SPRINGFIELD - WGBY's Volunteer Wine and Dine Committee will be honored Oct. 3 at the PBS Development Conference in Palm Desert, Calif., with the National Friends of Public Broadcasting 2007 Volunteer in Fund-Raising Award.
Being acknowledged for their efforts and support of WGBY's Wine & Dine Auction, Wine Tasting, and Wine Lover's Dinner are James J. Holsing, Longmeadow; Paul E. Provost, Wilbraham; Michael Ferry, Northampton; Scott Huff, East Longmeadow; Jeffrey A. Rahn, Longmeadow; Gary Sandman, Southwick; Peter Vangsness, East Longmeadow; Rosemary Laporte, Easthampton, and Tony Zampiceni, East Longmeadow.
The WGBY Wine Tasting is the largest in western New England offering more than 400 wines and dozens of specialty foods. The WGBY Wine Lover's Dinner boats seven courses, and up to 14 fine wines, and the annual WGBY Wine & Dine Auction offers a diverse array of wines from around the world along with unique dining and entertainment opportunities across western New England over three televised nights each April.
WGBY will host its 2008 Wine Lover's Dinner on Feb. 28, followed by the Wine Tasting on Feb. 29.
"One of the unusual things about our Wine & Dine Auction, in particular, is the fact that we have this core group of volunteers that does so much of the solicitation and behind the scenes logistics," said Charley Rose, director of corporate support and special events for WGBY.
"From planning to soliciting, scheduling and presenting they do an extraordinary job, and help us raise approximately $100,000 each year," said WGBY special events coordinator Susan Lofthouse.
National Friends of Public Broadcasting, established in 1970, seeks to assist in developing support at the local level, and through this to develop an informed constituency for public broadcasting that will serve both the station and the community.
For more than 35 years, WGBY www.wgby.org has connected the people of the region with programs and services that are designed to inform, inspire, entertain and promote lifelong learning. From the non-broadcast Education Services used in classrooms and by child-care providers throughout the region to our portfolio of locally produced programs, WGBY is committed to the community. WGBY is a non-profit organization with more than 80 percent of its revenue provided by local sources and the support of its viewers.
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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