in construction or property maintenance. I doubt that either of these groups received an increase in compensation this year over last. I know Social Security retirement benefits did not increase because of the recession.

I don’t know about you, but if the federal government, in its wisdom, does not increase my monthly Social Security retirement, I will not vote to increase the town budget. We should not increase taxes when the income of the majority of residents is declining, or at best, stagnant. Some can afford increased taxes, but there are many residents who cannot. We have a responsibility to keep New Marlborough affordable for all our citizens.

Whether you share my opinion or not, come to the Annual Town Meeting and ask the selectmen if the budget we are voting is an increase over the previous year. It is your money; vote how you want it spent.

Bill GarrettMill River

To the Editor: Loved your piece on Salinger in the March NM5VN. It recalled my own experience with J.D.It was the summer of 1972; I was working for a local construction company in Windsor, Vermont. I had just finished

my freshman year at college and was leaning toward majoring in English Lit. An old sage named “Red” Eastman had hired me, and he was building a house just across the Connecticut River

in Cornish, New Hampshire. A two-lane covered bridge spanned the river. The basement is poured, the first and second stories are framed, and the crew is assembling a massive beam between the second and third floors. A sedan pulls up, I don’t remember what kind. A tall, lean man gets out, strolls over and calls to the crew. “Hi, Pete. How’s it going, Noel? Sankety, how’ve you been?”

Now I knew the terrain. An English major in training, I knew J.D. Salinger lived about a half-mile up the road. Heck, I’d just spent a semester reading and critiquing most of his stories and novels. The hairs on my neck bristled. When all the crew said, “Hi, Jerry,” I knew who was standing there.

And yet, what could I do? I couldn’t jump down from my second-story perch and run over blubbering, “O, Mr. Salinger, I’ve read all your work, you’re such a master, and by the way what did you mean by that reference to…” No, couldn’t do that.

So I bit my tongue, took in the scene, and later on asked the crew about him. They’d known him for years since they’d been in high school. Yes, they knew he was famous and had written The Catcher in the Rye. They said the book was modeled on them and Windsor High.

Never saw him again, though I drove past his house from time to time hoping for a glimpse. Later on, a former business colleague used to tell me stories about Salinger coming to visit his son Matthew at Andover.

So I didn’t really see much. But it was vivid. I’m glad I was sitting up there at the right time.

Ian DevineNew York City

the MailBox

Thank You To our ConTribuTors! Ian & Kerri Devine, Debra Bricker Balken, Howard & Pat Nourse,

Edith Grosheim, Joan & Watson Hayden, Edward & Jessica Harvey, Margaret Phillips, and Marion Newman


By Tim NewmanNew Marlborough Technology Committee

Even five years ago, the internet seemed somewhat optional. Today, high-speed connectivity to the world

is an absolute necessity. Concerned by our inadequate and out-of-date infrastructure, representatives from Western Massachusetts towns with limited or no access to high-speed Internet came together to assess ways to confront this challenge and to ensure that the needs of our communities would be served – not just today but for the foreseeable future. The group formed an organization called Wired West Communications- Connecting Western Mass to the World. After careful research, and input from local, state and national broadband experts, Wired West is putting a plan in place to build a municipally owned, open-access, fiber-to-the-home network to every Western Massachusetts home, business, and institution located in towns unserved or underserved by existing providers.

What does that mean for you? Simply, it means affordable access to the best quality telecommunications network – read fiber-optic – in the world today. It means having the same opportunities as our urban counterparts for education, health care, employment, business, public safety, information, and entertainment. It means building a telecommunications highway that will be robust for years to come. And it means employing people in our communities to build and operate the network – and paying ourselves, instead of an out-of-state corporation

for internet, phone, and television services.I have asked the Board of Selectmen to place on the

warrant an article committing New Marlborough to work with other towns in our region to achieve this end, to be voted up or down on May 3 at our Annual Town Meeting. The Board seems supportive of this initiative and has forwarded the article to town counsel for review. The warrant’s sole purpose is to have New Marlborough take part in discussions toward the formation of a broadband network owned by the participating towns. It has no budgetary cost. Still a vote of “yes” – and we hope it will be unanimous – is extremely important. It will be an expression of the urgency the citizens of the New Marlborough place in having twentyfirst century, fiber-optic connectivity.

To explain the importance of this initiative and how it will work, I have reserved the Meeting House on the New Marlborough Village Green for Saturday, May 1, at 10 a.m. The meeting will take about two hours, including ample time for questions. I strongly urge you to attend and to make a point of inviting friends and neighbors – especially those you know who are technology adverse or may question such an endeavor for any reason. We want, and need, a full and open discussion. Meanwhile, you can learn more about this initiative by visiting the Wired-West site at http://wired-west.net. q

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Otis Farmers Market

The Otis Farmers Market will open for the season under new management on May, 8, 2010. Local farmers will display their home grown produce for sale from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Located on Route 23 in East Otis next to L. M. Auto;

free soil testing, samples, entertainment,

and much more!


oil diSCovered in new MarlBorough

The New Marlborough 5 Village News has learned that viable

reserves of oil deposits have been found in New Marlborough. Geological studies performed by engineers and hydrologists from the United States Geological and Oil Exploration Research (USGOER) office of Missoula, Montana, have confirmed the discovery of “significant” crude oil deposits on property between Mill River and Southfield on the north and Clayton to the south.

The property is part of what once was known as the Mansir Farm, but until recently had been owned by Walter and Trude Marx. Following Mr. Marx’s death in 1999, Mrs. Marx decided to sell the property and, subsequently, Mr. Rod Dunning, an area real estate broker and developer, bought the 22.8 acres for $360,000. Because of various reports, it was believed that Mr. Dunning planned to subdivide the property and to construct approximately twenty low-cost homes. Fearing the development of such a large subdivision, two New Marlborough residents, each of whom have second homes here, Mr. Ray Carver of New York City, and Mr. Todd Goodwin of Darien, Connecticut, negotiated a new deal with Mr. Dunning to purchase the entire property so as to forestall the construction Mr. Dunning had planned.

Shortly afterward, during routine survey work, the Great Barrington firm of Kilgore, Green, & Parsnips noticed a “primal ooze” coming from a declivity on the land. At that point, Messers. Carver and Goodwin contacted USGOER, and the oil exploration work proceeded. After numerous samplings and tests, USGOER confirmed the earliest suspicions: oil, in fact, had been found. Through a spokesman, Mr. John Haviland, the owners have sketched out preliminary plans to erect five oil-drilling

derricks, a storage facility, and a transportation depot. Haviland further said that there are no immediate plans for processing or refining the oil on site.

The New Marlborough Board of Selectmen have applauded the owners’ plans, noting that the increased valuation of the property and the increased employment of local workers will be a boon for the Town’s financial health. They also noted that this project would not be possible if more restrictive zoning were in effect.

The next step for the owners will be a visit to the Planning Board, which, an unidentified source has told the NM5VN, has allegedly expressed concern about some of the project’s details. For instance, worries have been voiced about whether or not a legal turnaround, either circular or T-shaped, can be accommodated. Meanwhile, according to a source who declined to be identified, Planning Board member Shug Oldman is adamant that the road leading into the project be paved.

Nevertheless, it seems certain that all necessary approvals will be granted. As more than one Town official stated, “It’s a no-brainer!” q

reported by David Lowman

Longtime readers may recall this story from the April 2004 issue of 5VN. It is every bit as factual today as it was then.

Oilfield between Clayton and Southfield on Lumbert Cross Road. photo by Barbara Winters.

Guess What, No School Todayapril fool’S!

What’s your favorite April Fool’s prank? Sitting around a table at recess, a group of New Marlborough

Central School students enthusiastically recounted theirs. Lillianna Z. described her plan to tie a rubber band around the handle of the sink sprayer to keep it in the on position. When a person turned on the faucet, the person would be sprayed with water. After a giggle, she admitted that this trick had been forbidden by her mother.

Marya M. chimed in with the prank of putting soap all over the door knobs so they were too slippery to open, which reminded Jacklyn D. about putting Vaseline on her brother’s toothbrush. That led to the idea of Vaseline on

the toilet seat and many more giggles. Clarra L. suggested putting a frog into your sister’s bed, which reminded the others of rubber frogs put into a parent’s shoes. Another popular idea was to replace the contents of cereal boxes with Cheezits. Marya finished off the discussion with her favorite tricks to play on her sister: Change her clock to another time or tell her, when she wakes up, that it’s a snow day when it really isn’t.

Asked why they so enjoy April Fool’s Day, the students admitted that, though the tricks are said to be funny, they also offer a chance for revenge. q

reported by Jane Burke


to the different hives, such as skeps and log gums and the Langstroth design currently in use. The Langstroth is designed so that bees build their hives in frames, which facilitates harvesting of the honey. An empty hive and a fully suited beekeeper demonstrated how to work a Langthroth hive.

From the bees’ perspective, students investigated why bees make the hexagonal shaped hive foundation. Honeybee movement within the hive throughout the seasons for the purpose of propagation of bees, the storage of honey and pollen and hive insulation was also investigated.

Finally, the reality of bears in the Berkshires lit students’ imagination, as illustrated by the NMC School Kindergarten’s drawings of the event. q

reported by Laura Endacott

On March 2, Project Bee met with New

Marlborough Central School kindergarten students to explore the honeybee hive. The students learned that the hive is an engineering marvel, its hexagonal compartments maxi-mizing strength and capacity while insulating the interior from temperature ex-tremes. It has two functions: to store honey and pollen and to provide protection for eggs and newly hatched bees.

Children were introduced

what’S the Jive with the hive?

Marius Louw demonstrates working a Langstroth hive.

I learned that if you get stung, you should pull it out. Bees like flowers, and bears like honey.

SChool newS

The Southern Berkshire Regional School Committee has approved the FY11 budget that will be submitted to

the five towns for a vote at town meetings in May. Through a long hard process by staff, administration, and finance committee members, where every aspect of spending in the District was reviewed, the total budget shows a decrease from last year. The operating budget, which contains teachers’ salaries, transportation, supplies and the like, in FY11 is $12,219,142, just $54,585 more than was budgeted in FY10. Despite a significant increase in the cost of insurance, the increase was held to less than a half percent by cutting professional development for teachers, saving roughly $200,000 on teachers and specialists, and $85,000 in instructional materials. These cuts demonstrate the commitment of the District to make sacrifices during these difficult economic times. Transportation decreased from $1,038,902 in FY10

to $997,345, a savings of 4 percent. The Capital budget decreased as the debt on the buildings decreased to $1,722,009 from $2,082,157 in FY10. The savings in debt service helped offset the rise in operating expenses. After factoring in state aid, the grand total assessed to towns in FY11 is $10,867,484, down by $55,270 from last year. Using the compromise formula agreed to last year, New Marlborough’s assessment for the operating budget is $2,103,828 (an increase of $101,168 over last year) and $90,160 for the capital budget (a decrease of $81,177 from last year). The net increase for the town is then roughly $20,000. More details will be discussed in the May School News column. Questions emailed to 5villagenews@gmail will be answered in that article. q

reported by Jane Burke


The Friends oF The new Marlborough Town librarY will hold

a book saleapril 17Th, saTurdaY, FroM 10aM - 2pM aT The legion hall in

new Marlborough. For More inForMaTion ConTaCT The librarY 229-6668.all proCeeds beneFiT The librarY’s suMMer reading prograM.

new aCquiSitionS at the new MarlBorough town liBrary

Adult FictionHeresy: An Historical Thriller, by S.J. ParrisFantasy In Death, by J.D. RobbSplit Image, by Robert B. ParkerCruelest Month, by Louise Penny

Adult NonfictionThe Cook’s Herb Garden, by Jeff CoxOn The Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System, by Henry M. Paulson, Jr.Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Life Time, by John HeilemannThe Politician: An Insider’s Account of John Edwards’ Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down, by Andrew Young

Children’s Fiction No T.Rex in the Library, by Toni BuzzeoChester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories, by Audrey PennBear Flies High, by Michael RosenShapes That Roll, by Karen Nagel

Children’s NonfictionGoing Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration, by Marianne Berkes

Religious seRvicesUnited Church of New MarlboroughChurch office: 229-8109

Junior Services; 10:00 a.m. Sun. Morning Services 10:00 a.m.

Church of the Immaculate Conception Main Rd, Mill River 413 229-3028

The Rev. John Lis, Pastor Sunday Mass 10:30 a.m.

Congregation Ahavath SholomNorth Street, Great Barrington, 528-4197

Spiritual Leader Barbara J. CohenFriday evening service at 5:45 p.m.

Shabbat service and Torah study 9:30 a.m. Please call to confirm times

Clayton Church of God2352 Southfield Canaan Rd, 229-2300

The Rev. Regina King, Pastor.Sunday School 9:45 a.m.

Sunday Morning Services11 a.m. Sunday Eve. Services 7 p.m.

Wed. Prayer and Bible Study 7 p.m.

Christ Church EpiscopalTrinity Lutheran Church

180 Main Street, Sheffield tel. 229-8811The Rev. Anne Ryder

Holy Eucharist Sunday 8 a.m. & 10 a.m.Sunday School & Childcare 10 a.m.

Wednesday; Holy Eucharist: 5:45 p.m. Supper 6:30 p.m.; Bible Study 7:00 p.m.

Healing Thursday10 a.m.

Hevreh of Southern Berkshire270 State Rd, Great Barrington

Rabbi Deborah Zecher, Spiritual LeaderShabbat Service, Friday 7:30 p.m.

Shabbat and Torah, Sat. 10:00 a.m.

The Library will begin summer hours April 1

Tues & Fri 1:30 -7:30; Wed & Sat 10:00-5:30;

Thurs 1:30 -5:30

Dia

ne B

arth


New Marlborough 5 Village Newsappears monthly. The next issue will be dated May 2010

All copy must be submitted no later than April 15, 2010.

For advertising, contact: Barbara Lowman, tel: 229-2369PO Box 243, Southfield, MA 01259

[email protected]

Contributions are needed to continue the paper!

Please fill in the form and send with your contribution to:New Marlborough 5 Village News P. O. Box 243, Southfield, MA 01259

YES, I WANT THE New Marlborough 5 Village News TO CONTINUE!

HERE IS A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION OF $______ (payable to NM5VN)

NAME____________________________________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS ________________________________________________________

CITY___________________________STATE______ZIP_______________

NM5VN Editorial TeamJoe Poindexter, issue editor; Diane Swartz, issue designer;

Pam Stebbins, Debra Herman, Jane Burke, Charlie Parton,Larry Burke, David Lowman, Jon Swan,

Martha Bryan, Barbara Crocker, Barbara Lowman, Marianne Swan, Holly Morse.

Contributing writers: Janice Boults, Laura Endacott, Ann Getsinger, Mary Richie Smith, and Tara White.

We welcome new advertisers but would like to point out that we accept ads only from businesses owned by New Marlborough residents.

Others may put in a notice under the Service Sector (see back page). Call Barbara Lowman for all advertising; 229-2369

Town Times:* Board of Selectmen: meets every week, Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. * Planning Board: First and third Wed. of the month at 7:00 p.m. * Board of Health: First Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. * Conservation Commission: Last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.* Board of Assessors: Mon & Thurs 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.* Fire Department training: Every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Fire Station* Building Inspector: Wednesday 8 - 10 a.m. Monday 5 - 7 p.m.* First Responders meeting/training: First and third Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Fire Station * Cultural Council: Second Thursday of the month at 4:15 p.m * Town Treasurer: Monday- 9-12 a.m. * Tax Collector: Mon.-Thur. 8:30-3:30 p.m.* Selectmen’s Administrative Secretary: Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.* Dog and Animal Control Officer: John Springstube 232-7038 * Town Clerk: 229-8278 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; Sat. by appointment* Town Hall: 229-8116 Emergency calls: Police, Fire, and Medical: 911

Transfer Station hours:Starting 11/15- Monday: 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.

PeRmits will be due on July 1Fee is $80 can be Paid by mail

There is no purchase of Transfer Station Permits at the Transfer Station. They are available at

the Town Hall in Mill River

New Marlborough Highway Department

Located on Mill River-Southfield Rd. Interim Highway Superintendent Peter Marks Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

PO Box 99, Mill River, MA 01244 (413) 229-8165

New Marlborough 5 Village News

P.O.Box 243, Southfield, MA 01259

e-mail [email protected]

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

Non-Profit Org.PERMIT #95

GT. BARRINGTONMA 01230

service sectorwLawn Care Plus; Lawn mowing, snow plowing, spring and fall clean-

up, house watching, and odd jobs. Call Jim @ 229-3057wBenchmark Real Estate; Nancy Kalodner, Broker/Owner. Offering

New Marlborough the finest professional real estate services for over 25 years. Call 528-9595wJames Edelman; General Contractor, Real Estate Sales. Best

Results. Construction License #090773. Home Improvement Registration #152035. Real Estate Sales License #9086247. (413)528-0006 or [email protected] M. Smith, Attorney At Law; Concentrating in the areas of

Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Elder Law, Real Estate and Zoning Matters. [email protected] or 229-7080wDesign+Planning; Christopher Blair; Since 1986, creative, budget

aware design. Achieve your goals for additions, alterations to an exist-ing home or new construction. (413) 528-4960. [email protected] Realty; Serving New Marlborough for 40 years. Let expe-

rience, knowledge, and personal attention work for you. 528-0014wAbsolute Animal Control; Douglas Faits; Problem animal solutions,

wild life removal. MA and CT licensed and insured. 413-562-7907 or 413-237-5550 (cell) WWW.AACWR.COMwReiner White; General Contractor; (413)229-8450wMill River Knifewright; Custom designed, One-Of-A-Kind kitchen,

hunting and fishing knives. Repairs, sharpening. Drop off and pick up: Mill River Store or call John Manikowski: 229-2905

wGarden Maintenance/Consultation; We’ll do the work or help you and show you how; mow the lawn, too. Jon Hipps/Caroline Corbin 528-0818; [email protected]

wCale’s Pet Care; Pet sitting, dog walking, small farm care. Experienced, caring, and reliable. Call Cale James at 229-2271

wLori Riiska. CPA LLC; Accounting and tax preparations –business, individual, partnership, corporations. (860) 379-6360 [email protected] 16 Union Street, Winsted, CT 06098

wAlexandra’s House Services: Home-keeping help for home owners with organization, house projects, contractor liaison work, moving and staging. Call 413-528-6169. [email protected]

wJTC and Sons Inc.: Locally owned and operated residential & com-mercial waste removal service. Reasonable rates, routes forming im-mediately. Contact: Jim or Theresa Collingwood Jr. 413-229-3186

wGoewey Painting Services; Interior & exterior painting, window washing, pressure washing, vinyl siding washing, deck and floor refinishing; fully insured; impeccable references. 413-229-2787

wWild Birds Country Store; Absolutely everything to enjoy nature and backyard birds. www.wild-birdstore.com 783 Main St., Great Barrington 644-9007

wCambell Falls Carpentry; Licensed contracting and building services. Custom cabinetry and built-ins. Design and planning help on small- to medium-size projects. Call Tony at 413-229-6097.

wBerkshire Environmental Research Center; (BERC): Thomas Coote. Lake & pond management, wetland delineation, ecological research, rare/invasive species assessment. 413-644-4509. [email protected]

To list your business or organization here, contact Barbara Lowman at 229-2369. A listing of up to 25 words, free to advertisers in the current issue, is $5 per issue or $50 per year

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