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Photos of recreational area mats that the city of Newton submitted to the Architectural Access Board.

Dalton ADA Committee Considers Playground Mats for Parks

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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The mats are attached to the ground through pins and nubs. 
DALTON, Mass. — The Americans with Disabilities Act Committee is exploring adding playground mats to town parks. 
 
These mats would be laid out to provide accessible routes to playground equipment and swings.
 
ADA coordinator Alyssa Maschino heard about these mats while attending an Advanced Community Access Monitor Training. 
 
"[The state Division of Professional Licensure Office of Public Safety and Inspections Architectural Access Board] brought this up which I thought was very clever," Maschino said. 
 
"It's like a rubber matting system, which is very inexpensive compared to paving a pathway in the parks." 
 
The mats are fixed to the ground using pins and nubs. They are also secured to play equipment and swing sets using plastic stakes and stainless steel pins. The mats are connected to each other using zip ties. The mats are "relatively" quick to install and easy to maintain and repair. 
 
Newton paid approximately $3,000 to cover the costs of the mats at one of its parks but it looks like they did quite a bit, Maschino said. 
 
"Anything we can do to accentuate the beautiful parks we have and to make Dalton a more enjoyable, livable, accessible place," committee member Lyn Clements said. 
 
"It not only makes it easier for those children and adults who already live here. It makes us more attractive to diversify our community more and I think that's a great thing." 
 
These mats could also help in case the town considers investing in an ADA swing so disabled children can also enjoy the town parks, similar to Springside Park, Maschino said. 
 
The Green Committee is going to need something like this because it is putting electric vehicle chargers at Pine Grove Park, committee member David Wasielewski said. Wasielewski also serves as the town's Green Committee chair. 
 
"We're gonna need something to stabilize that area as well and make it accessible," he said. 
 
Maschino is currently in communication with Highway Superintendent Edward "Bud" Hall to gauge his interest. 

Tags: ADA,   playgrounds,   

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Pittsfield Council OKs $15M Borrowing for Drinking Water System

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council last week approved borrowing $15 million for drinking water system upgrades, and heard a commitment from the Department of Public Works to consider solutions for the intersection of Onota and Linden Streets. 

Last month, the council supported the borrowing for the city's two drinking water plants during its regular meeting. 

Commissioner of Public Services Ricardo Morales explained that the decades-old filtration units need to be babysat "much more" than usual, and the city is due for new technology. 

Pittsfield's two Krofta water treatment plants were installed in the 1980s and are said to be beyond anticipated useful service and at risk for catastrophic failure that could result in a shortage of potable water. Krofta is a compact filtration system that Pittsfield will continue to use, with four new units at the Cleveland WTP and two at the Ashley WTP.  

"When the Krofta was built in 1980, I was there on the council, and here we are looking to repair or replace certain parts," Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren said. 

"So 40 years later, I think we need to do that." 

The full drinking water project is expected to cost $165 million over the next eight years, with $150 million for long-term construction and $15 million for near-term needs. The initial ask would fund the final design and permitting for Phases 1-3 and Phase 1 of interim updates. 

The $15 million borrowing breaks down into $9.2 million for the design and permitting, $2.4 million for the construction of Phase 1, and $1.4 million in city allowances, including owner's project manager services, land acquisition, legal fees, and contingency. 

Pittsfield's water system includes six surface water reservoirs, five high-hazard dams, one low-hazard dam, two water treatment plants, two chlorinator stations, and gravity flow from the plants to the city. It serves Pittsfield, Dalton, Lenox, and the Berkshire Mall property. 

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