Community Celebration Set for Lincoln’s 200th Birthday

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — An "After-School Birthday Party" to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln is planned for Feb. 12, from 3:30 to 5:30 at the Berkshire South Regional Community Center.

This is a public event with no charge and is sponsored by the center, Chesterwood, Norman Rockwell Museum and state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox. The program will include a high school essay contest sponsored by Pignatelli, art projects for children, readings and presentations about President Lincoln, and a monumental birthday cake.

 It must be at least 200 words and be submitted by Friday, Jan. 30, to Pignatelli's district office at 6 Walker St. in Lenox. Prizes will be awarded.

Elementary students are invited to bring birthday cards, artwork celebrating his presidency or other Lincoln-related classroom projects. These items will be displayed at the event and can be delivered to the front desk at the Berkshire South at 15 Crissey Road beginning Feb. 9 or brought to the event.

Chesterwood's Lincoln Bicentennial programming for May 1 to Oct. 31 will be announced at the event. Chesterwood is the country home, studio and gardens of Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), sculptor of seated Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial (1922) in Washington, D.C., and "The Minute Man" (1875) in Concord. The museum is located off Route 183 in the Glendale section of Stockbridge, near the Rockwell Museum. 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

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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