Persnickety store owner Monique Suters with a "Groovy Girl" doll
North Adams – Local residents brought their holiday shopping lists to the city’s downtown during December, and delivered glad revenue tidings to numerous merchants.
"Absolutely Fantastic"
“It was absolutely fantastic, better that I anticipated,†said Persnickety store owner Monique Suters during a Dec. 29 interview at the Eagle Street premises. “I sold out of rocking horses. My baby doll section did fabulous. We sold a lot of castles and medieval figures. People were also looking to me for the more unique Lego sets, the sets that you don’t find in the mainstream. Erector sets were very popular and I sold all of the big sets. I had people who were driving up from Great Barrington and saying that they loved this town.â€
Increased Customer Base
Galadriel’s Boutique owner Joanne Burdick said that a consistently expanding customer base and strong holiday sales culminated in a positive bottom line for the Main Street store. She is optimistic about the year ahead, she added.
“My Christmas was good,†she said. “My customer base expanded a lot, especially during the summer. I did see a lot of tourists, and many of my local customers shopped here during December. There have been very few returns. We have a wide range of items to pick from and people selected carefully. One of the really nice things about having a boutique in a small area is that I get to know my customers and their likes and preferences. I can help with gift purchases. I’m looking forward to February, when the spring inventory starts coming in and I think 2006 will be a good year.â€
Downtown By Choice
Many shoppers said that they were shopping locally by choice, said Carolyn Moulton and her granddaughter Amy Moulton, who both work at Moulton’s General Store on Main Street.
“There were a lot of people who came in and said that they wanted to shop locally and were going to the local stores first,†Carolyn Moulton said. “People asked for specific items and if we didn’t have it, we referred to other downtown stores. We tried to work with the other businesses and keep people on the street.â€
“I think business was better than last year,†Amy Moulton said. “I think all the stores were trying to work together.â€
Familiarity with products sold in other stores helped with referrals, she noted. For example, shoppers who asked for Burt’s Bees brand items were sent to Tangiers, a Main Street business that carries the product line.
Personal attention and friendly service attract and keep customers, said Carolyn Moulton.
“You have to be nice to the customers and that’s easy because our customers are very nice,†she said. “It’s like family. We get to know when a person is likely to stop in and what they are probably looking for. It really is fun.â€
Both women said that they are very optimistic about 2006.
“It’s a growing business and things are getting better,†said Amy Moulton.
Downtown Variety
Local support is vital to the downtown success and Sports Corner manager Ben Bailey said that the local support was very evident during this holiday shopping season.
“Business was up over last year and we saw more local people who were shopping downtown,†Bailey said. “The support is vital to the downtown and to the community, because it is the local, downtown businesses that support community, not the Berkshire Mall. Have you ever seen any of the stores at the Berkshire Mall support one of the local sports teams? It’s the local business that does that.â€
A business mix delivers a boost to the downtown, Bailey said.
“There is diversity to the street, a variety of stores,†he said. “It’s not all the same.â€
Sports Corner appeals to young, active individuals with a range of athletic interests, he said, and noted that in addition to traditional sports such as soccer and baseball, many local folks are involved with skateboarding, snowboarding, bicycling, and paintball activities.
“We are athletically based and youth driven,†he said. “And most of our customers participate in at least four sports each.â€
Sports Corner is at the corner of Main and Holden streets.
Downtown shopping venues include jewelry, clothing, gift, photography, consignment, vintage, and variety shops. Suncatchers offers stained glass art and instruction and the Gallery 51 art gallery features the work of area artists on a regular basis. The downtown also offers dining choices that range from the ultra-casual Jack's Hot Dog to the take-out or eat-in Moulton's Pizzeria, Gideon's Luncheon and Nightery on Eagle Street, and the more upscale Gideon's restaurant on Holden Street. Steeples restaurant is housed within the Holiday Inn on Main Street. Nearby eateries include Gramercy Bistro and brew-ha-ha, and Cafe Latino and Lickety-Split are located within the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art on Marshall Street. Molly's Bakery on Eagle Street offers freshly-baked goods such as cakes, pies, and pastries.
Local Dollars Made A Difference
DiLego’s jewelry store on Ashland Street enjoyed strong holiday sales, and store co-owner Cynthia Lamore said that an increase in local shoppers was noticed and appreciated.
“We did well and we are happy,†she said. “People made a real effort to shop locally and it made a difference.â€
Fashion Bug clothing store manager Lida Watters said that sales were very strong.
“I think last week was our biggest week of the year,†she said. “We did well. We really pushed the gift cards, but they [corporate offices] didn’t send us enough cards, so we ended up relying on gift certificates, which really isn’t any different. We were very busy and now people are coming in with the cards and the certificates.â€
The store is situated at the K-mart Plaza near Radio Shack.
The holiday shopping season proved profitable for the Crafty Creations shop on Eagle Street, said Kathy West, one of the business’s five partners. Keith Bona, Dale Bona, Theresa Denault, and Mary Lou McKay round out the partnership.
“We did very well,†West said. “It was great. We had people coming in that had never come in before and suddenly we were seeing these people every two or three days. We have a good return customer base and we have a great amount of crafter talent. It’s really like a family, and I think that says a lot about the store, and about the city itself.â€
Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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