The Rotary Club of Williamstown Improves Food Pantry

Other shelving work was done by Valerie Hall, Maureen O’Mara, Anne Skinner and Linda Sweeney , pictured with Carol DeMayo, director of the food pantry.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Rotary Club of Williamstown made some upgrades to the Williamstown Food Pantry.

The club, with the help of funds from Rotary District 7890, spent Saturday, Oct. 10, refurbishing the storage area of the Food Pantry.  

The group addressed wide wooden shelving, which did not meet code. This was replaced with steel. Other shelving was covered to bring it into code. 

The club also donated a heavy-duty cart and a refrigerator to the food pantry. 

The pantry, which serves its host community as well as Hancock and Pownal, Vt., accepts donations non-perishable foods and personal care items 24 hours a day in the vestibule of the Sts. Patrick & Raphael Parish Center, where the pantry is housed.

Williamstown Fire Committee Talks Station Project Cuts, Truck Replacement

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:17AM / Friday, April 26, 2024

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Prudential Committee on Wednesday signed off on more than $1 million in cost cutting measures for the planned Main Street fire station.

 

Some of the "value engineering" changes are cosmetic, while at least one pushes off a planned expense into the future.

 

The committee, which oversees the Fire District, also made plans to hold meetings over the next two Wednesdays to finalize its fiscal year 2025 budget request and other warrant articles for the May 28 annual district meeting. One of those warrant articles could include a request for a new mini rescue truck.

 

The value engineering changes to the building project originated with the district's Building Committee, which asked the Prudential Committee to review and sign off.

 

In all, the cuts approved on Wednesday are estimated to trim $1.135 million off the project's price tag.

 

The biggest ticket items included $250,000 to simplify the exterior masonry, $200,000 to eliminate a side yard shed, $150,000 to switch from a metal roof to asphalt shingles and $75,000 to "white box" certain areas on the second floor of the planned building.

 

The white boxing means the interior spaces will be built but not finished. So instead of dividing a large space into six bunk rooms and installing two restrooms on the second floor, that space will be left empty and unframed for now.