>> I'M CAROLEE MCGRATH, WE'RE VISITING THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF
THE STATE OR NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY, OUR HOME BASE IS THE
MASSACHUSETTS MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART OR MASS MOCHA.
THERE, WE SET UP A LIGHTS AND CAMERAS AND TALKED WITH LOCAL
LEADERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ISSUES AND THE CHALLENGES THAT
THIS RURAL AREA OF THE STATE FACES.
BUT, WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE REGION BY
PRODUCER TONY DUNNE, AND VIDEOGRAPHER DAVE FRASER.
>> I THINK NORTH CANth IS A COMBINATION OF PEOPLE AND
PLACES.
>> IT'S A BEAUTIFUL AREA.
AS A SENSE OF PLACE, I WOULD DEFINE IT AS HAVING A BIG HEART.
POPULATION THAT'S PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR TOWNS.
>> WHEN YOU ARE BORN IN A TOWN LIKE ADAMS, THAT HEART AND
SPIRIT KEEPS YOU GOING.
IT'S PART OF YOU.
>> I LOVE THAT I CAN GO AND GET A REALLY GOOD LATTE AT THE COOL
COFFEE SHOP ON THE CORNER, AND I ENCOUNTER ALL THESE ARTISTS AND
CREATIVE PEOPLE ALONG THAT ROUTE.
>> I LOVE THAT.
>> THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE HISTORY, THE CULTURE, AND THE
NATURE, ON THE RUGGED LANDSCAPE OF THE NORTHERN BERKSHIRES.
>> NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY CONSISTS OF WILLIAMSTOWN,
CLARKSBERG, NORTH ADAMS, FLORIDA, SAVOY, ADAMS, CHASIRE,
HANCOCK.
>> IT SUSTAINS A POPULATION THAT ENGAGES IN FARMING, BUT IT ALSO
HAS A POPULATION THAT'S PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR TOWNS,
AND PROMOTING THEM, AND WANTING PEOPLE TO COME AND VISIT AND
EXPERIENCE WHAT THEY ARE ALL ABOUT.
>> I CAME HERE TO DO AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR ARTS
MANAGEMENT, TO GET AWAY FROM THE CITY, SO I WAS DRIVING HERE ON
ROUTE 2, AND I WAS JUST BLOWN AWAY BY HOW BEAUTIFUL IT WAS.
AND I QUICKLY LEARNED ABOUT THE WORLD CLASS ARTS AND CULTURAL
INSTITUTIONS AND ALL OF THE ARTISTS THAT LIVE HERE.
AND I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.
I LOVE THE FARM TO TABLE CULTURE HERE, AND I LOVE THE NATURAL
BEAUTY, AND THE RECREATION.
>> THE NORTHERN COUNTY OF BERKSHIRE HAS SO MANY PLACES TO
EXPLORE.
THE FIELD FARM IN WILLIAMSTOWN, STAFFORD HILL OVER IN CHESHIRE.
THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL.
YOU COULD SAY THAT MOUNT GRAY LOCK MAKES UP THE CENTERPIECE OF
THE NORTHERN BERKSHIRE LANDSCAPE.
OBVIOUSLY, EVERYBODY LOOKS UP TO IT FROM DOWN BELOW, AND FROM THE
TOP, YOU LOOK DOWN ON EVERYTHING THAT SURROUNDS, AS FAR AS
100 MILES AWAY.
>> NORTHERN BERKSHIRES' HISTORY MIRRORS THE HISTORY OF THE
COUNTRY IN THE 19th AND 20th CENTURY.
WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.
>> THE NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY BEGAN TO THRIVE MORE THAN A
CENTURY AGO, AS A RESULT OF ALL THE MILLS THAT SPRANG UP.
>> THE RAILROAD BECAME AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ECONOMY.
THEY BUILT THE TUNNEL BETWEEN 1850 AND 1870, AND THE ITEM WAS
THE LARGEST TUNNEL IN THE WORLD AT THAT TIME.
THE ARNOLD PRINT WORKS WAS PROBABLY THE LARGEST TEXTILE
PRINTER IN THE NATION, AND TODAY THE PRINT WORKS COMPLEX IS THE
HOME TO MASS MOCHA IN NORTH ADAMS.
WHEN THE SOUTH AND THE UNITED STATES BECAME INDUSTRIALIZED,
AND STARTED PRODUCING THEIR OWN COTTON, THAT PRETTY MUCH KILLED
OUR TEXTILE INDUSTRY.
THE POPULATION IS IN ADAMS ALONE, WENT FROM 12,000 DOWN TO
8,000, AND IN A PERIOD OF 40 YEARS.
BERKSHIRE COUNTY IS THAT AS A WHOLE, THE POPULATION IS ON A
DECLINE.
NOT ONLY IS THE POPULATION AGING, BUT OBVIOUSLY, THE NUMBER
OF YOUNG PEOPLE SHRINKING.
>> SO MORE PEOPLE NEED TO MOVE HERE, AND NEED TO STAY HERE, AND
WE ARE TRYING TO SHOW THEM WHAT A GREAT PLACE THIS IS, AND
ATTRACT THEM HERE.
>> ONE OF THE BIG STRUGGLES, I BELIEVE, IN THE NORTHERN
BERKSHIRES IS THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAN'T COME FAST
ENOUGH.
>> THE ECONOMY HAS DEFINITELY GIVEN NEW LIFE.
>> THE CREATIVE ECONOMY IS RESPONSIBLE FORGIVE OR TAKE
6,000 JOBS IN THE COUNTY AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
>> THE ANCHORS HERE ARE THESE THREE MUSEUMS.
THE CLARK, MASS MOCHA AND THE WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART.
THOSE ATTRACT VISITORS WORLDWIDE, AND THERE ARE THESE
OTHER SMALLER PROJECTS, AND FESTIVALS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT
ARE HERE, TOO, THAT SORT OF ENRICH THIS COMMUNITY LIKE THE
WILLIAMSTOWN THEATER FESTIVAL, THE FILM FESTIVAL, WHICH IS
REALLY COOL.
THE METRICS ARE THERE, AND IT'S VISIBLE WHEN YOU LOOK AT
DOWNTOWNS LIKE NORTH ADAMS.
WHEN I WAS THE MANAGER OF DOWN STREET ART WHICH PUTS
STOREFRONTS DOWNTOWN SIX YEARS AGO, WE HAD GALLERIES, AND I
DON'T KNOW, EIGHT, EMPTY STOREFRONTS, NOW THEY ARE
GALLERIES IN THREE, SO THERE IS A CLEAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
CREATIVE ECONOMY, AND ARTS-DRIVEN ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, AND THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN.
>> IN ADAMS, THEY ARE CAPITALIZING ON THEIR SENSE OF
OUTDOORS, AND IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO GO HIKING, TO GO SKIING.
YOU HAVE THE THUNDERBOLT SKI RACE, AND THESE ARE EXCITING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADAMS.
>> MEANWHILE, IN WILLIAMSTOWN, WHICH WAS, BASICALLY, A FARM
TOWN, CHANGED THE ECONOMY TO BECOME AN ACADEMIC ORIENTED
WILLIAMS COLLEGE REALLY BLOSSOMED IN THE 1970s AND
1980s, AND WILLIAMS COLLEGE IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN
NORTHERN BERKSHIRE AT THIS TIME.
>> MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS IS CONSISTENTLY IN
THE TOP TEN COLLEGE RANKINGS FOR U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT.
YOU NEED NOT TRAVEL FAR TO GET AN OUTSTANDING EDUCATION IN
NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
>> THERE IS A LOT OF ROOM FOR INVENTION, AND CREATIVITY, IN
NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
>> DESPITE MYRIAD SETBACKS THAT THE TOWNS MAY HAVE HAD OVER THE
YEARS, THERE IS ALWAYS A SENSE OF OPTIMISM AND HEART THAT SOME
HOW KEEPS ON TICKING.
>> MOVING HERE AS INSPIRED ME AS AN ARTIST.
IT'S GIVEN ME A SUPPORT SYSTEM, BUT I HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES,
AS WELL.
I LOVE THAT I CAN IMPLEMENT REALLY INTERESTING PROGRAMS AND
IDEAS ON HOW TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE, AND
SEE THE SUCCESS OF THOSE THINGS, REALLY SORT OF YEARLY.
I LOVE THAT.
>> AND SO I THINK THAT CHANGE IS IN THE AIR, IN NORTHERN
BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
IF THE THREE LEAD COMMUNITIES KEEP ON GOING WHAT THEY ARE
DOING, FINDING THE EXCITEMENT, MAKING IT THE GREAT PLACE THAT
IT IS TO LIVE, AND GROW UP, AND RAISE A FAMILY, AND GET THE WORD
OUT, THERE ARE GOING TO BE BIG THINGS IN STORE FOR BERKSHIRE
COUNTY.