'North Adams' Added to Harriman-West Airport Name

The Airport Commission decided keep the name Harriman-West but add North Adams to it to indicate the location.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission has decided to keep Lottie Harriman and George West's names in the new airport title.  

Last month, Commissioner Trevor Gilman advocated changing the name to the North Adams Municipal Airport to better market the airport and make clearer its location.

The commission tabled the motion to research the history of the airport's name before making a decision.

After talking to the remaining family members of George West and researching the history, commissioners decided not to remove the names.

"I tried to relay what the intent was ... however, while both of them said they would not be opposed to the name change, both of them said they would be disappointed if we took the name off the airport," Gilman said. "I respect their opinion, and I would like to back off that change to some point."

The commission did decide to change the name to North Adams Harriman-West Airport and clean up confusion of the name in different sources.

"It is more important for us to clean up the constantly changing use of the names throughout the different sources from the FAA to our signage to the city ordinances," he said. "They all use different names for the airport."

Chairman Jeffrey Naughton agreed that the name change was a good compromise.

"I think that is a good compromise," Naughton said. "I had a chance to do some research on Lottie and George, and in my opinion I think it is import they remain part of the name of the airport."

The commission also met with a representative from Gale Associates, the airport's engineer, who told them the low bidder for the Phase 1 of the apron project, Tetra Tech, discontinued construction services and withdrew its bid.

He said J.H. Maxymillian was the second lowest bidder, but its bid was $334,000 higher than Tetra Tech. Although this is in the 15 percent overage amount the Federal Aviation Administration allows in grant funded projects, the funds were already secured for the lower bid.

Gale explained the original Maxymillian bid can not be changed because it is still within 180-day bid period. J.H. Maxymillian has indicated it will honor the original bid and is on board.

Commissioner Trevor Gilman said adding a terminal would be a two-year project of planning and construction.

The Gale representative said the FAA would like to proceed with the grants with Tetra Tech's bid price and use the bid bond. He said the FAA would like to amend this grant when the project is completed and look for more funds if needed.  

The commission could also rebid the project, but there is no guarantee the bids would come in the same.

The Gale representative added that the airport is on the 2015 FAA list to receive funding for the construction of a terminal building.

Gilman said the funding for this project will be easier to receive than the money for the approach.

"Although it's a two-year project, design one year and construction the following year, the funding is all part of one piece," he said.

The commissioners will hold a special meeting at which they will brainstorm ideas for the new building. Construction should begin in spring 2016.

Gilman said he met with the FAA and the soonest they can get paint on the approach is this summer.

"I asked them to think outside of their normal box and the process they follow to come up with way to paint these markings ... and though it was slow at first as the meeting went on, they started to bring out some other ideas."

He said the original completion date of the apron was supposed to be in April, but there is no time to paint before winter comes.

The commission could pay for the paint now and seek reimbursement after, however they decided to wait for full funding in the summer.

Why the Massachusetts Art Community Is Worth Continued Investment

By James BirgeGuest Column
10:41AM / Tuesday, April 21, 2026

How do we quantify the value of art on society and culture? Even eye-popping figures, like the $100 million estimate for the jewels stolen from the Louvre, or the record auction last fall that saw a piece by Gustav Klimt sell for more than $236 million can't fully account for the value of the history, stories, and emotions behind the creations themselves. But beyond that, there is a measurable financial, cultural and social benefit of the arts that is often taken for granted. 

Closer to home, arts and cultural production in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts totals nearly $30 billion annually, representing more than 4 percent of the state's economic output, according to the Mass Cultural Council. All told, more than 130,000 jobs are spread across the commonwealth creating a vibrant and thriving artistic community for us all to enjoy. 

Despite the obvious impact, these figures are under threat. A recent survey by MassCreative compiled recent federal cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services and identified 63 grants canceled and $4.2 million in grant funding rescinded across New England so far this year. 

The dollars, of course, are important. But they also only scratch the surface on what they bring to the community. Today, we risk losing part of the culture and identity many now take for granted. 

While others choose to look past these less tangible, but just as vital benefits, we're doing the opposite. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is all in to ensure the next generation retains their access to works of art, while also being empowered to create themselves. 

Last fall, MCLA officially broke ground on the new Campagna Kleefeld Center for Creativity in the Arts, which will serve as a new hub for the campus and the local community for arts programming. When complete in fall of 2027, our students will benefit, but so will all of Berkshire County and artists in the surrounding area. 

This exciting new facility is just one of the many forthcomings our region can enjoy in the coming years. Just a few miles away, anticipation builds for the Fall 2027 anticipated opening for the Williams College Museum of Art. Years in the making, the museum likewise grows from an enduring commitment to the arts, both in curriculum and in practice. Exciting times are also underway for the Clark Art Institute with the construction of a new facility to house a collection of 331 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, drawings and other works. Their wing is scheduled for completion in 2028. And listeners will no doubt enjoy the sounds and melodies from Mass MoCA Records, the latest endeavor to foster creativity and artistic pursuits through music launched in October as well. Of course, many are also awaiting the reopening of the Berkshire Museum anticipated this summer, after a tremendous renovation process to rejuvenate the experience for visitors. 

So much time, energy, and yes, dollars, have already been invested in taking these facilities from ideas and sketches and making them reality. But they represent much more than new buildings. They represent new opportunities to cultivate and accelerate the thriving arts community in Massachusetts and the northern Berkshires. 

Art, regardless of the medium, is a reflection of who we are, where we've been, and what we aspire to be. It can be inspired by hopes or fears and chronicle collective triumphs as well as tribulations. The goal of art is not only to document history, but to inspire those positioned to change it and to feel something new or even to provoke us to revisit our own assumptions or misconceptions. 

As unfathomable of a number as $30 billion can seem, boiling down the impact to any number inherently discounts the unknowable downstream effects our graduates will bring to the community and the broader world after they leave our institutions. Likewise, rescinding $4.2 million now removes a huge chunk of that growth potential.  

Justification for making these investments today when simply boiled down to dollars and cents still places us on solid ground strictly from a financial perspective that forgoes all of the intangible, but no less valuable, benefits as well.  

The arts are still worth our support. And our community will be richer for it. 

James Birge, PhD, is president of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams.