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More than 600 pounds of food was donated.
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Mayor Alcombright poses with Secretary of Public Services Darcie Bellows, left, and Assistant to the Superintendent Ellen Sutherland.

Friendship Center Receives Annual Holiday Donations

By John DurkaniBerkshires Staff
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Volunteers at the Friendship Center tally up the donations from the city's annual holiday season food drive on Friday morning.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The latest round of the annual holiday donations — 682 pounds of food — for the Friendship Center will help serve North County in the upcoming week.
 
"We have enough in here to take care of this week," said Mark Rondeau, the founder of the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative, on Friday morning.
 
Rondeau explained that the Western Massachusetts Food Bank won't be delivering food during the holiday week, but this latest round of donations from the annual drive will suffice for serving next week.
 
The pantry, which is in its third year, serves around 130 to 205 families per week. Rondeau said the families come from varying backgrounds, including single adults, the working poor, families with children and the mentally ill.
 
"It's very helpful, we have an increasing necessity ... It's always good to get more food," Rondeau said.
 
In addition to food, this year's round of donations included more personal care items.
 
"SNAP benefits don't cover those things," Rondeau said.
 
The drive kicked off on Dec. 16 and collection boxes were set up at all the schools, City Hall, fire and police stations, the Spitzer Center and the library. The Department of Public Works picked up the food throughout Friday morning.
 
Mayor Richard Alcombright said he was really proud of the city employees and the DPW for their donations and work toward helping the community.
 
Ellen Sutherland, the assistant to the school superintendent, said even though she just finished a previous fundraising drive for the United Way, everyone still chipped in to this one.
 
"People just come through ... The city and school officials, they just give and give and give," she said.
 
Rondeau said that because of Christmas and New Year's Day falling on Wednesdays, the Friendship Center will instead be open on the following Fridays, Dec. 27 and Jan. 3. The hours will still be the same — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6.
 
The Friendship Center is run by the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative in cooperation with the Berkshire Community Action Council and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Tags: donations,   food pantry,   Friendship Center,   

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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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