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North Adams Hospital Opens Walking Trails

Project manager Jennifer Munoz, right, greets hospital staff entering the trail system on Friday.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Visitors and staff at North Adams Regional Hospital can now stretch their legs in the great outdoors.

Northern Berkshire Healthcare has opened two walking trails in the woods behind the hospital and Ambulatory Care Center. The trails — a one-quarter mile loop and a nearly half-mile loop — wind along small hillside within sight of the facility.

Northern Berkshire Healthcare Trustee Ellen Bernstein of Williamstown donated the funds to clear the paths and build four bridges over ditches and wet areas. NBH President and CEO Tim Jones presented her with a walking stick on Friday before setting out with her on the path with about two dozen employees.

"Through the generosity of Ellen it really is supporting our vision for the future in the which is to be a vital partner in creating a healthy community," said Jones. "This is one of the first things that is tangible for the community to see."

The goal is to get people out of the building and walking when possible, such as during breaks or while waiting for a loved one to have a procedure. Project manager Jennifer Munoz said it was part of the hospital's goal to develop "a culture of health and wellness for employees as well as patrons."

The trails are open to the public; individuals can walk a couple miles up and down the mild incline by doing several loops.

It took the efforts of 10 employees in the facilities division about six weeks working part time to construct the bridges and clear the trails, said Director of Facilities Darryl Smith. The "brute work" of clearing was mostly done by new employees Ed Luczynski and Brandon Ansley.

The paths can support two across but while cleared, they are still woodland trails with rocks and roots. Appropriate footwear is recommended. Green ribbons mark the shorter, more level trail and orange ribbons the longer trail.

All the activities are part of the hospital's new "Greensters" team, which is also spearheading ways to reduce food waste.

The land was donated when the hospital opened in 1885.

Bernstein said she made the trails possible out of concern for the health of the community.

"It makes me sad to see so many people who don't get exercise," she said. "Who really could reverse their own health problems by adopting a healthy lifestyle."

The donation came from a family foundation created by her father, an enthusiastic walker.

"He went walking very night after dinner as long as it was not icy and horrible out," she said. "He went out after every meal and took a long walk."

Northern Berkshire United Way: 1990's Big Goals, Shifting Needs

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:18PM / Monday, September 07, 2026

Northern Berkshire United Way is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Each month, we will take a look back at the agency's milestones over the decades. This part looks at the 1990s era as reported in the North Adams Transcript.

 

Northern Berkshire United Way saw its campaign goals rise to a half-million or more over the decade.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Northern Berkshire United Way entered the 1990s with big goals — and met almost all of them. It ended the decade with the largest campaign in its history.

 

It wasn't easy; the area was still reeling from closures and layoffs, including from General Electric and Waverly Fabrics. The first campaign of the decade saw a historic $500,000 goal only meet 93 percent of its goal. 

 

"We lost tens of thousands of dollars from firms and employees that contributed last year," said Daniel Bird, board vice president told the 150 gathered for the 1990 campaign conclusion, as reported by the Transcript. "There were just fewer to give because of closings and layoffs. What we did see were tens of thousands in new and increased gifts which brought us to the high percentage of  goal, and we are grateful."

 

The agency lowered its sights to $480,000 the following year and beat that number, possibly by pulling out all the stops. The four co-chairs that year could heavily rely on prayer — the Rev. Lawrence Provenzano of St. John's, the Rev. Betty Lou Ure of First Congregational, and Lts. Cheriann and Kevin Stoops of the Salvation Army.

 

They even sang a rap song that year, with lyrics including "the United Way is in our town to help the people who are down / some are young, some are old, some are living, some are cold / but you are here to make this work, to raise the funds, you will not shirk!"

 

Mayor John Barrett III and state Rep. Daniel Bosley promised a "big splash" for the campaign with a set up photo of a "plunge" into a wading pool. (They had promised the YMCA pool but were in Boston to talk about a museum in the former Sprague complex.)

 

Provenzano thought the success was because "people knew how desperate the situation was."