Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition acquires 70 acres to protect Farley Ledges – Greenfield Recorder
Overview:
The Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition has acquired 70 acres of land to develop a 60-vehicle parking lot and a new trailhead at Farley Ledges along Route 2. The land acquisition was funded through the Climbing Conservation Loan Program and is part of the coalition’s multi-year Farley Conservation Initiative. The coalition is seeking to raise $430,000 to pay back the Access Fund loans, already meeting an end-of-2025 fundraising goal of $50,000.
ERVING — To help maintain public climbing access at the Farley Ledges along Route 2, the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition has acquired 70 acres of land that will be developed into a 60-vehicle parking lot and a new trailhead.
The coalition coordinated with the national advocacy organization Access Fund and funded the land acquisition through its Climbing Conservation Loan Program, which offers loans to local organizations that are seeking to acquire and protect climbing land across the U.S.
“This acquisition represents the second phase of WMCC’s multi-year ‘Farley Conservation
Initiative,’ designed to enhance public access and safeguard climbing at Farley Ledges,” a statement from the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition reads. “With this new purchase, WMCC is moving closer to its vision to secure long-term public access to the ledges with sufficient parking, ATV access for emergency crews and permanent protection of the cliff.”
The coalition is a volunteer-run nonprofit that works with stakeholders in town government, advocacy groups, landowners and conservation groups to keep climbing areas open and accessible to climbers of all backgrounds, and to conserve the climbing environment.
The coalition also received financial support from a Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts grant and $5,000 from the Central Rock Gym in Hadley.
“This project marks a major milestone in a 20-year-long effort to expand access to
Massachusetts’ premier rock climbing,” Jon LaValley, a founding member of the coalition, said in a statement. “There’s no shame in the long game.”
Coalition Executive Board Member Nick Friedman purchased the 25 Old State Road property in 2023 to take the land off the market and allow time for applying for permits and grants. The land was sold to the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition in December at a price of $182,500, according to real estate transactions.
Friedman, a Cambridge resident, said he’s been climbing at the Farley Ledges for 15 years and he believes the land purchase and development represents a “massive step forward” in keeping access open to the public at the ledges.
The coalition is seeking to raise $430,000 to pay back the Access Fund loans. So far, the coalition has raised $53,775, meeting its 2025 goal. In addition to paying for the land acquisition, the Access Fund loans will cover the cost of the new parking lot, the construction of a new trailhead, and amenities like a portable toilet, a shed for tool storage and information kiosks.
“Access Fund has maintained a long partnership with WMCC dating back to the very beginning of our loan program,” Access Fund’s National Acquisitions Director Brian Tickle said in a statement. “This most recent acquisition permanently protects access to one of the prized crags in the Northeast and we’re honored to be a part of it.”
The donation page explains that by opening up parking access, the goal is to alleviate parking congestion along Route 2 and in surrounding neighborhoods. The new parking lot would also offer a proper staging area for first responders to access the Farley Ledges without closing down Route 2 to traffic.
Stephanie Giguere, operating executive with the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition, explained that the development of the new trailhead will open up access to the western edge of the cliff. The parking lot will also be made of a permeable material to allow for stormwater drainage.
The donation page also notes that the goal is to protect a majority of the acreage through a conservation restriction. The coalition will respect that more than 50% of the ledges are privately owned and will not publish trail route information on private land.
Elayne Bryan, general manager of the Central Rock Gym in Hadley, said the indoor climbing gym has maintained a positive relationship with the coalition. The gym donated $5,000 toward the effort to purchase and protect Farley Ledges.
“It’s such a local gem,” Bryan said, adding that protecting access for climbers is an important initiative.
With a widening conflict in the Middle East after the American and Israeli attack on Iran Saturday, global markets are bracing for a shakeup in the energy supply chain.
So, here at home, what can consumers expect at the gas pump?
An increase in oil prices is almost always followed by an increase in gas prices. And the oil market has already reacted to the war. NBC News reported on Sunday that U.S. crude oil initially spiked more than 10%, while Brent, the international oil benchmark, rose as much as 13%.
Early Monday morning, reports were coming in of black smoke rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City.
While Iran’s oil reserves supply less than an estimated 5% of global production, the main concern is the Strait of Hormuz. This maritime passageway borders Iran at the bottleneck of the Persian Gulf, and more than 20% of the world’s oil passes through. If Iran closes or restricts Hormuz, the oil market could face severe disruptions.
Gas prices rise about 2.5 cents for every dollar increase in crude oil prices. As of Sunday, U.S. crude oil prices had already increased by nearly $5 a barrel.
“I fully expect that by Monday night, you could credibly say that gas prices are being impacted by oil prices having gone up,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan told NBC News.
GasBuddy characterizes their expectations for price increases as “incremental” rather than “explosive”. The group said to anticipate a potential 10-15 cent increase over the next couple of weeks.
Massachusetts
Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News
EASTON, Mass. (WBZ) — Police body camera video shows an Easton, Massachusetts, officer rescuing a 78-year-old Raynham man from a burning car on Friday morning.
A Mack dump truck was experiencing problems on the side of Turnpike Street just after 2 a.m. when a Ford pickup truck struck the back of it, according to police.
The pickup truck then became stuck under the dump truck, trapping the driver, Francis Leverone, inside. A Toyota Camry then hit the back of the pickup truck and caught fire, police said.
Easton police officer Dean Soucie arrived at the crash and saw that the two vehicles were on fire. Video shows Soucie rushing over before breaking the driver’s side window and then, with the help of the two witnesses, freeing Leverone from the pickup truck. Soucie said he was confused but conscious.
“As I reached inside the vehicle, one of the passersby — he actually jumped into the cab of the truck, and he helped me free the individual,” Soucie said.
They then carried the driver to safety.
Leverone was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a Boston hospital. He received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
No one else was injured in the crash.
Dee Leverone told WBZ her husband is doing OK. “I’m just thankful for the people that got him out,” she said. “Very thankful.”
After watching the police body-cam video on the news she said, “I was shocked, I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I just couldn’t believe it. His truck is like melted.”
She says she realized that something was wrong last night when her husband never made it home from work.
“I kept trying to call him and call him, and I finally got a hold of him at like 4:30 a.m., and he was at (Good Samaritan Hospital) and he told me he’s gotten in an accident,” Dee said.
She says he’s recovering at the Boston Medical Center and being treated for a dislocated hip.
“He’s a trooper,” Dee said. “He’s a strong man — and you know he’s 78, but you know he’s a toughie. He definitely is a toughie.”
Soucie commended the help of the two witnesses and said that before he arrived at the crash, they had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and removed a gasoline tank from the pickup truck before it could ignite.
“They jumped into action like it was nothing,” Soucie said. “Those two individuals were absolutely awesome.”
Easton Police Chief Keith Boone said that he is “extremely proud” of Soucie and the witnesses.
“He saved a life last night,” Chief Boone said. “He is an exemplary police officer and this is just one example. I think he’s a hero.”
Turnpike Street was closed for several hours following the crash. Easton Police are investigating.
=htmlentities(get_the_title())?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=get_permalink()?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=htmlentities(‘For more stories like this one, be sure to visit https://www.eastidahonews.com/ for all of the latest news, community events and more.’)?>&subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20EastIdahoNews” class=”fa-stack jDialog”>
A fire broke out Sunday morning in Townsend, Massachusetts.
The Townsend Fire department said shortly before 7 a.m. that firefighters were on scene for a structure fire on Dudley Road.
People have been asked to avoid the area.
The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said state police fire investigators assigned to the state fire marshal’s office are responding to assist the Townsend Fire Department.
There was no immediate word on any injuries, or any information on what caused the fire. It’s also unclear if the large snow piles in the area impeded access to fire hydrants, as was the case at the house explosion in Taunton last week.
This developing story will be updated when we learn more
New Mexico Livestock Board accused of abuse of power in rancher, inspector feud
North Carolina primary could mean Roy Cooper vs Michael Whatley in pivotal fall Senate race
Gas prices rise slightly in North Dakota amid Iran conflict
Woman dies after saving grandchild playing in driveway from out-of-control car, Ohio officials say
Oklahoma City police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Trump sends official notification to Congress on strikes against Iran
Unexpected birth brings hope to near-extinct Amazon tribe
Supreme Court blocks redrawing of New York congressional map, dealing a win for GOP
Map: Earthquake Shakes Central California
Gas prices could jump as Middle East tensions threaten global oil supply
-
World5 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts6 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO5 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Oregon4 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling