Dispatches from behind the Rte 495 soft iron curtain

Route 2 ends at Fresh Pond, near a broken down old nightclub that used to be called,.."Faces".

2009-08-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here, let me beg the issue of this blog for this final post.

Yes, the sad irony for pause: this is the Walden moment; the Thoreau moment; after meditating on the Deerfield River rapids, we return to the urban metropolis to observe the "faces" - millions of them: slogging it out in the urban jungle - looking for permanent pleasures against the fleeting feet of time.

Oh my god,...would you cut that out? Shave your nose hairs will you - your out of the Berkshires.

I'm trying to spin this; I'm trying to use this tawdry urban decay as illustrative of the alienation suffered in dense urban environments. It's a stretch, I know.

Yes, we end the travelogue here and await the re-assignments. There is a curtain between the Berkshires and the 128 beltway; it's not made of iron, but its not silk either.

Massachusetts and all its diversity can be perplexing sometimes. There's people in Western, Mass that never make the trek east; will wax cynical if you mention the State's indifferent treatment to the citizenry out west. The one's I met talked about visiting the old combat zone once. It's like two different constituents; with those in the western part of the state looking down at the corruption that revolves around the dense urban hub.

This was the point of the travelogue; we came to appreciate the independent spirit of Hampdon and Pittsfield Counties; long since abandoned by the lawmakers on Beacon Hill.

Be sure to include Great Barrington, Mass for your Berkshire tour itinerary.....

2009-08-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Great Barrington; a paradise West; untethered to the Lynn's, the Taunton's, the Holbrooks, - unfettered by 93, Rte 1, 128, and the Lynnway. What a cool place this was.

I asked if they would consider a franchise in south boston,...they said no.

2009-08-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

I love western mass. Here's another reason to love things west of 495. Greenfield Mass, plays host to To-fu a - go - go.

It was dinner time and there was a full menu, but I needed something for the road. They obliged. The tofu burrito with peanut sauce was killer. Two thumbs up for this gem in the greens.

I did ask the hostess whether this might go over on East Broadway in Southie. I guess I wasn't very funny; there was no response. Maybe I sounded too Republican.

Greenfield, Massachusetts - the glorious county seat of Franklin County

2009-08-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

Greenfield is interesting; its progressive and the Town seems to embrace it. I felt like calling the Mayor to talk about this. I chickened out; I thought he might take me for a kook.

Salmon are off the hook this year

2009-08-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

Such a likeness between the two popular catches - "did you ever consider that the trout and the Salmon were cousins?"

Where's my genetic reference chart?

A moment of silence for the Mohawk Tribes of America

2009-08-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

Click on that photo on the right and read the inscription.

Let one hundred flowers bloom: Northampton, Massachusetts flourishes in the new millenium

2009-07-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

"Walk into something wonderful".

Here's the deal with Northampton. My guess - from walking the street in the summer of 09 - was that the main street facades; the main retail blocks were 95% leased up. Think about it now, our town, main street, Steinbeck, - almost 100% leased. That my friend is the American dream. We are not talking urban blight here - we are talking property taxes, cash flow, enterprise and a happy land Main Street; the envy of all the townships that are crying the blues from urban sprawl.

Here's the other hook; it's liberal. Ouch! It must be gov't funded! No it isn't, it just happens to foster a community that isn't so narrow.

If today's journalists were educated (they're not!) - it would make a topical story for today's post economic apocalypse - illustrating that the holy grail of a robust Main Street is possible; that is if you work at it and dose it with some culture.

How many towns can live up to that welcome statement?

Real Architecture

2009-07-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Nice details and ornamentation here on Main Street Northampton. The structure on the right could be derivative of H.H. Richardson.

A spiritual kind of Main Street

2009-07-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Mindshift Institute is adjacent to the bookeeping and tax services business. Hmm.

Beautiful details on the old Memorial Hall,.... just classic.

2009-07-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

A mansard roof; nice choice of the brick; great contrast with the white exterior mouldings. Very nice proportionate details for this civic structure. Northampton rocks really. The old and the new work well together.

Hip retailer takes over a bank

2009-07-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

Urban Outfitters land in an old bank structure in Northampton. Worth a visit; one of the few national retailers paying rents in the town.

Old Northampton lives on,....

2009-07-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

Formerly the Red Lion diner.

Down around the bend, Jack August seafood has vanished.

This black and white photo was taken in 1976 -during the wintertime. It's the same diner. This was before the greening of America.

It's 1975 and two guys from Springfield anticipate hip culture and disposable income among students in the pioneer valley,.....

2009-07-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

.....so they graft their food services resume's onto the sleepy conservative town of Northampton, Mass - and Fitzwilly's was born. I remember the names, Fitzwilly,s Gatsby's, Bennigan's, ...theme bars with young staff invoking the post hip beatniks to come to the center of town to drink and run fast. No cigars or stuffed ashtrays next to a package of Kents and VO and soda. No polyester; just denim and a thumbs down on disco attire as well.

But around the corner on Route 5 was Sheehan's Bar; a staple among the hard drinking - world war II set that came back to work in the small factories in Easthampton. Sheehan's was fun given discernable tension on occasion between "longhairs" and regulars. If you closed Sheehans and happen to sport a pony tail; then the regulars knew you were an ex vet from the Vietnam conflict; you weren't harrassed. The fresh faces migrating from U-Mass and Amherst college were another thing. The "girls" - Smith and Holyoke wouldn't venture in: it wasn't a place for females.

Sheehans' has given way to Eileen Fisher - she obviously bested old man Sheehan in the divorce.

"Hello, I'd like to place an order please,....I'd like to have a bottle of Dom Perigon sent to the Unitarian Society of Northampton,....."

2009-07-25T06:03:00.001-07:00

.....just a thank you note, please - no signature."

It's the details that matter, and the moment of truth came last Sunday - July 19th. Just the title itself has to be marked in time, "Beyond the nut-jobs". Lisa P's sunday sermon arrests attention. She's on the web of course: a successful children's author working her craft in Northampton, Mass.

For me, it all came together for brief moment; Northampton's celebration of diversity and a broad cultural bandwidth - along with this sunday sermon by Lisa P. entitled "Beyond the nut-jobs" - I fell into the abyss briefly before walking through Look Park.

Nut job Nation - hat's off to Lisa at last Sunday's pulpit chat.

Storefronts, art and cultural consciousness

2009-07-25T05:51:00.000-07:00

The cinder block wall near the verizon switching station was adorned with a wide mural heralding the triumphs of women in Northampton and the pioneer valley. I should send this photo to Rush Limbaugh, it'll induce him to eat more pills.

Once upon a time, Packard's was preceded by a tavern named, "Zelda's". Prior to that it was a post war tavern that traded customers with the VFW on route 5. Zelda's was sort of a cultural phenomenon at the time; signaling the post war boomer generation that a hip name depicted a place where Knickabockers were displaced by exotic brews such as Heniken or Beck's beer.

The irony not mistaken, "the old book" store keeps it's lease here on this Northampton sidestreet - enabling strollers to sit and ponder, read, and drink latte's,...like it was the Rue de St. Germain.

Northampton Street fair in progress on friday, July 24th...

2009-07-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for Berkeley California, you can find some of it in Northampton. With the street fair in full bloom; there's a pleasant - post apocalypse - cultural fair going on in the streets.

It's got a communtarian flavor; with street people - hair styles reminscent of the 1960's and some slack that would drive the "nut-jobs" into a patriotic rage.

Since Harvard Square is all but sterilized; Northampton has picked up the slack.

But here's the real trophy that Northampton can claim: there's a good mix of national retail and local retail; occupying 98% of the the main street storefronts. By the numbers, friday was crowded with on-lookers and shoppers and people from all over the valley and Berkshires taking in the sites. This was on thriving Main Street; cash registers were singing and people displayed their goods, their arts, and crafts in friendly form.

In your face Berkeley, I mean Weymouth!

July 24, 2009- Detour to Northampton, Mass to see what's going on....

2009-07-25T05:39:00.001-07:00

Looking west from downtown Northampton -route 9 - there's a girl's school up this hill but I forget it's name.

MCLA gets a new exhaust fan for its kitchen grill.

2009-07-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

Oh,,,.big deal!

The old train depot in Charlemont

2009-07-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

Beautiful stone work - a work in progress right off Route 2 - go south on 8A and head for Hawley, Mass.

Don't forget to paint the barn....

2009-07-18T05:50:00.000-07:00

Right opposite the Beaver Mill - across from the World Art Center.

North Adams - Eagle Street - Beach Party

2009-07-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

Several tons of sand gets dumped on Eagle Street on a Wednesday afternoon - for the beach party of course. In your face Weymouth!

Berkshire sweet gold

2009-07-18T05:38:00.000-07:00

Go here for details: http://www.berkshiresweetgold.com/

A gem of a town

2009-07-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

Ask Felix Frankfurter about Heath he was a renowned Supreme Court Justice who was dogging out intense economic issues 73 years ago. Escape to Heath for those in authority.

Felix Frankfurter - according to the wiki - summered in Heath. A drive up route 8A through the rolling farmland and hillsides explains why. Not your ordinary tourist destination and far from the commercial side of American life; Heath Massachusetts is a pleasure to see. It rivals the best of Great Britain's countryside with it's rolling stone walls and barns situated right on the road.

Don't tell anyone, but Heath is a well kept secret - there's some fabulous structures back behind the trees and the solitude and peace must be maintained.

Have you seen the newly renovated covered bridge in Heath, Massachusetts?

2009-07-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

It's called Bissele Bridge - property of the state - and it was a long process to get consensus for retaining heritage and improving structural loads. Bridge construction matters.

Why the steel arch?

2009-07-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

It's either a gas pipe or an electrical conduit going over the Hoosac River - cheaper then going under it - if you were a utility company.

Time out for the tall ships

2009-07-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

Huge crowds turn out for the tall ships.

North Adams Teachers College - first generation-post colonial - empire architecture - need we say more.

2009-07-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

Neo Grecian - Roman details carefully restored.

Nice Ionic columns crafted in wood. No doubt the carpenters a century ago were taking their cues from William Ware's book (MIT) - the classical "orders". Wasn't the use of gold brick; another first- 100 + years ago- to distinguish it from the pervasive red?

Very clean and well kept,..thanks to the stream of enrollment cycling & annual tuition payments,....and state tax revenues.

The other "limited" (?) Western Mass watershed; revenue streams.

Why did they change the name from North Adams Teachers College to Mass College of Liberal Arts? Dukakis? King? Weld? Romney? Which Governor approved this symbolic makeover?

I left my heart in Miller's Falls and part of it was broken......

2009-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

.....I haven't recovered from the sliced and diced economic history of the Miller's Falls tool manufacturing Company. Tears of rage, and tears of grief; but it's gone and we're moving on,.so let's take a look at the town: Miller's Falls 2009.

Hmm!

Come'on folks, we've got some work to do. I pulled into the town square at 6 pm and couldn't find the coffee shop - there was none. There was a liquor store - a tavern that didn't exude invitations; a noble structure on the southwest corner that had to be the old dry goods store - but it didn't seem occupied.

There was a marvelous brick mill structure north of the river, probably 20% of the space occupied. There was a very interesting house and barn as you headed toward Amherst - right around the corner of the town intersection. I saw enterprise with this occupant; but it still needs to forge it's presence.

Unlike Turner and Shelburne Falls, Millers Falls is handicapped by the layout of the town. One cannot really access the river because it's 60 feet below the town center. The road that runs through the town bends dramatically and winds it's way up the hill abbreviating any perspective of town panorama that helps anchor and define a sense of civic space.

60 million dollars of new infrastructure and all these blemishes go away. If only. The town of Lenox, Mass was funded last week by the state - to help augment and develop the infrastructure. That's Lenox, Mass, not Colrain, not Mattapan,.....Lenox! Lenox knows how to play the game at Beacon Hill; come on Miller's Falls - step up to the plate and talk it up.

When's the next selectmen's meeting? Let's put architecture and urban planning studies on the agenda. Call me at 617-752-1109.

We did pause to watch some Canadian Pacific freight go by; going north no doubt. Canadian Pacific freight; economic nostalgia stepping in to the new century; rails be praised.

The Trolley museum in Shelburne Falls is hurting

2009-07-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's friday at 6 pm - what do you expect,...crowds?

Yes, but it is July - and revenues for this museum have to be next to nothing during the winter months. So it goes; a good idea - but competing with malls, monitors, television and internet is unfair competition.

Here's my old coach car rusting in the sun. Keep it for nostalgia or melt it down for I beams?

Technology preservationists weigh in please; these assets aren't generating any revenue and are losing value rusting in the sun. Send me a check for it's purchase and preservation and I'll keep it in escrow.

In Pownel VT, near Williamstown Massachusetts is the old racetrack and grandstand; a ghost of its former glory

2009-07-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

Driving north on route 7 toward Bennington, you may spot the old racetrack and wonder,.......what happened? So I had to google it and of course the wiki provided:

Pownal was formerly the home of Green Mountain Race Track. Opened in 1963, the track offered both thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing until 1976, when thoroughbred racing ceased, being replaced by greyhound racing. One year later standardbred racing was discontinued, and the track thereafter featured only greyhound racing until closing altogether in 1992 amid increasing pressure from animal rights activists, who object to greyhound racing as cruel (Vermont banned the sport in 1995). Since closing as a racetrack, the site has hosted live events occasionally, including a rock concert in the Lollapalooza series in 1996 and antique car shows from 2005 to 2008. The 144-acre property has been purchased by commercial developers who have plans for it which have not yet been finalized, but are believed to include a mix of energy-efficient companies, a farmers' market facility, and facilities to accommodate large events.

What does the assessor project for this structure? "Won't last at this price?" Is it a fire trap? A code compliant nightmare? Is it structurally safe? How much money do you put into it to keep it going; especially when you fill it up 1% of the year and maybe 20% to 50% a few times in the summer? Is Pownell ready for a booze fest like the Kentucky Derby?

It probably hasn't gone down in price which is a shame; for that's what transformative economics is all about: someone getting it to move again.

The orange tile roof with the blue trim & broad overhangs, large glazed storefronts with vestibule: an identity-brand-name that we moderns can trust.

2009-07-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

Urban studies and first generation food service supply chains?

How about useless perserverations number #271: wondering about the rise and fall of the Howard Johnson's restaurant chain and motor lodge puts me in a category I was hoping to avoid. Maybe I should try whittling.

Nevertheless.

It's 1965 and Dad has packed the big Ford Station wagon (the Country Squire)with all the nominal gear: beach chairs, coolers, fishing poles, the large thermos bottle and blue "transistor" radio. (Transistor radio's have to be a real kick for gen x, y & z).

We're off on vacation and this year we're going first class. Never mind Mildred's econo-cabins - the family isn't going to stay in that 100 sq ft. cracker box with the tiny fridge and the mouldy sheets: no we're staying at the Howard Johnson's motor lodge with get this,it has....."a swimming pool!"

Mom is happy because we're dining out at Howard Johnson's every night. What relief; because cooking in Mildred's econo cabins was challenging. She can manage the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but trying to cook a chicken dinner on the hot plate on the cracked formica wasn't much fun for mom. (Maybe those stinky cabins caused mom's drinking problem.)

Howard Johnson's. Who was Howard and where is his shrine? Did he ever meet up with Ray Kroc? Was he the first to systemitize a menu? He took it right to the details if I recall; even the candy was wrapped in his brand.

What am I thinking? I'd better drop some of this forgotten urban history and volunteer some time at the North Adams, co-op.

"We got twenty eight flavors my friend" said the chipped tooth vendor in the white hat,."hurry up cus I got customer's waiting."

Bennington, Vermont

2009-07-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

Last week we crossed the borders and toured the lake region of NH. At 4:45 on thursday afternoon, we shot up route 7 from Williamstown, Mass to visit Bennington VT. Bennington is hosting the moose fest this month. The town was quiet since it's main industry has retired to summer recess. A few college students walked the streets; some tourists were gawking at window displays - not much was stirring on this thursday afternoon - making it all the more pleasant to look at classical architectural details - hand drawn - a century ago. That brick fenestration was build by hand in 1868. Pure charm.

Bennington thrives based on a successful economic driver: higher education.

The "Shunpike": Route 2's sardonic comment -roadside sign

2009-07-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

Heading east - right before you get to Florida, Mass, there's a picnic area and this cast metal sign on the left hand side of the road. The Shunpike legacy forged in iron; the footnotes in Berkshire history tell us this -the toll issue has been around for some time. It suggests that this tax model has sustained itself for 200 years and well into our present political quagmire. The "shun" pike, as in "shun" - as in to "deliberatly avoid" - suggests there are more reasons to drive route 2. Is it myth mixed with satire?

Route 2 will be now referred to as the "shunpike". Once again, subtle signs of the love/hate fest that goes between the western part of the state and the "heavy on government" eastern counterparts.

The Hawks family cemetery is located in the same picnic area. Berkshire settlers laid to rest here off route 2. Right past Charlemont and right before Florida - going west - a nice stop right off the Deerfield river. Check it out.

Hawley, Mass

2009-07-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

Hawley Mass. Nested in the Berkshire hills are some modest rolling farmlands which incur very limited automotive traffic. Hawley is chartered as a town; but didn't seem to have a town square. There were farms and houses along route 8A but I couldn't find the intersection that typified a town square - a way station for coaches, a train depot, or Church congregation that would bring the traveling public to rest.

There in lies its' true beauty perhaps. A faint spell of freedom knowing it was you who were traveling through and you were on your own. Your impelled to pass through; observe the wonderful scenery for those fleeting moments and get yourself further up on the main highway for supplies. Precious unspoiled land in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

If the congested suburbs around Boston jeer at this lifestyle than so be it; we know who really loses at this game of property valuations - "relative to what" - they say.

Route 2 West and the Mohawk Trail: free health care while driving.

2009-07-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

Had enough of urban traffic?

Then try this route - Route 2 going west out of the pioneer valley into the Berkshire hills that marry the Appalachian trail.

For the urban rat; this is sanctuary and therapy. Knowing that nature still dominates this part of the state is relieving in so many ways. There's real life out here; new growth forests and subtle charms along the old settler's highway.

Live it and breath it; it's more restorative than your medical prescriptions. This is free health care vested in these hills. But keep it a secret; or it won't last.

Route 2 West and the Mohawk Trail: free health care while driving.

Steam boilers, Cleaver Brooks, power plants and controls: “you don’t hear of any steam boilers exploding anymore, now do you buddy!”

2009-07-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

"Can't live without em".

Upper left: that's Paul's homemade model of a steam boiler he built from spare steel parts - "just for kicks" he told me. It's got the basic components, the holding tank, the condensation tank, the valves, it's fired by coal in the central oven and blasts the flame forward and backward in the holding vessel to optimize heat and transfer to the water. There's the basic steam boiler theory manual as a reference in the power plant. Don't forget, you need a third class or second class fireman's license to stand guard with these boilers. Peterson's school of Engineering in South Boston will help you pass the test.

Then there's the outer jacket of the Cleaver Brooks steam boiler: it was cleaned last week; washed with water with all the rust particles swept out. Any corrosion on the gas jets are cleaned; inspected with a state license and assured of satifactory operations as the heating season kicks in on October 09.

Someone suggested to fire it up now: it was 50 degrees this morning - July 7th.<

The Getty Station in Rochester, New Hampshire and the first class proprietor named Michael.

2009-07-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Michael. Don't know his last name,...so it was Michael during the 48 hour automotive ordeal from Friday - the 3rd of July's - trek up to the lakes of New Hampshire.

After bitching about a half hour stop and go delay to get past a toll on 16 in NH (stalled in traffic for a fifty cent toll - toll collection is not good economics) the real crisis came when the power steering went down; and the temperature gauge shot up and we could smell burning rubber coming through the air intake from the engine. (What kind of Jack_ss would hold on to a 97 Explorer,....!)

The rotor to the water pump had seized, shearing the fan belt, and knocking out the power steering pump and the AC. Fortunately we were able to get off the highway and pull into Rochester NH. But then there was the down pour and the 20 minute wait to just look under the hood. The belt was shredded and the rendezvous to the lakes was beginning to look like a bust.

It's 6 pm, July 3rd 2009 - the thought of a "service station" a gasoline station that actually diagnoses and fixes automotive vehicles seemed like a remote possibility; the era of roadside service stations is gone.

After a quarter mile hike; there's a Getty station with it's garage bay doors open and a mechanic working on a Subaru. The guys name is Michael.

Michael is Lebanese. He was born in the US but has been back and forth to visit his father who still resides in Lebanon. His father is a high ranking officer in the Lebanese army and Michael mentioned that one Syrian faction made an attempt on his life about 10 years ago. His sister has her Bachelor's degree and a law degree and works in DC. One of his brother's is a doctor; his other brother has a professional degree in science and works between academics and government research.

His younger cousins are still in school pursuing master's degrees. Michael has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice as well.

He owns the Getty station and began fixing cars in his spare time in college.

"I like working here; I like owning the station and it's fun for me helping people for a living. I get to meet all kinds of people in this job."

The tendency to box in an individual to fit a certain profile is a common flaw of the mind. Every time we went off subject, Michael would shoot back with some observation or some comment about life, education, small business, or taxes: he knew more about life at 27 then your average US Congressional rep.

"I'm getting married in September,..Scottie,....she'from Russia; she is an excellent cook and once married she wants to open a restaurant in America."

Michael scrolled through his I phone photo library and there she was; smiling somewhere from a kitchen 10,000 miles away. The technology and the intimacy were driving the worrisome problems aside; the Friday night episode began to transcend the motor vehicle crisis stage and morph into a pub conversation. I had to grab at the good will and plug it into my holiday journey. The downside was turning upside and the stress waned a little. What would happen next?

The explorer had to sit it out in the Getty station over the weekend; but that didn't prevent Michael from calling me Saturday morning - the fourth of July - to explain that he found the problem and would fix it as soon as the automotive parts store opened on Monday. "Scottie, I will guarantee you,..it'll be done by Monday morning,"..he said to me on the phone,..as the parade in Wolfsboro had just come to an end. "Trust me man,..I'll take care of you."

Trust me man! I looked at the stars and stripes flag bunting on one of Wolfsboro's gift shops. "Trust me" said the stranger.

On Monday,..the sun in full bloom; the Getty station was buzzing with activity. Michael was cordial and beaming as he consoled a few beleaguered travelers; the vehicles sitting in the cue waiting for his assistant Tony's diagnosis.

"Scottie, I'm going to charge you 2 hours labor." "Your kidding, I said,...Michael, you're a business man,..you were dealing with this junk box on Friday night, you were working on it Saturday, you called for parts today and you fixed it in the last hour,...I figured a day,..or at least a four hour minimum."

"Nah,...it was only two hours to fix it,..I told you I would take care of you man,...I will charge you for parts and two hours labor."

"Michael, give me your address, this isn't the last time your going to hear from me."

We were back on the road at 10:30 am on Monday the sixth - traveling south on 95 - only to be diverted again by a gas tank trailer roll over on 95 south. Such is fate.

Fourth of July 2009 - there are hero's on the bottom of America' great economic grid; hero's that can rival angels with spirit and intent. If only the media could look down and see who's keeping it all together.

I'm going to send this guy something; help me out - I don't want to get too corny. What should I send him?

Turners falls needs some work on the main boulevard; it's coming up and it needs to be trimmed out with the hand of a good urban planner.

2009-07-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

The Main Street "boulevard" in Turner's Falls has things that other communities don't have. It has a Thorton Wilder Main Street; a main street framed on both sides by big glass windows trimmed in red brick and Asher Benjamin's classic American mouldings; the universal language of Main Street's most popular architecture. It is authentic as well; not the details of nostalgic reproductions but the real thing. Clearly one can see a town's robust evolution as the falls began to shape the town's destiny by introducing hydroelectric power over 100 years ago.

There had to a be surge of construction for a few of these antiquated years; when the town imported immigrant labor to work the mills that finally had a free utility to drive wheels and pulleys at full capacity. The dry goods store expanded, the cotton goods were displayed, fresh eggs and poultry featured in the windows and a barber shop to push past the sweat and grime and option pride and fashion among the newcomers to the new world.

So what happens 100 years after the industrial expansion recedes? We know the story; the money runs dry and the equity stagnates for a while; before it finds a spark of rejuvination. Turner's Falls has brushed itself off; but it's far from being complete.

Call in the urban planners but this time; get them to live there. There's a bunch of things that could happen to upgrade Turner's Falls and it can be driven from different directions. Excellent school systems could induce new development money indirectly but that doesn't exclude a good amount of civic brainstorming to look at it's overall layout and begin to cultivate it's future.

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts: BREAKING NEWS!,.. "Not one franchised retail chain store spotted in the town, not even a CVS,..sources will confirm."

2009-06-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

Letter to Deval:

Dear Deval: As the Lord Governor of the Commonwealth, I think you need to express a gesture of gratitude to this small hamlet for its activism at a self sustaining independent business community and economy.

I think it would behoove the governor to express to the local selectman of Franklin County a word of commendation for exercising good judgement at preserving and maintaining their own affairs without succumbing to the pressures of contemporary development pressures.

"The enterprise neo-classical model at its' best - fair trade, in equilibrium and unthreatened by conglomerates or national chains"

(It's too bad that the selectmen of Cape Cod didn't consult with this group or is that the price of democracy?)

MCLA Boiler facility -Wednesday June 24th, 2009: its not all fun and games out here....

2009-06-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

We get things done; at least the contractors are getting it done: I'm just the score keeper - watching the budget.

Take an old Cleaver Brooks boiler - 1980- and modify it so that you have control over it. Or think of it this way. It's all about costs these days - energy costs - so ask yourself; how can I regulate - or modulate the heating loads of the campus buildings?

Instead of firing up the boiler each day to capacity and having a fixed combustion fan, a fixed flame, and a fixed psi on natural gas: you want to be able to modulate these parameters based on load demand.

Taking a 1980 Cleaver Brooks (ton?) boiler and fitting it up so that you can control it's output and input is a task for the specialists. The new controllers and gas pipe trains, the senors, probes and relays were all connected this week.

The guys in the photo were witnessing the burn in: we turned on the boiler (steam) and to run it through it's control possibilities. The digital read outs were about 80% positive; and then there's that annoying 20% of trouble signals that sent the contractor into paroxysms of angst. $$$$$$$.

By friday, it came down to some incompatible relays and the fix was on. The energy savings data is buried in the documents somewhere and maybe I can find the annual dollar rate savings.

Friday June 26th: more Shelburne Falls attractions: beautiful glacial rock carved by run off from the great icebergs that came to shape the northeast

2009-06-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

Way back in time, there was something of 100 feet of ice sitting atop this scene causing gushing run-off sedimentation at enough velocity to carve up this dense stone. In more recent times, the English explorers came upon this site - William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne decided to lend the area his name and claim it for his King. That name stuck; Shelburne it was.

What followed that event is settlements, farmers, traders, and eventually someone who knows the flowing water is power and sets up a mill. A bucolic industrial output engine begins to supply the broader empire throughout the 1800's and early 1900's.

Within the last fifty years, the post war years; production softened as demand for local goods moved overseas. Get the picture? The economics of the last two generations have changed the legacy economic models of America's beginnings.

"You can't go home again" said Thomas Wolfe (the first) - addressing the stormy volatility of his generations longings for stability and homestead. Is this something of a cycle, Americans must deal with?

Yes.

Salmon Falls right there in Shelburne: walk through the town and get a sense of the local history

2009-06-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Someone remembers and someone marks the event with a sign. The state has ideas of repopulating the Salmon: bringing back the original eco-systems.

It's interesting that the "treaty" was recognized by the colonial court which could infer that there was some type of positive dialogue regarding local resources; their outcome and distribution. Fair trade? Equilibrium?

Friday June 26th at 5:30 p.m.: Lamson and Goodnow make cutlery

2009-06-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Lamson and Goodnow established a cutlery factory in Shelburne Falls.

There was also a pin factory in the town as well as manufacturing supporting the union drive during the civil war. This is part of the cutlery factory complex; looking rusticated and very original.

This is an interesting property and begging for some development. It's untouched in exterior appearances; probably has some clean up costs that are daunting; like what's in the soils. Obviously industry has run its course here, but tourism dollars are possible attractions to revitalize the mill buildings. Got any ideas?

After a brief conversation with the wine merchant; he explained that the river actually separated the upper classes from the lower classes in town. Apparently, still in the by-laws is a town mandate that allows alcohol to be consumed in public; whereas - across the river it is prohibited from public view and can only be consumed behind closed doors.

The wealthy built their houses east of the river while the factory employees squatted on west side of the river.

Shelburne Falls bridge across the Deerfield River

2009-06-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Vermont Construction Company and Contractors engineered this bridge; one hundred years of service - well done guys.

The odd fellows building in Shelburne Falls

2009-06-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

This building is on the National Historic Registry. The plaque states that the building is identified as the "Oddfellows" building.
Apparently, 1840's or so - a group of odd fellows came to occupy the building upper chambers in common agreement that they were perhaps "odd-fellows". Reactionaries? The first neo conservatives? We'll try to find out.

This had to be a humorous group; convening as it were in the Odd-fellows building - the very "odd fellows" them selves. I wonder if they kept minutes of their meetings?

The top floor has a dance floor; the ground floor is McKusker's wine market connected to a lovely food market next door. There's no super markets in Shelbourne Falls.

Shelburne Falls and the flower bridge: Friday, June 26th, 2009

2009-06-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Heading east from North Adams along route 2, there's plenty to pick up on as the natural elevations change. Not too far from Florida, and Charlemont is Shelburne Falls; only a mile south off route 2. Well worth a stop over; Shelburne Falls is a sweet town with plenty of natural drama and a rich history to support it.

A flower bridge that once was a trolley track running cross the river. A flower bridge; novel, expressive and green; as good as it gets.

In your face Weymouth.

Thursday June 25th: window mannequins on Eagle Street in North Adams

2009-06-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

More local news. There's a mayoral race in North Adams that is starting to heat up. The agenda by the challenger proposes more changes for North Adams; he's appealing to the youth to help revitalize the city.

I spoke briefly with the director of the office of Tourism for North Adams on thursday night.

"It's about ideas" said Rob. "The incumbent has done a great job at managing the city; but people are anxious about North Adams future and so the discussion gets worked into the campaigns."

"I can't fault our incumbent mayor, he's done a great job and is very consistent,..he also hired me as tourism director."

Norman Rockwell would've noticed.

2009-06-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Nice colors as the sun sets west. The buildings are facing west situated on River Street. River Street is a slice of old North Adams; along with the Mill buildings.

I was fortunate to pick up a copy of a book written by Joe Manning on the history of North Adams. Joe brought together a wonderful compendium of North Adams' history, it's urban renewal and economic shifts - with personal testimonials from towns folk. There's some great pages on the workings and staff at the Sprague factory (currently MOCA) and a photographic journal of the severing North Adams main street.

I was mesmerized by Joe's book and then stepped out on the street to see the sun set on the noble architecturally detailed facades. It's brief, but for the moment's appreciation - one might desire to go back one hundred years and walk the same street. Where did I put my spats?

Art walk delivers a whimsical piece on the thursday night art walk in North Adams

2009-06-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

These pieces were featured on thurday night's North Adams art walk. Many folks coming downtown; it seemed the right thing to do.

Norman Rockwell's son was among the attendees of thursday nights' art walk.

Art walk on Main Street on thursday - June 25, 2009

2009-06-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

Future mayoral candidate for North Adams, Dan W. played host to many artists and art patrons as they strolled Eagle Street to take in the galleries. Dan was a magnet of good will and enthusiasm; charming many of the people spilling out to Eagle street in the warm evening.

Dan is currently residing in the former Beaver mill; pleased to be decompressing from NYC and city life.

The house that Dan built: he's got about 5700 square feet with oak beams (in need of paint) and plenty of expressive neighbors. Up to the right of the building is a wonderful scenic collection of rock (marble) outcroppings, old growth trees and rushing water from the river: check out the natural bridge and park if your heading to Clarksburg.

Beaver Mill; it's obvious why it got it's name,..so the question is,....are there any beaver left?

Art walk on Main Street North Adams: thursday - June 25, 2009

2009-06-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

A wonderful marquee dressed in neon. A salute to old main street - a grateful gesture to past glories.

There are no movies here as of yet; but the owners are considering it. Meanwhile, light up the sign.

The urge to pile on is enticing; so we'll be careful with the editorials. Sorry about the photo.

2009-06-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

This "suspended rock" sits opposite the entry way of the Mass MOCA complex.

It appears to be important enough to be featured right on route 8's humble beginnings here in North Adams. It stands alone in a plaza area that sits opposite the museum complex. It's contemporary; it's conceptual; its symbolic and before we pontificate on contemporary art, it's well constructed.

What does it mean? Buried in the rock are tons of compression; reflecting the gyrations of earths' geotechnic movements and combinations of minerals and baked strata to forge "rock".

The commentary at the facilities office has been generous every time I bring this piece up with the FG's (facilities guys). Most of the commentary has been very entertaining. Entertaining,...maybe that's the real value in this contemporary art piece.

Bring in the critics.

I think it speaks to our times; unoriginal, simplistic and provocative. The Medicci Family would file criminal complaints; the Romans and Greeks would be smirking. The "me" generation art cum narcissism.

Sweeney's Harley

2009-06-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sweeney (FG,..facilities guy) let me know that Quincy Market was just a big rip off and he'll never go there again - even if there's free Red Sox tickets,....quote: "Driving into Boston is a pain in the posterior and I won't do it anymore."

He did volunteer that he enjoyed touring; got the Harley for a great price - and will drive it as far as Worcester but that's it.

On tuesday the 16th, he also told me the state evacuation day was dumb,..but if the state wanted him to take the day off with pay then he wouldn't argue with them.

Will we see Wind Power coming to Western Massachusetts?

2009-06-21T07:47:00.001-07:00

Like Cape Cod sound; this proposal will be met with resistance; even environmentalists will take a stand against something like this. But like Cape Cod sound; their arguments will be honed down to simply an aesthetic criteria which won't hold much power given clean energy pressures.

I think Joe from Facilities is going; I hope he comes back with some fireworks.

I hope to come back to this post and thrash it out: the future of Western Mass and it's demand of clean energy starts with this proposal and town meeting.

Once upon a time, wood was almost a "free" utility. The material was free; the downside was labor - the costs "expended" to harvest it for fuel and shelter. Electricity; one of today's essential utilities is at the frontier and crossroads of dramatic cost reductions as we as a community become untethered to fossil fuels. Electrical power costs could go down as we reduce our carbon foot print.

This issue must be viewed in the context of transformational economic epics or as quantum changes in technological expansion. If man can devote his labors to food production; and not worry about the costs of utilities (energy) then truly; the age of leisure and recreation is upon him.

One way to think of today's trouble economic world is this: it is vital for the community to break from the expansion and re-think it's goals; the downtime and recession provides the necessary pressure to consider the essentials vs. non-essentials and pause to work out the long term vision for the communities of Western Mass. Can the bucolic school systems of Western Mass be the primary economic drivers of the contemporary commercial cultures? Are we gravitating to the Grecian "State" again; that fleeting period of enlightenment where knowledge, wisdom and aspiration of the heavens can guide us going forward?

What happens as we decentralize, simplify, look backward before leaping forward? The expansionary model of economic development: housing, followed by malls, and consumption needs a rest. Is it time to transcend the aggregation model and re-think the costs of living?

Wednesday - June 17th 2009 - at 7:00 pm. The lodge atop Mt. Greylock

2009-06-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Here's Bascom lodge sitting at the visitors center atop Mt. Greylock.

When I looked in; there were carpenters working some details in preparation of it's re-opening. It sleeps 34 guests on an overnight. The state has found a lessee and we hope it books up quickly.

We are of course in the tower looking down - a northwesterly direction - looking toward NY state and the Adirondacks. Click on the flyer for full details on Bascom Lodge.

The regional news headlines are responding to the New York state legislatures deadlock in Albany. It's a mess; a real embarrassment.

Bear Swamp Power Company: Friday June 19th, at 5:00 pm

2009-06-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

FERC #2669. What? There's a lot behind this sign. Stay tuned as we try to unravel the story of the Bear Swamp Power Company.

The Bear Swamp Power station and reservoir was built in the 70's. Someone had an idea; and eventually it was realized.

A reservoir; or what formerly was a swamp sits on top of a mountain - about 1800 feet in elevation, adjacent to the Deerfield River. Due to rainfalls, it has 30 feet of "head" or overflow of the bowl -as it were. If I could drain the reservoir and have it run through a couple of turbines, then I could generate megawatts to help augment and offset peak load times on the electrical grid. Good idea.

In the early seventies; the idea was engineered and the swamp became a reservoir; the mountain was bored out to accommodate a shaft and power station and any residual run off would be dumped into the Deerfield river - plus - rather than waiting for the rain to fill up the bowl, the pumps would deliver water up to the reservoir to cycle the turbines.

"Who made the turbines and the pumps?" I asked Charlie, the visitor center currator with the grand sense of humor.

"Toshiba and Hitachi made most of the equipment in the power house. The turbine impeller blades were trucked up the mountain very carefully after hours shutting down the highways; they were 28 feet wide, I'm told." said Charlie.

"Japanese parts and engineering,..how's that?" I asked again.

"The Japanese had retooled after the War - after the devastation and with the help of the Marshall Plan, they reinvented their own power grid and electrical sources. They were newly engineered power generators, unlike the US infrastructure that had various power sources all supplying the national grid - many of them 40 years old. So the Japanese had state of the art equipment which made it attractive to the power company engineers. The turbines are kind of a direct drive to the generators and can reverse direction to actually pump water back up the mountain,...pretty ingenious."

If you click on the picture and look at the center near the horizon, you can see the reservoir. I asked Charlie if I could get a closer look at the power generation system. He didn't say yes,...but he didn't say no (it's inside the mountain).

According to Charlie, it's been bought and sold a dozen times - like a trading card for investment groups - even Enron held title once (that tells you something about this industry) - it's current owner resides in Maine. Charlie noted that there's a full time staff in the power generation station consisting of two people. The controls are maintained by a remote office in Marlboro, Mass; it can be monitored and activated off a laptop.

It's not 100% self sustaining; it borrows power to activate the pumps to fill up the reservoir. It functions as a reserve electrical supplier when demand loads intensify. There is talk about installing more efficient pumps; perhaps there's a new discussion of setting up windpower to power the pumps - that would make it 100% self sustaining.

Monday, June 15, 2009 a visit to the Red Sauce Ristorante in North Adams, Mass.

2009-06-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

I drive by "Red Sauce" everyday on the way back to the hotel. Looks like a great building for an Italian Restaurant so I decided to check it out on monday the 15th in the late afternoon. It was closed but the owner was cleaning and setting up for the week.

Maybe it was just a bad day, but when I asked Eddie (proprietor) how things were going, he wasn't too enthused.
"Business is slow, I moved out here about five years ago and began to notice that people around here aren't prone to going out to eat." "Are you from Boston?" he asked me, "I moved out here from Boston".

Eddie was a sous chef at the Ritz C. before making the trek into small business ownership in the northern Berkshires. I hope it picks up for Eddie. There's probably some resistance to the style and medium priced entree's.

The facilities guy where I'm working noted that he had tried Red Sauce with his in-laws and noted that his Italian father-in-law thought the red sauce tasted like "ketch-up". Maybe it was just a bad week.

I think the fg (facilities guy) carries a gene that is common and predominant in the New England area. It's the C^ne type; and manifests as "cynical personality".

Hoosac Tunnel: friday, June 19th at 4:00 p.m. Sure, just go for a walk into the old train tunnel.

2009-06-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

5 miles of train tunnel bored out of Bear Resivoir Mountain.
Still in use; I witnessed a 35 car train come through it with about 30 coal cars filled up. Imagine that; 2009 - transporting coal to a power plant somewhere.
Think about it; task yourself with the mission to build a five mile tunnel through a mountain in the rugged elevations of Bear mountain. Doing this now, could be done with the latest electronic surveying equipment, but try doing it one hundred years ago.

Yes, they started from opposite ends and legend goes - they went off track at one point and had to re-route. They also had to burrow down vertically to facilitate the horizontal drilling.

The drill bits weren't very efficient and the steam driven boring machines were slow and labor intensive. They used explosives.
200 men lost their lives prematurely.

There's a few other stories, like when they first tried to illuminate it; only to have the lamps and circuits short out frequently because of water leaching through the arch stone ceilings.

Charlie the tour guide at the Bear Reservoir power plant told me they used plumb bobs to line it up. So far I've refrained from bringing up another more recent tunnel on the opposite side of the state.

During the drive through Adams, Ma, we stopped to wonder what McKinley was doing in the town square. June 15th - Monday.

2009-06-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

He was a Ohioian.

That's a bronze statue of William McKinley - the 25th President of the US. Where? In Adams Mass, opposite the library - the same library where he laid a cornerstone to commemorate the endowments coming from the robust industry that grew up in the Berkshires. McKinley was a republican - a moderate republican - and represented values that today's republicans can't seem to locate. He defended labor where it was warranted and supported tariffs (taxes) on foreign imports - to protect American jobs. He defeated Grover Cleveland in the second election of the 1890's - an election that was predicated on the recovery years after the 93 crash.

So as a journeyman - here we are in Adam's Mass, stopping to pause for a photo of William McKinley as he looks over the town's main street. McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo NY - by an anarchist - two bullets - one that lodged in his abdomen and began to infect. The assassin was electrocuted.

So now comes the odd connection. The Berkshire Cotton Manufacturing company ran it's course until the post WWII years - it was bought by a young stockbroker named - Warren Buffet; hence Berkshire Hathaway. Economics winds its way to the oddest places.

Specialty Minerals was right down the street and I almost pulled in to talk to management. Maybe next time.

Mon. June 15th 2009. Monument to Veterans of Foreign Wars on top of Mt. Greylock

2009-06-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Mt. Greylock; the highest point in Massachusetts - well worth a visit - a place to view the skyline and remember the veterans of Foreign wars.

Great place to visit; picnic; friends or a place to meditate. Salute to all veterans; this monument is testament to our gratitude.

Charming map of North Adams

2009-06-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

An art map; courtesy of the Holiday Inn. Just the kind of graphic you'd need to hike out into the wild's of the northern Berkshires.

It's what "not" on the map we are seeking.

I was told that within an a two hour walk from the town's center you could be in deep forest shooting a bear.

Main Street - North Adams, Ma - looking East: June 10th, 2009 -Tuesday.

2009-06-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

This has America written all over it. It could be Kansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, Eastern Pennsylvania. It's North Adams, Massachusetts.

We walked Main street briefly to see how much commerical real estate was available. There was plenty. Office space and retail was a little less than 50% occupied ( by arbitrary visual inspection). It shouldn't be this way. 100 years ago, there were hat shops, flower shops, fruit stands, barber shops, pharmacy's, newspaper stands, gift shops, dress shops, haberdashery's, shoe repairs shops, watch repairs shops, jewelry, bakeries. The main street 100 years back; didn't have pavement; probably dirt; lots of horses and carts and carriages; the air had to be filled with organics; the aroma of farms and agriculture. Lots of leather and cotton roasting in the summer sun.

Where did the neo classical model of Main Street disappear to? Why should all these small business' disappear - they aren't soaking the economy of high finance - it's a cash flow model - a subsistence economic model that produced two things - goods and services - and community.

The rusticated fenestrations - lots of cut stone - lots of drawn details for the commercial buildings that flank the Main Street - some of it grand - some of it beaux arts style - most of it masonry - strong; robust, and part of the American enterprise legacy that put towns and cities at the center of communities.

On the perimeter of the town is more brick; bricks and beams, granite accents; mills, factories, once thriving with manufacturing jobs; now converted to lofts and some not converted at all. Main Street 2009. Where did the neo classical model go? Did Walmart scoop all the G and S traffic up?

Will American's ever realize that the economic system that they pray to isn't really theirs? They don't own the economic system any more than this street can claim it.

So here is North Adams, MA 2009. It's been revitalized, incentivized, and spruced up to compete with the fabricated Main Streets of Disney world. But it won't draw during the hard times and there were so many empty store fronts; idle and indifferent with the inadvertent statement that suggests - "go away".

Can it be that hard to sustain that neo classical model? Micro lending? Local wares, tax free zones? Surely a group of economists could build a self sustaining model that comes from the bottom up and is owned by the community - or could they?

Click on the picture; the details are there - it's clean, there's landscaping - the trees have been planted and the lamps in the central island are relatively new. Can't say we are not trying; it's a fair attempt to revitalize what Thorton Wilder called "our town". Just short of a full victory; looking for Main Street in the economic crisis of 2009. A goal for both the left and the right; missing from the pages of America 09.

Loew's Theater on Main Street in North Adams, Mass

2009-06-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

The neon is still intact and at night, it's an appealing cultural symbol - a kind of "night light" for the downtown.

So where's Betty Grable? Wait,..when did this cinema open? Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton,....Clara Bow? It opened in 1938. What you can't see here is diagonally opposite was the Paramount Theater; demolished in the 1960's along with the other side of Main Street.

Local author Joe Manning has chronicled North Adams history in a wonderful compendium. He interviews Sprague Electric's former employees and delves deep into the heart of North Adams urban history.

True reporting would warrant a trip to the local tavern where all the old timers sip their bourbon. Ok, I get the message; find the story - find the old barroom and have a nice long conversation with the local oracles.

June 14, 2009 - Mt. Greylock and the 97 Ford Explorer

2009-06-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

Mt. Greylock is about 3500 feet above sea level; the highest point in Massachusetts. When the clouds disappear, you can see for 100 miles; and three states.

The state recently allocated funds to rebuild the road system; the drainage and the road infrastructure. That means new bituminous coating; drainage runs adjacent to the road; new guard rails and line stripping make it almost a pleasure to climb up to the summit. If only the Mass highways were as clean.

The Ford Explorer? These are the last days of the Ford Explorer - 190,000 miles - frail and shaky - it's joints are worn. It drives like a loose collection of parts. Congress passed "cash for clunkers" this week and the Explorer will be off to the smelting plant.

In five years, the steel from the Ford Explorer could end up supporting the 50th floor in a building in Dubai or somewhere else.
Econ 101.

By the way, it's first gear all the way down unless you want to fry your brake pads.