South County Road Maintenance

LEE, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing crews will be conducting daytime and overnight hour guardrail repair, drainage work, bridge repair, and tree trimming operations at various locations and times on I-90 eastbound and westbound during the week of Monday, May 20.

Lane closures will be in place during the construction operations and traffic will be able to travel through the work zones.  The schedule for the work and lane closures will be as follows: 

Otis/Blandford 

• Guardrail and drainage work will be conducted on I-90 westbound between mile marker 22.0 to 26.6 from Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the next morning. The work is expected to conclude by 5:00 a.m. on Friday, May 24.

Otis

• Bridge repair operations will be conducted nightly on I-90 eastbound and westbound at mile marker 22.5, from Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the next morning. The work is expected to conclude by 5:00 a.m. on Friday, May 24.

Blandford

• Bridge repair operations will be conducted nightly on I-90 eastbound and westbound at mile marker 26.4 from Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the next morning. The work is expected to conclude by 5:00 a.m. on Friday, May 24.

Russell

• Tree trimming work will be conducted daily on I-90 westbound between mile marker 30.0 to mile marker 31.0, from Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. 

Stockbridge/West Stockbridge

• Guardrail and bridge repair work will be conducted nightly on I-90 eastbound and westbound from mile marker 3.0 to 6.0, from Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the next morning. The work is expected to conclude by 5:00 a.m. on Friday, May 24.

Stockbridge

• Bridge repair operations will be conducted daily on I-90 eastbound and westbound at mile marker 7.5, from Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.

West Stockbridge

• Bridge repair operations will be conducted daily on I-90 eastbound and westbound at mile marker 0.6, from Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.

Lee

• Drainage work will be conducted nightly on I-90 eastbound and westbound from mile marker 8.0 to 14.0, on Monday, May 20, through Thursday, May 23, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the next morning. The work is expected to conclude by 5:00 a.m. on Friday, May 24.

Appropriate signage, law enforcement details, and messaging will be in place to guide drivers through the work area. 

Drivers traveling through the affected areas should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution.  

All scheduled work is weather dependent and subject to change without notice. 

Monument Mountain Class of 2024 Told to Be Best Versions of Themselves

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
07:53PM / Sunday, June 02, 2024

Valedictorian Ariel Caine takes a moment before giving their speech on Sunday. Right, salutatorian Madeleine Rocheleau-Holmes looked to her eighth-grade speech for inspiration. See more photos here. 

LENOX, Mass. — Valedictorian Ariel "Ari" Caine struggled to come up with a speech for Monument Mountain Regional High School's class of 2024.  

 

They tried to spin a mystery with the crime as the "death of empathy" especially through the use of social media. But Caine said they didn't believe we are losing our humanity and that teenagers have been more than successful at resisting this pull than they are getting credit for.

 

"Talking about compassion and growth is nothing new for a graduation speech. And as I figured out that that was what I wanted to talk about, I'd made peace with that," they told the 104 graduates at Tanglewood on Sunday afternoon. "You've heard this message a million times and yet there has to be a reason why people still talk about it."

 

Caine acknowledged that there have been vile and nasty words, and even fights, within the halls of Monument, and that they'd done their fair share. 

 

"But I've also seen understanding. I've been complimented by students I barely knew. I've had some of the most encouraging passionate teachers ever. And even if I don't always agree with them, arguments strengthened my resolve," they said. "The discoveries I've made and things that I've learned have shaped me into the person that you see before you and I know the same has happened with all of you."

 

The message of compassion doesn't become less significant because logically everyone knows it's important, Caine said. 

 

"Everyone here will go out today and fail and stumble and make mistakes, sometimes horrible, life-changing ones and we will learn and grow and continue on," they said. "You don't have to do great things or change the world. You have to be the best version of yourself and if that's living a completely normal but compassionate life, that has its own meaning."