Robert St. Pierre of Peebles stands with the giant teddy bear the store giving away.
NORTH ADAMS - Staples workers have been busy over the last few days prepping the downtown chain store for an influx of shoppers bent on grabbing great deals on Friday.
"We're making sure the products are accessible for the customer," said the office supply store's manager Gary Burchard on Wednesday. "We know people will have other places to go to. We are trying to make it easy for them to get in and out ... to make this a more pleasant shopping experience."
Better known as Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving has become the traditional kick off of the Christmas shopping season. While malls tend to draw the bulk of shoppers every year - including the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough - local stores will have some good sales, too.
Some plan on opening early or are offering discounted merchandise and special buys during the morning. Wal-Mart on Curran Highway will open at 5 a.m.
Staples will open at 6 a.m. and Burchard expects a really big line. "We had a 100 people lined up at the door last year," he said. "I've got to admit, I was shocked."
Next door at Peebles, employees are also hoping for long lines when they open at 7 a.m.
"Last year, people didn't really know we were here. This year they do, so we're hoping for a good sale," said assistant store manager Robert St. Pierre. Rising gas prices may also help keep shoppers closer to home, he said.
The department store will be offering a storewide 15 percent discount on Friday only, with a plethora of half-price buys throughout the weekend.
St. Pierre showed off a 4-foot-tall teddy bear, wire glasses perched on his stuffed nose. Customers can enter a free drawing for the bear, or get one of his smaller siblings for $6 with any $50 purchase. The store is also offering a $10 gift card with any $50 purchase.
"We've got some great sales," said St. Pierre.
There's some great sales happening at Olympia Sports, too, but they were still classified as of Wednesday afternoon.
"I can't tell you," said Ed Rich, store manager, adding the information would all be in the store's sales flier.
He could say Black Friday was good last year and was expected to be this year, when the store's doors opened at 6 a.m.
"We'll have lots of good sales for people to buy," said Rich.
Radio Shack at the other end of the plaza was also mum on sales, per orders from the corporate top, but its doors also will open at 6 and it will offer specials until 10 a.m.
Fashion Bug will be opening earlier, but not too earlier, said store manager Lida Watters.
"We normally open at 10 but we're opening at 8 on Friday," she said. Early birds can get a 20 percent discount on items until 2 p.m.; after that it will be 15 percent. The store will be open until 8 p.m.
"Usually, we have a good crowd in the middle of the day. That's when they hit us," Watters said, because shoppers go to the mall first and stop at Fashion Bug on the way back. "We start out slow, but we're really rocking by the afternoon."
Michele Geitz at Where'd You Get That!? on Spring Street in Williamstown also tends to get the post-rush crowd, making for a busy afternoon on Black Friday.
"I get ladies in their 40s - sisters, girlfriends - who show up after the morning rush, very happy and ready to buy more," said Geitz, who'll be open her regular hours. What they're buying includes Khet, a chesslike game that uses laser. Geitz said she's already had to order more.
Down the road at Zanna's, it will be a regular day. "We always have sales," said sales clerk Karen Tassone. "Our store is always special so stop in."
Persnickety on Eagle Street will open its doors at 8 a.m. Owner Monique Suters said she'll be offering an automatic 20 percent discount on any one item in the store. Among the more popular items is the innovative PlasmaCar, which is propelled forward by turning the wheel back and forth.
Everything will be 25 percent at Moulton's General Store on Main Street throughout the day. Down the street at McClelland's, customers can get 20 percent off from 9 to noon on items not already on sale. Dragonflii on Eagle Street will be open regular hours and is giving 15 percent discounts on clothing and 10 percent on skateboard items. Owner Timothy Lanfair said Krown skateboards and longboards are his hot items - both are on sale this weekend.
For a struggling KB Toys, Black Friday could be a make or break affair.
Geoffrey Webb, director of advertising and sales promotion, said the day is absolutely the biggest sale of year for the toy company. The doors open at 5 a.m. at KB Toyworks in the Allendale Shopping center in Pittsfield and customers who spend $50 or more earn $10 in bonus.
Webb said anything to do with Hannah Montana is hot right now, and the store is offering sales on video games, Fisher-Price and Barbies.
The mall, of course, will be ground zero for many shoppers. The doors open at 6 a.m., with tenants opening at that time or later. Best Buy will beat the rest by hour - 5 a.m. with up to 50 percent of on select - and limited - electronics, videos, games and more.
Central Radio's mall location only will be open at 6, said store manager Leon Thomas. The weekend sale includes free DVD players with the purchase of a select televisions and two free pillows with every bed.
Burchard knows his customers are likely to head to the mall, but he wants them to come to Staples first and leave satisfied. So, he's been working with nearby Staples to try to make sure there are enough products for the big sale.
"We want to be prepared," he said, then paused. "But if we run out, well, that means we've got even more customers."
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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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