North Adams Board Approves Tattoo Parlor

By John DurkaniBerkshires Staff
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The Planning Board approved an application for a sports complex at the Blackinton Mill on Monday evening.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city's first tattoo parlor will open on State Street soon.
 
The Redevelopment Authority approved Seth LaBonte's proposal to open a tattoo parlor on 145 State St. at Monday evening's meeting.
 
"I want it to be an iconic shop," LaBonte said.
 
The Williamstown resident said he will prioritize on running a clean shop. Building Inspector William Meranti said the Department of Public Health gave LaBonte the go-ahead.
 
Landlord, and also City Council president, Michael Bloom said he will work closely with LaBonte to keep the property up to standards.
 
Labonte has about 12 years of experience creating body art, with previous experience as an apprentice in Brooklyn, N.Y.
 
The Planning Board, which met immediately before the Redevelopment Authority, approved Robert Livingstone's application for a change of use at 1470 Massachusetts Ave. for a sports complex. 
 
Livingstone said the 4,500-square foot space at the Blackinton Mill will serve local athletes for training, indoor lacrosse and soccer and batting cages. He said there will be no pitching machines and he will take an educational angle to teach "the youth of the area the skills needed to excel in sports."
 
The Planning Board also approved an application from Verizon Wireless to replace four antennas with newer ones and add a third row on Mohawk Trail.
 
The update is supposed to improve 4G LTE coverage in the city.
 
Ken Cooper, representing his wife, Kristi Cooper, asked the Planning Board for a change of use to operate a rental screen printing and electronic sales business on 40 Eagle St. The shop will print shirts for the area's sport teams and businesses.
 
Mario Fradette's application to run a retail auto parts business on 922 Curran Highway was also approved. Bond Auto Parts already operates in Greenfield and Bennington, Vt., and will run out of the former Tire Warehouse.
 
Amy Kacala of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission updated the board on the North Adams Vision 2030 Planning Process.
 
Kacala said the project will consider the "givens" to the city's future, which focuses on providing adequate housing, maintaining a vibrant downtown and keeping the industrial park and airport in mind.
 
The North Adams Vision 2030 and the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition will host four pizza parties in different neighborhoods to discuss the city's plan. Each event will run between 5:30 and 8 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 9, Salvation Army, 393 River St. for Greylock Mountain, State Street, UNO/River Street, Freeman neighborhoods
  • Thursday, Oct. 10, VFW, 573 Mohawk Trail for the Beaver Street, Mohawk Trail, West Shaft Road neighborhoods
  • Tuesday, Oct. 15, Brayton Elementary School, 20 Barbour St. for Brayon, Greylock, West End and Blackinton neighborhoods.
  • Tuesday, Oct. 22, All Saints Church, 59 Summer St., Church Street, South Church Street neighborhoods.
The North Adams Planning Board meets every second Monday but this month met on the first Monday because next Monday is Columbus Day.
 
Clarification at 10:13 a.m., Oct. 8, 2013.: Elements of the article originally confused the Redevelopment Authority and the Planning Board. They are separate boards although three planners sit on the authority, which oversees areas of the city's downtown commercial district.

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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.
 
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