I have been Zooming Select Board meetings, a convenient way to keep up on our Town for this old lady who doesn't like to go out in the winter.

I get a lot of answers just by listening and learning what concerns are bothering my fellow citizens. I have also learned that people say they want transparency but usually pick and choose what they want to believe.

I guess I have been guilty of this, too, like believing there was no solution for fixing the electrical problem with our "old" ambulance. I was surprised to find out at a meeting on January 12 that we now have two licensed rigs running with a new staff of volunteers to ride them. I want to thank the guys in town (you know who you are) who always knew what the problem was and they were persistent in fixing it. Having two rigs running in Town not only keeps us safer but financially able to pay for both.

Why we are paying a nonprofit (SFDI) for a building that our donations built is really hard for me to understand. I'm also trying to understand why the new board of directors and members of SFDI, who are also taxpayers, think it is OK to charge their fellow taxpayers. If it didn't take up valuable time of our town employees who have already worked countless hours on business related to SFDI, I would ask for a detailed report on how much money we as taxpayers have paid so far to settle the SFDI case. The good news is, our Select Board followed through with the Town's vote at the STM and the Town will own the building.

At this same January Select Board meeting, our town clerk gave a report of his duties and his assistant's duties. There also was an "independent journalist" present asking for a lot of Town records because he claims he's working on an article about Sandisfield that he hopes will be printed in the Boston Globe. Can't wait for the article.

There was also a very interesting update on the Knox Trail, and the Town was presented a plaque.

However, the best news in town is that we have lower taxes, two running ambulances, more volunteers who are there for us, a food bank to help someone in need, and Selectmen and board members who work together for the betterment of our Town.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions, but moving forward in a positive way in 2026 is the only way to go. Happy New Year and cheers to our Town.

Subjects should be of interest to most of us and have a strong link to Sandisfield, written by and for Town residents. Address either PO Box 584, Sandisfield, or email.