Jack Miller Contractors Purchase Williamstown Building

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Jan. 16, Jack Miller Contractors (JMC) acquired property at 824 Simonds Road in Williamstown. 
 
Built in 1954, the business (formerly known as Express Mart and JJ's Coffee & Convenience Store) is located at the southeast corner of Sand Springs Road and Simonds Road (Route 7). The 0.39-acre site is set in the town's Planned Business Zoning District. 
 
JMC worked with Maureen M. Dietze of Alton & Westall Real Estate Agency to purchase the property, now under the ownership of 824 Simonds LLC, from Reinland Property Management LLC. Prior to the purchase, SK Design Group of Pittsfield performed an Environmental Site Assessment for the vacant commercial property on behalf of the new owner.
 
"This move will allow us to better serve our clients in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont as well as Eastern New York State, and we're thrilled to soon occupy a strategic site for the integration and expansion of our business after many years in search of the right location," said Jack Miller, founder and principal of JMC. "The JMC team is eager to work alongside local trade partners and collaborators who will help bring our vision to life."
 
In January, JMC received Williamstown's approval to renovate and expand the convenience store property to serve as its new headquarters, which will be surrounded by a mix of commercial and residential properties in all directions. The Planning Board approved a redevelopment plan to add approximately 2,100 square feet to the 1,305-square-foot one-story building and to create 10 parking spots. The design plan includes green shielding and reduces the amount of impervious surface on the lot by about 2,700 square feet. 
 
The conversion of the commercial retail space to professional contractor offices will allow JMC to locate all facilities under one roof including offices, meeting space and a small storage area, and to provide employees with a place to work. In addition, the building will energize the creation of a new home services branch. This concierge service will include both comprehensive proactive care for high-end properties, and management of select smaller projects to complement JMC's custom home building business.
 
"We're glad to be a part of the ongoing improvement to the northern entry to town," added Miller. "We look forward to unifying our field and office-based teams, and turning the current site into an attractive property for our community."
 
JMC has engaged the services of Burr and McCallum Architects based in Williamstown to develop plans for the property. The design will focus on utilitarian layouts and prioritize functionality, clean lines and natural light. The mid-century building will reflect the characteristics and style of a 1950s machine shop. 
 
The addition of native plants and trees will further enhance the setting, which is now mostly asphalt. Completion of construction is expected in late 2026 with a move-in date around the same time. 
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Letter: Incomplete Picture from Greylock School Committee

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

At the October Mount Greylock School Committee meeting, there was much celebration over the student growth percentiles (SGP) from last year's MCAS test data (Spring 2026). Growth is worth celebrating. But I worry the meeting, and the coverage of it, left families and our community with an incomplete picture of how our students are doing in math.

"Growth" sounds like it means scores went up, but that isn’t quite what SGP measures. SGP compares each student to students in the state who scored about the same the year before, then ranks how they did this year against that group. If a whole group of similar students decreases, the student who decreases the least can still earn a high growth percentile. A strong SGP tells us our students did better than their peers who scored similarly the year before. It doesn't tell us whether they are at grade level.

For example, the current 6th grade class at Williamstown Elementary School (WES) has decreased in their grade-level math proficiency every year since their 3rd grade MCAS. In 2024, 64 percent of the class was meeting expectations; in 2025 48 percent were at grade level, and in 2026 only 33 percent of their class met grade-level expectations. Our current WES 5th grade class follows a similar trend, with 48 percent meeting grade-level math expectations last year vs 56 percent meeting expectations in 2025 when they were in 3rd grade.

Not every class follows this pattern; our current 7th graders gained to 62 percent last year. But seeing entire classes decrease is something that deserves our attention.

Growth comparisons across the state provide useful information, but they do not tell the complete story. We also need to look at where our students are in terms of grade-level proficiency and how those numbers are changing from year to year within the Mt. Greylock school district. This will be our first year with the math interventionist role filled at WES and our second year with the new i-Ready curriculum.

As we watch whether these changes are working, I hope the School Committee will discuss proficiency alongside growth in its public meetings, so our community can see the full picture. Growth matters, but it isn’t enough if fewer of our kids are reaching grade level each year.

Sincerely,

Jenna Hasenkampf
Williamstown, Mass.

Hasenkampf is a parent of WES students in Grades 2 and 4.

 

 

 

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