News & Notes: Pittsfield Man Killed in Quarry Crash

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
Print Story | Email Story
Pittsfield Man Killed in Quarry Crash

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A driver whose truck ended up at the bottom of a deep quarry in Adams on Monday died from traumatic injuries in the crash.

The autopsy was performed Tuesday afternoon at Berkshire Medical Center on 36-year-old Martin Selby of Pittsfield by Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Jessica Krochmal.

The truck Selby was operating was found at the bottom of a limestone quarry at Specialty Minerals in Adams at about 7 a.m. Monday by an employee at the plant. Martin was not an employee at the plant; police were investigating how he end up there.
 
Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless said the death does not appear to be the result of foul play.   
 
The investigation is being conducted by state police detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office and members of the Adams Police Department.    

Satellite TV Customers Hit With 5 Percent State Tax

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As of July 1, the state's 2010 budget includes a 5 percent excise tax on satellite TV services such as Dish Network and DirecTV.  


The excise tax was part of the municipal relief package amendment adopted in the Senate budget debate. The proposal had very little if no publicity, except to those who already had satellite services. DirecTV, for example, had an entire channel offering information on the tax and how to customers could contact their lawmakers about it.  

State Sen. Benjamin B. Downing's office said cable television subscribers in Massachusetts pay a 5 percent fee on their monthly bill and, up until this point, satellite subscribers did not have to pay such a tax. Now, they do.

A representative in Downing's office also said the additional revenue generated for the commonwealth under this proposal would be approximately $22 million. Massachusetts is not alone in taxing satellite TV subscribers; at least six other states have adopted similar taxes.

Housing Authority Head Leaving

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority will be searching for a new leader.

Executive Director James Baldwin is resigning his post effective July 10 after two years here. Baldwin said he's accepted a new job closer to his Guilderland, N.Y., home, citing the 90-minute drive back and forth to North Adams as a factor in his decision.  

"I've enjoyed my time here," said Baldwin. "It's been a real interesting time and, hopefully, we've done some good."
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. 

View Full Story

More Stories