March 1 Application Deadline for Hardman Fund

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SHEFFIELD, Mass. —  The application deadline for the James and Robert Hardman Fund for North Adams is March 1. The fund is administered by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

The fund supports nonprofit groups, community organizations and public agencies that enrich the lives of residents of North Adams and the neighboring communities of Florida and Clarksburg, and of Stamford, Vt. Last year the fund distributed $45,434 to 19 organizations.

The fund was established at the foundation in 2000 in honor of James A. Hardman Jr. (1909-1990) and Robert Hardman (1911-1978). Applicants may request grants for projects and programs relating to the arts, culture, historic preservation, health, human and social services, education and the environment.

Grants will be awarded to organizations that demonstrate the potential to expand or deepen their impact or to those that are already achieving a significant impact. This includes efforts that involve flexible partnerships among non-profit, public and private sectors. The fund is particularly interested in initiatives that take a long term view of what is required to support people in difficult economic circumstances and to assist them in moving out of poverty, and those that enrich the cultural and natural environment of the Fund area.


Applications will be reviewed by a committee of community residents using the combined criteria of: excellence of the project or service, impact on the organization or community and ability of the organization to carry out the project.

Applications are available www.berkshiretaconic.org/Grantseekers/ or, if an applicant does not have access to a computer, contact the North Adams Public Library at 413-662-3133 for assistance.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Armed North Adams Man Arrested Following Domestic Standoff

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Matthew Parker, a 44-year-old North Adams man, is set to face multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons charges in Northern Berkshire District Court on Friday morning following an hours-long, armed standoff at a Houghton Street home.

The defendant is being arraigned for:

  • Domestic Assault and Battery
  • Assault with the Intent to Murder (3 counts)
  • Carrying a Firearm While Under the Influence of Alcohol (3 counts)
  • Possession of a hi-capacity firearm (4 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a hi-capacity firearm (2 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a firearm (6 counts)

According to a report, on June 10, at approximately 8:42 p.m., officers responded to 365 Houghton St. following a report of a domestic assault and battery. The caller said she and her husband had been involved in a physical altercation.

She said her husband was intoxicated, making suicidal statements about shooting himself, and had access to both a shotgun and a pistol.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with both the caller and Parker. During the encounter, Parker threatened to shoot officers before retreating into the home and refusing to exit.

Officers believed that Parker was armed.

To ensure public safety, police established a perimeter around the home and requested assistance from the Berkshire County Special Response Team (SRT) and North Adams Police crisis negotiators. The Brien Center was also contacted and promptly provided an emergency mental health clinician to assist with the incident.

Special Response Team personnel deployed drones to monitor the residence and provide aerial illumination. During the operation, officers saw Parker exit the house carrying a rifle. He pointed it at the drones, stated a report. Parker subsequently pointed the rifle toward several officers positioned behind their cruisers. After officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, Parker returned inside the residence.

Trained crisis negotiators maintained communication with Parker for several hours in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation. At approximately 2 a.m., Parker ceased communication with negotiators.

Drone operators later observed Parker unconscious in a recliner on the first floor of the residence, with a rifle and shotgun on the floor nearby.

Members of the Berkshire County SRT then executed a coordinated operation. Diversionary devices were deployed through a window while an entry team simultaneously entered the home, secured the firearms, and took the defendant into custody.

A search warrant was executed after Parker was in custody. North Adams Police seized four shotguns, six rifles, two handguns, and thousands or rounds of ammunition from the home.

During the operation, one SRT member sustained a minor injury related to a less-lethal bean bag deployment. Parker also sustained non-life threatening injuries during the arrest and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center for medical evaluation.

"We thank the community for its patience and cooperation throughout this incident, particularly residents in the affected area who complied with temporary shelter-in-place requests," Police Chief Mark Bailey said.  "The North Adams Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the agencies that provided mutual aid and assisted by handling calls for service during this incident. We are especially grateful to the Berkshire County Special Response Team for its professional and decisive response, the Brien Center for the rapid deployment of a mental health clinician, and our crisis negotiators whose efforts helped maintain dialogue and contributed significantly to the safe resolution of this incident."

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