Breaking Ground at our New Home

By Jessica Schultz

We are humbled and heartened by the many people who joined us at our groundbreaking ceremony on May 1st. Over 250 people gathered at our new site to mark this historic moment. Held overlooking the site of our new home and graced by the fly-over of a Great Blue Heron, our groundbreaking featured speakers including:

Jonathan Lash, President, Hampshire College
Stan Rosenberg, President, Massachusetts State Senate
Ellen Story, Massachusetts State Representative 3rd District Hampshire County
Judith Judson, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
Hannah French, Hitchcock Intern, UMass Student
Annie Leonard, Hitchcock Board Member and Parent

We are grateful to all who joined us in working together to make this day possible. Click on any images below for a slideshow of the afternoon’s celebration.

: Our new sign is up along Route 116.

: Living Building Challenge Petals and Imperatives

: Plans for the new “living” Hitchcock Center on display. Thank you to Wright Builders for building the display frames.

: Hitchcock Center Board member Merle Bruno shows the building model to Amherst Selectboard member Constance Kruger.

: Beth Hooker, Sustainability Initiative Director, Food, Farm, and Sustainability Institute at Hampshire College.

: Naturalist John Green talks with Hitchcock Center Board member Dan Ziomek.

: Ellen Story, Massachusetts State Representative 3rd District Hampshire County

: Hitchcock Homeschool students, John Mileski, Owen Lynch, and Tom Mileski volunteer.

: Mary Thayer and Richard Thayer, Jr. enjoy the good food donated by Wright Builders.

: Becky Holmes, Anne Cann and Hitchcock Center President Jaana Cutson talk with

: John Olver, Retired Member, United States House of Representatives talks with James Brassord, Chief of Campus Operations, Amherst College

: Jaana Cutson, Hitchcock Center Board President speaks at our ground breaking.

: Julie Johnson, Hitchcock Center Executive Director

: Shovels and hard hats ready to break ground!

: Groundbreaking!

: Families join in our groundbreaking celebration.

: The community gathers for our groundbreaking.

: Kay Althoff, Polly and Chuck Longsworth, Dave Gott, Ted Watt

: Stan Rosenberg, President, Massachusetts State Senate

: Ellen Story, Massachusetts State Representative 3rd District Hampshire County at our groundbreaking.

: Judith Judson, Massachusetts Commissioner, Department of Energy Resources

: Hannah French, Hitchcock Center Intern and UMass Student

: Annie Leonard, Hitchcock Center Board Member and Parent

: Julie Johnson, Executive Director, Hitchcock Center and Annie Leonard, Hitchcock Center Board member and parent

: Breaking ground: Julie Johnson, Executive Director Hitchcock Center; Judith Judson, Commissioner, MA Dept. of Energy Resources; Annie Leonard, Hitchcock Center Board member and Parent; Hannah French, Hitchcock Center intern and UMass student; Jaana Cutson, Hitchcock Center Board President; Stan Rosenberg, MA State Senate President; Jonathan Lash, President, Hampshire College

: Breaking ground: Greg Tuzzolo, Stephen Stimson Associate; Chris Chamberland, Berkshire Design Group; Kelly Ard Haigh and Sam Batchelor, designLAB Architects.