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Shutesbury is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,800 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. == History == Shutesbury was first settled in 1735, when it was called Road Town'' because it was chartered under an application to build a road connecting valley towns with markets to the Northeast. Road Town was officially incorporated as Shutesbury in 1761. The town was renamed in honor of Samuel Shute, former governor. Initially, town bylaws enforced clearing for hay for the purpose of livestock raising, primarily cows, then sheep during the brief expansion of textile mills in the valley. More recently, forestry has been an important economic activity in the town, while croplands have shrunk dramatically (second greatest type of land use loss in recent decades, according to the Town Master Plan). The town remains one of the most heavily forested in the area even so. Shutesbury enjoys a disproportionate number of professionals; cottage businesses and professional services are another important part of the town's economy. Because of its low population density and large ratio of conserved spaces, Shutesbury is one of the few towns in the area to retain a striclty rural character, where people still stroll the tree-lined streets regularly. Shutesbury has not experienced significant population change since the end of WWII, with expansion pressures much lower than surrounding towns. The population remains around 1800 (2010 census), while that number represents a slow increase over several decades. Though Franklin County remains the fastest-growing county in Massachusetts, Shutesbury has not experienced the population pressures of nearby towns. The town has carefully managed zoning to prevent industrial contamination and suburban sprawl, making Shutesbury one of the few towns proximal to the valley that enjoys unpolluted water and expansive open spaces. Even though it is a small town, Shutesbury enjoys two large State Forests, Lake Wyola, where boating, fishing and swimming are available, with a kayak lending program for residents by grace of the Town Library, as well as extensive stretches of the Quabbin Reserve, which forms a large portion of the town on the East. The December 2008 New England ice storm (December 11–12, 2008) inflicted damage on trees near roads and power lines in the town (forests here are fine; there is no visible damage that can be tied to the storm ), coating trees with a ½-inch to 1-inch thick layer of ice. Tree limbs came crashing down on power lines, houses, and cars. Power was out in Shutesbury for up to ten days, and the state of Massachusetts declared a state of emergency. The estimated cost of cleaning up ranged from $50,000 to $100,000. The National Guard was called in to help with cleanup, and the worst-hit part of town, Wendell Road and Pelham Hill Road, was decimated by fallen trees. (is this here? Every town in the region suffered the same event. It's not really anything particular to Shutesbury and it is only one of many such storms. ) In recent decades, Shutesbury enacted strict bylaws to protect the town's uncompromised aquifer, the abundance of open space and rural character by preventing the opening of back lots to surburban sprawl and carefully guarding the town's abundant wetlands. In preserving the town's character, the town has collaterally prevented traffic congestion and air pollution. With no street lights, Shutesbury is a rare town in that it enjoys actual night darkness. By contrast, towns to the immediate West suffer from groundwater contamination, congestion and significant air pollution. (true, I have 5Mbit DSL, and many of us here do not care about high-speed internet. We have other priorities. ) As of 2015, Shutesbury still has limited access to high-speed internet; about 1/2 the town has access to 3Mbit/s DSL, while some rely on universal-placement satellite uplinks or dial-up access. ''The Boston Globe'' ran a story in 2005 describing Shutesbury and its neighboring town, Leverett, as one of "America's Broadband Black Holes". (is not true. I live in the geographic center of town and our cell reception is just fine here. ) A 2012 attempt to pass a ballot measure to fund building a new library for the town resulted in an electoral tie, defeated on appeal. $233,232.93 in personal pledges and grants were raised kickstart the effort.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url=http://www.mnspear.org/ )〕 The current library, the first to ever be built in Shutesbury, was erected in 1902, is 768 square feet, similar to town libraries of other towns of the same size in the same area. The memorial library hosts family film nights, cultural events, and a kayak and tackle lending program for residents.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url=http://www.mnspear.org/history.html )〕 Town residents enjoy access to 5 colleges and universities a short drive away, while avoiding all the pitfalls of overdevelopment. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Shutesbury, Massachusetts」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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