Colrain Plant Sold to North Carolina Firm

All work, even cotton spinning, is noble; work alone is noble. — T HOMAS CARLYLE nnn%jÔe[\g\e[\ek%e\k 6OL))).Os)SSUE.O 3HELBURNE&ALLS -ASSACHUSETTS *ULY $1.00 Colrain plant sold to North Carolina firm Sale to 100-year-old family-owned company merges two of three cotton bleachers in the United States By Jeff Potter 4HEPLANTSPROCESS 3HERIDAN jeff@sfindependent.net EXPLAINED IShBASICALLYPURIFYING ————— COTTONWITHAHYDROGENPEROXIDE COLRAIN—Those phoning BLEACHINGPROCESSv ""!&IBERWEBON*UNEFOUND 4HEPROCESSTRANSFORMSRAW THEAUTOMATEDVOICEATTHEOTHER COTTONINTOAMATERIALTHATIS ENDWELCOMINGTHEMTO"ARN BOTHCLEANANDABSORBENT QUALI HARDT-ANUFACTURING#OMPANY ties not present in the fiber’s instead. natural state. h7EWASTEDNOTIMEINCHANG 3HERIDANSAIDINCOMINGRAW ing the message,” said Plant MATERIALCOMESNOTONLYFROM Manager Albert Sheridan as THECOTTONPLANTSNATIVEHABITAT HEDESCRIBEDTHEhVERYGOOD in the south, but also from Asian VERYPOSITIVEvSALEOFTHECOTTON AND3OUTH!MERICANCOUNTRIES BLEACHERYTHATHADTAKENPLACE h)TDEPENDSONTHEMARKET v that morning. he said. Sheridan said the sale should The same international mar bring more business to the plant, KETTHATMAKESITECONOMICALLY WHICHWILLTRANSLATETOMORE FEASIBLETOBRINGCOTTONTO#OL jobs at the site on Route 112 rain from Indonesia is also re WHERETHOUSANDSOFCITIZENSHAVE SPONSIBLEFORTHEBIGGESTCHANGES WORKEDWITHCOTTONSINCE Sheridan has seen at the plant "ARNHARDT WHICH3HERIDAN INTHEYEARSHEHASWORKED DESCRIBEDAShOURBIGGESTCOM ON SITE PETITOR vPURCHASEDTHEBUSI h7EHAVEINTENSECOMPETITION ness’s assets for $1.6 million IN4URKEYAND0AKISTAN vHESAID PLUSWORKINGCAPITAL ACCORDING h;4HESALE=WILLMAKEBOTHOFUS to a report filed with the London stronger.” 3TOCK%XCHANGEBY&IBERWEB The land was transferred for Economies of scale $400,000 to North River, L.L.C. Sheridan said that as a result OF#HARLOTTETHATSAMEDAY OFTHESALE lNISHEDCOTTONWILL Above: The Griswoldville plant "ARNARDTWILLCONTINUEATTHE BEABLETOBESENTTOCUSTOM is now owned by Barnardt SITE TRANSFORMINGCOTTONINTOA ERSFROMTHECLOSEROFTHETWO Manufacturing. The cotton PRODUCTSUITABLEFORhHEALTHAND FACILITIES bleachery was built in 1973 personal use,” Sheridan said. h4HEYHADCUSTOMERSINTHE when it was part of the #OTTONLEAVINGTHEPLANTMAKES NORTH WEHADCUSTOMERSINTHE Kendall Company. ITSWAYTOOTHERMANUFACTURING south,” he said. FACILITIESTHATUSEITFORPRODUCTS 3UCHmEXIBILITYISCRITICALINA RANGINGFROMTAMPONSTOSURGICAL continued on page 7 DRESSINGTOCOTTONSWABS Mohawk District operating on “one-twelfth” funding School committee to whittle $17.6 million budget By Don Stewart AhBENCHMARKvINCREASEOF PERCENTINCREASEINOPERATING don@sfindependent.net PERCENT COSTS(EALSOPROPOSEDTHATTHE ————— “If we don’t get a budget SHORTFALLCREATEDBYTHE "5#+,!.$7ITHTHEDECI PASSEDBY SAY 3EPTEMBER THE BUDGETDEFEATCOULDBEABSORBED sive defeat of the proposed $17.6 ;STATE$EPARTMENTOF%DUCA BYDRAWING FROMTHE MILLION-OHAWK4RAIL2EGIONAL TION$/%=COMMISSIONERHAS $ISTRICTSREVOLVINGACCOUNTS MassGIS 3CHOOL$ISTRICT-423$ OPERAT THEAUTHORITYTOSETWHATEVER 4HOSEFUNDSARECOMPOSEDOF Satellite photos in 1993 and 2006 show the changes on site. The old Griswoldville mill buildings, INGBUDGETBY"UCKLANDVOTERS is deemed appropriate for a REVENUESRANGINGFROMSCHOOL OF left vacant by American Fiber & Finishing when that company abandoned Colrain for parts south ON*UNE THESYSTEMBEGANITS BUDGET v-423$SCHOOLCOM CHOICETUITIONSANDSTATERESERVE in 1996, were demolished as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields industrial NEWlSCALYEARTHISWEEKWITH MITTEE#HAIRMAN"OB!ESCHBACK FUNDORhPOTHOLEvMONEYTOVARI waste cleanup. FUNDINGAVAILABLEONAMONTH SAIDSPEAKINGFROMHIS0LAIN ous annual grants. TO MONTHBASIS FIELDHOMEh4HEY;THE$/%= 3OME MAYBEGAINED The “1/12” budgeting, with COULDSETABUDGETATONE TWO FROMTWOOTHERSOURCES TOWNSPAYINGTHEIRFRACTIONAL ORFOURPERCENTUNTILTHETOWNS )NTHEPASTTHE$ISTRICTHAS Ashfield yogurt soon to hit the shelves MONTHLYASSESSMENTBASEDUPON do something.” funded field trips at an annual LASTYEARSOPERATINGCOSTS HASA COSTOFAPPROXIMATELY Retooling SHORTLIFESPAN4HEFOURCOMMU The proposal is for parents to Amid N.E. dairy crisis, a small farm goes its own way nities that defeated the proposed !TA*UNEBUDGETSUBCOMMIT NOWCOVERTHOSEFEES!DDITION PERCENTINCREASEINTHEOPER tee meeting MTRSD Superin ALLY DUETOCHANGESINSERVICES By Michael Wilmeth THEREMARKABLEPRODUCTSOFTHE MODELQUITEUNLIKETHATOFBULK ATINGBUDGETWILLCONVENESPECIAL TENDENT-ICHAEL"UONICONTISUG FORTWOSPECIALNEEDSSTUDENTS MICHAEL SlNDEPENDENTNET COUPLESRESOURCEFULNESSAND MILKPRODUCERS THEYMAYJUST town meetings later this summer gested that the revised budget $ISTRICTCOSTSWEREREDUCEDIN ————— READINESSTOGOTHEIROWNWAY FINDAWAYTOSUCCEEDWITH TOCONSIDERADOWNSIZEDVERSION FORFISCALYEARBEBASEDUPON the neighborhood of $40,000. !3(&)%,$!NYONEWHO !BOUTAYEARAGO THETWO YOGURT The revised budget will straddle 0LAINlELDSACCEPTANCEOFA continued on page 2 HASVISITED0AUL,ACINSKIAND ADDEDDAIRYCOWSTOTHEMAR 4HENEWENTERPRISEISRE !MY+LIPPENSTEININTHEIRROUND KETGARDENAND#3!THEYHAVE SHUFmINGTHECOUPLESDIVISION STRAWBALEHOUSEKNOWSTHETWO established at Sidehill Farm on OFLABOR WITH+LIPPENSTEINBEAR ARENTBOUNDBYDOINGTHINGS Beldingville Road in Ashfield. INGPRIMARYRESPONSIBILITYFOR THECONVENTIONALWAY&ROMITS 7HENDAIRYFARMERSTHROUGHOUT THEDAY TO DAYDAIRYINGWORK sandbag foundation to its living .EW%NGLANDSTRUGGLETOSTAYIN ,ACINSKIFOCUSEDONGETTINGTHE Aftermath of a fire roof, the house is unusual — and business, attributing their dif YOGURTBUSINESSGOINGANDINTERN ALSOBEAUTIFUL EFlCIENTANDOF lCULTIESINPARTTOCOMPETITION #ECILIAVAN$REISCHMANAGING APIECEWITHITSSURROUNDINGS FROMMUCHLARGEROPERATIONSIN THEPRODUCESIDEOFTHEFARM For Shelburne family, the loss spans generations The house is a testament to the THEWEST STARTINGANEWDAIRY 3ALEOFRAWMILKBEGANAT COMPATIBILITYOFECOLOGICALSEN FARMONTHESMALLSCALEMORE THEFARMLASTYEAR BUTYOGURT By Katie Sosin Davenport’s Tower Road home good on that promise. Ash had SITIVITYANDGOODLIVING THRIFT COMMONACENTURYAGOAPPEARS was part of the plan all along. KATIE SlNDEPENDENTNET BURNEDBEYONDREPAIRON-AY REPLACEDTHECOUPLESKITCHEN and pleasure, and is just one of QUIXOTIC"UTWITHABUSINESS continued on page 6 ————— WHENABLAZEERUPTEDINTHEIR and bathroom, and the rest of the SHELBURNE—It’s hard for garage and spread to the rest of house smoldered as firefighters -ARTHA$AVENPORTTORECALL THEWOODENHOUSE4HECAUSEOF WORKEDTOCONTROLTHEmAMESON SHELBURNE FALLS INDEPENDENT what’s now missing. There’s just THElREREMAINSUNKNOWN the opposite end of the house. PRSRT STD 8 Deerfield Ave., Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 US POSTAGE TOOMUCHTOKEEPTRACKOF 4HECOUPLEWASAWAYWHEN "YTHETIMETHEBLAZEHADBEEN www.sfindependent.net PAID h%VERYTHING vSHESIGHSh%V THElREBROKEOUTAROUNDNOON EXTINGUISHED LITTLEREMAINED Permit #183 ERYTHINGWASLOSTv 2USSELLHADBEENHOSPITALIZEDRE -ARTHASSON %RIC ANDDAUGHTER Greenfield, MA 3HEMENTALLYRE TALLIESTHE COVERINGFROMHIPSURGERYWHILE IN LAW "ARBARA'OODCHILD HAD list. Two TVs, a new washing -ARTHAMADEHERWAYHOMEFROM MANAGEDTOSALVAGETHEFAMILYS MACHINE SOMELAZYBOYCHAIRS ADAYOUT COMPUTERMODEMANDSOMEPA AREFRIGERATOR ANALL TERRAINCAR Martha drove up Cooper Road PERWORKBEFORETHElREDEPART ALAWNMOWER4HEYWEREALLNEW an hour and a half after the MENTCAME AFEATTHAT-ARTHA ANDINGOODCONDITION"UTTHEN FIREHADBEENCALLEDIN7HEN CANTPRAISEENOUGH"UTTHELOSS THEREARETHETHINGSTHATCANT SHEARRIVEDATTHEFAMILYFARM is overwhelming. BEREPLACED(ERFATHERSHAND SHEFOUNDSMOKE AMBULANCES “I lost the treasures of Christ CRAFTEDBUREAUSANDHERMOTHERS POLICEANDlREEQUIPMENT3HE MASORNAMENTS)COLLECTED CEDARCHESTANDOILPAINTINGSALL WASCONFUSED THROUGHTHEYEARS vSHESAYS RE WENTUPINSMOKEWITHTHETWO h)DIDNTKNOWWHATITWASAT MEMBERINGEVERYFEWMINUTESAS STORYCOTTAGESHECALLEDHOMEFOR lRST vSHESAYSSHAKILYh)HADNO SHESPEAKSSOMETHINGELSETHAT ALMOSTYEARS IDEA4HEN.ATHAN3MITHCAME WASREDUCEDTOASH4HECANDY 0ICKINGUPTHEPIECESHASNOT over and gave me a big hug.” jar she filled with mints just as BEENEASYFOR-ARTHA$AVEN That’s when her son, Norman, her mother had done is gone. PORT BUTSHESSMILINGMODESTLY promised to build a new house. (ERSEWINGMACHINE WEDDING THROUGHTHEPROCESS /NELOOKREVEALEDTO-ARTHA GIFTSANDAQUILTSHEMADEWENT Martha and husband Russell THATHERSONWOULDNEEDTOMAKE continued on page 11 DATED MATERIAL — PLEASE DELIVER PROMPTLY PAGEs 3HELBURNE&ALLS)NDEPENDENT s *ULY s www.sfindependent.net Shelburne Falls Independent Shelburne locals ride CX[`\jË8`[gcXej Published every other week by Dialogos Media, Inc. jldd\iZiX]k]Xì Member, New England Press Association China’s new rail HEATH—The Heath Ladies’ Phone ............ (413) 625-8297 Fax .............. (866) 858-0388 !ID#OMMUNITY(ALL#OMMITTEE E-mail: .....news@sfindependent.net By Nikki Widner person limit. WILLHOSTTHESUMMERCRAFTFAIR Web: . .http://www.sfindependent.net 3PECIALTOTHE)NDEPENDENT 3ATURDAY *ULYATTHE(EATH Mail: ..............8 Deerfield Ave., /NATWO DAYTRIP TRAVELERS Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 ————— CANRIDETHEENTIRELINEFROM #HURCHLOWERLEVEL ANDTHE SHELBURNE—Crossing "EIJINGTO4IBET WHICHSPANS #OMMUNITY(ALLUPSTAIRS ! :Qc_ CONTINENTSTORIDETHEWORLDS MILESACROSSSOMEOFTHE TAGSALEWILLTAKEPLACEONTHE If you have an idea for a story or a highest rail from Beijing, China WORLDSMOSTSEVERETERRAIN7ELL TOWNCOMMONFROM PM photograph, we want to hear from you. TO,HASA 4IBET WAS ACCORDING KNOWNFOREARTHQUAKES LOWTEM 4HEEVENTINCLUDESRAFTS Please call our office or e-mail us. to Shelburne residents Alden PERATURESANDLOWATMOSPHERIC BAKEDGOODS HANDMADERUGS If you want to write for the paper $REYER 3ALLY7ETHERBEEAND PRESSURE 1INGHAI 4IBETRAILWAYS DOLLSANDDOLLCLOTHING !VON regularly: We are always interested to hear

Load more