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The hopes to have the water system completed this year in time for the projected opening of the outdoor center in October.

Contractors Attend Conference for Greylock Glen Water System

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — Several contractors visited Town Hall on Thursday morning to attend a pre-bid conference for the water system at the Greylock Glen. 

 

The prospective bidders received a brief overview of the project, what work it will entail and background on the entire glen development. The scope of the work consists of, among other things, a water storage tank, a water main, electrical work, piping and instrumentation work. 

 

Project manager Edward Whatley of Wright-Pierce Engineering said they hope to get work done on the water system as soon as possible. The town will accept bids on the project until 3 p.m. on Jan. 24. 

 

"There's a real impetus to get this project done as quick as possible," he said. "Ideally, we would have had it out a year ago, but it is what it is. Definitely, the sooner this can get done, I think everyone would really benefit because that building is really waiting for the water from this project." 

 

When asked about potential supply-chain issues for some items, such as ductile iron piping, Whatley said they would deal with it if any problems arise. Town Administrator Jay Green said the target opening for the outdoor center is some time in October, but supply and other problems could always impact that date. 

 

"That's the nice time that we think it would make sense to open the building. But I don't think there's anyone who doesn't understand supply-chain issues, constructability, weather, things like that," he said. "We just need to take it one step at a time, but we want everyone to know that, in a perfect lovely world, it would be nice to have this being wrapped up in early September so we can get water to the building. If that's just physically not possible, then we understand that, and we'll do what we need do to make sure the public understands this is just the way it is." 

 

Donna Cesan, the town's special projects coordinator, said work on the outdoor center is going smoothly. She said the town plans to work closely with the contractor to solve any issues during the project, as they did with the outdoor center. 

 

"I think most of the infrastructure in the ground has been completed," she said. "The site contractor will come back in the spring, when conditions allow, to do parking areas and that type of thing. But the building, they're working now on getting the walls up, and the trusses for the roof are all done so they're moving along." 

 

The estimated cost of the entire water system is about $3.8 million. In May last year, the project got $2.9 million in federal funding for water infrastructure at the glen. This funding is in addition to the $7.3 million the state has committed to the outdoor center's construction.


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Dream Green Makes Mattress Recycling Easier

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

Co-owner Patrick Kennedy says they aim to reuse more than 90 percent of a mattress.
ADAMS, Mass. — Dream Green owners Kyle Danforth, Cole Wojtkowski and Patrick Kennedy offer handcrafted recycling, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
 
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.
 
Not only are mattresses difficult to move and transport, people often face steep disposal costs that dissuade them from recycling retired mattresses and box springs. 
 
"Mattresses have to go to Lenox or they go far out east to Gardner so we wanted to find a way to make it easier and more affordable," he said. 
 
Kennedy went to Danforth, a realtor and contractor, with the business opportunity. They roped in Wojtkowski and got to work in March 2023. 
 
"We were working out of my garage, but we got the boot from there. So we went to this place and it has been a lot easier since," Danforth said
 
Dream Green moved to the former MRA building in the Adams Industrial Park, located at 15 Print Works Drive. They converted some of the office space into a large working area that allows them to more easily process — or filet the mattresses.
 
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