Preview of Town Meeting, Dugway Discussion, Election Results, and More
Annual Town Meeting Coming on Monday, May 13!
First things first: Remember, our Annual Town Meeting will take place on Monday, May 13, at 7 p.m. at the Hawley Town Office. Come see your fellow Hawleyites and help us plan the year ahead. If you want a preview and haven’t yet picked up your Town Report, you may find the warrant here; the extra articles from the school committee are here. Moderator Scott Purinton generally gets us through the warrant with speed but care so the meeting shouldn’t take too long.
Election Results
Thanks to all who helped with the election on May 6! A total of 61 people voted. Town Clerk Donna Lemoine reports the following results.
Robert MacLean was re-elected Selectman for three years with 59 votes. Ashley Harrison received two write-in votes.
Jeff Carantit was re-elected Assessor for three years with 58 votes.
Scott Purinton was re-elected Moderator for one year with 32 write-in votes. Lark Thwing received one write-in vote.
Ashley Harrison was re-elected Auditor for one year with 26 write-in votes.
Peggy Travers was re-elected to the Hawlemont School Committee for three years with 61 votes.
Kylie Turner was elected to the Hawlemont School Committee for one year with 28 write-in votes. Tedd White received one write-in vote.
STRANGER NON-DANGER
Between May 20 and 23, some of you may see someone in a white Jeep Grand Cherokee stopping along the road and looking at your house. Do not panic! According to treasurer Virginia Gabert, the Department of Revenue’s Bureau of Local Assessment is sending a representative to check random properties to determine whether the assessors’ work seems reasonable.
LET’S FIX THE DUGWAY!
SAVE THE DATE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS:
Wednesday, May 29, at 6 p.m.
The stretch of Route 8A (a.k.a. West Hawley Road) about a quarter mile south of the Charlemont line is suffering from failing retaining walls. The existing walls, made of timber cribbing, are decades past their expiration date. This section of road, known as the Dugway, is hazardous, with narrow lanes, no shoulders, and curves that limit drivers’ and pedestrians’ ability to see oncoming traffic. Reconstructing this area will be an enormous undertaking that will need the support of the residents of Hawley. We want to hear what you think this section of West Hawley Road should look like in the future.
Route 8A is owned and maintained by the Town of Hawley, not by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and so it is the responsibility of the Town to find funding for the engineering and construction of all repairs and improvements. Because of the Dugway’s importance to regional traffic as a through route between Route 2 and Route 116, MassDOT has in the past volunteered to develop plans for reconstruction of this section of road. Twice, first in 1978 and again in 1997, the plans were shelved because the people of Hawley could not agree with MassDOT on the proposed changes to the road. After its plans were rejected in 1997, MassDOT stepped back and de-prioritized providing further help with the Dugway. It has been waiting for the Town to come to agreement on what should be done.
We need to work on achieving that agreement as quickly as we can. In the decades since, the walls have continued to deteriorate. Pinched between a steep slope and the Chickley River, the Dugway is vulnerable to increasingly frequent heavy rain storms. Failure of the walls is imminent. The engineering and design of the improvements will be costly, and the process will be lengthy. The time to start is NOW. The Town has asked the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) to assist gathering input and thoughts from residents on the future of the Dugway. If a design can be agreed upon, MassDOT and the FRCOG are willing to assist in securing the funding to construct the needed repairs.
As the first step, we want to bring the community together for a listening session in which we can learn more about the challenges of West Hawley Road and discuss ideas for improving the road in a way that reflects the values of our community and preserves the Dugway for the future. All residents of Hawley are invited to share free food and conversation at a public-input event to be held at the Hawley Town Office at 8 Pudding Hollow Road on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, from 6 to 8 p.m. In case of inclement weather, notice of an alternate location will be shared via the Town’s e-newsletter.
If you are unable to attend on May 29, we still want to hear from you. Please take a survey to let us know what you think about the future of the Dugway. Go to https://surveymonkey.com/r/hawleydugway or scan the code below to take the online survey. Call the Town Office at 413-339-5518 to request a paper copy of the survey.
