Great Barrington

Great Barrington Police Investigating Fatal Crash

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Town of Great Barrington
Jennifer Tabakin, Town Manager
Town Hall
334 Main St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230

For Immediate Release

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Contact: Chief William Walsh Jr.
Phone: 413-528-0306

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: ben@jgpr.net

Great Barrington Police Investigating Fatal Crash

GREAT BARRINGTON — Chief William Walsh Jr. reports that the Great Barrington Police Department responded to a fatal crash Saturday morning and have cited a man for motor vehicle homicide.

A citation was issued to ROBERT BACIGALUPI, AGE 68, OF NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK for:

  • Motor Vehicle Homicide
  • Marked Lanes Violation

At approximately 11 a.m., police responded to a motor vehicle crash at 200 Maple Ave.

Two vehicles collided head-on, injuring both drivers. The drivers were the only occupants in the vehicles.

Annemarie E. Bushka, age 64, of Housatonic was seriously injured and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

BACIGALUPI was taken by ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. He will be issued a summons to appear in court at a later date.

A portion of the road was closed while rescuers responded to the crash and while the vehicles were towed from the scene. All lanes were reopened once the scene was cleared.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by Great Barrington Police, with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call the Great Barrington Police at 413-528-0306.

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*Media Advisory* Great Barrington to host River Walk March for Science on Saturday

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Town of Great Barrington
Jennifer Tabakin, Town Manager
Town Hall
334 Main St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230

For Immediate Release

Friday, April 13, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: ben@jgpr.net

*Media Advisory*

Great Barrington to host River Walk March for Science on Saturday

Town Declares April 14th to be Great Barrington Day of Science

GREAT BARRINGTON — Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin is pleased to announce that the town of Great Barrington will be hosting a River Walk March for Science event on Saturday, and that the town’s Selectboard has voted to declare April 14 to be Great Barrington Day of Science.

WHEN:

Saturday, April 14

  • 1-2 p.m. – Sign making
  • 2-3 p.m. – River Walk march

WHERE:

W.E.B. Du Bois River Garden, at the corner of River and Church street.

WHO:

The event is co-hosted by:

  • Great Barrington Land Conservancy
  • Mass Audubon
  • Housatonic Valley Association
  • Berkshire Environmental Action Team
  • Greenagers
  • Flying Cloud Institute

WHAT:

The event is part of a worldwide initiative called the March for Science. Science advocates will gather to take part in events throughout the world such as expos, festivals, rallies and marches.

The Great Barrington march will begin at the W.E.B Du Bois River Park (at River and Church Streets) where there will be sign making stations where attendees can carry signs during the march.

The walk will then proceed along Main Street to the River Walk’s Main Street entrance upstream, then return to the starting point by following the River Walk trail along the Housatonic River.

The goal of the events are to foster change and to call for greater accountability of public officials to use evidence-based policies and support and safeguard the scientific community.

Adults and children of all ages are invited to attend.

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Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Fund Begins Offering Down Payment Assistance Loan Program

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Town of Great Barrington
Jennifer Tabakin, Town Manager
Town Hall
334 Main St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230

For Immediate Release

Friday, March 30, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Fund Begins Offering Down Payment Assistance Loan Program

GREAT BARRINGTON — Selectboard Member and Housing Trust Chair Bill Cooke and the Selectboard are pleased to announce the Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Fund is now offering Down Payment Assistance Loans to qualified buyers.

Less than a year after it first formed, the Trust now has a total of $50,000 that it can lend to qualified first-time home buyers. The loans will be interest-free deferred payment grants, which only need to be repaid when the house is sold.

Under the program, down payment assistance loans worth up to 5 percent of the purchase price of a home — with a maximum of $15,000 — will be given on a first come, first serve basis to buyers who pre-qualify through a participating bank.

Applicants do not need to live in Great Barrington, but the home being purchased must be located in Great Barrington and must be used as the buyer’s principal residence. Applicants also must not own any other residential properties.

“I’m extremely excited to see this program launch and help make the dream of home ownership a reality for as many people as possible,” Trust Fund Chair and Selectboard Member Bill Cooke said. “This would not have been possible without the support of our whole community, and I want to thank residents, the Community Preservation Committee, banks and town leaders who worked to make this happen.”

Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Lee Bank, The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Salisbury Bank and Village Mortgage are all participating in the program.

The funding for the program was made possible by Community Preservation Act funds, and the Community Preservation Committee has recommended an additional $100,000 of CPA funds be made available for this program and a housing rehabilitation program. If approved by Town Meeting in the spring, those additional funds will be available starting on July 1.

The Trust creates a new avenue for the Town of Great Barrington to increase access to affordable housing amid rising housing costs nationwide and an increase in demand for seasonal housing locally.

For more information about the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, including details on how to qualify for the program, visit gbhousing.org

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*Media Advisory* Conway School Students to Present Pollinator Plan to Great Barrington Agricultural Commission

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Town of Great Barrington
Jennifer Tabakin, Town Manager
Town Hall
334 Main St.
Great Barrington, MA 01230

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

*Media Advisory*

Conway School Students to Present Pollinator Plan to Great Barrington Agricultural Commission

Community Encouraged to Attend and Provide Feedback

GREAT BARRINGTON–  Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin would like to invite residents to Town Hall later this week for a presentation from Conway School for Ecological Landscape Planning and Design students on their plans to make Great Barrington a more pollinator-friendly community.

WHEN

Thursday, March 1 at 3:30 p.m.

WHERE

Town Hall, 334 Main Street, Great Barrington

WHO

  • Conway School graduate students
  • Great Barrington Agricultural Commission

WHAT

In May 2016, the Town of Great Barrington became the first in New England to pass a pollinator-friendly community resolution at Town Meeting. The resolution recognizes pollinators as essential to a healthy ecosystem and local food system. The Conway School was subsequently called upon to help create a town-wide pollinator plan in order to make the town more habitable for honey bees.

On Thursday, March 1, Great Barrington town officials will revisit the resolution, as they hear from Conway School students Renee Ruhl, Elan Bills and Evan Abramson on research they’ve been conducting with Town Manager Tabakin, Superintendent of Public Works Sean VanDeusen and the Agricultural Commission.

“About one-third the food we eat depends on pollinators, and many of these species are in rapid decline,” said Vivian Orlowski, who chairs the Agricultural Commission. “The GB Pollinator Plan will show how landscaping practices can support the bees, butterflies and other pollinators farmers and gardeners need to grow fruits and vegetables.” ​

The following questions are key areas to be discussed at Town Hall:

  • Why are pollinators important to Great Barrington?
  • What are the possible constraints and opportunities for pollinators in Great Barrington?
  • How can Great Barrington embrace low-cost pollinator habitat?
  • How can the community of Great Barrington help pollinators?

“We’re excited to welcome the Conway students to Town Hall to present their research on how to make our town more pollinator-friendly,” Town Manager Tabakin said. “It’s great that the community will have an opportunity to weigh in on the proposal, and I encourage residents to attend the presentation this week and offer their opinions and feedback.”

Members of the public will be encouraged to offer feedback on the plan, which will then be incorporated into the group’s final report. Once completed, the Great Barrington Pollinator Plan will be an accessible free resource for all institutions and residents in the region.

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