Mount Everett source of controversy in South Berkshire County

12:00AM / Wednesday, October 16, 2002Print Story | Email Story

Controversy over Mts. Greylock & Wachusett, too Controversy swirls over the peaks of the three crown jewels of the Bay Stateâ€™s forest and parks system, Greylock, Everett and Wachusett. Long suffering residents and officials in Adams are persisting in their unlikely efforts to win approval for a tramway linking the beleaguered community to the 3,491-foot summit of the stateâ€™s highest peak, Mount Greylock. Not in the mood to wait for the controversial conveyance, more than a thousand persons scrambled up the Cheshire Harbor Trail Monday in the annual Greylock Scramble. Meanwhile, plans are advancing for a state-financed $10 million project to improve Greylockâ€™s access approaches, Notch Road starting from North Adams and Rockwell Road starting from Lanesborough. The project will also include dredging the largest of several man-made ponds at the always contested Greylock Glen site at the base of the mountain, as well as other wetlands work. Storms hover over the more modest summit of Mount Everett, another gem in the stateâ€™s necklace of wooded wonders where the issue is the proposed removal of a long unused fire tower in the town of Mount Washington. Only 2,624 feet in elevation, Mount Everett is still the highest peak in South Berkshire and is one of the few state reservations in Massachusetts, in contrast to numerous state forests and parks. The reservation covers 1,356 acres, about one-tenth the size of the Mount Greylock State Reservation, but still offers the best views south of the Mass Turnpike. Those wishing the tower removed are fearful that the DEM (Department of Environmental Management) will renovate the structure to accommodate rent-paying communication systems. With no other facilities at the top and a poorly maintained access road, Everett can not match the paved roads to Greylockâ€™s summit, the grandiose Veteransâ€™ Memorial Tower, Bascom Lodge with food and beds, and an emergency shelter with a handicapped access ramp. But only last month, the DEM confirmed reports that perhaps the largest old growth forest in the state, around 1,000 acres, is located on the east side of Everett. And it is a much smaller old growth stand that has caused the big battle over Mount Wachusett in the town of Princeton, not far from Worcester. Rising a mere 2,006 feet above sea level, Wachusett is still the highest peak east of the Connecticut River and is also the home of the busiest ski and snowboard center in all of Southern New England. The ski center is leased by the DEM to the Crowley Family, which also operates the Polar Beverages Company. The main chairlift comes to within a few feet of the summit, next to the large parking lot reached by a paved road. Covering 2,849 acres, the Wachusett Reservation appeared to have enough room for skiers, hikers and birdwatchers, as well as the thousands driving to the top. The DEM visitors center is pleasantly named after John Hitchcock, the late Princeton environmentalist and Wachusett guru. And there is the John Hitchcock Ski Trail, which I always enjoy and have my picture taken under the trail sign. But the popularity of the ski center resulted in dangerous overcrowding at the base area and the operators received DEM approval more than five years ago to cut a new slope and another trail. Environmentalists, however, discovered patches of old growth oak trees where the upper trail would have been cut and the Sierra Club lent its considerable voice to the opposition. The summit trail was abandoned and the lower slope is still in limbo, due to its nearness to old growth. The situation was exacerbated when quite a few unauthorized narrow trails were found in the old growth region. The Sierra Club claimed victory and skiers found off the authorized trails are supposed to be ordered from the area. One could conclude that if one wishes to find a fight, head to a state reservation. Joking, of course! It is presumed that the Greylock tramway proposal will wither on the vine and the Everett brouhaha will be peacefully settled. But the Wachusett old growth issue is not apt to end, as long as those wind-twisted ancient trees exist. Meanwhile, the long Columbus Day weekend saw numerous fun and thrill filled activities, including festive events and contests at Jiminy Peak, Butternut, Mount Snow and other ski centers where trails were cut before the old growth concept had yet to be articulated. Other ski promotions are on tap, including the annual affair at the Bousquet Resort in Pittsfield Saturday and Sunday, which has been hosting skiers since 1932. The programs always include ski sales and swaps, as well snowboards, clothing and related stuff. The end of pre-season prices for season tickets is fast approaching and with day tickets passing the $60 level at some major resorts, act now! Financial battles are also taking place on the slopes and defeat mean â€œNot Openâ€ signs. My favorite small, family resort, Bolton Valley (high on the mountains near Burlington) faced such a situation this fall, but apparently will survive. It was announced last week that the former president of Stratton Mountain Resort, Bob Fries, heads a group negotiating with owner Ned Hamilton, for the purchase of the resort, now tied up in bankruptcy courts. Fries began his ski career at Waterville Valley and headed operations at Breckenridge and Lake Placid before coming to Stratton a decade ago. He has been out of the ski business for a few years. And with new operators at Magic Mountain, it appears that Vermontâ€™s 15 snow sports resorts will all be open this winter. Killington could have made snow Monday night after its earlier production Oct. 8, but spokesperson Kim Jackson told me they are waiting for a string of several cold days before trying again. She predicted the combination of golf and skiing within two weeks. Jackson also told me that Jay Shapiro, the North Adams native who operated the famed Mother Shapiroâ€™s restaurant and bar for more than 30 years, closed his establishment last spring and was last seen in Florida. The building at the foot of Killington Road is now operated as a combination steak house and Chinese eatery. Yes, there is still plenty of golf in the area, but the Worthington Country Club announced today that only members will be on the course for the remainder of the season. John Hitchcock of Williamstown writes frequently about the area sports scene.

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MCLA Announces Four Finalists for Next President

03:46PM / Thursday, April 02, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced four finalists for the position of president, following a national search.

The finalists were selected by the MCLA Presidential Search Committee and will participate in on-campus visits scheduled for the weeks of April 6 and April 13.

The successful candidate will replace President James Birge, who is retiring at the end of the term.

The four finalists are David Jenemann, Michael J. Middleton, Sherri Givens Mylott, and Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson.

David Jenemann

David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, where he oversees recruitment, retention, curricular innovation, and advancement for an interdisciplinary college serving undergraduates from across the university, including UVM's campuswide Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research.

An internationally recognized scholar, he has published three books and numerous articles, with research spanning intellectual and cultural history, mass media, and the intersection of sports and society.

He holds a doctor of philosophy from the University of Minnesota and completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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