Hinds’ statement on Berkshire Museum
Pittsfield — Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, has released a statement regarding the Berkshire Museum:
“The Berkshire Museum and its programming are incredibly important for our community in Pittsfield, the County, and beyond. As the Museum has navigated its place in a changing economy and in a region blessed with so many world-class museums and cultural attractions, the volunteer Board has undertaken an extensive good faith effort to bolster its positioning.
The Museum has clearly experienced a difficult financial posture for some time. For any institution in this situation, what is required is committed and bold leadership, innovative solutions, community support and compromise.
Ongoing litigation continues to take the Berkshire Museum and the community down a path that will be divisive no matter the outcome.
The temporary injunction allows everyone involved time to consider options. It is an opportunity to bring together a range of stakeholders to ensure the Museum achieves sustainability and a rejuvenated presence while acknowledging the significance of the Museum’s collection to the Berkshires and protecting relations with other cultural institutions, state agencies and the community.
It is my hope we can now use this moment to work together and create a thriving Berkshire Museum. I intend to assist in any way that I can.”
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MassDOT schedules Route 183 bridge closure
Great Barrington — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Highway Division District 1 office has announced that the Route 183 Park Street bridge over the Housatonic River will be temporarily closed Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. until Thursday, Nov. 30, at 6 a.m.
The closure of the bridge is to facilitate the installation of the new concrete beams for the final phase of construction. A traffic management plan has been implemented that includes variable message boards to inform the public. This is the final anticipated closure necessary to complete the project.
The signed detour utilizes routes 7, 102 and 183 in the towns of Great Barrington and Stockbridge. MassDOT advises motorists to seek alternate routes between the Great Barrington/Housatonic District and Stockbridge on Route 183 during these times. The schedule for this work is weather- and emergency-dependent and subject to change without notice.
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Berkshire Flyer working group to hold meeting
Lenox — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will hold a meeting of the Berkshire Flyer working group Monday, Nov. 27, at its Highway District 1 office. The group will discuss the potential for using a New York rail route to establish a seasonal passenger rail service between New York City and the Berkshires. The working group is a result of the Berkshire Flyer Study, which evaluates the potential for using a New York rail route to establish a seasonal passenger rail service between New York City and the Berkshires based on the successful example of the CapeFLYER. For more information, contact project manager Caroline Vanasse at (857) 368-9800.
