Bishop West Realtor Achieves National Recognition

ADAMS, Mass. — Cheryl Ryan with Bishop West Real Estate has been awarded the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) designation by the Real Estate Buyers Agent Council (REBAC) of the National Association Of Realtors (NAR).

Cheryl Ryan joins more than 25,000 real estate professionals across the globe who have earned the ABR designation. All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty, both in addition to submitting documentation verifying professional experience.

REBAC, founded in 1988, is the world's largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer. The National Association Of Realtors "The Voice for Real Estate," is the world's largest professional association, representing over 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the real estate industry.

Cheshire Rejects Override, Votes Reduced School Budget

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:32AM / Tuesday, August 13, 2024

The decision to vote on the budget by secret ballot on Monday night was overwhelming. An override to fund the school budget failed in Monday's election. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — Voters on Monday rejected a Proposition 2 1/2 override and passed a motion that would level fund the town's fiscal 2025 school assessment.

 

They also voted down a debt exclusion to purchase a $67,000 police cruiser 228-267, but approved an exclusion for an $850,000 fire truck 296-200. An article to separate the positions of town tax collector and treasurer failed 230-261.

 

All four questions had passed at the annual town meeting.

 

Question 1 on the warrant would have added $150,534 to the town's levy limit to cover the town's $3 million portion of the $23 million Hoosac Valley Regional School budget.

 

The question failed 141-355. At the special town meeting following the vote, Selectmen Chair Shawn McGrath motioned to level fund the assessment at $2,948,462, the same assessment as last year, and that passed 47-20 on a secret ballot.

 

The failure of the school budget means the School Committee has the choice to make cuts or resubmit its budget to a districtwide vote. The budget passed in Adams, the other town in the two-town school district.

 

Hoosac Valley's Business Manager Erika Snyder said the school district will request a meeting of all voters in the school district, which would decide the budget by majority vote.