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Williamstown Community Chest Fun Run Returns Sept. 28

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Williamstown Community Chest will hold its 16th Fun Run on Saturday, Sept. 28.
 
This community event consists of two races, a 5K run and a 1-mile kids’ run/family walk. The Fun Run races are open to everyone, veteran or first-time runners, and daily or occasional walkers. Families with pets and strollers are also welcome to participate.
 
Both race events begin at 9 a.m. at the Williamstown Youth Center, 66 School St.
 
Sign-in and registration begin at 8:15 a.m. on the day of the race. Online registration is available at runsignup.com/Race/MA/Williamstown/CommunityChestAnnualRun .
 
The registration fee for the 5K race is $15 per runner and for the 1-mile walk/run $5 per participant; children 5 and under may participate at no charge. Scholarships are available, made possible by underwriting from MountainOne.
 
For 97 years, the Williamstown Community Chest has provided funding to local human service agencies and organizations that serve northern Berkshire County. Every dollar contributed to the Chest’s annual fundraising campaign is distributed to its nineteen partner agencies. Thanks to the generosity of the local business community and individual donors, $307,000 will be distributed in 2024-25.
 
For additional information or questions, call 413-458-2443 or visit www.williamstowncommunitychest.org.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Williamstown Looking at How to Enforce Smoking Ban for Apartments

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Board of Health and town health inspector are consulting with town counsel on how best to enforce a ban on smoking in apartment buildings passed by town meeting in May.
 
Although the meeting overwhelmingly approved the new bylaw, the Attorney General's Office in Boston took until December to rule that the restriction, believed to be the first of its kind in Massachusetts, complied with state law and precedent.
 
On Tuesday, Health Inspector Ruth Russell told the board at its monthly meeting that the town's lawyer told her to work on an enforcement policy.
 
She indicated that counsel said some things need to be clarified in the smoking ban.
 
"Their understanding was the bylaw was very clear when it came to enforcement of common areas but very unclear when it came to non-common areas [i.e., residents apartment units]," Russell said.
 
"That would be the issue. If we got complaints about smoking in someone's own unit, town counsel had concerns about how it would go forward. … Could we even get a warrant to inspect, and how do we go down that road."
 
Russell said she would investigate as soon as practical after a complaint is lodged, but given the ephemeral nature of smoke from cigarettes and discharges from vaping products, it would be difficult to prove violations of the ordinance.
 
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