NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The inconvenient Jersey barriers jutting out into a section of Beaver Street are being removed after four years.
The cement blocks had been put in place after a mudslide knocked sizable boulders into the road.
"The geologists from the state said they feel it's pretty stable now," Public Services Commissioner Timothy Lescarbeau told the Finance Committee last week. "We're going to have one row up on the curb but the center line will be shifted back."
Four years ago in April, a rainstorm had caused the collapse of the steep hillside just south of the Clarksburg town line. The road, Route 8, runs between the slope and the North Branch of the Hoosic River and is a heavily traveled connector highway to Vermont.
The highway was closed for nearly a week between Bluff Road and the city line while the crews cleaned up the rock and mud debris. The barriers were put in place to shift traffic away from the slope that was considered unstable.
The city had expected to take on the repairs to stabilize the hillside to prevent more debris from falling. The highway, Route 8, through that section falls within the city's scope of responsibility; had it occurred in a few yards away in Clarksburg, the state would have been responsible.
No significant deterioration has happened in the four years since the first slide. Lescarbeau said the barriers will be kept along the curb as a precaution, for now, to keep any falling rocks from tumbling into the road. The lane lines will be shifted back into their original positions.
The barriers have been intrusive because of the placement in the northbound lane but there have caused no incidents. It was not clear when the barriers would be moved.
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Colegrove Park Recognized as Top 10 School Statewide in Attendance
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Superintendent Barbara Malkas, left, Colegrove Principal Amy Meehan, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Dean of Students Jonathan Slocum pose with the Celtics basketball award on Friday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year.
Tim Connor, assistant director for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's west and central district, arrived with a gold basketball signed by the champion team to reward the students for their achievement.
"An award like this doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of work from all of you, the students, the parents, and especially Ms. Meehan and her wonderful staff, so a big round of applause," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey, after leading the assembly in the gym to chants of "Colegrove rocks!" "I am so proud of this school and the community that all of you have built. So everyone should be really excited about today, and this is an excellent way to start your school."
Superintendent Barbara Malkas asked last year's fifth-graders at Colegrove to join her at the front of the gym for a special applause.
"When we track attendance of all the students in the whole district, these students have the highest attendance rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the entire district," Malkas said. "While all Colegrove students have been recognized as attendance all-stars, these students led the way in being attendance all-stars, so let's give them one more round of applause."
Colegrove switched this year to house Grades 3 to 6, so some of the younger students who helped earn the award are now at Brayton Elementary. However, all three elementary schools open last year saw improvement in attendance.
Schools statewide have been working to reduce chronic absenteeism — the percentage of students missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days — which peaked during the pandemic.
Last week, the nonprofit held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a 900-square-foot wooden structure with a full foundation and a composting toilet. The excavation process began this week, and completion is expected in 2026.
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The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year. click for more