Lawsuit would be bad for Winsted

This week’s public announcement that the Winchester Board of Education is threatening to sue the Board of Selectmen for underfunding the school system is yet another example of poor judgment by town and school officials, who have again been reduced to unproductive political squabblers rather than people who are working together to improve the town.The decision by the Board of Education, supported by Chairman Kathleen O’Brien and Superintendent of Schools Blaise Salerno, follows an extended controversy during the 2009-10 school year, in which the school system’s fiscal situation was unclear and selectmen grew increasingly impatient with the school board.Ultimately, the Board of Selectmen called for the resignation of O’Brien and Salerno — a foolish move, considering they had no legal authority to do so. O’Brien and Salerno ignored the selectmen and have since not had a very good relationship with the board.Members of Board of Selectmen also threatened to sue members of the school board last year for money overspent in the 2009-10 budget. Thankfully, such a lawsuit never came to fruition, but the idea has obviously left some feathers ruffled.Skip ahead to this year and, after the school board approved a $21.4 million spending package, selectmen brought out the hatchet, slashing $2.8 million from the proposal, leaving the school system with $18.6 million for the coming year. Members of the school board, crying foul, say the Board of Selectmen is reducing the school budget to less than its state-mandated minimum budget requirement (MBR).So now it is the Board of Education that wants to sue the Board of Selectmen. The Board of Education has yet to specify damages in its lawsuit, which would only cost the town more money while further stifling communications between town boards. While the Board of Selectmen’s cut may may be extreme and even mean-spirited, school board members can take some of the blame for the poor flow of information between the two boards. Almost every time the Board of Selectmen has asked for information about the budget, the school board has dragged its feet, offering incomplete and incorrect information. School board members may have their own reasons for being angry at selectmen, but being angry should not be good enough to file this civil suit.Members of both boards have behaved foolishly in their ongoing blame game, and adding a lawsuit to this volatile mix will only cause more damage to the town. Town and school officials must now make every effort to save themselves the stinging embarrassment and expense that will come with arguing in court.

Latest News

Joseph Robert Meehan

SALISBURY — Joseph Robert Meehan the 2nd,photographer, college professor and nearly 50 year resident of Salisbury, passed away peacefully at Noble Horizon on June 17, 2025. He was 83.

He was the son of Joseph Meehan the 1st and his mother, Anna Burawa of Levittown, New York, and sister Joanne, of Montgomery, New York.

Keep ReadingShow less
Florence Olive Zutter Murphy

STANFORDVILLE, New York — It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Florence Olive Zutter Murphy, who went home to be with the Lord on June 16, 2025, at the age of 99.

She was born in Sharon, Connecticut on Nov. 20, 1925, and was a long time resident of the Dutchess County area.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chore Service hosts annual garden party fundraiser

Chore Service hosted 250 supporters at it’s annual Garden Party fundraiser.

Bob Ellwood

On Saturday, June 21, Mort Klaus, longtime Sharon resident, hosted 250 enthusiastic supporters of Northwest Corner’s beloved nonprofit, Chore Service at his stunning 175-acre property. Chore Service provides essential non-medical support to help older adults and those with disabilities maintain their independence and quality of life in their own homes.

Jane MacLaren, Executive Director, and Dolores Perotti, Board President, personally welcomed arriving attendees. The well-stocked bar and enticing hors d’oeuvres table were popular destinations as the crowd waited for the afternoon’s presentations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bach and beyond
The Berkshire Bach Society (BBS) of Stockbridge will present a concert by cellist Dane Johansen on June 28 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
Provided

The mission statement of the Berkshire Bach Society (BBS) reads: “Our mission is to preserve the cultural legacy of Baroque music for current and future audiences — local, national, and international — by presenting the music of J.S. Bach, his Baroque predecessors, contemporaries, and followers performed by world-class musicians.”

Its mission will once again be fulfilled by presenting a concert featuring Dane Johansen on June 28 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 29 Main Street, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Keep ReadingShow less