CET to offer Geothermal Energy Workshop

03:47PM / Monday, November 03, 2008Print Story | Email Story

On Tuesday, November 18, the Center for Ecological Technology (CET) will offer a Geothermal Energy Seminar from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cummington Community House, 33 Main Street, in Cummington. The seminar is for small businesses and institutions, home owners and owners of farms.

Chris Vreeland, a registered professional engineer, will be the featured speaker. Registration is required and a donation of $10 is suggested.

Skyrocketing energy costs and concern about the effects of fossils fuels on our health and environment are leading many businesses and homeowners to conserve and seek local, clean sources of energy. Interest in alternative energy sources such as geothermal for homes, farms, schools and businesses continues to grow.

Geothermal energy uses buried tubing or wells to harness the earth’s near-constant underground temperature and heat pump technology to warm or cool air for residential, agricultural or industrial uses. This seminar is designed to help participants determine if a geothermal system would be a good fit for their situation.

Attendees will learn the basics of how geothermal, or ground-coupled heating and cooling, works. There will be an overview of technology, system types, siting considerations, distribution methods, space requirements, costs, benefits and payback scenarios, local installers, and energy efficiency measures. Vreeland will also discuss available financial incentives.

Those interested in attending can register with CET by calling Tomasin Whitaker at 413-586-7350 ext. 25, or by sending email to tomasin@cetonline.org.

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Lanesborough Seeks State Support for Berkshire Mall Redevelopment

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires.com
05:58PM / Monday, October 12, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town plans to petition the state to take ownership of the Route 7/Route 8 Connector Road, which officials believe is a "critical component" of the Berkshire Mall’s redevelopment strategy.

On Tuesday, the Select Board approved a letter to state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III to request their support for the vacant mall's redevelopment by helping advance transfer of the Route 7/Route 8 connector and considering funding for essential infrastructure.

"We have held discussions with the Baker Hill Road District … which will take the necessary steps to formally petition the commonwealth to take over ownership of the Route 7, Route 8 connector…Your continued support in facilitating this transfer is greatly appreciated," the letter says.

Berkshire Mall owner JMJ RE Holdings has said the potential sale and redevelopment of the mall hinges on dissolving the Baker Hill Road District, a condition of the agreement that, if unmet, would render the contract null and void.

As a result, the mall will continue to deteriorate and the litigation will proceed forward, said Tim Grogan, of JMJ.

Vera Farrell, the liaison to the Baker Hill Road District, said the district board had discussed at one of its most recent meetings that the connector road could be transferred directly to the state, rather than returned to the town; Barrett and Mark were also a part of the discussion.

"The representatives recommended that as an option, that it could transfer the connector road directly to the state, as opposed to deeding it back to the town to dispense it. If we get to that point, that would be a better option to do it that way," Farrell said.

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