Pitcher's Mound A Smoke-Filled Bar

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — An electrical fire on Friday morning will close the Pitcher's Mound this weekend.

"There was a lot of smoke and we're going to have to have it professionally cleaned up," said co-owner Jack Rivard. "It could have been a lot worse. The Fire Department did a terrific job."

Firefighters responded to the report of a fire at about 11 a.m. and quickly contained it. The fire was contained quickly but spread smoke through the building at the corner of Porter and Ashland streets. The fire was reportedly caused by a bad condenser on a beer cooler in the basement.

Repairs to the electrical system will also have to be done. Rivard expected the pub to be closed for "two to three days" to make repairs.

Updated on Jan. 31, 2011.

Cariddi Auto Sales Burns

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Curran Highway was shut down for hours Thursday night as firefighters battled a massive blaze at Cariddi Auto Sales.

Flames could be seen shooting through the roof as city firefighters fought freezing temperatures to extinguish the fire.

The nearby hydrants were frozen and tanker trucks from Adams, Clarksburg and Florida shuttled in water. The regulators were freezing and had to be thawed by a propane heater. The hoses needed constant water being pushed through to avoid freezing.

Adams also provided it's air-pack truck and Clarksburg covered the North Adams station.

"It was a real tough one to fight," said Fire Director Stephen Meranti. "The regulators were freezing, the lines were freezing, the men were freezing."

One firefighter was taken to North Adams Regional Hospital with smoke inhalation and another was taken for a shoulder injury.

Meranti said it is too early to tell what caused the fire but it began in the roof at the center of the building. The dealership used to be a carwash and had multiple layers of roofing that hindered the firefighter's efforts, Meranti said.

The south side of the building remains mostly intact but the north side is a total loss, Meranti said.

"There were some flammable substances in the building that we were concerned about," Meranti said.

Firefighters cut through the roof to get at the fire and heavy smoke continued to billow out until 11 p.m. The building will be monitored through the night for hot spots.

Mayor Richard Alcombright said firefighters responded to the fire at shortly after 7 p.m. National Grid arrived on the scene at about 8 p.m. to turn off the power.

State Street was closed off at the intersection with Main Street. Police were allowing limited access to the area. Traffic was also being detoured at Hodges Cross Road. Firefighters left the scene just after 11 p.m. and the road was reopened.

The fire gave the North Adams Ambulance Service its first chance to deploy its new rehab trailer. A tent with a propane heater for emergency personnel to treat firefighters and provide a central meeting spot, warmth and refreshments, was attached to the medical trailer.

"This is the first deployment of the rehab trailer. It's been in the works for a couple of months," North Adams Ambulance Safety Officer Amalio Jusino said. "We had the trailer for some time and we just decided to get creative and see if we can be more helpful to the fire department."

Jusino and Lt. Lynn Richardson manned the trailer all evening, taking vital signs and examining firefighters.

"Being proactive is better than being reactive," Jusino said.

The rehab trailer is designed for both winter and summer conditions and complies with the National Fire Protection Agency standards. The service is looking to purchasing a misting fan for the summer.

Cariddi Sales is a small dealership of used autos across from the intersection of the highway and Old State Street, just north of Walmart at 676 Curran Highway. Its hours of operation on weekdays is until 5:30; it's not clear if anyone was on the site at the time of the fire.

The property has been owned by Guy R. Cariddi since at least 1984, when he and his father, the late Francis Cariddi, bought out Ralph Cariddi and Robert Bissaillon, who had been in partnership with Francis Cariddi, according to the Registry of Deeds.

The property has a two-bay service garage and office. The dealership also offers autobody work, towing and service. The cars in the yard have not been removed. 

A fire at Cariddi Auto Sales destroyed the office and service garage on Thursday night. At least one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation as emergency crews battled the blaze in freezing temperatures.	View Larger Map

Bedroom Blaze Snuffed Out

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Firefighters swiftly knocked down a second-floor fire at a home on Goodrich Street shortly before noon on Wednesday. The cause of the blaze had not been determined by early this afternoon.

"We thought it might have gotten into to the attic space but we were able to contain it pretty quickly," said Fire Director Stephen Meranti, who credited firefighters' swift response with preventing its spread. "The guys did a great job."

Smoke was seen coming out of a second-story bedroom on the south side of the building by Postal carrier David Ghidotti, who was delivering mail along his route, said Meranti. He said Ghidotti's immediate reporting of the smoke likely helped prevent the fire from spreading.

The fire director said smoke could be seen coming from the windows on arrival; all off-duty firefighters were called in, Adams responded with the Scot AirPak truck and Clarksburg went on standby.

The fire damage was contained to the bedroom and closet area, although the second story suffered smoke damage and the first floor water damage. Firefighters mitigated some of the first floor damage by pulling tarps over the furniture.

The large white house had been split into apartments at one point but is now being occupied as a single-family home. It is owned by Kenneth and Kristi Cooper.

Meranti said the Coopers would not be able to stay in the house Wednesday because power and utilities had been shut off. The health inspector was to inspect the building to see if it could be occupied.

Firefighters were still on the scene several hours after the blaze was snuffed, waiting for a fire marshal to arrive. Meranti said he had requested the marshal to help determine the cause.

Drug Ring King Sentenced to Cedar Junction

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Ronnell Garmie, who killed a North Adams man in 2008, has been sentenced to prison on drug charges.

Garmie, of Bronx, N.Y., pleaded guilty on Thursday afternoon in Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield to single counts of cocaine trafficking and consipiracy to violate drug laws (distribution of cocaine). Judge Daniel Ford sentenced the 21-year-old Garmie to five to 5 1/2 years at Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction on the trafficking charge and a concurrent prison sentence on the conspiracy charge.

The charges stem from the night of Aug. 20, 2008, when authorities believe Walter tried to steal cocaine from a residence at Wheel Estates Mobile Home Park at which Garmie was staying. Garmie stabbed Walter during a scuffle at a residence; Walter, 24, was found by police on a neighboring lawn suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was transported to North Adams Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A grand jury declined to indict Garmie on charges related to the slaying. However, the investigation into the death resulted in the breakup of a drug ring operating out of the city.

Garmie was indicted on multiple drug charges and held on $100,000 bail; eight others were arraigned on a variety charges.

Garmie was found to have possessed more than 28 grams of cocaine on the night of Aug. 20, 2008. He also conspired with other others to sell cocaine in North Adams between Aug. 1, 2008, and Aug. 20, 2008. 

One suspect, Shelly L. Nichlen, then 30, pleaded guilty last March to single counts of furnishing misleading information to a police officer related to aiding Garmie to flee the scene. At the same court appearance, she pleaded guilty to single counts of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, larceny of more than $250 and misleading a police officer in connection with a robbery at Cumberland Farms on Dec. 2, 2007. Nichlen also pleaded guilty to single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws and violating a drug-free school zone from motor vehicle stop in North Adams in April 2008. 

She was ordered to serve concurrent four- to five-year state prison sentences in Walpole.

Walter's mother, Constance Pratt, who drove him to the scene, was placed on probation.

The owner of the mobile home, Tina Senecal, 54, pleaded guilty on Feb. 3, 2011, in Berkshire Superior Court to single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws (distribution of cocaine). She admitted to selling cocaine in North Adams between Aug. 1 and Aug. 20, 2008. 

Judge John Agostini gave her a suspended 18-month sentence in the Berkshire County House of Correction on the possession charge and two years' probation on both charges on the condition she remain drug and alcohol free and undergo testing during the probationary period. A count of furnishing misleading information to a police officer was dismissed at the request of the commonwealth.

Garmie was found to have possessed more than 28 grams of cocaine on the night of Aug. 20, 2008. He also conspired with other others to sell cocaine in North Adams between Aug. 1, 2008, and Aug. 20, 2008. 

The investigation was conducted by members of the North Adams Police Department and state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office.

Updated on Feb. 3, 2011, to insert Senecal's sentencing.

Four Arrested in MCLA Armed Robbery

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Investigators have made several arrests in connection with a home invasion and armed robbery that took place on the campus of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in December.  

Joshua E. Jadusingh, 18, of West Main Street, pleaded not guilty Friday morning in Northern Berkshire District court to single counts of home invasion and armed robbery. Judge Laurie MacLeod ordered that he be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $25,000 cash or $250,000 surety bail.

Jadusingh will be back in court for appointment of counsel on Jan. 24.

Police also arrested and charged a 15-year-old, whose identity was not released because of the individual's juvenile status, in connection with the incident.

The charges stem from a reported armed robbery at the one of the college's townhouse dormitories on the evening of Dec. 14, 2010. Campus, state and North Adams police were called to the scene but law enforcement authorities refused to provide further information on the incident although there was speculation drugs were involved.

Both arrests stem from search warrants executed at 3 Secor Ave. and 105 West Main St. late Thursday morning by state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office, MCLA campus police, North Adams Police and members of the state police Violent Fugitive Apprehension section, Crime Scene Services and the Berkshire County Drug Task Force.

As a result of the execution of the search warrants items were seized from both locations.  

Police say two other juveniles ages 15 and 16 were arrested in late December in connection with the robbery. The investigation is continuing and other arrests are possible. 

Investigators are asking anyone who may have information about the robbery to call them at the MCLA Office of Public Safety at 413-662-5284.