Category: Government

The Hill Country Observer covers local leaders, elections and elected officials, town and city councils bodies including libraries, schools, planning and other town boards, and all kinds of conversations and decisions that matter to our communities.

  • Issue:

    State pesticide-reporting effort lags

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    New York program, adopted with fanfare, yields old, opaque data By TRACY FRISCHContributing writer   Twenty years ago, a coalition of breast-cancer activists, environmentalists and others celebrated a hard-fought victory when New York agreed to set up a statewide system for tracking the sale and use of pesticides. When the legislation was signed into law read more

    State pesticide-reporting effort lags
  • Issue:

    Vermont sees evidence of tainted water

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    Concern grows along with list of towns contaminated by PFOA By EVAN LAWRENCEContributing writer NORTH BENNINGTON, Vt. Relying on bottled water for drinking and cooking is a new and unwelcome experience for Jim Sullivan. Like the rest of his neighbors on a small street at the southeastern edge of North Bennington, Sullivan gets his water read more

    Vermont sees evidence of tainted water
  • Issue:

    In Vt. schools, a merger mandate rankles

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    Critics say choice, local control at risk in push to cut costs By C.B. HALLContributing writer ARLINGTON, Vt.   To comply with the requirements of Act 46, Vermont’s new school-district consolidation law, the Arlington district has been discussing such options as a merger with three similar districts — Poultney, Proctor and West Rutland — that read more

    In Vt. schools, a merger mandate rankles
  • Issue:

    Village in crisis over tainted water

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    In Hoosick Falls, contamination finding prompts fear, anger By EVAN LAWRENCEContributing writer HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. For more than a year, some local citizens had been warning about the presence of a toxic chemical they’d found in samples collected from the Hoosick Falls water system, but state and local officials insisted the water was safe. Then read more

    Village in crisis over tainted water
  • Issue:

    In Mass., a hot debate over saving bees

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    Farm lobby’s plan prompts pushback from beekeepers By TRACY FRISCHContributing writer   Beekeepers in Massachusetts have been organizing in recent months to challenge regulatory and legislative proposals they say would not do enough to protect bees from pesticides — and might actually put them in greater jeopardy. The changes are aimed at curbing recent mass read more

    In Mass., a hot debate over saving bees
  • Issue:

    Foam-free zone expands to Pittsfield

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    By EVAN LAWRENCEContributing writer PITTSFIELD, Mass.   Polystyrene foam cups like these will be prohibited in Pittsfield, Mass., beginning in July under a local law adopted in October. The city joins Great Barrington, Williamstown and six other Massachusetts towns in restricting the use of foam coffee cups and clamshell takeout containers. Susan Sabino photo There read more

    Foam-free zone expands to Pittsfield
  • Issue:

    Election 2015: Final tallies from Mass. and N.Y.

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    Here are the results from major local races in the Nov. 3 general elections in New York and Massachusetts. A short summary follows the vote tallies from each county.   MASSACHUSETTS BERKSHIRE COUNTY   North Adams mayor* Richard Alcombright ………………….. 2,430 (54.2%)John Barrett III ……………………………… 2,054 (45.8%)   Pittsfield mayor* Daniel Bianchi …………………………… 4,502 (40.3%)Linda read more

    Election 2015: Final tallies from Mass. and N.Y.
  • Issue:

    Fracked gas for New England?

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    In debate over new pipeline, clashing visions of region’s energy future By EVAN LAWRENCEContributing writer   Members of the group Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline protest outside a compressor station for a natural gas pipeline in Malden Bridge, N.Y. The same company that owns that pipeline is proposing another, larger one that would cross Rensselaer read more

    Fracked gas for New England?
  • Issue:

    Will money change votes?

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    In Saratoga, a new political group raises cash — and draws criticism By THOMAS DIMOPOULOSContributing writer SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.   Control of the city government in Saratoga Springs is at stake in the Nov. 3 election, with contested races for four of five City Council seats. Thomas Dimopoulos photo A fund-raiser in late June at read more

    Will money change votes?
  • Issue:

    Two mayors face uphill races in the Berkshires

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    Mayoral races top ballot in Mass., N.Y. By FRED DALEY Editor The mayors of Pittsfield and North Adams both appear to face uphill climbs for re-election on Nov. 3 after they each posted distant second-place finishes in preliminary elections held last month. The two races in the Berkshires, along with mayoral races in Hudson and read more

    Two mayors face uphill races in the Berkshires