The first phase of the $2.4 million stormwater project has been completed under Ashton Avenue, which reopened to traffic on Monday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's some good news for residents in the west end of the city: Ashton Avenue has reopened as of Monday.
There's also bad news: Massachusetts Avenue is now closed to through traffic from Ashton Avenue to Protection Avenue for at least the next three months.
The city is using a $2.4 million MassWorks grant to fix infrastructure issues that have slowed attempts to redevelop the Blackinton Mill.
A 5-foot diameter stormwater pipe is being installed between Ashton Avenue and Wood Street to address stormwater issues. The 1-foot to 2-foot drainage pipes under Wood and Ashton are undersized to handle the amount of water coming off the mountain to the north.
The waterway under the Blackinton mill and the culverts on Ashton Avenue had become clogged with sediment and debris, causing flooding.
The plan is to replace the existing pipes with a 60-inch pipe down Wood Street and then mostly along the same track, until it crosses under Massachusetts Avenue to the south before the intersection with Ashton to avoid a 24-inch water line.
A box culvert was installed below Ashton Avenue, which has been closed since early spring to allow for construction.
Eastbound traffic on Mass Ave will be routed over Ashton to Route 2 and westbound traffic over Protection to Route 2. The city sent out Code Red over the weekend and on Monday morning to alert motorists.
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Companion Corner: Stink at No Paws Left Behind
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat at No Paws Left Behind looking for his forever home.
iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.
Don't let the name fool you! Stink is a 4-year-old domestic shorthair tabby who has been at the shelter for about a month.
Volunteer Claire Morin introduced us to him.
Stink came from his previous home after not getting along with some of the cats there.
"He came from a woman who had horses. He was an indoor cat, but he also spent some time in the barn, and I think he was not getting along with the other cats at the house."
Stink does like to roam around and check new stuff out. He can be a little shy at first but once he comes out he likes to play with toys and get a lot of pets. He can be quite territorial especially around male cats.
"He clearly likes treats. He likes to explore when he's out. He is a little bit territorial, so he has not come out that much. Actually, I'm surprised that he's out today, but, like I said, he prefers the company of female cats," she said. "He has been sort of interacting today with the male cats that he can now see ... he hasn't been acting out or hissing or anything towards them."
While it takes him a while to get out of his shell he is not shy to chat with you, most likely asking for more pets or to play.
"He does like people, he's very affectionate. He would not come out on his own for a long time. We could open the cage and he would interact with us, and he would be super sweet. You could interact with him, but he really preferred to stay in his cage. But now that he started to come out more, he's a lot more interactive," she said.
Stink would have to go home as the only cat or with a female cat because of his aversion to male cats.
"I think his perfect home would be someone who has children who are over the age of 8, because he can be a little bit territorial," Morin said. "The home can be cat friendly, there can be other cats, but preferably female, because he has been reactive towards male cats here at the shelter, and he can go home with dogs that have interacted with cats before."
Stink is a very sweet guy who can't wait to talk and snuggle up to you. Plus, you can pick a new name for him.
"I just think he's a super warm, friendly cat. He's clearly exploring the whole space today. He doesn't come out that often, but he's very gentle and very sweet," she said.
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