ADAMS — Two celebrations featuring food, and festivities will mark the official grand opening of the Discover the Berkshires Adams Visitor Center next week.
On Thursday, June 17, the Berkshire Visitors Bureau, which manages the 3 Hoosac St. facility, has invited the bureau’s members and state and local officials for a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting and building dedication. A private reception and tour for the members and invited guests will follow.
On Saturday, June 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the bureau will host a public grand opening at the facility, featuring music, performances and talks by the region’s cultural organizations. Free raffles for visitors will include tickets to performances and attractions, gift certificates, T-shirts, mugs and other gifts donated by bureau members. The Adams Lions Club will sell food and refreshments.
The recently constructed $2.5 million dollar building houses a visitor center on the first floor and the Visitors Bureau headquarters on the second floor. On May 30, the center inaugurated a “soft opening†for the public. The opening drew more than 700 visitors from at least a dozen states over the Memorial Day weekend, according to the bureau.
The visitor center features audio visual presentations, photographs and displays around the theme “The Berkshires: Then & Now.†In the center’s display area, six continually running audio-visual programs highlight various aspects of the county, such as culture, historic sites, dining and lodging, family activities, recreation and shopping. Historic and contemporary photographs throughout the center depict noteworthy features of the region. One display section is entirely devoted to the history of Adams.
The reception area offers brochure racks with information on local attractions, events and businesses. Using state-of-the-art computer mapping software, visitor center staff can display and electronically highlight travel routes on an oversized screen and print out customized maps for travelers needing directions. The center, which also offers restroom facilities, snacks, water and soft drinks, is at the northern trailhead of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, the popular 10-mile bicycle and hiking trail that stretches from the Pittsfield line to Hoosac Street in Adams.
The Visitors Bureau’s headquarters includes offices for the organization’s marketing, public relations, advertising, membership, central-lodging reservation services and administrative functions.
The center was designed and constructed with an emphasis on environmental sensitivity. Plumbing and electrical fixtures were chosen to save energy and conserve resources. The building is heated and cooled using a computer-controlled geothermal energy system. Pipes reach 300 feet underground to pump ground water, which is at a constant year-round temperature, for geothermal temperature control.
The Berkshire Visitors Bureau also recently assumed management of the Discover the Berkshires Pittsfield Visitor Center on South Street, Pittsfield. Additional information on visitor center events: 743-4500, ext. 100.
The Berkshire Visitors Bureau is the official, state-recognized tourism promotion agency for Berkshire County. It is composed of more than 600 member businesses that benefit directly or indirectly from the Berkshire tourist trade.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
North Berkshire Educational Study Updating Communities
By Breanna Steele & Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The steering committee for a regional study on secondary education is getting the word out to participating communities and asking for input.
The goal of the study is to focus on Grades 6 through 12 to understand current conditions across districts, hear people on their educational priorities, analyze strengths, opportunities, and challenges, and identify opportunities for future collaboration.
Steering Committee Chair Erin Milne, also a member of the Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee, introduced the study and why it was needed.
"We've been talking for decades about how the Northern Berkshire school communities can better collaborate with one another, rather than necessarily duplicating services," she told he Cheshire board. "And over time, it's become more and more of a pressing issue as our enrollment has been going down, but costs have been going up."
Hoosac Valley, North Adams, Mount Greylock Regional, Clarksburg, Savoy and Florida are participating in the study. A combination of declining population and rising costs are putting pressure on the districts, but the study will also look at educational opportunities that could come from collaboration.
In North Adams, Superintendent of Schools Timothy Callahan noted that "the reality is that in the North Adams Public Schools, our graduating class is now closer to what Lenox used to have as a graduating class 20 years ago ... So those are the realities, and what can we sustain, and what are the educational opportunities for our young people? Those are the questions that we're asking."
The Cooperative Hoosac Valley football program will resume football related activities on Monday, Sept. 28, after being on “pause” for the past nine days. click for more
Hoosac Valley High School has postponed this weekend’s football games following a reported alleged hazing incident involving a large number of football players, the athletic director announced Friday afternoon. click for more
The increase is because of a 9.12 percent hike in the levy based on the budget and fiscal articles approved for FY27 at May's annual town meeting. click for more
The mission of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is to facilitate growth for charitable organizations through shared resources, affordable services, and creative collaborations. click for more
Talk about strangers in the night. There's lots of social intercourse between Frankie and Johnny. There's also lots of sexual intercourse. click for more
