The Appalachian Mountain Club will no longer manage Bascom Lodge and the Visitors’ Center on Mount Greylock, the state’s highest mountain, ending an arrangement of 15 years, an AMC spokesman said this week.
“The AMC is basically moving out of the Berkshires,†said John Brennan, AMC manager at Bascom Lodge Monday.
The decision to end the arrangement was voted by the AMC board in Boston last week, said Brennan.
“We’ve been here 15 years,†said Brennan.
The decision, he said, was prompted by lodge’s need for extensive repairs — totalling about $1 million.
“Bascom Lodge needs a tremendous amount of work, a new septic system, a new water system. Right now, the waste is trucked out,†he said.
“We’ve had a contractual arrangement with DEM to manage Bascom Lodge and in exchange we provide programs,†said Brennan.
He is one of six full-time AMC staffers at Mount Greylock, where seasonal employees number about 30.
“We have programs that will run through April,†he said. “We’re not leaving here until May 31.â€
AMC spokesman Hal Lacroix in the Boston office said, “We’re sending a letter to DEM this week notifying them that we’re going to discontinue our management of the Visitors Center and Bascom Lodge.
“We’re looking for some other offices in the area,†he said.
“We intend to continue our full commitment to our conservation and trails program out here,†he said. “Our maintaining the trails will not change at all. We have a trained staff that are experts at trail maintenance, and we have very active volunteer membership.
“But whether we’ll still be leading hikes remains to be seen.â€
“We have an extensive program, and [its future] is still to be determined.â€
The lodge is closed for the winter, but, Lacroix noted, “we’ve led workshops out of the lodge.â€
The lodge is a popular stopover for through-hikers. The workshops and hikes attract both visitors and local residents. And the berry brunches in season are regular sell-out attractions.
Said Lacroix, “The key thing is that we’re not going to be operating the lodge with overnights and food service, and we’ll be out of managing the visitors’ center.
“It’s an environmental issue, really, on top of the summit. DEM is mandated by the state to upgrade its water and waste disposal system. They need to deal with it. It’s been identified for quite a while, that the septic system was failing.â€
“After April we don’t have any plans to operate out of the lodge. The workshop and education program is undergoing changes. The specific situation is related to environmental issues,†he said. “Elsewhere, the club is thriving.â€
The Appalachian Mountain Club has 87,000 members nationwide, 32,000 of them in Massachusetts.
The club maintains 350 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut and New Hampshire, and has 1,400 miles of trail, some of it in the Berkshires.
Douglas Poland, DEM regional supervisor of forests and parks, referred inquiries to state Director of Forests and Parks Todd Fredericks in Boston, who could not be reached for comment.
Poland said only that the AMC and DEM planned to make a joint release about the change.
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Letter: Let's Celebrate Diversity in the Northern Berkshires
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
With the Jan. 1 swearing in of our city of North Adams mayor and City Council, we have an opportunity to celebrate diversity. For the first time in North Adams history, we have a woman for mayor, a woman majority council, and a council which is at least one-third LGBTQIA-plus. I believe this is something which should be celebrated, openly.
Despite a worrying national conversation which advocates that diversity equates weakness, the opposite is true, and has been proven time and time again. McKinsey & Co., a global consulting firm, has conducted a series of studies, which have made a strong business case for diversity, showing it is a competitive advantage for organizations, linked to innovation, financial success, and social benefits. It is indicated that it's especially beneficial to have diverse leadership teams.
I think North Adams is well-positioned to leverage fresh ideas and innovate. Our diversity will help set us up for a more successful future.
Like many of you, I have noticed negative reactions to the news of the diversification of our city's leadership in social media posts, and in overtly homophobic and transphobic comments. I wish for the Northern Berkshires to maintain a culture which is respectful, accepting and uplifting of people of all backgrounds, and I suspect the majority of our residents share this goal.
If you are reading this and feel similarly to me, please join me in helping to uplift people, and celebrate diversity. Let's share success stories, hopes for the future, and accept people of different backgrounds.
Andrew J Fitch North Adams, Mass.
Andrew Fitch is vice president of the North Adams City Council.
The former mayor was presented with a clock in 2017 upon the completion of his fourth term as chair of the committee; on Tuesday, he received another clock marking his four years as a member of the committee.
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This year Berkshire County saw many new businesses open — from restaurants to local goods — as well as new owners taking over existing companies.
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A new government took the reins at City Hall on New Year's Day, pledging to move North Adams forward with compassion and accountability. click for more
