LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Park Superintendent Travis Clairmont said the melting snow has unveiled a disappointing amount of trash throughout the state reservation.
"With the rapid snowmelt this year an amount of trash magically appeared over a two-week period," Clairmont said in his report Thursday to the Mount Greylock Advisory Council. "It is demoralizing to our staff ... and it is absolutely disgusting."
Clairmont said trash and dog poop can be found at essentially every trailhead and parking area in and around the reservation.
"Some parking lots you can't even walk through with all of the trash and dog feces," he said. "It is embarrassing, and I don't know what to do about it."
Council members agreed and Scott Lewis said he can't make it a mile up Greylock Road without filling a five-gallon bucket with trash and having to empty it.
Council member Joe Rogge said he too has noticed an influx of trash, not only around the mountain but in his own community, Adams.
"This year has been the year of trash ... people just dump it out all over," he said. "Maybe everyone thinks because it is a pandemic they don't have to follow the rules."
Mark Jester, of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, said with the good snowpack this year the mountain just received a lot of visitors.
"We did have a lot of visitors this winter ... it is a sad situation because the staff work so hard to keep it clean," he said. "We want more commitment from our visitors."
He said DCR used to provide plastic dog poop bags but he was not confident this was the answer. He felt signage could help matters.
Clairmont felt outreach and education was the answer but was not sure how to go about it.
Clairmont continued with his report and said he plans to open the mountain roads on May 22, weather permitted. He said Bascom lodge will also reopen.
He said seasonal staff has switched from winter to summer and work continues on the mountain. He said they continue to follow COVID-19 guidelines.
"The pandemic is still raging on so that makes it difficult in the workplace with more staff coming on," he said.
He said backcountry campsites remain closed although staff has received many calls inquiring about them.
There were a few rescues on the mountain this winter and Clairmont said they were mostly skiers and snowmobilers.
The mountain was busy this winter season, he said. "It was a tremendous winter and we have seen amazing snowfall up there through February and March."
Clairmont said the beacon on the memorial tower was malfunctioning but has been repaired. He said the light is controlled by a solar cell and a timed clock that is difficult to get to, especially in the winter.
"There was a lot of chiseling and shoveling over a few days," he said. "It took a few days to melt the lock on the door but we got in and updated to a digital one. So now I don't have to go up there for something like this anymore."
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Mt Greylock is the centerpiece of outdoor recreation and conservation in the region. It's disgusting that those who benefit from the very existence of such a resource don't treat it (and the people who take care of it) with respect.
Letter: Time to End the MCAS Graduation Requirement
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
As a parent, public educator, and school committee member, I urge you to vote YES on Question 2 and eliminate the MCAS as a graduation requirement.
During my career, which includes four years as an MCAS administrator and national recognition for my contributions to the field of assessment, I've seen firsthand the significant resources consumed by this test and the stress it causes for students and educators alike. Modern assessment practices show that learning is best measured through meaningful, real-world activities, not high-stakes standardized tests. When used correctly, assessment empowers students as learners and teachers as professionals.
Instead, the MCAS graduation requirement has become a barrier to success disproportionately affecting students of color, low-income students, English language learners, and students with disabilities — widening achievement gaps instead of closing them. Some say that this is a non-issue because most students who initially fail the MCAS eventually pass through retakes or appeals. But marginalized students struggle with retakes more than their peers, creating unfair obstacles to graduation and increasing drop-out rates. To be clear, these students are not less capable: they are being failed by a system that isn't meeting their needs. The MCAS provides useful data to hold systems accountable for rigorous, fair learning outcomes in Grades 3-8 without making students bear the consequences of our failure to serve them equitably; why can't the same apply to sophomores?
Ending the MCAS graduation requirement wouldn't lower standards. Quite the opposite: schools could shift the time, energy, and money currently spent teaching to a narrow test toward more well-rounded learning experiences like those outlined in the grassroots Portrait of a Graduate initiative and the Mass Core program of studies, spotlighting classes like civics, the arts, social sciences, technology, and foreign language and competencies like communication, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.
This type of education helps students engage with real-world challenges in their communities and gain the skills employers and colleges value way more than test scores from two years before graduation. If the Legislature would like to adapt these models into an authentic assessment system — and fund it appropriately — I would be happy to volunteer my time and expertise to help design it.
Forty-two states have eliminated standardized tests as a graduation requirement. It's time for Massachusetts to do the same. Let's invest in authentic student success, not just test-taking skills. It starts by voting YES on Question 2 this fall.
Erin Milne Adams, Mass.
The author serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for the Assessment of Student Learning in Higher Education and is vice chair of the Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee. A version of this letter which includes hyperlinks to sources can be accessed here.
Nora Schoeny, Gianna Love and Elyssa Scrimo Sunday led the Lenox girls cross country team to a narrow victory in the Division 2 race at the Western Massachusetts Championships at Stanley Park. click for more
The "Spotlight on Applied Learning" presentation is the brainchild of Kristen Palatt, director of curriculum, instruction and professional development, to demonstrate student work.
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The newly formed Student and Adult Advisory Board (SAAB) held its first meeting at the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center Thursday to structure the group they hope can drive meaningful change at Hoosac Valley. click for more
On Friday, the first milestone in the development of the 50-acre parcel was finally realized with the opening of the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center.
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Kennedy, a longtime employee of Central Radio in North Adams, noticed a problem. It was not easy to recycle old mattresses, especially since the 2022 state law banning their disposal in trash.
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