Saturday, September 19, 2026

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

Ed Abrahams and Pedro Pachano

Ed Abrahams is a fundraising and management consultant working in New York City for 20 years before moving to Great Barrington 20 years ago. He is vice-chair of the Great Barrington Selectboard, president of the Friends of the GB Libraries, co-chair of the Downtown Great Barrington Cultural District, a cemetery commissioner, a member of the school council of Muddy Brook Regional Elementary School and Monument Valley Regional Middle School, a member of the Great Barrington Economic Development Committee and a former member of the Board of Library Trustees where he served as chair for three years. Ed has served and continues to serve on the boards and advisory boards of many nonprofit organizations. Pedro Pachano attended Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation where he received a Masters in Architecture. He has subsequently worked for New York based Acconci Studio, Eisenman Architects, Diller, Scofidio and Renfro and FXFowle Architects (now FX Collaborative). In 2007 he founded Pachano & Vollert Architects with partner Amparo Vollert with whom he has designed and completed architectural projects in New York, Miami, San Francisco and Bogotá, Colombia. Pachano & Vollert Architecture continues to develop ideas about architecture and urbanism while engaging in innovative energy efficiency and reduction strategies which encompass century old passive traditions to new cutting edge technologies. Since 2016 Pedro has served on both Great Barrington’s Design Advisory Committee and Planning Board. Pedro has taught Architecture at Columbia University, The Cooper Union, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Institute of Technology; is a licensed architect in New York, Massachusetts, Florida; and is NCARB Certified.

written articles

It’s Not That Simple: Strategic sustainability and livability

“Talking about climate change as a fact or not a fact is a tremendous distraction from what is happening. I’ve stopped using the word ‘change’ and started using ‘crisis’ because that’s more accurate.” -- Jovanina Pagano

It’s Not That Simple:  Be Counted, It IS That Simple

State funding also uses federal census numbers to allocate grants. So having an accurate count of our town’s population is crucial to having programs adequately funded.

It’s Not That Simple: Affordable Housing, Part 2

Forty years ago a full-time job would provide enough to pay for housing. Now someone can be working full-time or even more and still not be able to afford a place to live.

It’s Not That Simple: Who needs affordable housing? We do.

If the solutions were easy, there wouldn’t be problems. This column is a companion to the WSBS-AM radio show, “It’s Not That Simple.”  (Listen...

It’s Not That Simple: Food doesn’t grow in grocery stores

We thought at the beginning of a new year, we should give thanks for the food we eat, and acknowledge the hard work it takes to produce that food.

It’s Not That Simple: Pot money, zoning, town property

Our intent with this column and the radio broadcast is to describe the issues and how they do or do not get solved so that we, all voters and taxpayers, can be part of the process. So please, keep the comments coming.

It’s Not That Simple: Reader questions

To be clear, the town doesn’t recruit specific industries to town. Rather, it attempts to create the right business and development environment in which businesses can start and prosper.

It’s Not That Simple: What’s in a name?

When boards are making decisions about what “we” want, the first “we” they have to think about is Town Meeting.

IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE: Thank you for your service. It IS that simple

We invited two local veterans from different generations of service to help us explore the human experience, not necessarily of combat, but of the act of service itself, the differences between the “society” of the military and that of civilian life.

It’s Not That Simple: Nobody goes downtown anymore; it’s too crowded

If the solutions were easy, there wouldn’t be problems. This column is a companion to the WSBS-AM radio show, “It’s Not That Simple.”  (Listen...

It’s Not That Simple: What’s happening with the Clinton Church Restoration?

The completion of Clinton Church Restoration will help tell the largely unknown story of African Americans in the Berkshires.

It’s Not That Simple: Coming apart at the seams?

Why are our bridges failing? Whose fault is it and why is nothing done until it’s too late? Not surprisingly, part of the problem is money. It costs $4-5 million to replace a bridge so it isn’t something the town takes lightly.

IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE: Who runs this town?

Every decision that every board makes is made at an open meeting that any citizen may attend. Every meeting of every board includes an opportunity for any citizen to speak.

IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE: Economic Development, Part 2

“Economic development requires taking the long view on progress and having a broad understanding of the elements that contribute. In other words: patience and perspective. Neither of these is simple.” -- Laura Brennan, Senior Planner for Community & Economic Development at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC)

IT’S NOT SO SIMPLE: Economic development — Is your dream my nightmare?*

What type of economic development does not bring with it some aspect that some of us find unpalatable? How much are we willing to put up with in order to improve economic opportunities for ourselves and others.

It’s Not That Simple: Can Annual Town Meeting be improved?

Town Moderator Michael Wise will organize a forum this fall to discuss the Annual Town Meeting format, to seek ideas and consider changes, or possibly to just leave it alone. Please stay tuned to the program for a date.
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