Letter: Donate Your Empty Deposit Bottles & Cans

To the Editor:

Here is another way to show your support for the Elizabeth Freeman Center: Take and donate your deposit bottles and cans to the Northern Berkshire Container Redemption Center located at 1000 Massachusetts Ave in North Adams, at the corner of Protection Ave, and tell the helpful people at the counter that you wish to donate the proceeds to the Elizabeth Freeman Center.

The other cool thing about making this small, regular donation is that you do not have to empty your boxes and bags and place your cans and bottles in trays: You can immediately leave and NBCRC will do it for you and count them and credit the Elizabeth Freeman account. (A small amount will also benefit the BFAIR clients who work at the center.)

You can save time, benefit the Elizabeth Freeman Center, and free up some space in your kitchen, basement or garage. A win, win, win situation!

Ken Swiatek
Williamstown, Mass.

Williamstown Fire Committee Talks Station Project Cuts, Truck Replacement

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:17AM / Friday, April 26, 2024

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Prudential Committee on Wednesday signed off on more than $1 million in cost cutting measures for the planned Main Street fire station.

 

Some of the "value engineering" changes are cosmetic, while at least one pushes off a planned expense into the future.

 

The committee, which oversees the Fire District, also made plans to hold meetings over the next two Wednesdays to finalize its fiscal year 2025 budget request and other warrant articles for the May 28 annual district meeting. One of those warrant articles could include a request for a new mini rescue truck.

 

The value engineering changes to the building project originated with the district's Building Committee, which asked the Prudential Committee to review and sign off.

 

In all, the cuts approved on Wednesday are estimated to trim $1.135 million off the project's price tag.

 

The biggest ticket items included $250,000 to simplify the exterior masonry, $200,000 to eliminate a side yard shed, $150,000 to switch from a metal roof to asphalt shingles and $75,000 to "white box" certain areas on the second floor of the planned building.

 

The white boxing means the interior spaces will be built but not finished. So instead of dividing a large space into six bunk rooms and installing two restrooms on the second floor, that space will be left empty and unframed for now.