One of the hilltowns of the Pioneer Valley, Rowe is a small, remote and close-knit community of just under 400. Bordered by Charlemont on the south, Whitingham, Vermont, on the north, Heath on the east and Monroe and Florida on the West, the town, incorporated in 1785, is a 24-square mile forested retreat from the pressures of modern life. But remoteness has its price. Its secluded location was the very reason it was chosen as the site of country's third and New England's first nuclear reactor. The first large-scale commercial reactor in the U.S., Yankee Rowe, as it is called, produced electricity for the region for nearly thirty years until it became the country's "lead reactor" to go through the NRC license extension process. And that's when all its troubles began.

During the license extension process, it was discovered that the plant's reactor vessel was severely embrittled, and stress corrosion cracking in the steam generators indicated replacement if the reactor were to continue operating. Upon hearing this, the local citizenry mobilized, and the concerted efforts of organizations such as the Citizens Awareness Network (CAN) led to the plant's permanent shutdown in 1992. But closing a nuclear power plant is no easy task. Before submitting the required decommissioning plan, Yankee Atomic illegally dismantled the reactor, shipping components to South Carolina and elsewhere and creating an onsite storage facility for high-level atomic waste. Its official decommissioning plan followed in 1997, but CAN, the New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution and the Franklin County Council of Governments intervened to express their grave concerns about the inadequacy of the release criteria. CAN also vehemently argued that Yankee Atomic's plan didn't adequately protect the health and safety of the community.

After investigation, the licensing board supported the majority of CAN's contentions about the plant, and a period of Discovery followed. Or was supposed to follow. Rather than produce requested records on spills and contamination, Yankee withdrew its plan (thus avoiding Discovery), stating that a new plan would not be ready for 10 - 20 years. But Yankee Rowe's legacy lives on. In its thirty-one year lifetime, the plant released over 20,000 curies of tritium into the Deerfield River, and, though not conclusively proven by a MA Department of Public Health study conducted on the area, there is statistical evidence of an increase of Down's syndrome, non hogkin's lymphoma, breast cancer and multiple myeloma in the community. Discussions and public hearings about site cleanup continue.

But lest you think that Rowe is just about controversy, there's a brighter side to this tiny community. The town is also home to the Rowe Camp and Conference Center, founded in 1924 as a place of relaxation, exploration, creativity and spiritual nurturance affiliated with the Unitarian-Universalist Association. Rowe Camp's mission is realized in year-round workshops presented by a diverse visiting faculty of luminaries in the fields of healing, women's empowerment, singing and songwriting, creative writing, drumming, personal coaching and alternative therapies (to name a few). Simple, dorm-style accommodations are provided in cabins and the Farmhouse and though there are a limited number of single and double-occupancy private rooms, Rowe Camp is more about enlightenment than personal comfort. But one can be pretty comfortable relaxing around a fire after a sumptuous gourmet meal prepared by the Camp's staff of culinary artists. The food, mostly vegetarian, is designed to nurture the body in the same way the conferences nurture the soul. And the dinner table provides the perfect setting for animated conversation about experiences shared and lessons learned.

Fees for Rowe Camp are on a sliding scale relative to income, but bartering and work-exchange are also available so that no one is excluded from the experience of this magical place. For more information, check out their website at www.rowecenter.org or call 413-339-5728 to request a catalog.

If you're a history buff (or just want to learn more about Rowe), it's worth the trip to the Rowe Historical Society's excellent museum, which features antiques, artifacts and photographs documenting the history of the town, including the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel (a feat of engineering worthy of an article all its own — see the Town Spotlight on Charlemont for more on this). It's open every other Sunday from 1:00 - 3:00 PM, July through September.

But Rowe is best experienced through its natural surroundings — hiking the wooded paths of its state forest, listening to the tranquil sounds of its brooks and streams, canoeing, kayaking or fishing on the Deerfield River. Though a small dot on the map, this tiny town provides a much-needed refuge, and in these troubled times, there's a lot to be said for that.

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