About 40 Hawley residents were on hand Sunday afternoon, August 13 to witness the ribbon cutting of the joint Town of Hawley – Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) project to repair and maintain Hunt and Middle Roads.
While much of the focus of the project is on restoring these
roads in the Dubuque State Forest, it would also have the effect of rejoining East and West Hawley, without the need to travel through Charlemont or Plainfield, for a number of months every year.
Attending dignitaries included former Selectboard Chair John Sears, current Selectboard Chair Hussain Hamdan, State Representative Paul Mark, State Senator Adam Hinds, DCR Commissioner Leo Roy and several state forestry officials. Also attending was a representative from Lane Construction, the firm which will be rebuilding the roads.
While some attendees lamented that it had taken six years of advocacy to get the project underway, all seemed happy to hear that the work is about to begin. Commissioner Roy emphasized that such is the case, indicating that the contract with Lane Construction will be signed during the week of August 14. Mr. Roy went on to state that the reconstruction will take about a year.
The ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the conclusion of “Hawley Day,” an annual event presented by the Sons and Daughters of Hawley, at the East Hawley Meeting House and Grove.
