Residents filled the meeting room at the Sharon Town Hall on Friday, April 26, for the annual Board of Finance public hearing on the FY25 budgets proposed by the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education.
SHARON — A well-attended public hearing convened by the Board of Finance on Friday, April 26, heard residents’ comments on the 2024-25 budgets proposed by the Board of Education and the Board of Selectmen. Barbara Prindle served as moderator for the hearing.
Following the public hearing, the finance board met to discuss the questions raised by residents and voted unanimously that the budgets would proceed on to town vote at the annual Town Meeting scheduled for Friday, May 10, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Reviewing the Board of Education proposed budget at the hearing was education board chairman Doug Cahill who said that his board continues to review expenses on an ongoing basis.
“This budget is the lowest we can present to the town,” Cahill said, noting that for the first time, capital expenditures are not included in the education budget, having been moved to the town budget.
The Board of Education budget for the coming year totals $4,328,390, a decrease of $185,937 (4.12%) from the current year, partially realized by the removal of capital expenditures. 106 students in Pre-K through Grade 8 are currently enrolled at Sharon Center School, Cahill noted.
The Board of Selectmen’s budget was presented by First Selectman Casey Flanagan.
“The selectmen devoted many hours going over each line to determine a budget that was fair to the town and to the employees,” Flanagan said.
The Board of Selectmen budget for the coming year totals $4,969,207, an increase of $262,630 (5.58%) over the current year, after expected revenues are included.
Residents’ questions sought clarification of line-item increases, including the ongoing tree removal program targeting hazardous and diseased trees, supported by state funding.
“Every time the wind blows, there are trees down, and if wires are involved, fires,” Flanagan said. “My hope is that we can get on top of this in a few years,” he added.
Considering the Hotchkiss Library’s request for increased funding, the board noted that the library had asked for $150,000 but received $118,500.
Flanagan reported it was the selectmen’s feeling that the initial request was high, although he acknowledged the important role of the library in the community. He added that the selectmen felt that a steady rate of increase, perhaps 10% annually, over the coming years would be a better option.
In other action, the Board of Finance approved the capital expenditure plans for both boards to be voted on at the annual town meeting.
Approximately 1,100 living history soldiers participated in the 250th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill in Gloucester, Massachusetts, June 21 and 22. Warren Stevens, of Cornwall, at right, was among the militiamen. Stevens reports he stayed in the military encampment with more than “500 tents, cannons and five schooners and period authentic longboats used to land the British Army.” He added, “It was truly a once in a lifetime experience... We get to feel a part of what the heroes who made this country went through. It is in their honor and memory that we do this and I am proud to be a part of it.”
Cornwall Village Green was filled with festivity Sunday, July 13, when July Fest returned. Live music by The Joint Chiefs, food and ice cream from popular food trucks, a traveling book bus and games and activities geared toward children provided fun for all. The event was organized by Cornwall Park and Recreation. To see the video report, visit @lakevillejournal on Instagram.
Tom Brown
Jonathan “Jonny G.” Grusauskas performed on the lawn of the David M. Hunt Library Friday, July 11. Maria Rose and Eli Sher assisted in the show.
FALLS VILLAGE — “It’s like a mini Tanglewood,” said director of the David M. Hunt Library Meg Sher as families were arriving to the library lawn with their dinner and drinks on picnic blankets to hear Jonathan Grusauskas, or Jonny G., perform on Friday evening, July 11.
Jonny G. was born and raised in Falls Village and has been playing music for 27 years, since he was in 5th grade, and is a part of a band called lespecial.
He is the founder and owner of the Music Cellar in Millerton, New York, which is a music school offering lessons for all ages, skill levels, and many instruments. It is also a rehearsal and recording space.
The songs Jonny G. performed spanned decades and genres, from Simon and Garfunkel to Rufus Wainwright to Billie Eilish. He even played “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “Amish Paradise,” a parody of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” He also brought on a couple guests to perform with him; his sister Maria Rose sang with him for a few songs, and Eli Sher, age 10, played the bass drum on Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.”
Towards the end of the show, Jonny took a request from the crowd. Someone yelled out, “play a kid’s song!” Without a second thought he started playing “Baby Shark” and, like clockwork, the kids came flocking back from playing on the lawn.
The performance was a part of the Hunt Library and the Falls Village Recreation Committee’s summer concert series. The free event was complete with children running around in the grass, pets roaming the crowd and the serene backdrop of Falls Village at golden hour.
SHARON — At its June 9 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission decided to delay its verdict on the controversial proposed housing development by the applicant known as Gold Dog LLC, however several members indicated preliminary approval of the project.
The plans propose 24 condo units in the currently forested land behind the Sharon Hospital Medical Arts Buildings which would sit in close proximity to several residences on Hospital Hill Road.
The decision to postpone was based on anticipated but not yet arrived information from the town’s third-party engineer regarding the proposal’s stormwater runoff plans and several other technical details. Chair Laurance Rand said P&Z could not issue a decision until receiving that report, which other commissioners agreed with.
Several members took the opportunity to share their thoughts on the application at the current stage, for which the public hearing closed last month after three contentious sessions that saw fierce pushback from neighbors of the proposed development.
P&Z Secretary Stanley MacMillan Jr. voiced that he felt the application demonstrated compliance with the zoning regulations of the area and that diversified housing options would be beneficial to the town. He felt the development would suit “older people who are looking downsize” or “younger people who are just getting started.”
Vice Chair Betsy Hall said the town has an obligation to follow its Plan of Conservation and Development, which calls for increased and varied housing options as well as the preservation of open space. She said cluster housing models, such as Gold Dog’s application proposes, are one way to achieve this balance.
“This project will preserve quite a bit of that lot as open space,” she said, indicating that an alternative single-family housing model would have a much larger footprint.
She stipulated it would be essential to protect the privacy of neighbors via fencing and landscaping if the project moves forward.
The Commission will take up the discussion again at its Aug. 13 meeting, when it will have to render a decision due to the expiration of its statutorily defined deliberation window. That period officially ends on Aug. 15.
