Hopkins Memorial Forest to Host Maple Fest

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Hopkins Memorial Forest will hold its annual Maple Fest on Saturday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 271 NW Hill Road. Admission is free.
 
The event will feature demonstrations of maple sugaring processes, including tree tapping and wood splitting. Attendees can observe the evaporator in operation, participate in syrup tastings, and listen to live music.
 
The 2,600-acre Hopkins Forest, managed by Williams College, includes hiking and cross-country ski trails, a visitor center, an herb garden, and a maple sugaring operation.
 
Limited parking is expected; carpooling or cycling is recommended.
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Wind Damage Likely Will Not Delay Williamstown Fire Station Project

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

The trusses will be evaluated for repair and reuse but that work is not expected to affect the timeline or cost.  
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Recent wind damage at the new fire station's construction site will not cost the taxpayers any money and likely will not impact the project's timeline.
 
On Thursday morning, the district's construction consultant said the project's construction manager has a plan to resequence the schedule to make up for the time it needs to reconstruct wooden trusses knocked down by the wind over the weekend.
 
Bruce Decoteau, a retired senior project manager from Williams College, has been advising the Prudential Committee, which oversees the fire district, since the outset of the $22.5 million building project.
 
Decoteau said there are no cameras on site that recorded the damage, but the best guess from construction manager Consigli Construction is that the damage occurred at some time on Sunday evening.
 
According to the National Weather Service, the average wind speed in Bennington, Vt., the closest data point, was 15.1 mph with the highest recorded gust at 46 mph as of 4:43 Sunday afternoon.
 
"I got a photo early Monday morning advising me they had blown over," Decoteau said on Thursday.
 
Decoteau said the damage should have minimal or no impact on the project timeline, which currently has the Fire Department moving into the Main Street station at the end of the calendar year.
 
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