Lanesborough ARPA Committee Approves Funding for Key Fobs

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Committee has set aside just under $30,000 of its remaining funds to get key fobs for the outside doors of several town buildings.


The committee held a brief meeting on Wednesday to go over the costs for a key fob system for town hall, the fire department and highway department buildings. The fobs will allow the doors to open via a remote, similar to a key fob for a car.

The total cost to set up the system for the three buildings is expected to be $27,268. Board Chair and Department of Public Works Director Charles Durfee said he looked into the key fobs after someone mentioned the topic at a previous meeting.

"We talked right out of the box about doing key fobs for all of the outside doors. I got a quote from Alarms of Berkshire County, who the town already has a contract with to do all the town buildings," Durfee said.

After these appropriations, the ARPA budget has about $37,000 left over. The Select Board will have to approve the appropriation at its next meeting.

In other business, the committee voted to add Town Accountant Katie Lemanski to the group as a formal member.


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Lanesborough Elm Tree Named Largest in State

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — King Elmer is living up to his name, now deemed the largest American Elm in the state.

Jim Neureuther, chair of the Tree and Forrest Committee, happily reported this to the Select Board on Monday.  The Department of Conservation and Recreation released an updated Champion Trees list on May 4 with the town's over 100-foot tall elm at the top.

"It's official, King Elmer is the largest American Elm tree in Massachusetts," Neureuther said.

Located at the corner of Route 7 and Summer St., the king is believed to be over 250 years old and is 107 feet tall with an average canopy spread of 95.5 feet.  It scored 331.88 points with the state based on a 201-inch circumference, which is a 64-inch diameter (5'4 through the middle of the tree.)

King Elmer dethroned the former champion elm in Old Deerfield Village that has been cut down.  In 2019, Neureuther traveled to Franklin County to see it only to find a stump, prompting him to submit the Lanesborough tree's official measurements.

He thought, "Wait a minute, we're moving up the ranks now."

The second-place elm scored 320 points, giving King Elmer a lead in the race barring the loss of a limb.

Earlier this year, the town was notified by the Arbor Day Foundation that it had been recognized as Tree City USA for 2023, a long-held designation.  

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