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.
We're trying out blogs to offer shorter, easy-to-find news. Let us know what you think.
Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
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.
Williamstown Voters Asked to Fund Affordable Housing Project
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff 01:00AM / Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Selectman Richard Steege displays the photo he was presented.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A group putting together affordable housing at the former St. Raphael's Church are hoping the town will give it another $400,000 to move the project forward at next week's town meeting.
Representatives from Church Corner LLC, the nonprofit citizen's group managing the project, and the Affordable Housing Committee updated the Selectmen on Monday on the information to be presented to voters.
Town meeting overwhelmingly approved $800,000 last year for the project from Community Preservation Act funds. The funds are to be used for open space, preservation and affordable housing development.
The group, Church Corners LLC, still does not have a purchase-and-sale agreement with the Diocese of Springfield, which had an agreement in principle last year to sell the property for $480,000. Total cost for purchasing the property and transforming it into housing is estimated at $1.8 million. The balance would be made up through a loan from Williamstown Savings Bank.
The diocese is reluctant to formalize a sales agreement until funding for the project is assured, Stephen N. Pagnotta, president of the Church Corner, told the Selectmen on Monday night.
"We are attaining funding and moving forward with developers, getting permits ... then [we can] go back to them and obtain a purchase-and-sales agreement," he said. "We have sent out bid specs to interested developers and a number have experessed interest. We think at least two will present bids."
Stephen Pagnotta, at the microphone, explains some of the details of affordable housing project planned for the former St. Raphael's Church; Affordable Housing Committee Chairman Charles Bonenti is at left.
The bidding period was extended when more details were requested by developers, he said.
Diagrams showing how the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments would be laid out in the buildings will also be set up at town meeting. Plans call for six apartments in the church and two in the rectory.
The property on the corner of Cole Avenue and Church Street is one of a number of church properties for sale in Berkshire County after a round of consolidations. The Parish of Sts. Raphael & Patrick is now located in St. Patrick's Church.
"We hope to put shovel in the ground sometime this fall," said Pagnotta.
Bonenti, who has regularly attended the Church Corner meetings, said the group had done a lot of research and work on the designs for the project.
"The group has come out with an amazing amount of effort and expertise," he said. "The people who made up this committee have really just devoted a lot of time, talent and expertise to this project without any cost to the town."
■ The board unanimously agreed to sign a resolution endorsing the proposed 75-mile Berkshire Bikeway that will stretch from the Vermont to the Connecticut border and agreeing to participate in discussions with the 11 communities through which it will run, collaborate with those communities and agree to joint application for bike path funding. (Selectman Thomas Costley was not in attendance.)
Some of that money will come from the $4 million acquired by U.S. Rep. John W. Olver in the 2005 transportation bill.
"It is important," said Chairwoman Jane Allen. "[The Berkshire Bike Path Council] will need this; this is what Congressman Olver will be looking for."
■ Approved outside service on the deck for Water Street Grill with conditions that it be limited to 24 patrons, that there be no music and that service end at 9 p.m.
■ Town Manager Peter Fohlin's annual contract was extended again for another year, with no change in compensation. The board "enthusiastically" and unanimously approved the extension.
■ Selectman Richard Steege, whose three-year term expires, was presented with a "diploma" by Allen certifying his service and a framed picture of the 2009 Board of Selectmen. Steege declined to run for re-election.
"I have enjoyed thses three years and my successor will also," said Steege. "It has been very rare to be on a board where everyone gets along so well. But it's also a learning experience every single time I come. It's something I wish more people had an opportunity to share."
