Hilltowns
Police funding, livestock bylaw spark Montgomery debate
HUNTINGTON — Montgomery’s Annual Town Meeting, which was rescheduled from May 20 to June 5 and moved to Gateway Regional High School due to a turnout that had exceeded capacity at Town Hall, brought 143 registered voters to Huntington for the meeting.
Huntington debates employee salaries, budget, backhoe
HUNTINGTON —With an unusually large amount of free cash available this year to the town, most of the discussion from residents during Town Meeting last week was on several articles on the warrant related to using it for increase town employee salaries and fund...
Blandford voters pass all articles, including $4.37M budget
BLANDFORD — Moderator David Hopson asked Blandford Town Meeting voters to keep it civil on June 3 and remember they’re all friends and neighbors, no matter their political differences. As the evening went on, the warning seemed increasingly unnecessary, as the...
Western Mass. senators push priorities in budget debate
Following a vigorous May 23 debate session, the nearly $60 billion budget reached unanimous approval by the Massachusetts state Senate. Members adopted more than 400 of the 1,100 amendments filed, resulting in close to $90 million of additional spending with Western Massachusetts lawmakers maintaining the regions stake in funding.
Thousands roll in for this year’s Chester on Track festival
CHESTER — David Pierce, president of the Chester Foundation, said this year’s 33rd anniversary Chester on Track on May 18 had close to 2,000 people in attendance at the town-wide festival.
Budget rising 3.7%, church property acquisition on warrant
CHESTER — Town Administrator Donald Humason doesn’t think this year’s Town Meeting warrant will be that controversial. “It’s pretty simple,” he said. “There’s no particularly controversial matters or anything. It’s just typical town business.” Humason was speaking...
No big changes on 10-item Russell Town Meeting warrant
RUSSELL — Voters in Russell will decide on 10 warrant articles at the Annual Town Meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, June 10, at Russell Elementary School. The majority of the articles in this year’s meeting will allow the normal business of the town to continue under the...
Gould retains Otis selectman seat; voters reject annex debt again
OTIS — Therese Gould has retained her seat on the Board of Selectmen, beating challenger Susan Bauer-Brofman in the town election May 28. Gould received 207 votes, Brofman received 154, three ballots went to write-ins and three ballots were blank. “It’s humbling to...
Voters in Otis back short-term rental fees, inspections, reject CPA
OTIS — A capacity crowd at Town Meeting approved a short-term rental bylaw, rejected the Community Preservation Act and voted to take no action on the $4.5 million Town Hall annex proposed by selectmen. The short-term rental bylaw, which required two-thirds...
Students place flags on Blandford graves, hear from veteran
BLANDFORD — On May 21, Chester Elementary School Principal Vanna Maffucio and fourth grade teacher Mikayla Menin invited the fourth grade students and their families to meet after school at Center Cemetery in Blandford, across from the Blandford Fairgrounds, to replace the flags on graves of local veterans.
