March "Lion" Pounces On Berkshire Region

By Susan BushPrint Story | Email Story
A snow-shrouded Jeep Grand Cherokee offers proof of a substantial March 1 New England snowfall. The vehicle is parked in a Pownal, VT driveway. SUE BUSH PHOTO
March lived up to its' "in like a lion" reputation across the Berkshires as a significant snowstorm rolled in with the third month of the year. Nearly all Berkshire region and Southern Vermont schools were closed, but annual town elections scheduled for Vermont communities including Pownal, Stamford, and Readsboro began on time. The fickle storm track kept weather forecasters guessing about snowfall amounts and the storm's arrival time until Monday evening, when most weathermen declared expected totals of 10-14 inches regionally and a late Monday night start time. By 7:30 Tuesday morning, many communities reported about eight inches of snowfall with fast and furious flakes still falling.

Citations will be issued

Adams Police Chief Donald Poirot announced that citations will be issued to town residents who fail to clear sidewalks and who do shovel, plow, or snow-blow snow from driveways into town streets. The citations carry a $50 fine. Poirot said the two issues are constant snowstorm nuisances and both violate town bylaws. "I know I'm going to hear complaints about people pushing snow from driveways into the streets, and people not taking care of the sidewalks," he said. "I've been listening to it for 26 years, and I'm in a position to do something about it. The officers are now geared up to issue citations." The move isn't meant to create hardships but is meant to improve safety, Poirot said, and added that slick snowy sidewalks pose problems for pedestrians, some of whom are elderly or physically challenged. Throwing snow into plowed streets creates a driving hazard, he said. "People are driving along a cleared road and all of a sudden they hit a big clump of snow that someone's pushed into the street," he said. "And sometimes the plows clear a street and when they come back through, they hit a pile of snow that's been tossed out and is frozen. That can damage the plows and cost money to taxpayers." Williamstown police Sgt. Scott McGowan said that town police will not be issuing citations for snow violations but he agreed that consideration for others is prudent. "I remember being on crutches after a winter surgery and trying to navigate the sidewalks," McGowan said. "It does give you an eye-opening perspective on trying to get around in the winter." McGowan noted some challenge in reaching rural residences during snowstorms but added that recent vehicle purchases have improved response time for officers. A town acquisition of a four-wheel drive vehicle and four front-wheel drive Impalas boosted bad-weather driving capabilities, he said. "The difference is huge," McGowan said. "These are fantastic vehicles in the snow." Massachusetts State Police Trooper David Hathaway of the Cheshire barracks described morning roadways as "snow-covered" but stressed that state highway crews were working to keep roads passable. Driving speeds during storms can pose problems, Hathaway said. "We have people who try to drive at the posted speed limit, or even above it, when the snow conditions call for reduced speeds," Hathaway said. "The biggest challenge is the people who follow other vehicles too closely. Stopping time is very different with these road conditions." North Adams Police Department Director Michael Cozzaglio cited "common sense" as an effective snowstorm defense. "Mother Nature, we can't control her but we can control our common sense," he said. "We can avoid unnecessary driving and keep the roads open to emergency vehicles and snow plows. On days like this, that's our biggest challenge, getting people to use common sense." Florida Town Administrator Susan Brown described road conditions along the Mohawk Trail [Route 2] as "slick," despite the dedicated efforts of town and state road crews. "The elevation changes pretty quickly up here and it can be tough to keep up," she said. "People need to take it easy. It's pretty snowy up here. We've probably got about eight inches and it's still coming down." Northern Berkshire police reported no serious accidents had occurred by mid-morning, but Poirot did acknowledge one storm-related event. "I'm amazed at what a snow day can do," Poirot said, referring to the school closings. "My son usually has to be wrenched from the bed on a school morning, but today, there he was, up at six a.m., watching television and checking the cancellations."
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Senior Golf Series Returns in September

Community submission
PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Berkshire County Fall Senior Golf series returns in September with events on five consecutive Wednesdays starting Sept. 18.
 
It is the 22nd year of the series, which is a fund-raiser for junior golf in the county, and it is open to players aged 50 and up.
 
The series will feature two divisions for each event based on the combined ages of the playing partners.
 
Golfers play from the white tees (or equivalent) with participants 70 and over or who have a handicap of more than 9 able to play from the forward tees.
 
Gross and net prices will be available in each division.
 
The cost is $55 per event and includes a round of golf, food and prizes. Carts are available for an additional fee.
 
Golfers should call the pro shop at the course for that week's event no sooner than two weeks before the event to register.
 
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