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(L-R)State bridge inspector Herbie Pierce, Assistant Public Works Superintendent Paul Raskevitz, Construction Dynamics Superintendent Bob Ciampaglia and Public Works Superintendent Dick Kilhart on the Pinedale Avenue Bridge on Aug. 15, when it was reopened to the public. -
This handcrafted gold statute was hidden in the woods near Wendell as part of a treasure hunt by Project Skydrop.
Editor’s Note: As part of the Athol Daily News’ end-of-the-year features, we are publishing in three parts our choices for the top dozen news stories of 2024. They are listed in no particular order.
In September, the Phillipston Selectboard asked Chief Administrative Officer Melanie Jackson to seek an extension from Athol on the time Phillipston would be allowed to make a final decision regarding the Bates Power Dam.
While the dam and its surrounding property lies completely within the confines of Phillipston, it was constructed by Athol in the late 19th century to provide water for drinking and fire protection. Phillipston residents who support taking ownership point to the potential for recreation and firefighting.
After two meetings with the Athol Selectboard, Phillipston Selectboard member Nicole Gough was able to get Athol officials to agree to give Phillipston until June of this year to make a decision.
The months-long extension was sought because any decision regarding ownership of the dam needs to be made by voters at a Town Meeting. The Phillipston board intends to seek funding from the town’s Community Preservation Committee to hire an engineer to examine the dam and provide an estimate on the potential cost of refurbishment. The dam has been classified by the state as being in poor condition with a significant hazard potential.
Athol has already been informed by the engineering firm of Fuss & O’Neill that the estimated cost of removing the dam is approximately $1.7 million.
-Greg Vine
The remains of a woman from Keene, New Hampshire, were found in Warwick in October. Keene Police identified the woman as 31-year-old Justina Steffy, who went missing roughly three weeks prior.
A portion of Hastings Heights Road in Warwick was closed from approximately 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, until noon the next day as law enforcement officers from both Massachusetts and New Hampshire searched for her. Hastings Heights Road residents reported seeing ambulances and both state and local law enforcement vehicles. A resident who lives at the base of the road said she saw two state vehicles, one marked “medical examiner,” driving up the road while she was on a walk on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Michael Garrity, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, said on Dec. 18 that no further details can be released regarding Steffy’s death at this time.
Steffy’s death, however, was not the only story involving the discovery of human remains to come out of Warwick this year. The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office announced in May that the body that had been found just off Route 78 in Warwick in 1989 had been identified using DNA evidence as belonging to Constance (Holminski) Bassignani. She was 65 years old at the time of her murder.
— Anthony Cammalleri
Taking the internet by storm in September was Project Skydrop, a treasure hunt that evolved into a dramatic saga of twists and turns, and prompted nearly 9,000 treasure hunters across the country to search for a 24-karat gold statue valued at $26,725 that had been hidden in the Wendell State Forest.
Project Skydrop, created by New Hampshire video game designer Jason Rohrer and creative partner Tom Bailey, quickly gained popularity in September and early October, as thousands of registered treasure hunters paid a $20 registration fee that signed them up to receive exclusive hints in the form of daily aerial photos of the gold statue’s location. A map was also posted at projectskydrop.com, with an initial 500-mile diameter circle revealing the treasure’s location growing smaller and smaller every day.
Eleven days into the hunt, an initially anonymous figure — later revealed as Boston meteorologist Dan Leonard — swooped in and claimed victory, locating the statue.
However, before Leonard could solve the mysterious code etched into the statue that would unlock a Bitcoin wallet worth $87,600, the code was leaked, leaving it open to anyone to steal the prize money. This led game designers to change tactics and develop a new puzzle for Leonard to solve, and this time he had help. Unfortunately for Leonard, the code breaker he enlisted, Chris Passmore, solved the code and took the treasure — this time coming in the form of gold coins — for himself.
Passmore eventually returned the gold to Leonard in late October, saying the guilt became too much to bear.
— Madison Schofield
In August of 2024, after being closed for nearly two years, the Pinedale Avenue Bridge re-opened to vehicular traffic. The bridge spans the Tully River, which marks the border between Athol and Orange, and is used by motorists from both communities.
Reconstruction of the span was undertaken by Construction Dynamics of Clinton at a cost of $1.7 million. The cost of the project was split between the two communities. Orange funded its share with state Chapter 90 funds, while Town Meeting voters in Athol chose to pass a $2.5 million Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion to pay for the Pinedale project, as well as several other bridge-related projects.
Pinedale’s sister bridge, the Fryeville Avenue Bridge, is also due for reconstruction, but the state has said it will pick up the tab for that work, the cost of which has not yet been determined.
– Greg Vine