Mohawk State Park Closed for Camping This Year

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CHARLEMONT, Mass. — The campground at Mohawk Trail State Forest will be closed for the summer season because of a water main break. 
 
Campers who had reservations for the summer season have been informed of the closure and have been fully refunded.
 
The campground offers 47 wooded sites and three accessible cabins that sleep three to five people. 
 
The work at Mohawk is an $800,000 investment that includes installing, connecting and testing a new well and waterlines, repaving the road on the property, replacing building roofs, and making repairs to the Civilian Conservation Corps-era cabins. 
 
"Mohawk is one of a few state campgrounds that runs on a year-round schedule and is open for both summer and winter camping, making it difficult to complete substantial repairs ahead of each camping season," said DCR spokesperson Ilyse Wolberg. "We anticipate the work to be completed within 10 weeks with the goal of reopening for the winter camping season in November."
 
A Facebook post late Monday stated "the rumors are true. ... No cabins, no tents, no RVs."
 
According to the post, which is not affiliated with DCR, the plumbing system took "a major hit" back in 2011 from Hurricane Irene. 
 
"The shoe we knew would eventually drop has dropped: our water main is broken and in need of a total overhaul," according to the post. "This comes as a huge hit both to the park and to the hundreds of families who have been using Mohawk Trail every summer for decades, even generations."
 
While the campground on the Cold River will be closed, the day-use areas will be open including the picnic sites and the park will be fully staffed. The park is planning some new interpretive programs and the Nature Center at the forest entrance is open Thursday through Monday. These are free and open to the public. More information here.
 
 
 

Tags: DCR,   state parks,   

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North Adams Disability Commission Gets Funding, Grant Abilities

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday accepted two sections of state law that will allow the Commission on Disabilities to apply for grants and use handicapped-parking fees. 
 
The adoptions were brought forward by City Councilor Ashley Shade in cooperation with Mayor Jennifer Macksey and the commission. 
 
"The section 8J will allow the Disabilities Commission and the city to be eligible for grants and funding through the state to improve disability access and for projects that would affect people with disabilities in our community," said Shade. "The adoption of 20G would reserve funding from handicap parking fines to be directed to specifically be spent under the jurisdiction of the commission for people with disabilities. ...
 
"This is Disabilities Pride Month so it's very fitting that we take these measures this month and work to continue improving access."
 
The measures are MGL Title VII, Chapter 40, Sections 22G and 8J. 
 
"We're very excited to support this," said the mayor. "We were quite surprised when we started digging in about what was accepted and what hasn't been formally accepted. I really just wanted to applaud the work of the Disability Commission, many of the members who are here tonight. They're an active group and are really working on the betterment of individuals with disabilities in our community."
 
Macksey said the adoption will allow for fines incurred for handicapped parking spaces to be set aside in a reserve account for use by the commission. The amounts are small — ranging from $900 to $1,500 annually the past three years — so should not have a huge impact on local receipts, she said. 
 
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