The committee is collaborating with the Greenagers on a grant to fund the trail's development.
DALTON, Mass. — The town's Open Space and Recreation Committee is chipping away at its initiative to rejuvenate the Pines Trailhead.
The trailhead, located behind the Senior Center, is a hidden gem in the area that needs to be protected and more people should know about it, committee members said.
"I think we all feel passionate about the environment and just having spaces like that for people to enjoy," committee member Cheryl Rose said.
"And, of course, getting people out in it is another way to protect it because people learn to appreciate it who maybe didn't quite see the value previously. "
When the Open Space and Recreation Committee was established in March 2020, following the update of the open space recreation plan, the committee decided the Pines was the most natural choice for a first project.
The goal of the endeavor is to improve the community's awareness of the trailhead, improve its accessibility, and elevate the property's value as a town-owned open recreational space,
During the development of the project the committee came up with a 10-year forest management plan, so they can be eligible for more grant funding.
The plan is the basis that allows the committee to apply for more money so they can do more forest management projects, Rose said.
Included in the forest management plan is addressing the trailhead's invasive species. They include barberry and honeysuckle, which is a "huge" undertaking to resolve, Rose said.
One of the biggest learning experiences this project has provided was the development of an accessibility trail, committee member Art Sanders said.
The committee would like to create a trail that is more accessible for older residents or those with mobility impairments. This trail would connect to the trailhead, Appalachian Trail and Senior Center, committee Chair Taylor Staubach said.
The Pines already has a connection to the Appalachian Trail on High Street.
The committee has been collaborating with the youth environment community organization Greenagers to apply for a Massachusetts Trails grant.
The grant in the amount of $49,450 would fund the development of the accessibility trail.
"One of the biggest takeaways we had from our meeting with Greenagers was that they vet and collaborate with the local high school," Staubach said.
"So, not only do they use their own trail crew, but they pay and train high school students in the area. So, that's a great opportunity for [Wahconah Regional High School] students."
In addition to developing the collaboration with Greenagers, the committee has also completed other tasks to improve the communities awareness of the trailhead including leading hikes through The Pines on Dalton Day and building a kiosk to house education material.
The committee is also in the process of cutting a new trail because the old one residents had been using for many years belongs to Berkshire Concrete Corp., Rose said.
Even prior to establishing the project some committee members participated in community cleanup days for the trail.
Once the committee was established its members developed a plan for the space based on the objectives and goals set by the open space recreation plan.
The objective in the updated open space recreation plan is to protect the town's "treasured natural resources and parks and [maintain] the scenic beauty of the town."
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Belchertown Stops Pittsfield Post 68
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Belchertown Post 239’s Cooper Beckwith set the tone when he crushed the game’s first pitch to left-center field for a double.
The visitors went on to pound out 14 more hits in a 9-1 win over Pittsfield Post 68 in American Legion Baseball action at Buddy Pellerin Field on Monday night.
Beckwith went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice, and Chase Earle went five innings on the mound without allowing an earned run as Post 239 improved to 15-0 this summer and completed a regular-season sweep of Post 68 (12-4).
“He’s a good pitcher,” Post 68 coach Rick Amuso said. “Good velo[city], kept the ball down. We didn’t respond.”
Pittsfield did manage to scratch out a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, when it already trailed, 7-0.
Nick Brindle reached on an error to start the inning. He moved up on a single by Jack Reed (2-for-2) and scored on a single to left by Cam Zerbato.
That was half the hits allowed by Earle, who struck out three before giving the ball to Alex West, who gave up a leadoff walk in the sixth and retired the next six batters he faced.
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The $25,000 raised will directly assist the Berkshire Humane Society in funding its various programs aimed at improving the lives of animals in need throughout the Berkshire County area. click for more
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On Thursday, the commission issued 36 conditions for the city project that include a new boardwalk, access stairs, paring improvements, seasonal docks, and a new swimming beach on the park’s two properties at 1447 North St. and 40 Hancock Rd. click for more