Northern Berkshire YMCA Forms Healthy Living Committee

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Northern Berkshire YMCA announced the creation of its new Healthy Living Committee. 
 
"With the alarming rates of prediabetes and youth and adult obesity in both the country and our county, the Y is a great organization to participate with the community on these efforts," said Dawn Broadwell, YMCA board member and co-chair of the Healthy Living Committee. 
 
After the completion of the YMCA strategic planning process, it was clear that the creation of a new committee was needed to focus of healthy initiatives both at the Northern Berkshire YMCA and in the community. 
 
"This committee is focused on establishing clear and tangible goals in the coming month and year to focus to healthy program and events for the Y and the community," said Kira Guiden, YMCA board member and co-chair of the Healthy living committee.
 
The goals of this YMCA committee include employee wellness program for local buisnesses, nutrition seminars, creation of new fitness programs and community health events. 
 
The committee currently includes Amanda Chilson from Northern Berkshire Community Coalition Mass in Motion program, Renee Tassone owner of Eat to Total Health, Megan Bates with the North Adams Regional Hospital Reach Program, Dawn Broadwell co-owner of Broadwell Carpentry and Kira Guiden Art education teacher.
 
"We are excited to bring together some key leaders in our community to be on this committee for such a vital and important piece of the Y's strategic plan and for the community as a whole," said Justin Ihne, CEO of the Northern Berkshire YMCA. "This is a perfect time of the year for this committee to get momentum. Everyone is looking to get healthy, both businesses and individuals and the Y has a lot to offer both."
 
Those interested in joining this committee can contact Ihne at 413-663-7980 or jihne@ymcanb.org.

Tags: health,   YMCA,   

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Williamstown Housing Trust Commits $80K to Support Cable Mills Phase 3

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The board of the town's Affordable Housing Trust last week agreed in principle to commit $80,000 more in town funds to support the third phase of the Cable Mills housing development on Water Street.
 
Developer David Traggorth asked the trustees to make the contribution from its coffers to help unlock an additional $5.4 million in state funds for the planned 54-unit apartment building at the south end of the Cable Mills site.
 
In 2022, the annual town meeting approved a $400,000 outlay of Community Preservation Act funds to support the third and final phase of the Cable Mills development, which started with the restoration and conversion of the former mill building and continued with the construction of condominiums along the Green River.
 
The town's CPA funds are part of the funding mix because 28 of Phase 3's 54 units (52 percent) will be designated as affordable housing for residents making up to 60 percent of the area median income.
 
Traggorth said he hopes by this August to have shovels in the ground on Phase 3, which has been delayed due to spiraling construction costs that forced the developer to redo the financial plan for the apartment building.
 
He showed the trustees a spreadsheet that demonstrated how the overall cost of the project has gone up by about $6 million from the 2022 budget.
 
"Most of that is driven by construction costs," he said. "Some of it is caused by the increase in interest rates. If it costs us more to borrow, we can't borrow as much."
 
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