North Adams Happenings: May 9-15

12:15PM / Wednesday, May 09, 2012Print Story | Email Story

North Adams Happenings

brought to you by
MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and The North Adams Office of Tourism

Wednesday, May 9 - Tuesday, May 15

SAVE THE DATE	SATURDAY, MAY 17 & 19
	Bike North Berkshire Bikefest Mass MoCA, Courtyard D 1040 Mass MoCA Way 11a.m. FREE Click here for more info. The First Annual Bike North Berkshire BIKEfest will be held May 13–19th in conjunction with National Bike Week. Mass MoCA will be the venue for two of BIKEfest’s main events; Thursday, May 17 will be Bicycle Short Films; and Saturday, May 19 a FREE Family Bike Rodeo with games, prizes and more. Area police and volunteers will run stations including a helmet check, bike safety check, a safety signals tutorial, and a bike obstacle course. Prizes will be awarded to all who complete the Bike Rodeo. Kidspace will offer bike decorating and decorated bikes will participate in a parade. Come to Mass MoCA by bike on this day to receive free gallery admission.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9
EVENT	Play and Learn Group for Toddlers Haskins School 210 State Street (413)664-4821 10am FREE Click here for more info. This group is for children that are 1 and 2 years of age. The Play and Learn Group setting is a way to introduce young children and their families to educational andsocial learning experiences through play.
STORYTIME	Preschool Story Time North Adams Public Library 74 Church St. (413)662-3133 10:30 a.m. FREE Click here for more info. Join the North Adams Public Library team for exciting children's activities. Bring your little one, it's story time! Story Time is suitable for ages 3-6!
EVENT	Tricks of the Trade: The State of Public Art MAYA Gallery 49 Main St. (413)663-5253 6:30 p.m. FREE, pre registration is required, email valeria.federici@mcla.edu Click here for facebook invite. Join Meri Jenkins from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Elysian McNiff from theNew England Foundation for the Arts, Jeremy Gaucher from the Public Art Administrator for the Cambridge Arts Council, Megan Whilden, director of Cultural Development of the City of Pittsfield and Jonathan Secor, director of MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center for a conversation on Public Art, opportunities, resources and... oh so much more.
EVENT	Teen Writing Workshop Reading and Celebration MCLA Gallery 51 51 Main St. (413)664-8718 7 p.m. FREE Click here for facebook invite. Please support the young members of the UNITY Teen Writing Workshop at their year-end Reading + Celebration! Group members will read powerful, personal, and affecting works that they have crafted during this year's 20-week workshop season. You'll be glad you went. The event will be followed by a reception with refreshments.For more information please email kmerrigan@nbccoalition.org.
THURSDAY, MAY 10
EVENT	Favorite Poems: Puzzling Poetry North Adams Public Library 74 Church St. (413)662-3133 ext 10 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. FREE Click here for more info. Back by popular demand at the library – Four Evenings of Favorite Poems. People are encouraged to read a poem of their choice that corresponds with the weekly theme, but all are welcome to just go and listen. This week’s theme is ‘Puzzling Poetry’. Are poems like people? Can you love them even if you don't understand them? Bring a puzzling poem and explore why enigmas grab us. The only rule: Poems are NOT to be readers’ poems or written by friends or relatives, but poems that readers have read, perhaps many times, and feel attached to.
CLASS	Line Dancing Berkshire County Line Dancers Eagles Hall Curran Highway 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. For more information contact Mary Ellen Dean: (413)663-9718 Berkshire County Line Dancers' offers intermediate and advanced lessons. Join the fun, meet new people and try something new!
PERFORMANCE	Live Music: Miss Guided Desperados 24 Eagle Street (413)346-4664 8 p.m. No Cover Click here for more info. Grab a margarita and enjoy entertainment provided by Miss Guided, a musical duo specializing in music of the 60's, 70's and 80's.
EVENT	Trivia Night Pitcher's Mound Pub 218 Ashland St. (413)663-8390 8 p.m. No Cover Click here for facebook page. Let Andy "the MaChine" Racine twist your brain and call you names! Prizes awarded! Stick around for the trivia night after party featuring DJ Jon.
EVENT	Key West Open Mic with Rebel Alliance Key West 159 State St. (413)663-5055 10:30 p.m. No Cover Click here for more info. Rebel Alliance is a working class band assembled from various corners of the county. They combine elements of Jazz, Rock, Ska, and Reggae to make a sound they all dig. Catch them every Thursday Night for free at Key West at their open mic! It's a great way to meet fellow musicians in the area! If you like to dance on your Thirsty Thursday, stop on by. You'll be glad you did.
FRIDAY, MAY 11
EVENT	Play and Learn Group for Babies Haskins School 210 State Street (413)664-4821 11 a.m. FREE Click here for more info. This group is for infants up to 15 months old. Siblings are welcome. The Play and Learn Group setting is a way to introduce young children and their families toeducational and social learning experiences through play.
PERFORMANCE	Live Music: Tom Corrigan Freight Yard Pub 3 Furnace St. (Heritage State Park) (413)663-6547 7 p.m. No Cover Click here for more info. Grab a pint and enjoy music from FYP favorite, Tom Corrigan.
EVENT	Let's Rock Steady Dance Party with Rebel Beat Sound System The Mohawk 30 Marshall St. 9 p.m. FREE Click here for facebook invite. Never fear! The beats are back with your favorite ska, reggae, soul and mod rock and roll. Don’t miss the opportunity to dance the night away.
PERFORMANCE	Live Music: Quarter Life Crisis PUBLIC Eat and Drink 34 Holden Street 9 p.m. No Cover Click here for more info. Enjoy the sounds of Quarter Life Crisis at North Adams hot night spot Public. Choose from a great beer selection and don't forget about the late night food menu!
SATURDAY, MAY 12
EVENT	Mayfest Williams College, Weston Field Latham Street, Williamstown, MA 1 p.m. - 8 p.m. $15 FREE for children under 12 accompanied by an adult Click here for more info. Mayfest is an all-day outdoor music festival hosted by the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce. All net proceeds will go to the North Adams Regional Hospital. Enjoy a day of food, drinks and music for a good cause. Bands include local favorites: Jungle Work, The Rock Hounds, Rebel Alliance and CJ Field.
PERFORMANCE	Live Music: Jeff Martel Freight Yard Pub 3 Furnace St. (Heritage State Park) (413)663-6547 7 p.m. No Cover Click here for more info. Head over to one of North Adams’ most popular restaurants for a night of music, food and fun provided by Jeff Martel.
SUNDAY, MAY 13
PERFORMANCE	Live Music: Blueberry Buckle PUBLIC Eat and Drink 34 Holden St. (413)664-4444 9 p.m. No Cover Click here for more info. Blueberry Buckle, formerly known as the Byrne Trio, is Tom Byrne on guitar, bass and the occasional wind instrument, and his two young daughters, Cate on violin and Savannah on drums, performing a mix of classical, fiddle and pop.
MONDAY, MAY 14
CLASS	Line Dancing Berkshire County Line Dancers Eagles Hall Curran Highway For more info contact: Mary Ellen Dean: (413)663-9718 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Time for a new hobby? Berkshire County Line Dancers offers beginning classes. All are welcome to come and join the fun!
EVENT	Trivia Night PUBLIC Eat and Drink 34 Holden St. (413)664-4444 8 p.m. No Cover Click here for more info. Test your skills and knowledge against others while enjoying a pint from Public's fine beer selection. Winning team takes home a $25 Gift Certificate.
TUESDAY, MAY 15
STORYTIME	Toddler Story Time North Adams Public Library 74 Church Street (413)662-3133 10:30 a.m. FREE Click here for more info. Join the North Adams Public Library team for exciting children activities. Bring your little one, it's story time! Story Time is suitable for ages 1-3!
DSA ON THE ROAD
PERFORMANCE	Mermaid Beatrice to Reappear Near Boston STEAMPUNK FESTIVAL, Waltham, Mass. Saturday May 12, 2012 8:30 p.m. FREE Click here for more info. Some of you may remember Mermaid Beatrice who appeared in North Adams a couple years ago. Well, after a nice visit in the Northern Berkshires she began a long trip down south to check on the same sounds making lavender glaciers in Patagonia that Charles Darwin visited in 1834. Mermaid Beatrice has now swum north along the Atlantic Coast and is heading to Cape Cod to cavort with the visiting Right Whales. These endangered 50 foot long creatures have been feasting on the abundant plankton that she favors as well. In a couple weeks Mermaid Beatrice will be heading towards the Charles River.
EXHIBIT	Henry Klein: Fervent Greylock Arts 93 Summer Street, Adams (413)241-8692 On display through May 26, 2012 Open Saturdays 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., and by appointment FREE Click here for more info. Founded in 2007, Greylock Arts is an arts organization located in the Berkshires at the foot of Mount Greylock in the town of Adams. With an emphasis onunderrepresented forms of interactive and new media arts, Greylock Arts presentsexhibitions and talks, develops educational programs, and fosters community involvement to facilitate a deeper public appreciation for emerging arts practice.
OPPORTUNITIES
CALL FOR ARTIST	North Adams Open Studios North Adams October 13 and 14 Artists from North Adams are joining together to continue North Adams Open Studios Oct. 13 & 14, 2012. If you would like to join them and have your studio open contact Phil or Gail Sellers at (413)664-0197 or by email: gail@riverhillpottery.com.Organizational meeting will take place in June. Date and time of meeting to be announced in the next few weeks.
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS	North Adams Tourist Booth Union Street June-October, 2012 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Click here for more info. The North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events is seeking volunteers for the summer and fall of 2012. We are looking for dedicated volunteers to spend time at the North Adams Tourist Booth on Union Street, which will be open 7 days a week from June until October from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. People who enjoy interacting with the public and talking about the city are encouraged to join us. Duties include handing out brochuresand directing visitors to meals, lodging and attractions. Orientation and an informational brunch will be included, as well as private tours of local attractions and lodging. Join us for an orientation brunch at Mass MoCA at 2 p.m. on May 20. For more information and to RSVP to the brunch please contact Volunteer Coordinator Kathy Keeser at: (413)346-7196 or email: kathykeeser@gmail.com
CALL FOR ENTRIES	Want to Post an Event? MCLA's BCRC and North Adams Office of Tourism If you wish to post on this newsletter, please use the following criteria and start promoting your event! Send name of event/location/exact address/telephone number and price of event to vbosley@northadams-ma.gov. Add a picture200x200pixels/72dpi. Pictures that don't meet the requirements will be cropped and adapted to that format. Add a description of the event between 50 and 70 words long. Add a link to a website, a facebook invite, a blog or any site where more information can be easily found by the viewer. Last, please send your info in the body of the email.No pdf. All the info must be sent at least a week before the event date. Newsletter goes out on Wednesdays. Please mind we reserve the right to curate this listing.

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Armed North Adams Man Arrested Following Domestic Standoff

Staff Reports 06:38PM / Thursday, June 11, 2026

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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