Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides traveled to Windsor to announces $932,000 grants to 16 culvert projects across the state.The state is investing in culvert repairs to improve ecological conditions and help communities prepare for climate change.
The secretary also met with local officials during her trip to Western Mass, including a roundtable on Friday in Pittsfield.
WINDSOR, Mass. — The town of Windsor has been awarded $165,000 to replace a culvert on the East Branch of the Westfield River. Windsor's grant is largest of 16 awards targeting culvert replacement and river health and totaling $932,000.
Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides announced the grants at an event last week at Windsor State Forest, then visited the sites of two culvert projects in Windsor and Cummington that received grants. Also receiving funds were Clarksburg and Sheffield.
"Deteriorated and undersized culverts can result in road failures during storms, preventing residents from getting to school, work, and medical services. These culverts also prevent fish and wildlife from getting to high-quality habitats, which are critically important as the climate warms," the secretary said. "By helping cities and towns replace culverts, we can help protect our infrastructure, residents and natural resources from the impacts of climate change."
Windsor will replace an undersized and deteriorated culvert on the East Branch with a larger, safer structure that meets road-stream crossing standards. The upper Westfield River and tributaries provide some of the best coldwater and fluvial fish communities in the commonwealth. The new culvert will enable fish and wildlife to access these high-quality habitats. Upgrading this culvert enhances public safety, storm resiliency and ecological conditions. The grant will fund construction work.
Clarksburg received $41,000 to conduct field data collection and analysis, design and engineering, and permitting for a culvert replacement on Bear Swamp Brook. Upgrading the culvert allows coldwater species to access to critical coldwater streams, particularly important as the climate warms and stream temperature increases. The road also serves a primary emergency access route.
Sheffield received $54,000 for final engineering and design and permitting for a culvert replacement on Dry Brook. The current structure results in frequent roadway flooding and repair costs. Upgrading this culvert will improve Sheffield’s infrastructure and storm resilience, reduce maintenance costs, and improve passage for fish and wildlife, including the federally listed bog turtle.
And Cummington got $80,000 to complete design and engineering tasks for the culvert replacement on the North Branch of the Swift River. Upgrading the culvert will enhance public safety, resiliency, and ecological conditions and maintain economic connectivity. The North Branch Swift River is a tributary to the Wild & Scenic Westfield River, a coldwater stream that provides critical habitat for state-listed fish only found in Massachusetts in the upper tributaries of the Westfield River.
"I am grateful to Secretary Theoharides for making this announcement in Windsor and for recognizing the importance of partnership between the state and our small, rural communities," said state Rep. Paul Mark of Peru. "Rural towns often face tough situations and tough choices when it comes to budgeting. Every state investment we are able to help secure goes such a long way towards sustainability and the long term health of our region. This grant will be put to good use and will help improve our environment for natural habitat and nature lovers."
Nearly half of Massachusetts' more than 25,000 small bridges and culverts act as barriers to fish and wildlife because they are undersized or poorly positioned. Undersized culverts can also present a serious risk to public safety. As high intensity rainfall becomes more frequent and severe because of climate change, culvert bottlenecks can cause flood waters to overtop roads, resulting in washouts and road closures. Installing culverts that meet the Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards allows rivers to flow unrestricted and with lower risk of flood damage. Recent studies have found that culverts designed to meet these Standards are often less expensive than in-kind culvert replacements over the lifespan of the structure.
Fourteen of the 16 grants were provided through the Division of Ecological Restoration's Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Grant Program, which helps municipalities replace undersized and deteriorating culverts with crossings that meet improved design standards for fish and wildlife passage, river health, and storm resiliency. Grants to the town of Boxford and Trout Unlimited/town of Chester were procured separately by the DER.
"Every town in Massachusetts is dealing with undersized or failing culverts, which threaten the integrity of our roads and damage sensitive river habitats," said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon. "River restoration through culvert replacement improves water quality, expands habitat for cold water fish and other aquatic life, and enhances fishing opportunities for anglers."
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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