Otis News

It's 22,000 acres that answers to many names, but for Ray Bortz of North Falmouth it will always be Otis.

Susan Burt is the incoming principal at Robert T. Capeless Elementary School. She will take over for Mary Ellen Trumbull, one of several administrators to leave the school system recently.

For Miriam Foster of New York City, graduating from Williams College with a bachelor's degree in art on Sunday was surreal.

After approving three Proposition 2 1/2 tax override measures totaling $256,000 last year, Otis faces a more cost conscious budget for the new fiscal year starting July 1. Town meeting voters on Tuesday night will be asked to approve nearly $4.3 million in expenditures for fiscal 2010, that will not "significantly increase" property tax bills ...

The Transcript, Banner and Eagle's parent company MediaNews Group is looking at charging readers for online content.

The wind turbines on Jiminy Peak and Brodie Mountain may soon have company in Western Massachusetts.

A controlled brush fire got out of hand Friday afternoon and sparked a forest fire in a swath of woods north of Center Pond, forcing more than 100 firefighters from 10 towns to battle the blaze for 10 hours.

Chester Harding , Daniel Webster, ca. 1828-30; 1849-51. Collection of the Boston Athenaeum.

The winter ice storm that struck parts of the state and did considerable damage in the Berkshire hill towns of Otis and Becket exposed the failure of utility companies to prepare adequately for weather events so they could quickly address major power failures.

James Murphy of Asplundh Tree Expert Co. trims a hazard on Tyringham Road in Lee on Thursday.

As the local maple sap harvest comes to a close, syrup producers expect an average production year, but are worried profits will drop due to lost trees and increased labor stemming from last December's ice storm.

A fledgling veterans organization in South County is seeking members and a building that will serve the group and community at large.

The Southern Berkshire Elderly Transportation Corp. is looking to increase awareness among member towns about the importance of their services for elderly and disabled citizens in South County.

The latest winter storm to hit the Berkshires led to another snow day for most schools and created hazardous driving conditions - and also postponed a visit by former Vermont Gov.

Yet another Sunday snowstorm in the Berkshires, but this one was dumping most of its snow north of Pittsfield and the hilltowns along the eastern slopes of the county, causing numerous motor vehicle accidents, ...

The state and the Massachusetts Audubon Society have closed a $1.6 million deal to protect land along scenic Upper Spectacle Pond.

The roads are clear and the power is restored, but one aftershock from December's devastating ice storm has yet to be felt - as much as 50 percent of Berkshire County's maple syrup industry could be damaged.

By SUZANNE McLAUGHLIN smclaughlin@repub.com OTIS - Keep us informed. That was what state officials were told to do the next time the Western Mass.

When the town's Cultural Council visited the State House last March, members were awed by the nearly 300 flags lining the walls and representing the state's various cities and towns.

Town officials are considering suspending their elderly transportation service, due to declining use and a tightening budget.