Camp Arrow Wood Summer Camp for Young People

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Camp Arrow Wood, a 130-acre newly-renovated camp located on Richmond Pond, is launching a sports-centric co-ed sleepaway camp for children in addition to lodging and event rentals on the property. 
 
Set on the 218-acre freshwater pond, Camp Arrow Wood will offer two and three week sessions this summer in addition to a leadership week for 16 – 18 year-olds and a one-week Arrow Wood Outdoor Adventure Camp. 
 
The site has operated as a camp for over 100 years, first in 1904 by the Boys Club of Pittsfield and next in 1933 by Camp Allegro, a Jewish summer camp for girls. For the last 40 years, Lakeside Christian Camp offered summer camps, family weekends and church retreats. In the same spirit, Camp Arrow Wood is opening as a summer camp and offering lodging and event rentals when the children's camp isn't in session. Located less than three hours from New York City, two and a half hours from Boston, and 90 minutes from Hartford, Conn. the camp is centrally located.
 
The summer 2022 camp experience will include two and three-week sessions full of playing sports, traditional camp activities like campfires, kayaking and hiking all while making new friends and discovering new passions. The daily schedule will offer a blend of intensive sports in the morning, sprinkled in with fun, discovery and competition throughout the day.
 
The sports curriculum includes specialized instruction for team sports like baseball, soccer, basketball, field hockey, volleyball, seven-a-side/flag football, and lacrosse, as well as individual sports including tennis and golf. The camp also offers comprehensive programs for learning that include sports photography and videography production, sports analytics, coach training, social media, writing articles and blogs, and producing new camp apparel. 
 
"We are giving summer camp back to the kids," said Camp Director Matthew Linick. "They won't just be playing sports. They will be spending time outdoors learning new skills and exploring areas of interest related to the world of sports. When boys and girls arrive, they can let go of their habits of home life and really immerse themselves in the spirit of this special place. Our guiding principle, "Motivate, don't mandate," allows campers to choose the sports and activities of most interest to them while also designing an intentional program that encourages them to discover something new."
 
As a sports-centric camp, there will be an emphasis on total health, focusing on mind, body, and spirit. There is so much more to sports than playing the game, and campers will have the opportunity to explore the entire picture from nutrition to mental health.
 
Starting in the spring and running through the fall, Arrow Wood will be available for community access to the property through a variety of public events and private rentals. 
 
Camp Arrow Wood was purchased in 2020 by Pittsfield-based community impact investment group, Mill Town. 
 
"We are honored to assume stewardship responsibility of this iconic Berkshires property," notes Carrie Holland, Managing Director at Mill Town. "The ability to bring an expansive waterfront feature, wooded trails, upgraded sports fields, overnight accommodations, and historic camping facilities to the Berkshires community has our team really excited. Camp Arrow Wood will serve as an excellent resource for us to propel our mission of expanding quality outdoor recreation opportunities for the Berkshires community – residents and visitors alike."
 
For additional details on camp and rental pricing, visit camparrowwood.com or email info@camparrowwood.com.

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Flooding Leads Pittsfield ConCom to Bel Air Dam Deconstruction Site

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Bel Air Dam project team toured the site on Monday with the Conservation Commission to review conditions following a flooding incident

Work has been on hold for two weeks after melting snow and a release of water from Pontoosuc Lake led to water overtopping of the almost 200-year-old, abandoned dam. The project team says deconstruction is still on track to end in December. 

"They have plenty of time to finish the work, so they don't expect that they're going to need extra time, but we're all waiting," reported Robert Lowell, the Department of Conservation and Recreation's deputy chief engineer. 

"… it's unfortunate, but the high-water conditions in the spring, we did have in the contract that the site might flood, so there was supposed to be a contingency for it, and we're now dealing with the complications of that." 

DCR's Office of Dam Safety is leading the $20 million removal of the classified "high hazard" dam, funded by American Rescue Plan Act dollars. It has been an area of concern for more than a decade. 

The dam on Pontoosuc Brook dates to 1832 and was used for nearly a hundred years to power a long-gone woolen mill. It's being targeted for removal, using American Rescue Plan Act funds, because the stacked stone structure poses a significant danger to homes and businesses downstream. Excavation of sediment began last fall by contractor SumCo Eco-Contracting of Wakefield. 

Earlier this month, community members noticed flooding at the site bordering Wahconah Street; water levels were down by the next week. Conservation commissioners called for the site visit with concerns about the effects of the water release and how it is being remedied.  

The group got a look at the large project area near the dam and asked questions. Chair James Conant explained that community members wanted to know the cause of the flooding. 

Jane Winn, former executive director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, said this was specifically brought up at the Conservation Commission hearing to ensure this sort of thing didn't happen. 

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