Many of our local residents prefer to live in remote areas here in the beautiful Berkshires but there are setbacks included regarding their choice of where they reside and in one particular town east of North Adams, telephone service has become a hot button topic. Why you ask? Because they can't even make a call on a basic land line and cell service is practically non-existent.

Jesse Stewart, Townsquare Media
Jesse Stewart, Townsquare Media
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This dilemma has been long standing in the town of Florida due to aging phone wires that make it an impossibility to place a phone call and that poses a red flag if an emergency is in the picture. This could translate into a matter of life or death and it's serious business if you ask me. A few weeks ago, over 30 senior citizens were present at a meeting to discuss this long time problem. Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Town Manager Joan Lewis announced that talks with Verizon have since progressed as the phone company announced they plan to replace the aging wires with an upgraded fiber optic cable system. She recently showed her optimism in this matter in a recent interview with The Berkshire Eagle:

"I do have some confidence. The phones are already working better at Town Hall and they're working on getting the Senior Center phones fixed".

attachment-Waubeeka Golf Links In Williamstown
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The matter needs immediate attention as the majority of Florida's residents are senior citizens who depend on telephone service that would not falter the community. Massachusetts State Representative John Barrett The Third has been angered by Verizon's lack of attention to detail in this matter as he believes they have ignored the needs of his constituents and that should have NEVER been an option to begin with. Residents contacted him to complain about the deteriorating phone service which has been in the picture for over 10 years.

close up woman hold landline telephone at the house wall
Jummie
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To sum it all up on my end, land line service was our ONLY option to contact friends or relatives and I wish this was STILL existent as those charming wall telephones hardly ever posed a problem and there was no need to charge them. Their power was unstoppable. Even in a power failure, land lines were the lifeblood in my generation. Anyone interested in bringing back "the party line"? (AH, the good ol' days) Inquiring minds like myself would love to know the answer to that question.

(Some information obtained in this article courtesy of The Berkshire Eagle)

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