BUCKLAND — Newly elected state Sen. Adam Hinds brought his “Speak Up Western Mass.” listening tour home Monday night to Buckland, where he grew up.
The Pittsfield Democrat, who said he wants to hear the concerns of residents in the Berkshire-Hampshire-Franklin and Hampden Senate District, got a respectful earful from the more than 20 West County residents who turned out and sat in a circle in the large second-floor assembly hall.
Not surprisingly, broadband, funding for schools, libraries, and the arts were among the topics raised by the residents during the 90-minute meeting, along with planned demolition of Buckland’s town pool because it failed to win a $1.8 million state grant.
“It’s where I learned to swim,” Hinds said.
Hinds said he wanted to hear directly from his constituents to help focus his legislative agenda in the aftermath of an election where he saw “a tale of two states” with western Massachusetts population was decreasing, income is far below what it is in the eastern part of the state and schools are in decline. He also wanted to address the negative tone of this year’s elections as well as the lack of political participation, adding that he plans to have 1½ staff positions in the 52-community district, one of whom will focus on the hilltowns.
Most of the time, though, was spent by residents raising concerns like the failure of Pan Am Railways to notify local emergency officials for more than three hours early Sunday morning.
“That’s sort of no-brainer protocol,” said Hinds.
Buckland Town Administrator Andrea Llamas complained that her town still hasn’t received its 25 percent federal match from repairs to damage from Tropical Storm Irene five years ago, and that Hawley, Colrain and other towns are also waiting.
She also brought up the loss of revenue to the town because much of it — representing 1,400 of its 1,900 residents — shares a ZIP code with the village of Shelburne Falls, half of which is in Shelburne.
Phil Pless, of Ashfield, where residents get mail through four or five different towns, said it’s a common problem in most area hilltowns.
Residents also complained that workforce development programs were hard to access, that arts education needed to be seen as more than “fluff,” that standardized testing in the schools is slated to be given on computers, even though many schools lack computers and many students lack computers a home.
“You have those conversations in Boston and people just look at you in disbelief,” responded Hinds, who said that getting universal, affordable broadband access is among his top priorities, along with promoting green energy legislation as an environmental as well as an economic issue.
Hinds has conducted similar sessions in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, North Adams and Chesterfield. He will be sworn in Jan. 4 to succeed 10-year veteran Sen. Benjamin Downing.
The district includes Ashfield, Conway, Shelburne, Buckland, Charlemont, Hawley, Heath, Rowe and Monroe in Franklin County.