New Pizzeria Opens in North Adams

By Justin SaldoiBerkshires Intern
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NORTH ADAMS — A couple is hoping to duplicate their South County success with the opening of Christo's Famous Pizza today at 20 Holden St.

The proprietors of the eatery, Christo, 64, and Athina, 65, Grigoropoulos of Lenox, have more than 40 years experience in the pizza business, with several restaurants in South Berkshire, including Athena's Pizza in Lenox.

Pizza is a competitive industry in this area, with four other pizzerias and another soon to be opened within walking distance of the newest establishment, but the Grigoropouloses are not worried.

"We have been doing this successfully in the Berkshires for a long time," said Christo Grigoropoulos. "What people in the area want is good food at a good price and that's what we have always offered."

"We are a more traditional establishment that offers more than just pizza," he continued.

Christo's is also Greek restaurant that serves everything from calzones and grinders to more traditional fare like pasta and salad. It also offers gourmet pizza with toppings such as kalamata olives, pesto, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and feta and ricotta cheese. In addition to the usual assortment of salads, sandwiches and wraps, the eatery offers dinners including New York sirloin strip, prime rib and house specialities.
Christo and Athina Grigoropoulos have opened a pizza and Greek restaurant on Holden Street.

Formerly the North Adams Pizza Co., the Grigoropouloses purchased the business three months ago from owner Christopher Tremblay and have been doing renovations and redecorating. The site had also been the home of Hickory Bill's Barbecue.

"You got to go by the books and take no shortcuts to succeed," said Grigoropoulos.

The restaurant is fully staffed; the Grigoropouloses searched through more than 200 resumes for suitable employees. It offers eat-in and takeout service.

"I like when kids are looking for work," Grigoropoulos. "It says good things about an area when young people are motivated."

He said the staff has trained for the last three weeks to ensure they will be ready for the workload and are now ready to serve the public.

The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 to 10, Friday and Saturday from 10:30 to midnight and Sunday from 10:30 to 10. For more information or to place an order, call 413-662-3500.
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Clarksburg Looking to AG's Receivership Program to Help With Distressed Properties

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

 
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town is looking to move two properties into receivership to get them cleaned up and back on the tax rolls. 
 
Health Agent Valerie Bird has raised the idea last month when a Daniels Road property was ordered vacated for multiple code violations. Bird and the Select Board didn't believe the owner had the capacity to address the myriad issues. 
 
Bird recommended the Attorney General's receivership program, which takes blighted property and, through the court system, gets it into the hands of a developer who can rejuvenate it. 
 
Maja Kazmierczak, assistant attorney general with the Neighborhood Renewal Division, offered a virtual presentation to the board on Monday, explaining the program and how it might be able to help Clarksburg. 
 
"We've partnered with over 170 municipalities, and we definitely have over probably about 215 active properties that we're working on," she said. "We've had just about $715,000 in back taxes returned to municipalities through our program."
 
The program has been around for 30 years in various forms, with the goal to turn abandoned and blighted properties that have code violations into safe housing. 
 
The state's receivership statute allows the court to appoint a receiver to a property if there are code violations and there is no one to repair them.
 
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