Appalachian Mountain Club will no longer manage Bascom Lodge

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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.” 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.” “We have an extensive program, and [its future] is still to be determined.” The lodge is closed for the winter, but, Lacroix noted, “we’ve led workshops out of the lodge.” 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.” “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.” 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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Weekend Outlook: Make Sure to Wear Green

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Check out the events happening in Berkshire County this weekend including St. Paddy's events, crafts, movies, and more.

Editor's Picks


The St. Patrick's Day parade features marching bands and floats. 

Hoosick Falls St. Patrick's Parade & Festival
Hoosick Armory, N.Y.
Time: noon

The 35th annual Irish Festival starts off with a parade from Wood Memorial Park and around the downtown with more than 40 units, including the Taconic Pipe Band and the Fifes and Drums of Olde Saratoga, and concludes with food and brew at the armory with the Burns Moore Bridge band and Hubbard Hall's Irish Dance Class.
 
Other businesses, taverns and restaurants will also be celebrating with a pub crawl, corned beef and cabbage at the Hoosick Falls Country Club, Reubens at the Society of St. Stanislaw, and outdoor grilling at the Sand Bar. 
 
Parade line-up and participating businesses can be found here. 

Glow for a Cause
North Adams Elks Hall
Time: Saturday, 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Glow at a blacklight party with DJ Kane and DJ R.P. Express. Includes 50/50 raffle, charcuterie buffet, a glowing chocolate fountain, cotton candy, and pizza. Highlighters, glow sticks and other glow items available. 
 
This is fundraiser for PopCares and is for ages 21 and older. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Cashapp or Venmo djkane01220 or contact Kane Robert at 413-347-3976.

More information here. 

Multiple Days

Berkshire Botanical Bulb Show
Feb. 20 to March 20

The Fitzpatrick Greenhouse at Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to welcome the new season amongst hundreds of flowering bulbs.

The greenhouse is free and open to the public. More information here.

'Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka'
Hoosac Valley High School
Friday through Saturday

This is a musical adaptation of Dahl's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" staged by the high school's theater group. Bring the family or friends to enjoy the childhood story come to life.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students.

More information and tickets here.

Friday

Family Movie: 'Zootopia 2'
Milne Public Library, Williamstown
Time: 2 to 4 p.m.

Bring the family to see Disney's "Zootopia 2." There will be popcorn but attendees are encouraged to bring their own bowls. 

More information here.

Common Craft Night
165 E Main St., North Adams
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.

Bring a craft you have been working on and join others to socialize.

More information here.

The Seven Wonders
Stationery Factory, Dalton
Time: Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
 
Tribute band the Seven Wonders pay homage to the music of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks. Charlotte Morris opens. 
 
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