CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Selectmen last Wednesday voted to ban political signs from municipal buildings.
"We've never had signs," said Selectman Carl McKinney. "We run the town in a nonpartisan fashion."
The town hasn't had a problem and neither has it had a policy, but the question was recently raised, said Town Administrator Michael Canales. If the board adopted a policy to allow political signs, it would have to ensure equal access, he said.
Board members, however, rejected that idea, citing the necessity of policing signs and inability to control the type and size.
"I'm just afraid of what political signs could come in here," said Selectwoman Lily Kuzia, since they could range from national office to issues.
Chairwoman Debra LeFave said she wouldn't be too concerned about signs for town elections but the inability to limit them gave her pause.
"I'd be afraid. Political signs ... that ecompasses a big area," she said. "And God only knows what we'd have hanging on our bulletin board."
The board voted unanimously to enact a policy that would not allow political signs in any municipal building.
In other business during the brief meeting:
► LeFave read a letter urging citizens to fill out their Census forms to ensure the town got its fair share of federal funding.
► The board appointed Jean Bryce to the Board of Registrars to fill a vacancy left by Marie Allard
► Canales reported that the senior housing project application had passed to the funding stage; a water quality assessment and Army Corps of Engineers application had been submitted for the dam removal and the town had fulfilled the state's consent decree requirements for the Senior Center well until it can be capped. The well will be monitored by Berkshire Enviro Labs of Lee; R.I. Baker installed a meter and access.
► National Grid will be reviewing the electrical requirements of the municipal buildings. Residents were told to call the Canales if they see a streetlight on 24/7 because it costing the town money.
► The fiscal 2011 draft budget was provided to the Selectmen, which will meet with the Finance Committee on March 24.
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This is an interesting topic, the selectboard has mandated the banning of free speech. Since the board didn't feel they had the ability or resources to control the speech, they decided to ban it all together. I wonder if this would hold up in court?
"I'd be afraid. Political signs ... that ecompasses a big area," she said. - Chairwoman Debra LeFave
A big area both to allow, but also not to allow. I haven't read the decree, but I think it might be a good idea to define what a political sign is before one goes about banning them.
Editor: I've never heard of ANY Berkshire County town allowing political signs within municipal buildings. Anyone else?
How does this ban free speech? You can still put up a lawn sign, take out an ad, hand out flyers on a public sidewalk. You just can't use publicly-funded space to push your message.
Not only is this legal, it has precedent in many other communities in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Many cities and towns ban the placement of any political sign on public property, whether it's a town hall or any other piece of land owned by the community. As long as it's enforced equally, a legal challenge likely would not stand. And as one other poster put it, this is not a free speech issue. You can say what you want and put up a political sign on your own property, but why would you assume you had any right to post your political leanings at town hall?
For all we know right now, an election ballot could be considered a political message. That would mean a sample ballot could not be posted on the bulletin board.
Who determines what is a political message and by what standards? Can the town clerk post a message about an upcoming election?
Editor: I would say that election ballots and messages informing people about upcoming elections or results are statements of fact. They do not in any way advocate for or against a candidate or issue. May be a stretch to describe them as 'political signs.'
That's my point. For the very same reason the "I'd be afraid. Political signs ... that ecompasses a big area," statement was made. All I'm saying is the definition of what a political message is needs to be defined.
A charcuterie board at the event displays fare from some of the regional producers.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prospect Meadow Farm last week officially opened a new barn to sell plants and other goods it produces.
Prospect Meadow Farm Berkshires is an expansion of ServiceNet's first farm in Hatfield that has provided meaningful agricultural work, fair wages, and personal and professional growth to hundreds of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since opening in 2011.
The Berkshires farm opened on Crane Avenue two years ago and has now introduced a new vocational and unwinding space for the more than 25 farmhands who get paid a minimum wage.
"This is a facility for our folks who work on the farm to learn additional skills and do additional work," said Vice President of Vocational Services Shawn Robinson at the Friday event. "So we have a food packaging space, we've got a walk-in cooler space, we've got a floral design space, we've got a farm store room for staff, lunch room, and then a meditation room that we're standing in now, which is when you're having those hard moments and you need to get away from everything.
"This is going to be a peaceful place you can find and sort of find some comfort, and then hopefully get back to work."
The barn was built by funds from the state Executive Office of Economic Development and the state Department of Agricultural Resources that equated to around $600,000, with ServiceNet contributing around the same amount. The structure took over a year to build.
The state's Department of Developmental Services Commissioner Sarah Peterson spoke on how meaningful this farm and ServiceNet is to her and that this place is important to those who need it.
"Places like this are so crucial because they create opportunities for people living with disabilities that aren't plentiful," she said. "People living with developmental and intellectual disabilities have an unemployment rate over 25 percent five times the rate for people without disabilities, even more jarring is under appointment, which is at 80 percent. That means that four out of every five people with disabilities earn below market rate wages and have limited upward mobility.
"The building itself is really impressive, but what you're really seeing here is the result of vision. It's about opportunity, it's about community, and it's founded in the belief that every person deserves the chance to learn and work and contribute to thrive under the leadership of ServiceNet."
One aspect of the barn will be the market where produce from the farm and other local growers will be sold as well as keeping the tradition of Jodi's Seasonal, which previously occupied the location, alive with plant sales. The market will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"Everything you see in terms of the tomatoes, the fresh produce, that's all done with the hands of our farm hands here, individuals with disabilities who get out every single morning, get in those greenhouses, put their hands in the dirt, and make all of this happen, and this is just the start," said Robinson. "This farm is a little over a year old at this point, but give it another two years, and we hope to be growing enough food to share throughout the Berkshires."
Robinson said the farm is focused on local food security, recently partnering with the Hatfield Council on Aging and planning to work toward making enough food to partner with places in the Berkshires.
He said the barn serves the Hatfield farm and what the employees here needed.
"We've been able to learn the needs of the farm hands who work there and so we have learned that they need a comfortable break space for those times where it's hard to be out in the fields, we've learned that a quiet space for when you're going through something you need to be away from people are key, and then also we have a small farm store in Hatfield, but we've seen increasing interest in retail work from our participants, so we thought it was time for a larger-scale farm store," he said.
Robinson noted that Prospect Meadow Farm has helped the individuals working there feel valued and head.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
