Berkshire Railway Gets $200K Grant for North Adams Location

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BOSTON – The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum has received $200,000 in state funding to help it move some of its equipment to North Adams.

The railway is partnering with North Adams and Adams to develop the Hoosac Valley Service line between the two municipalities, with help from the state.

The money will aid in the nonprofit in bringing necessary equipment north from its headquarters in Lenox and in developing a ticket booth and boarding area in North Adams. The town of Adams recently authorized the purchase and renovation of a former car wash as a boarding area near the projected southern terminus of the rail on Hoosac Street.

The North Adams train station was torn down in the 1960s, but a development group is hoping to raise funds for a new building to house local museums and the new scenic railway needs.

The funding is a Community Development and Tourism grant from the Executive Office for Administration & Finance.

A total of $616,210 was awarded to four projects in the district of state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield.
 


The program, funded as a pilot initiative with a $2 million appropriation in the fiscal 2014 state budget was developed to promote community development and tourism in central and Western Massachusetts. Activities eligible for funding included: capital improvements to recreational, community, cultural and historical facilities as well as the outreach and promotion of recreational, community, cultural and historical opportunities.  Eligible award recipients included municipalities, school districts and not-for-profit organizations.

Twenty awards were given to projects in Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden and Worcester counties. Locally, the following grants were approved:

Town of Dalton/Dalton Historical Commission – Rehabilitation of the historic Fitch-Hoose House: $180,000
 
Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum – Relocate train equipment and build a facility at a new northern terminus in North Adams: $200,000

Arms Library Association, Inc. – Restoration of the Pratt Memorial Library building in Shelburne: $180,000

Franklin County CDC – Regional award, from Athol to Williamstown, helping to leverage the 100th Anniversary of the World Famous Mohawk Trail to create a unified strategy and collaboration along the trail: $56,210


Tags: railway,   scenic rail,   state grant,   

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Companion Corner Grey Boy at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat No Paws Left Behind still waiting for his forever home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. He was previously highlighted but he now has new information.

Grey Boy is 10 years old and is a gray and white domestic shorthair and was previously highlighted on Companion Corner.

The shelter's Executive Director Noelle Howland introduced us to him and his long journey to be ready for adoption.

"He's been here a couple months. He was a transfer from a rescue in Bennington. They were out of space, so we had taken him in with a few other cats. So he's been here a couple months. He came in with what we believed was a respiratory infection," she said. "So it took us a little bit to get him ready, and then he also needed a dental. So he has nice, clean teeth. He had some teeth removed, and then he has to go back in and have one more dental. So he'll be all ready to go."

It was previously thought that he has feline herpes but he was recently diagnosed with a palette fracture because of how bad his dental disease was, which is what is causing his sneezing. He can now go home with cats, a cat-savvy dog and children.

"He has had two dentals since being with us. Due to the palate fracture he will be sneezy for the rest of his life, not contagious sneezing, but that doesn’t stop him from living a perfectly happy life. He should be on wet food with chunks due to this and since he has had many teeth removed," Howland said.

Grey Boy loves to play with toys and enjoy treats. He would also love to have a window to lounge or bird-watch in.

"He is not afraid of anything. He's very curious, so I'm sure he'd love if you have windows for him to look out of. He still plays, even though he's 10 it does not stop him. So any home would be a good fit for him."

Now that he is ready to be adopted, he is excited. When you walk into the room with him he will rub up against your leg introducing himself and asking to be pet.

"Usually, I would say, when you're walking, he'll bonk into you so he might catch you off guard a little bit. He constantly is rubbing against you," Howland said. "He really, I would say he's lazy when you want him to be, and he's active when you want him to be. He'll play with toys. He's usually lounging away. And then when he comes out he'll play. He loves it. So, very friendly, easy going cat."

He is now perfectly healthy with his dentals all done and veterinary care up to date and is ready to find his forever family.

"I would say the friendliest, easiest cat you could have. He's just, he's just gonna be a little sneezy sometimes, but that doesn't stop him from doing anything," she said.

Grey Boy's adoption fee is sponsored by Rooted in Balance Counseling LLC.

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