News in a Minute: Nuclear Diplomacy, Political Rapprochement and ... Pittsfield Bees?

Staff reportsiBerkshires
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PITTSFIELD — That's right. Pittsfield's bee problem made The Associated Press' "Top Stories" roundup for Friday, June 27, along with North Korea's agreement to begin de-nuclearizing.

Presumably the wire service needed a lighthearted story and the Pittsfield news was just the bee knee's.

According to The Berkshire Eagle, a swarm 5,000 to 6,000 strong set up housekeeping in a tree on North Street on Thursday afternoon between 510 North St. and the A-Mart. The honeybees were swarming in a "ball" about 8 feet up in the tree.

Beekeeper Joe Amuso, a retired Pittsfield firefighter, was called in to take the "bee ball" away. He told The Eagle that the bees were likely scouting for a new home and that te queen was being protected in the center.

The entire removal took about 8 hours; after the bees were "poured" into wood hive, the hive was left under the tree so stragglers and scouts could catch up. Amuso took the hive home.

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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

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