DCR Closes Bash Bish Falls Parking to Manage Crowds

01:22PM / Thursday, July 23, 2020Print Story | Email Story

MOUNT WASHINGTON, Mass. — The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has closed the parking area at Bash Bish Falls after reports of crowds at the remote park.

The Berkshire Edge reported that upwards of 1,000 people had "packed into the small park over the weekend." The numbers made it difficult for appropriate social distancing during the pandemic as visitors reportedly were picnicking and swimming in defiance of the rules in the hot, humid weather. At one point, state and local police aided rangers in shutting down the park because of overcrowding.

The park, which is also part of New York's Taconic State Park, has been open but with no facilities. The Edge reports that it was vandalized in early May when visitors went into the closed park and overturned barriers on the Massachusetts side and threw them into the brook on the New York side.

There currently is no alcohol, littering, swimming, diving, rock climbing or entering the gorge allowed. An image the Edge used from a local Google group shows plenty of people in the water and on the surrounding rocks last weekend.

A release from DCR says it's closing the parking area to manage capacity but that the park will remain open.

The same prohibitions apply and the state has also added coolers, glass containers and grilling.

DCR has released the following recommendations on the use of any state parks:

If a location is crowded, please consider leaving the area and either visiting a different location or returning at a later date or time;
Follow posted rules and posted parking restrictions;
Stay within solitary or small groups, and avoid gatherings of ten or more people;
Practice social distancing of at least six feet between individuals;
Wear a facial mask or covering in public;
Participate in only non-contact recreational activities;
Practice healthy personal hygiene, such as handwashing for at least 20 seconds; and,
Stay home if ill, over 70, and/or part of a vulnerable population.

Tags: COVID-19, state parks,

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Lanesborough Selects Assistant Building Inspector

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:16PM / Saturday, February 28, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. –— The Select Board appointed an assisting building director on Wednesday.

Tim Sears submitted his resume to the board and said he heard about the position and reached out to Building Commissioner Brian Duval.

"It can be a tough position. And if you followed recent activities here in Lanesborough, I'm not stating the obvious, but can you talk a little bit about because you've done the work before, right?" asked member Michael Murphy.

Sears started as a housing inspector in Pittsfield and then became building commissioner there and a health official. He was also director of buildings and grounds for the Mount Greylock Regional School District. He currently works at AC Wood Contracting.

"I've had a lot of experience, and as someone who's in the construction industry, also, it can be challenging. If Brian knows someone, or if I know someone you know, we have to excuse ourselves and be very forthright about that," he said. "But in the end, the building code is a little different from some of the other code enforcement and law enforcement, where we have to be able to write down what the violation is, so it either is or isn't. You can't really, oppress someone because you need to write it down. You have to cite the code. So I think it's just very black and white.

"The challenge can sometimes be, you know, if a town feels a certain way about certain subjects, then my attitude has always been to look through the code to try to find a way to make something happen."

Sears said he has already talked with the owner of AC Wood Contracting and would be available to do an inspection during the day if needed.

The board moved to appoint Sears as the assistant building inspector.

In other notes, Town Administrator Gina Dario reminded the board of the joint meetings with the Finance Committee, which is something they are doing for the first time. Department heads will be invited to the meetings to go over their budget proposals to keep residents as informed as possible before the annual town meeting.

Monday, March 2, is the first joint meeting.

"We're always just trying to be as transparent as we can as we go through this kind of the crux of the budget season for the next three months, as we approach town meeting," Dario said.

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