ADAMS, Mass. — The Bellevue Cemetery garage project is still on course to go out to bid this spring.
Cemetery Commissioner Bruce Shepley told his colleagues last Thursday that no progress had been made on the garage over the winter but they should expect some movement this spring.
"The update on the building is that there is no update," he said.
The town will use more than $100,000 from the cemetery fund to overhaul the current structure at the cemetery in the town's south end. A smaller shed will also be purchased to accommodate cold storage.
Shepley said the commissioners will be invited to a pre-bid conference.
"It is pretty straightforward," he said. "It would be a time for us to ask questions and adjust the monies we plan to spend."
The commissioners were also asked if dog feces are as much of an issue at the cemeteries as they are throughout the rest of the town and Shepley said he didn't think so.
"Dogs are not allowed there and no one has come forward to me and nothing has been forwarded to me," he said. "I really haven't seen anyone with dogs there."
Shepley said he could only recall Selectman James Bush mentioning that he has stepped in dog poop while at Bellevue Cemetery.
The week before, the Board of Health heard from a group of citizens who felt that dog owners not cleaning up after their pets was getting out of hand, specifically on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and the Greylock Glen.
Even the Parks Commission weighed in last week, noting that many of the towns playing fields are littered with dog waste now that the snow's gone.
Shepley suspects the town cemeteries seem to draw more respect from dog walkers.
"I have never heard of dog excrement being an issue in the cemeteries," he said. "Maybe it is just a sacred area."
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Greylock Glen Outdoor Center 90% Complete
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The Greylock Glen Outdoor Center is about 90 percent finished with an anticipated completion date in August.
Matthew Sturz of owner's project manager Colliers International updated the Selectmen on the project's progress via Zoom on Wednesday.
"We'll work with the town to determine exactly the logistics of that," he said in response to questions about the opening. "I think that there's certainly interest in getting the facility open as soon as it can open. But we do need to conclude the construction activities ... it's not federally advisable to have construction activity going on with the public."
The completion will depend on getting a certificate of occupancy for the 10,000-square foot facility.
The $8.3 million project is running eight months behind the expected schedule, Sturz said, largely because of permitting with the state Department of Environmental Protection that required an extensive environmental review of endangered species, working with National Grid to determine how solar will be integrated into the project, and the need for a water system for both potable water and fire suppression.
"Transformers and all manner of electrical switchgear is being significantly impacted by supply chain issues throughout the construction industry," said Sturz. "So coordinating those items up front took a little bit longer than anticipated."
A 350,000-gallon water tank is being constructed on the grounds to provide water with completion expected by July or August.
Michael Wynn, who was selected in January to run the center, submitted a level operating budget of $57,500 but said he could pull funding from different lines to ensure there was money for advertising this fall.
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The Selectmen on Wednesday night voted to award the bid to Mackin Construction Co. Inc. of Greenfield, which plans to invest $11 million to build out 20 or more one- and two-bedroom apartments in the three-story classroom wing that parallels Columbia Street.
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The Selectmen two weeks ago had requested the utility appear before the board after receiving numerous complaints over flickering lights, including in Town Hall.
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Taylor Garabedian scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Abby Scialabba scored 16 points for the ‘Canes, who got 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Ashlyn Lesure. click for more
On Saturday afternoon at Lowell’s Tsongas Center, the Hurricanes will take aim at Division 5 State Championships in girls and boys basketball. click for more