image description
Volunteers joined together at MCLA's Church Street Center on Saturday morning for the Community Day of Service.

300 Volunteers Contribute to North Adams' Community Service Day

By John DurkaniBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
MCLA students work on the community garden outside the college's Smith House. See some of our pictures from Hillside Cemetery and Eagle Street here.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass — The 21st annual Community Day of Service attracted about 300 volunteers to clean up the city's streets and parks, as well as focus on other projects within the community on Saturday morning.

"This is such a great tradition, and is successful every year because of you all," said Spencer Moser, the director of of service programs and activities at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.  
 
The event kicked off around 9 a.m. with a breakfast and a ceremony at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Church Street Center before groups of students from the college and high school, youth sports, community members and others were sent out to participate in various projects, including cleaning up Hillside Cemetery and Ashland Street, and working on community gardens.
 
Moser stressed that the bond of the community and the college is one of the most important aspects of this event, which Mayor Richard Alcombright also highlighted in his opening remarks.
 
"This is a day where I'm truly just happy, this is a happy, happy day," Alcombright said. "It's just great to see us all come together, the college community coming together, our high school community come together for one common goal, and that is to do community projects, to support the community that we all live in."
 
State Rep. Gailanne Cariddi suggested for students involved now to encourage others to spread the spirit of community service here and back at their hometowns.
 
"Let them know what you did today, perhaps they'll join next year, join in their own communites doing this," Cariddi said. "And when you go back home please think of days like today and do this kind of work in your own community, it's the best kind of work you can do for your community."
 
After roughly three hours of service, volunteers were invited to attend Eagle Street Rising, a Building A Better Block project done by MCLA students involved in the Green Living Seminar course.
 
Eagle Street was closed to traffic prior to the event as volunteers created pallet benches, plant displays and set up outside seating to local restaurants, including Desporados, which prompted post-volunteer afternoon margaritas on a picture-perfect spring day.

Tags: community service,   Eagle Street,   MCLA,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town will see a three-way race for a seat on the Select Board in May. 
 
Colton Andrews, Seth Alexander and Bryana Malloy returned papers by Wednesday's deadline to run for the three-year term vacated by Jeffrey Levanos. 
 
Andrews ran unsuccessfully for School Committee and is former chairman of the North Adams Housing Authority, on which he was a union representative. He is also president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council.
 
Malloy and Alexander are both newcomers to campaigning. Malloy is manager of industrial relations for the Berkshire Workforce Board and Alexander is a resident of Gates Avenue. 
 
Alexander also returned papers for several other offices, including School Committee, moderator, library trustee and the five-year seat on the Planning Board. He took out papers for War Memorial trustee and tree warden but did not return them and withdrew a run for Board of Health. 
 
He will face off in the three-year School Committee seat against incumbent Cynthia Brule, who is running for her third term, and fellow newcomer Bonnie Cunningham for library trustee. 
 
Incumbent Ronald Boucher took out papers for a one-year term as moderator but did not return them. He was appointed by affirmation in 2021 when no won ran and accepted the post again last year as a write-in.
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories