Letter: Eight Weeks to Change the World

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To the Editor:

In just eight weeks you can vote to save our democracy, our planet, and your own personal freedoms. You have that power, and your choice is as simple as it is stark.

Vice President Kamala Harris offers a brighter future for your family — and all Americans — including a guarantee of reproductive freedoms, voting rights, civil rights, and an economy based on economic opportunity for all. A former prosecutor and attorney general, Kamala has the experience, backbone, and character to be president, to stand up for working families and to stand up to bullies, liars, cheats, and fraudsters at home and abroad.

Her opponent represents the darkest side of human nature. Promising to be a dictator on "Day One," he represents an America of continued chaos, violence, darkness, hate, fear, racism, continued carnage at our schools, stores, and places of worship — and a further widening of the gap between rich and poor. He is the un-American candidate.



In 1630, future Gov. John Winthrop and passengers on the Arbella left England for Massachusetts, intending to be an example for the rest of the world in rightful living. During the voyage Winthrop stated their purpose clearly: "We shall be as a shining city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us."

For almost 400 years — through a Civil War and two World Wars — America has been a beacon of hope, freedom, and democracy to the world. Your vote for Kamala Harris — just eight weeks from now — will ensure Winthrop’s vision continues both here in Massachusetts and throughout the nation at large.

Lee Harrison
Williamstown, Mass.

 

 


Tags: election 2024,   

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Williamstown's Cost Rising for Emergency Bank Restoration

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The cost to stabilize the bank of the Hoosic River near a town landfill continues to rise, and the town is still waiting on the commonwealth's blessing to get to work.
 
Department of Public Works Director Craig Clough was before the Finance Committee on Wednesday to share that, unlike the town hoped, the emergency stabilization work will require bringing in a contractor — and that is before a multimillion dollar project to provide a long-term solution for the site near Williams College's Cole Field.
 
"I literally got the plans last Friday, and it's not something we'll be able to do in-house," Clough told the committee. "They're talking about a cofferdam of a few hundred feet, dry-pumping everything out and then working along the river. That's something that will be beyond our manpower to do, our people power, and the equipment we have will not be able to handle it."
 
Clough explained that the cofferdam is similar to the work done on the river near the State Road (Route 2) bridge on the west side of North Adams near West Package and Variety Stores.
 
"We don't know the exact numbers yet of an estimate," Clough said. "The initial thought was $600,000 a few months ago. Now, knowing what the plans are, the costs are going to be higher. They did not think there was going to need to be a coffer dam put in [in the original estimate]."
 
The draft capital budget of $592,500 before the Fin Comm includes $500,000 toward the riverbank stabilization project.
 
The town's finance director told the committee he anticipates having about $700,000 in free cash (technically the "unreserved fund balance") to spend in fiscal year 2027 once that number is certified by the Department of Revenue in Boston.
 
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