Federal Omnibus Spending Bill as $1M for Greylock Glen

01:02PM / Friday, March 11, 2022Print Story | Email Story

ADAMS, Mass. — A $1 million earmark for the Greylock Glen is in the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill that cleared Congress on Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means voted to pass the funding legislation that he said includes transformative investments that will help working families with the cost of living, create American jobs, and support the vulnerable.

"In this pivotal moment, the Congress has risen to meet some of the most pressing challenges at home and abroad," said Neal. "This legislation will create good-paying jobs, lower costs for families, and support those in need. This is the latest major deliverable in our ongoing work for the people. I am proud to vote for this legislation, which will lower costs for working families, create American jobs, and support the vulnerable."

The bill contains $8 million in spending for Neal's 1st Massachusetts district, including $350,000 for Berkshire Community College's nursing program.

The long-planned Greylock Glen development project is moving forward with construction of an outdoor center this year. The state has committed $9.3 million to the project and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation invested nearly $3 million in the trail system that connects the 52-acre glen into the larger Mount Greylock State Reservation. The town of Adams was named developer of the state-owned parcel more than a decade ago.

The measure, now on President Biden's desk, unlocks infrastructure investments already been authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and removes the prospect of government shutdowns through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

"I am particularly pleased to have secured nearly $8 million in Community Project Funding to address some of the most pressing needs in western and central Massachusetts," Neal said. "These investments support and foster economic development, making a real difference in the lives of so many in our community."

Community Project Funding for Western Mass includes the following:

$740,000 for the Town of Agawam's Main Street sewage main and slope stabilization project
$450,000 for Springfield Urban League's Camp Atwater, The Next Century Campaign – Facilities Modernization and Stabilization Project
$350,000 for Berkshire Community College's nursing simulation upgrades
$100,000 for Rick's Place
$250,000 for Mount Holyoke College's Professional and Graduation Education Department
$200,000 for the Franklin County Opioid Task Force
$2,000,000 for the City of Springfield's Forest Park Horticultural Plan
$850,000 for the town of Sturbridge's Maple Street water line project
$1,000,000 for the town of Adams' Greylock Glen project
$2,000,000 for the city of Westfield's Operations Center Building at the water treatment plant

Under guidelines issued by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, members of Congress requested Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding for projects in their state for fiscal 2022. CDS requests were restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities were permitted to receive CDS funding.

Tags: Greylock Glen, Neal,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

Now's the time...

to harvest value from your home. Click for more details about a HELOC. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

After More Than a Century, Heating Failure Puts Adams Turners' Future at Risk

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:20AM / Sunday, September 27, 2026

ADAMS, Mass. — For more than a century, generations have gathered for dances, community gatherings and bowling at Turn Hall, but that longtime tradition is now in jeopardy after the building's aging heating system failed.

The Adams community is known for rallying behind local people and organizations in times of need, and now Adams Turners is asking for that same support said Gail Burda, the group's financial secretary.

The boiler, referred to as "the Beast" by board members, is as old as the building itself, which was constructed in 1902. It started out burning coal, was later switched to oil and then to gas President Virginia Fuller said.

For several years, the nonprofit social club, a 501(c)7, has struggled with the aging system, with members periodically checking on it throughout the day during the winter to ensure it was still operating, she said.

Now, "the Beast" has reached the end of its life but the Adams Turners don't have the funding to replace it, prompting them to establish a GoFundMe.

At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised $1,750 and members have donated more than $2,500 toward the $30,000 needed to secure an additional $25,000 grant and $25,000 loan from American Turners, the national organization under which the club operates.

The nonprofit hopes to hire a contractor to install a multi-zone hydronic system, a project estimated to cost $81,443. The work would include new heating systems for the apartment, bar area, gym and bowling alley, along with new baseboards, gas lines, permits and other necessary fittings.

View Full Story