Castle wall dividing Great Barrington residents

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Consider the uses of walls: the Berlin Wall... the Great Wall of China... the Wailing Wall. People of a certain generation will think of Pink Floyd - and the album and film of the same name. Then there’s the New England stone wall as in Frost's, “Good fences make good neighbors.” This is apparently not the case in Great Barrington, where a deteriorating, six-foot cement wall at the edge of the Searles Castle in Great Barrington is at the heart of a debate that has pitted the Historical Commission of Great Barrington against the town, the fire department and citizens who have an interest in seeing it come down. When Mr. Searles built a beautiful, ornate, dolomite wall on the edge of the castle he constructed for his wife in the early 1900’s, he did it to keep out the noise and dust from the new trolley on Route 7. The wall, which lies just south of the downtown area, and north of the intersection of Route 23, is a piece of architectural eye candy near and dear to the hearts of residents. He later built an adjoining cement wall, now abutting the Great Barrington Police Department - on a side of the property not covered by the decorative wall. Some say he built it to keep out trespassers. There has been confusion among the public, Berkshire Eagle columnist Allen Chartok included, that the dolomite wall is the wall that the fire department would like to ignore – and possibly remove - in order to go ahead and build their new firehouse. This is not the case. In any event, attempts by the town to purchase that parcel of the Searles Castle land to build a fire house have been foiled by a five-member Historical Commission, who insist that they don't have the authority take down any wall. The fire department reportedly has raised money to implement the project, and sees the location as ideal, particularly because of its central location on Route 7. The cement wall, which some consider an eyesore, has never been the object of restoration or preservation according to Gary Leveille, board member of the Great Barrington Historical Society, which shares members with the commission, but does not itself have any authority in the case. “In 20 years, I’ve never heard any discussion about preserving or restoring that wall.” However, Leveille understands the commission’s position. “I can understand why they would feel that it was their duty to protect it.” As the commission and the town continue to meet, residents from the second choice location, a recreation field on Gilmore Avenue next to the courthouse, have decided to be proactive. In a move that could have an impact on the future of historic preservation decisions in the town, Great Barrington residents of the Gilmore Avenue area have collected enough signatures on a petition to create a town warrant at the next town meeting to change the historic designation and exclude the wall. Historic commission member Barbara Syer insists that the wall is symbolic. “We voted against the wall, because that’s what we were asked to vote on. But the wall is symbolic of the whole site. They’re going to build a huge two-story building and it will show from the street. We feel the site should be held as it is… It’s on the National Register of Historic Places – the whole site. If you stand on the terrace (of the castle) you can see the police station. They’re going to take down the tall trees beside the police station. Our point is, think of what they (will be able to see) if you can see the police station now.” According to Syer, the commission has authority over what can be seen from the street as well. “We can’t stop him from selling,” said Syer of the owner of the site. “We can stop (what might be built that would affect) what you can see from the street.” Syer is skeptical of the petition drive to change the historical district to leave out the wall. “This is crazy,” she said. She attributes it to resident in the Gilmore Street area who are worried about their property values. Is it possible to change a town’s designation of a historic site? “We don’t believe so," she said. "We are waiting for written directions from the Massachusetts Historical Commission.” Proponents say that the town voted the site in, and they can vote it out. But the local commission is a part of town government and they take their orders from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. “I don’t think there’s much chance that the historical commission is going to change its mind." Then, there are environmental issues. Patrice Mullin owns property abutting the site. “My mother is chairman of the Historic District Commission. I’m an abutter to the project, and I’ve attended the meetings, as well as the conservation commission meetings, and I know the parcel of land quite well.” Mullin is a former member of the Alford Conservation Commission and the Alford Planning Board. “I know the fireman and have been to their meetings and heard them explain how they desperately need a new site. I haven’t been keen on their selection of the site, but there are a lot of pretty obvious issues… There would have been a lot more scrutiny from the conservation commission on any other project.” According to Mullin, “There are four streams that run into the area – it’s a wetlands area – and they eventually make their way to the Housatonic. A notice of intent would be called in any other case… When I asked about the proximity to the wetlands, they didn’t particularly want to discuss it. The historic commission has had to bear the weight of the fatal blow to the project.” Mullin is most concerned about possible conflicts of interest that may have waylaid the conservation commission process. “I’m not totally opposed to the project. I hope they can do it in a way that suits the lay of land. It’s an awkward parcel.” Conservation commission chairman Will Brinker adamantly denies any conflict. "I'm in touch with the ethics comm all the time...We hold the town to the same standard as anyone else," he said. "I don't have a conflict of interest. We are on nobody's side. We are on the side of the environment." Syer says that the proximity to the river itself will require a large retaining wall as well. “The firemen are saying, ‘It’s just a little cement wall.’ Once you destroy the site, you won’t get it back.” Some feel that there may be a resolution before the town is asked to vote on changing an historic designation. Leveille feels that if it does come to a town vote, it may negatively impact the number of property owners willing to have their property designated in this way.
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McCann Recognizes Superintendent Award Recipient

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Landon LeClair and Superintendent James Brosnan with Landon's parents Eric and Susan LeClair, who is a teacher at McCann. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Superintendent's Award has been presented to Landon LeClair, a senior in McCann Technical School's advanced manufacturing course. 
 
The presentation was made last Thursday by Superintendent Jame Brosnan after Principal Justin Kratz read from teachers' letters extolling LeClair's school work, leadership and dedication. 
 
"He's become somewhat legendary at the Fall State Leadership Conference for trying to be a leader at his dinner table, getting an entire plate of cookies for him and all his friends," read Kratz to chuckles from the School Committee. "Landon was always a dedicated student and a quiet leader who cared about mastering the content."
 
LeClair was also recognized for his participation on the school's golf team and for mentoring younger teammates. 
 
"Landon jumped in tutoring the student so thoroughly that the freshman was able to demonstrate proficiency on an assessment despite the missed class time for golf matches," read Kratz.
 
The principal noted that the school also received feedback from LeClair's co-op employer, who rated him with all fours.
 
"This week, we sent Landon to our other machine shop to help load and run parts in the CNC mill," his employer wrote to the school. LeClair was so competent the supervisor advised the central shop might not get him back. 
 
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