Hampden may use casino mitigation funds to address traffic concerns
Updated Jan 27, 2021;
HAMPDEN When MGM Resorts International first laid its chips on the table about building a Springfield casino, surrounding communities sought funding to mitigate its impact. While some were approved to eventually be allocated such funds, Hampden’s Select Board members at the time walked away empty-handed or so they thought.
More than four years later, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reached out to the town’s Select Board and asked what the community had planned for its $100,000 worth of mitigation funds, said Select Board Chair Donald Davenport.
“Apparently, they neglected to notify us,” said Davenport.
Clockwise from top left: Bridge CEO and Founding Director Gwendolyn VanSant, Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington, U.S. Attorneyâs Office Community Outreach Specialist Cara Henderson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Garland, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Casey Anderson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla and Berkshire District Attorneyâs Office Community Engagement Director Bryan House attended a listening session on community safety Monday during Bridgeâs Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Zoom. SCREEN SHOT BY DANNY JIN â THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
What does freedom look like in 2021?
Thatâs the question Gwendolyn VanSant, CEO and founding director of Bridge, asked participants Monday, leading off the Lee nonprofitâs Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Zoom.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Community Development Board approved a special permit for Lipton Energy to place two new above-ground fuel storage tanks within the 10-year flood plain at 36.
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The town of Great Barrington, Massachusetts has approved a plan to build 14 to 20 affordable housing units in the village of Housatonic.
At Wednesday night’s virtual Affordable Housing Trust Fund meeting, the green light was given to Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity to pursue the project on North Plain Road. Trust Chair Bill Cooke applauded Habitat CEO Carolyn Valli after the unanimous vote.
“Congratulations, Carolyn!” said Cooke.
“Thank you very much,” responded Valli. “We re ready to start planning. We actually, on Thursday, we re starting to put together our South County Housatonic Planning Committee. So if anybody that s on the line right now who’s interested in joining a committee please feel free to reach out to me because we would love to have you.”
PITTSFIELD, Mass. Berkshire County Arc was awarded a five-year contract totaling $1 million from the Mass. Department of Developmental Services to support Berkshire County families whose members have an intellectual or developmental disabilities. The contract funds BCArc to continue supporting more than 300 families in Central and Southern Berkshire County through a series of trainings, two support centers, networking activities, respite services, and help accessing the system of services available to them. We appreciate the state once again recognizing the value BCArc brings to families of the Berkshires, Kenneth Singer, BCArc president & CEO said. For 66 years we have been fortunate to be doing this work in an area where the disability community is embraced and integrated.