Swift delivers funding for Adams visitor's center

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Governor Jane Swift on Thursday announced more than $4.8 million in grants for project in the Town of Adams, part of a comprehensive economic development strategy for the North Berkshire community. The grants will be funded through MassDevelopment, MassHighway and the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction. "The funds we are presenting today will help to draw businesses to Adams and will make the town a more attractive place to live and work," Swift said. "I am proud of the creative public-private partnership that has been organized by MassDevelopment that includes the Executive Office of Transportation, MassHighway and the Department of Environmental Management as well as local officials and area citizens." Funds for visitor's center Swift announced a $2.5 million grant from MassHighway to the Town of Adams for the construction of the "Discover Your Berkshires, Adams Visitor Center," which will be designed and constructed by MassDevelopment. The visitor's center is expected to help Adams tap into the tourism and recreation industry in Northern Berkshire County and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2003. Swift also presented a $2.3 million grant provide by the MassHighway for Phase II of the Ashuwillticook Trail, the county's first off-road bike trail. Once completed, the trail will stretch for 10.8 miles, from the Pittsfield/Lanesborough line into downtown Adams. The project includes the rehabilitation of five railroad bridges along the former Boston-Albany rail bed. Phase I of the construction was completed in August of 2001 with the opening of the first 5.2 miles of the trail. "These two projects will bolster both the tourism industry and the quality of life in Western Massachusetts," said acting transportation secretary James Scanlan. "This is a great example of how the state can lend a hand to local priorities that help fuel economic development." North county tourism The visitors' center and bicycle trail are designed to bring people into downtown Adams to access attractions and activities on Mt. Greylock including hiking, cross-country skiing and bicycle trails. A pending agreement between the department of environmental management and MassDevelopment will also provide for the development of an environmental management and MassDevelopment will also provide for the development of an environmental education center at Greylock Glen. Collectively, these projects will reinforce Adams as a destination for outdoor recreation, environmental education and sustainable community development. "By highlighting the resources of Berkshire County with a new visit's center and a top-notch rail trail, the Swift Administration is continuing to make Berkshire County a premiere tourist destination," said MassHighway acting commissioner John Cogliano. Susan B. Anthony birthplace restoration In addition to these grants, Swift presented $25,000 from MassDevelopment, the state's quasi-public economic development authority, to the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace to fund a historic structures report. This will be a critical first step in the restoration of a historic property that commemorates an important turning point in the struggle for women's suffrage. Swift also discussed the importance of a $25,000 grant, also from MassDevelopment, to the Adams Technology Center. This predevelopment assistance grant, awarded in the fall of 2001, is being used to assess the feasibility and assists in the marketing of a high tech center in Adams. The center is expected to attract a variety of entrepreneurial companies and encourage private investment. In this period of fiscal uncertainty and challenging economy, the investments made this past year in the future of Adams and the Berkshire will create many needed jobs for citizens of these economically targeted areas," said Michael P. Hogan, chief executive officer of MassDevelopment. In June 2001, Swift pledged her commitment to ensuring that Adams received the necessary support and resources from a variety of agencies to assist in its revitalization efforts. MassDevelopment, in partnership with the town, has made significant strides in advancing the economic revitalization plan following grants launched last September. Since that time, environmental contamination has been removed, hazardous, designs have been finalized, construction has been planned and the private sector is once again investing in Adams.
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Hundreds Still Without Power in North County, Stamford


A new pole is in place for a transformer on Main Road in Stamford. 

Update: The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has issued another severe thunderstorm watch until 8 p.m. for Berkshire County, eastern New York and Southern Vermont. 

STAMFORD, Vt. — Nearly 18 hours after severe thunderstorms pummeled the region, hundreds of customers are without power. 

 
The latest update estimates is that power will be back on at 2 p.m. in North Berkshire. Green Mountain Power's outage map could not provide an estimate on power restoration.  
 
Many residents woke up to the sounds of chainsaws and generators on Wednesday morning as clean up from the storm continued.
 
Stamford was hit hard with trees blocking roads and broken utility poles. Some 499 customers in Stamford and Readsboro were without power.
 
A post from Stamford's emergency management director said conditions in North Berkshire were delaying power re-energizing in the Vermont town because it's sourced from National Grid in Massachusetts. 
 
More than 800 customers were without power in Williamstown, Mass., as noon approached. Tree and lines down along Main Street had taken hours for National Grid crews to address and hampered their ability to aid smaller outages in nearby communities. 
 
Williamstown Police posted on Facebook that because of the extensive damage to the electrical supply lines to town, parts of Williamstown may not see power until later tonight or possibly tomorrow.
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