Peacemaker Award Nominations Sought

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Peacemaker Award is given annually to an individual or group in Northern Berkshire.
 
The award, which originated as part of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, is made to persons who have contributed substantially to peace in our region. In general, the Peacemaker Award recognizes persons who have a history of working with people and/or neighborhoods and communities to provide for greater tolerance, understanding, and caring. While the award may be made to a person or group well known in the region, those making nominations are particularly urged to consider those who have worked hard and have made contributions without much recognition.
 
Past Peacemakers include Kenna Waterman, Don Quinn Kelley, Mark Rondeau, Mark Lincourt, Pastor Dave Anderson, Al & Cindi McLain, PopCares, Inc., Dick Alcombright, Bilal Ansari, Kerri Nicoll, and Mary Lou Accetta.
 
The MLK Jr. Day of Service Committee is also seeking new members interested in helping to plan the January 2024 event. To join the committee, call the Coalition at (413) 663-7588. To nominate a Peacemaker, pick up a form at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition office at 61 Main Street, Suite 218, North Adams or nominate online at https://bit.ly/Peacemaker2024
 
Nominations must be received by December 17, 2023.

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Geothermal Switch Lowers System Cost for North Adams School Project

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The cost estimates for the Greylock School project are coming in slightly under budget — including the planned geothermal system. 
 
Initial estimates for the alternative heating system came in at $5 million — $3 million over budget. 
 
"We realized this is never going to work at this cost and we needed to think about the system a little differently," said Jesse Saylor of TSKP Studio, the school's designer, told the School Building Committee on Tuesday. "So we reached out to the well designers and came up with an alternative design, which we feel is much more appropriate for your site."
 
A redesign from using vertical wells to horizontal wells, reduced the costs to $1.5 million.
 
Saylor explained that the drillers had gone down more than 440 feet, through soil and more than 200 feet of bedrock and hit the aquifer, which had to be capped off because of the pressure. 
 
"So our design heading into the cost estimate was to shorten the depth of the wells. Let's not penetrate into that aquifer. Let's just go down 400 feet," he said. "They wanted to carry steel casing all the way down the 400 feet of depth, because the concern is that aquifer depth may vary across across your site, and so that was driving up the initial cost."
 
That vertical system would have required 66 wells and cost about $5 million. Instead, the system will now run horizontally at a depth of about 20 to 30 feet. 
 
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