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What's PlayingBazaarsNov. 21
St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28
Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here. |
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iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line. |
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Adams Neighbors Angry Over Noise, DogsBy Lyndsay DeBord
Special to iBerkshires
09:27AM / Friday, November 07, 2008
ADAMS, Mass. — Residents urged the Selectmen to do something about noisy, disruptive patrons at the PNA and loose dogs running through a neighborhood.
"I don't like calling the police. They've got better things to do," said Archie Utter at Wednesday's public hearing over noise complaints at the Polish National Alliance.
Utter, who has placed numerous calls to the police over excessive noise at the PNA this past year, said the noise and conduct of patrons outside of the 13 Victory St. building bothered him.
The sound from the PNA, with windows adjacent to his house, often sounds louder inside his home than outside, he said. He added that the music only bothers him when the entertainment is located in the bar area at the front of the building.
Police Chief Donald A. Poirot told the board he had taken steps to mediate the situation between Utter and the PNA, but that a solution wasn't able to be worked out.
Another neighbor said patrons leaving the PNA had vomited and urinated on her property.
"This is more than just an issue of noise," she said, adding that she didn't feel safe bringing her daughter outside.
Attorney Stephen Pagnotta, of Donovan & O'Connor LLP, represented the PNA. He pointed out that the PNA had been in the location for more than 70 years in its "current form and function."
"The PNA continues to be a good citizen of this community," said Pagnotta.
The attorney also said the PNA had made efforts to minimize the noise by moving the band to the back hall whenever possible and by adding more staff to monitor patrons at the door. In addition, he offered that the PNA had ordered soundproofing material for the windows that are adjacent to Utter's house.
The Selectmen ruled to continue the hearing until the Dec. 17 meeting to allow time for the soundproofing to be implemented. Selectmen Edward MacDonald abstained from the hearing.
Dog Complaint
The second hearing involved multiple citations for unrestrained dogs against William McLear at 20 Turners Ave.
"As of this date, 32 citations have been issued to this family," said Poirot and added, "the only alternative I have is to take this in front of the board."
Animal officer Terry Moran said he had written 27 citations this year for unrestrained dogs and an unlicensed dog, with all but one citation carrying a $300 fine. He added that the courts had often reduced the fines.
Harold and Barbara Crews told the board that one of the McLear's unleashed dogs had attacked their dog while Barbara Crews was out for a walk and that their dog had to be taken to a vet. The Crews also voiced frustration over the town not being able to do more.
"This is not a dog problem, it's an enforcement problem," said Barbara Crews.
McLear admitted that his dogs sometimes get loose, but he said he had taken steps to keep them restrained, including putting a $3,000 addition onto the fence in his yard. McLear also questioned whether his dog had attacked the Crews' dog.
"They're not vicious dogs," McLear said. He also said some of the citations were his son's, who has the same name.
At times the hearing became heated, with Crews arguing with McLear and speaking out of turn. Chairman Joseph C. Solomon told Crews he needed to hear both sides and, after she continued to talk over McLear, the Solomon called her out of order.
Town Counsel Edmund St. John III informed the board that it had the authority to make an order. The Selectmen then asked the police chief for his recommendation.
"The Adams Police is at wit's end with these animals. The reason why I'm here tonight is to state that these dogs need to be restrained," Poirot said.
The board voted to order McLear to restrain his dogs. If the order is violated, he would face criminal charges that could include fines and jail time.
In Other Business:
The Selectmen voted to keep Haley Meczywar on as interim town administrator, past the original 35 days, until the board can interview a potential candidate for temporary administrator.
The board announced the overnight parking ban that will be in effect from Nov. 15 to April 15. Also, there will be free parking from Nov. 28 to Dec. 31 in an effort to bring business to downtown during the holiday season.
The board also discussed the reserve fund transfer of about $8,800 to fix additional damage on the clock tower and another reserve fund transfer of $3,000 to fix the library's oil furnace, and sent both issues to the Finance Committee. |
It's easy to say that the bar should not be held responsible when you're not actually in that situation. The bartender should be able to tell when the person has had enough. They see drunk people all the time. People need to be cut off.
If you walked outside your house and saw people urinating and vomiting on your property, you would have a problem with it too. If it's not that bad, then don't mind me when I drop a load in your front yard. | | from: EM | on: 09-14-2009 |
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| Actually, the urinating and vomiting should not have been brought up at the hearing because it was over noise not public indecency. There is another point here as well, there is no way to say that the people who committed those acts were patrons of the PNA or members. Please understand that the PNA has been there since 1925 and the lodge, its members and patrons do a lot for the community. They donate all of the profits to local charities such as the youth center and cub scout pack. The hall is used by the Red Cross for blood drives because it has central air, the cub scouts use it to hold there Pine Wood derby, there are trivia nights and ballroom dancing as well as a youth Polish dance group. I have lived in the area all my life. Other clubs and bars have many more problems than the PNA. The complaint of one (maybe two) people should not drag a club into this type of action and forum especially when many of the complaints are unsubstantiated. | | from: George St Resident | on: 11-09-2008 |
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| So it's the PNA's fault that people are puking all over the place outside? Hardly. I would think people need to held accountable for their individual actions rather than blame the place they just walked out of. Put an Adams cop outside to keep an eye on the idiots. Funny, The Grille usually has a cop across the street and you never hear of any problems there. | | from: PNA member | on: 11-08-2008 |
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| Actually, the "guy" was only complaining about noise; a woman was complaining about the vomit. The latter is of course unacceptable, but the question remains exactly how much duty the club has to police its members after they leave the club. | | from: DP | on: 11-08-2008 |
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And how do you justify public urination and vomitting on someone's private property?
Loud music is merely annoying. Bodily fluids is disgusting. People need to learn to show some class. | | from: | on: 11-08-2008 |
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| Hilarious. This guy buys a home literally feet from a known loud bar/club, and then complains about it?!?! Wow, genious. Well, that's what you get for wanting to save a few thousand dollars on a home's purchase price...should've bought up on West Mountain Rd if you wanted quiet. | | from: PNA member | on: 11-07-2008 |
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