Mount Greylock Tower To Undergo $2 Million Renovation

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Both Bacom Lodge, on the left, and the War Memorial Tower are being renovated.
ADAMS, Mass. — The War Memorial Tower at the top of Mount Greylock will receive a $2 million upgrade.
 
On Tuesday, Gov. Deval Patrick announced the release of $1.2 million from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, which will be matched with a $800,000 federal earmark. The tower has been closed to the public since August of 2013.
 
Additionally, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation will spend $300,000 in repairs to Bascom Lodge.
 
The tower was constructed in 1931 and now the mortar joints are deteriorated, and the interior finishes and utilities were damaged by water. The water damage ultimately led to the closing of the tower.
 
The work includes exterior masonry repairs, sealants, metalwork, the HVAC system, ventilation, dehumidification, hazardous material abatement, electrical, light fixtures, relocation of equipment and the building of a new ramp into the chamber. The chamber will be restored and the finishes, doors and widows.
 
The Bascom Lodge work includes window replacement, masonry, carpentry, drainage, new stairs, reconfiguration of the bathrooms and work on the south porch exit.
 
The 93-foot tower was built by Boston-based architects McGinnis and Walsh. It is to honor residents who died in World War I and then subsequent conflicts.
 
The domed chamber was interned to store tablets and war relicts. The tower is lit by six 1,500 watt bulbs and can be seen from as far as 70 miles away.
 
The tower repairs come on the heels of DCR completing a renovation of the 13.5 miles of road leading to the tower and major upgrades to the visitor's center.
 
Mount Greylock State Reservation was created in 1898 as the state's first public land for preservation. The summit, at 3,491, is the tallest natural point in Massachusetts. More than 250,000 people are estimated to visit each year.
 
The $800,000 from the federal government is scenic byway money earmarked by former U.S. Rep. John Olver in 2009.

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Adams Sees No Races So Far

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — With less than a week left before nomination papers are due, there are currently no contested seats.
 
Only selectman incumbent John Duval has returned papers. Selectman Howard Rosenberg has decided not to seek re-election. 
 
Rosenberg, who was elected in 2021, said he has chosen not to run again to make room for younger candidates.
 
"I feel strongly, we need younger people running for public office,  as the future of our town lies within the younger  generation. The world is so fundamentally different today and rapidly changing to become even more so. I believe we need people who are less interested in trying to bring back the past, then in paving the way for a promising future. The younger generation can know that they can stay here and have a voice without having to leave for opportunities elsewhere," he said.
 
The only person to return papers so far is former member the board Donald Sommer. Sommer served as a selectman from 2007 to 2010 and before that was a member of the School Committee and the Redevelopment Authority. He ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2019 and again in 2021 but dropped out of before the election.
 
Incumbent Moderator Myra Wilk and Town Clerk Haley Meczywor have returned papers for their respective positions.
 
Assessor Paula Wheeler has returned papers and incumbents James Loughman and Eugene Michalenko have returned papers for library trustees.
 
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