Julius Calvi, former N.A. Mayor, Dies at 91

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Julius Calvi
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Former North Adams Mayor Julius M. Calvi, 91, of 75 Chenaille Terrace died Thursday evening, Jan. 22, 2009, at home.

Long active in politics, Mr. Calvi served as mayor from 1956 to 1958. He was a member of the City Council from 1952 to 1956; the Board of Appeals from 1951 to 1954 and was assessor from 1960 to 1966. He was also a member of the North Adams School Committee from 1956 to 1958.

Born in North Adams on May 19, 1917, a son of Joseph and Lena Cantone Calvi, he attended local schools. He completed an associate of arts degree from Suffolk University in 1948 and received his law degree from the New England School of Law in 1951.

An Army Air Forces veteran of World War II, he served from Oct. 4, 1942, until his honorable discharge with the rank of corporal on Feb. 10, 1946.

Mr. Calvi was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1951 and admitted to the U.S. Tax Court in 1970. He maintained a law practice in North Adams for many years and was active in many civic organizations. He was president of the Berkshire Bar Association in 1962 and from 1968 to 1970 he was a member of its Executive Committee and Grievance Committee.

He was a lifelong communicant of the former St. Anthony of Padua Church and was longtime member of Taconic Golf Club.

He leaves his wife, the former Mary Ann Siciliano, whom he married on Dec. 27, 1960, in St. Anthony's Church, and nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

He was predeceased by his brothers Raymond Calvi and Bernard Joseph Calvi, who was killed in the Philippines in World War II.

FUNERAL NOTICE — The funeral for Mr. Calvi will be Monday, Jan. 26, at 10:15 from Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, Central Chapels, 74 Marshall St., North Adams, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, formerly St. Anthony's Church. Burial will follow in Southview Cemetery. 

Calling hours at the funeral home will be Sunday from 2 to 4. Memorial donations may be made to North Adams Ambulance Service, VNA and Hospice of Northern Berkshire or to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in care of the funeral home.
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Letter: CDBG Funding for Housing Fix-Up, Purchase Assistance, and Affordable Housing Trust

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

At the public hearing (03/25/26) on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Application submitted by North Adams, the presentation indicated that no funding was allocated to assisting residents with housing fix-up and housing purchase.

North Adams remains the only jurisdiction in Berkshire County that does not include these types of programs in their CDBG application. The grant application also misses an opportunity to fund the newly created Affordable Housing Trust which receives CDBG funds in other jurisdictions.

North Adams funded housing fix-up and housing purchase assistance in the past and these programs helped many residents with home upkeep and purchases. The need for these programs has only increased since they were abandoned by North Adams.

For the median income resident of North Adams the median home price is $40,000 more than they can afford. Over 27 percent of homeowners spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing and 12.5 percent of homeowners spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing. Over 20 percent of properties in North Adams are rated as below average condition by the North Adams assessor.

There should be no doubt that North Adams needs both fix-up and home purchase assistance programs and a well supported Affordable Housing Trust. I urge North Adams residents to advocate for funding for these programs during the upcoming budget review meetings.

Virginia Riehl
North Adams, Mass. 

Riehl is co-founder of the North Adams Community Housing Organization (NACHO)

 

 

 

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