Letters: Things for Lowry Opponents to Think About

Letter to the Editor
08:09PM / Wednesday, March 20, 2013Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

For all of the people who are opposed to the Lowry and Burbank properties being used for housing, here are a few things to think about.

You state that we need to keep open spaces free from development and be able to have farmland and I understand that but. I also realize there is a dire need for housing that can not be overlooked.

Many of the homes near the land we are talking about once sat on farmland. If you live on the west side of Stratton Road south of the Lowry property, or on the new section of Longview Terrace, or any development on the east side of Stratton Road, south of Cobbleview Road, think of where your home was built, and built within recent history. A good chance it was farmland? Absolutely. Are you in any of the new homes built in the last few years on or just off Oblong Road? Was that farmland? Absolutely.

You all enjoy living there with all that the land offers you and your family. How would you feel if there had been a motion to disallow the building of your home? Also why now (after so many years of most people not even checking to see where it stood in regards to conservation) is it so important to pass a vote to put Lowry and Burbank into conservation?

Sadly we all know the answer to that, don't we.

Stop at the Photech Mill and old town garage sites when you are out and about some time. Step out of your vehicle, take a look around. Would you like this to be the site of your next home, or housing for your elderly family members? These lands are contaminated and I am sure not many of you would feel safe planting a vegetable garden even after it has been cleaned up.

At Photech, the Hoosic River would be threatening your home in a flood situation. The Spruces residents can tell you about flooding and many of us do not want to go through it again. I applaud Mr. Fohlin and everyone who realizes that Lowry is the best place to begin a new community. The Lowry property for Irene Cottages is absolutely the way to proceed with humanity, fairness and dignity.

Charleen Blood
Williamstown
March 20, 2013

Tags: affordable housing, conserved land, housing,

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Williamstown Board Hears Concerns About 'Hometown Heroes' Banners

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:32AM / Wednesday, September 16, 2026

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Kurt Durocher told the Williamstown Select Board that he had received nothing but positive feedback from the North County communities where he proposed participation in the Hometown Heroes banner program.

Then Williamstown residents started to weigh in.

Durocher was before the board Monday evening to seek its blessing to put banners recognizing living and deceased military veterans on utility poles in Williamstown, an initiative that has been embraced in all but one of the other municipalities in the district where he serves as Veterans' Service Officer.

"The only negative I've had right now, and it's not really negative, [the Town of ] Florida doesn't want banners to go on Route 2, the Mohawk Trail, for safety reasons, understandably," Durocher said. "So we're trying to figure out an alternate way to make that work in Florida."

By and large, though, the reception to the program has been encouraging, Durocher said.

"I'll use Adams as an example," he said. "They've had a program for many, many years, but it's only for [military personnel] killed in action. Now that I've been allowed to take over that program … there's been a huge outpouring of support, because now we get living veterans on the poles as well.

"The only negative I've had is certain people want their banners in certain locations. So what we did in North Adams is we just did a random draw. I can't please everybody. I've got people who want a banner in a certain location, but three other people want that same location.It was a straight random draw for them."

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