MassDOT Stabilizing Route 8 Section in Clarksburg

Staff ReportsiBerkshires Staff
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A section of Route 8 is being repaired after several years of sinking.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Hopefully, a section of River Road will no longer have that sinking feeling.

The state Department of Transportation this week began a full reconstruction of a problem area between the Red Mill Spring and the north end of Hayden Hill.

James Moulton, superintendent of the project, said work to stabilize the roadway will include excavating both lanes of Route 8, laying down a heavy-duty landscaping fabric, topping it with gravel and then paving.

He estimated the total time for the project would be about two weeks.


The far edge of the southbound lane for a couple hundred feet along the North Branch of the Hoosic River has been sinking since a major rainstorm in 2010. A patch repair was done last fall after the pavement sunk several inches and a granite catch-basin cover nearly upended.

Moulton said the problem was a broken pipe under the state highway from a catch basin on the east side.

"That was undermining the road," he said, adding the project was fast-tracked because it was safety issue, particularly with the uneven pavement. "It was just a major hazard."

The southbound lane is currently being excavated; once done, the focus will switch to the northbound lane.


Tags: MassDOT,   road work,   state highway,   

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DiLego Jewelry to Close After Nearly 100 Years in Business

By Daniel MatziBerkshires correspondent

Sisters Pamela Costine, left, and Cynthia Lamore have been operating the store since their aunts retired in 1987. Both started working in the business as teens.  Lamore's decided it's time to retire. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — DiLego Jewelery Store, the family-owned business that has been a staple of North Adams for nearly a century, will be closing this summer. 
 
The closure was announced on the store's Facebook page late Sunday night, where it immediately drew comments of remembrance and well-wishing.
 
Cindy Lamore, whose great uncle Frank DiLego opened the store on Main Street in the late 1930s, said the shop will cease operations following her retirement, slated for June 30. A 20 percent off Mother's Day sale will begin immediately, with increasing discounts leading up to the closing date.
 
It took Lamore "a couple of years" to reach the decision to close. Witnessing the passing of lifelong friends or their struggles with debilitating illness prompted her to reconsider her priorities, especially considering the extensive time devoted to running a small business. 
 
"You really question what you're waiting for," she reflected.
 
While recognizing that changing consumer habits have led to a decrease in jewelry and watch sales in recent years, Lamore stressed that her decision to close was a personal one. She and her business partner and sister, Pamela Costine, wanted "to do it on our terms," she said.
 
Comments on Facebook praised the store's customer service, and friends, family, and customers alike reminisced about buying jewelry for special occasions, stopping in for watch repairs, and the perennial rite of childhood for many: getting ears pierced.
 
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