Letter: Williamstown Youth Center

To the Editor:

The Williamstown Youth Center has received money from the town of Williamstown every year since 2014. In 2014, they requested $70,000, and incrementally, their requests have increased to $77,000.

That financial support has become nearly automatic through the years. Are the town's taxes subsidizing those families who genuinely need financial assistance, or are the taxes sponsoring every family at the WYC? The WYC should become self-sustaining; otherwise, it will continually request funds from the taxpayers and other local organizations in perpetuity.

The Williamstown Community Chest provides an additional $55,000 a year to the WYC. In the future, that share of money could go to other needy organizations. The youth center needs to raise its fees and go back to having fundraisers to help offset its expenses. The national average for after-school care is $261 a week per child. According to the WYC website, it charges $900 for one child from Aug. 31 until the last day of school in June.

The youth center must do everything possible to alleviate this tax burden on town residents. Within weeks, the Williamstown Finance Committee will approve the request for another year of funding for the youth center that will become an article on the warrant for town meeting this year. If you are concerned about this ongoing issue, please contact the Williamstown Finance Committee at finance-committee@williamstownma.gov.

Pat Meyers
Williamstown, Mass. 

Crust Serving Up Pizza Pies in Two Locations

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:03PM / Saturday, June 28, 2025

Crust owner Jim Cervone and manager Lexi Politis make pizza's at the Williamstown location. 

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Crust has been serving up classic and specialty pizzas since its opening in 2020 in Pittsfield, and for over a year now in Williamstown.

 

Owner Jim Cervone said his inspiration was his love for cooking and pizza.

 

"I love pizza, and I'm Italian, and I grew up with cooking. I remember my grandmother cooking. Some of the recipes we have here are from my grandmother, specifically the meatballs," he said. "So I've always grown up with food. I'm a good, amateur chef. Always liked cooking. Whenever I travel, I always look for pizza, because that's one of my things. ...

 

"I wasn't really crazy about the offerings, not just around here, just in general. And so the inspiration was, how can I make a really good pizza at an affordable price?" 

 

Cervone said his most popular pizzas are chicken bacon ranch and buffalo chicken, flavors requested by customers and not something he was planning to add to the menu at first since chicken pizza isn't usually found in an Italian restaurant.

 

"I personally think the Grandma's Pizza, which has got a sliced mozzarella cheese underneath, and the organic red sauce on top with meatballs, is one of my favorites," he said. "They're homemade meatballs. It's my grandmother's recipe — that's a popular one."

 

Also on the menu are red and white mushroom pizzas, a "green" version with housemade pesto, peppers and mushrooms, and the option to build your own pie with a wide variety of crusts, sauces, cheeses, toppings and finishes.