Letter: Vote Yes for New Greylock

To the Editor:

Following years of hard work by the North Adams School Building Committee, voters in North Adams will decide on Oct. 8 whether to vote "Yes" and have the city move further forward into the 21st century by building a new state-of-the-art Greylock Elementary School, or to vote "No" and keep using the aging and deteriorating Brayton Elementary School.

The state has agreed to fund 80 percent of the project's $65 million cost by ponying up $42.2 million. The federal government will kick in another $3.6 million for energy incentives, leaving North Adams' share at just under $20 million. A YES vote means we get a brand-new school which will be designed to last at least 50 years. It will have brand-new everything (under warranty) saving money in maintenance costs

A No vote means our students will be educated in Brayton School which is already over 30 years old and in need of major renovations including the roof, outdated electrical systems and a need for a new boiler among other issues. Some of the classrooms will be in the subterranean level which is subject to ongoing mold and mildew issues. That school also has no sprinkler system in case of fire.

The costs to keep maintaining Brayton are estimated at $45 million, about the same amount the state and federal government are willing to give us for a brand-new school. Those estimates are likely to increase if maintenance is done on a project-by-project basis over time because costs increase over time. To me, it's a no-brainer. Either we spend $45 million, if not more, to keep Brayton going or we take that same amount from the state and federal government and put it towards a new school.

Those of us who have lived here most of our lives have often felt we're ignored by Boston because we don't get the state aid for things we want to accomplish. Now it's being offered and all we have to do is say Yes.

Join me on Oct. 8 by voting Yes for a new Greylock School. Remember, we can't expect anyone to invest in us unless we first invest in ourselves.

Paul J. Moriarty
North Adams, Mass. 

Blue Vista Motor Lodge Brings Hospitality & View to Guests

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:47AM / Monday, April 21, 2025

Among the upgrades at the renovated lodge is a sauna to refresh after a day of skiing and hiking. 

FLORIDA, Mass. — The Blue Vista Motor Lodge is still bringing hospitality to the town of Florida — even 100 years, many owners, names, and renovations later.

 

"When we were working on renovation plans, we found a postcard online from 1923 from the Whitcomb Summit Motor Lodge so that's kind of exciting that for over 100 years, people have been coming here and I think you can see why," owner Stella Downie said.

 

It all started with a small shack on Whitcomb Summit offering souvenirs and drinks that opened up with the highway in 1914. With growing popularity along the scenic byway, small cottages were built for motorists to stay on the Mohawk Trail's highest point.  

Unfortunately, in 1938, the store and a restaurant burned and the cottages started to get run down. In the 1960s, the cottages were replaced with the current building, named Whitcomb Summit Lodge. 

 

There were attempts to rejuvenate the summit for tourism over the preceding decades that fell by the wayside — from campgrounds and timeshares to fine dining and condominiums.

 

Downie purchased the building in December 2021, renovated the lodge in 2022 with a soft opening that fall, and officially opened in early 2023.

 

"We really wanted to clean it up and make it a beautiful place again for people to come and visit and really highlight the views," she said.

 

When Downie took over the property, she said it needed fixes and moving around. She took down all of the bordering dilapidated buildings that had long been abandoned, including the shuttered restaurant, to enhance the grounds.