Lasagna Fundraiser Planned for Louison House

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— The Louison House is hosting a lasagna dinner fundraiser on Thursday, Aug. 11, at Mingo's Sports Bar & Grill.

The fundraiser is to help the nonprofit family shelter that suffered water and fire damage at its Adams building several months ago.

Executive Director Kathy Keeser, who took over shortly after the blaze, said at least half the buillding will have to be gutted. And it will have to be brought up to new federal codes.

"We need to get it all done," she said, adding that planning has already begun for areas affected by the fire. "We're really unsure on other areas and other things to be done."

This fundraiser, along with a letter campaign, is taking place to assist Louison House in off-setting the unanticipated costs related to the fire.

The shelter is currently using Flood House, which it recently acquired from Housing Opportunities Inc., a local housing nonprofit that is dissolving its assets. The Church Street residence, too, will need work to be transformed into planned supportive apartment housing.

Keeser estimates it will take six months to get Louison House functional again. In the meantime, it's been unable to accommodate families with young children who need temporary housing because Flood House is not deleaded.

"We already had to turn down several families with young kids in the last week," she said. "We have room for families, but not if they have young kids."

Louison House has been addressing the issue of homelessness in Berkshire County since 1990. Over the past 20 years, it has provided homelessness prevention and housing services to more than 3,500 individuals and families throughout the county.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.