Drury Grad Killed in Florida Crash

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A Drury High School graduate was killed in a motor vehicle crash over the weekend in the state of Florida. 
 
Alison Felix, of Stamford, Vt., was a 2020 graduate of the high school and graduated this year from the University of Connecticut. She played basketball and soccer at Drury.
 
According to a message to the school community from North Adams' Superintendent of Schools Barbara Malkas, the district was notified that she was "tragically killed in a car collision while driving on the interstate in Florida."
 
It is not confirmed when or exactly where the accident occurred but NBC Miami Channel 6 reported a multivehicle crash on I-95 in Broward County late Saturday night in which two women were killed and four others injured. Two cars were stopped after a minor fender-bender when a third car rammed into them.
 
"She was an active, well-known, and admired student during her high school days, and leaves her sister, a current Drury senior, and many staff and friends who are shocked and saddened by her loss," Malkas wrote. "North Adams Public Schools mourns this young woman and wants to acknowledge this loss for her family and the community members who are impacted."
 
She also referred to the recent shooting incident at a school in Wisconsin in saying the school community would be provided information on mental health support resources as well as emergency operating procedures. 
 
"No parent ever wants to receive the message that something terrible has happened to their child. During the holiday season, it seems to be even more of an injury to the soul as we are bombarded with images of family unity," Malkas wrote. "Yesterday was defined by both a loss to our local community, as well as the news of another tragic school shooting, this time in Madison, Wisc."
 

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Blue Vista Motor Lodge Brings Hospitality & View to Guests

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

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. 
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