We don’t have a First Lady so much as we have an empress.
Deval Patrick’s office personally asked town officials to dispatch road crews this week to fill potholes near his Berkshires mansion to pave the way for a smooth ride for first lady Michelle Obama when she hits the Bay State for a presidential fundraiser at the governor’s getaway next month.
Richmond Town Administrator Matthew Kerwood said a staffer from the governor’s State House office called this week and asked him to plug potholes on Cone Hill Road, which leads to Patrick’s Sweet P Farm, where he’s hosting a $20,000-a-seat dinner on Aug. 3 with the first lady for the Obama Victory Fund.
“They just mentioned the condition of the road and requested if it could be addressed,” said Kerwood. “I said, ‘OK, we’ll look at it.’ ”
The stretch of road in question apparently lies in neighboring West Stockbridge, and that town’s administrator, Mark Webber, said he got a call from Kerwood yesterday asking if he would repair the road — and “prior to the visit would be nice.”
“It’s on the list, but it wasn’t a priority,” Webber said of repairs he claims will cost only “couple hundred” dollars. “That’s one of those spots we had planned to fix. Now we’ll just fix it a couple weeks sooner.”
Both town administrators insisted the West Stockbridge side of Cone Hill Road would be filled in, but a Herald reporter and photographer found the road in good shape. Neighbors said it was resurfaced last month. But nearby roads, including Furnace Road — which leads to the governor’s manse — contained bumps and holes.
At least it’s a shovel-ready job!
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