The Licensing Board on Monday slammed Chameleon's Nightclub with a 21-day suspension.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Licensing Board on Monday ordered Chameleon's Nightclub closed for at least three weeks, amid revelations following a multiple shooting on its premises earlier this month.
Proprietor Melissa Sweener called the board's measures "a bit extreme," but was castigated by a visibly enraged acting Chairman Robert Quattrochi.
"You're not a fit person to run that bar as far as I'm concerned," Quattrochi told Sweener at a show-cause hearing on Monday that detailed infractions discovered in the wake of an April 5 incident in which two persons were injured in a shooting in the parking lot shortly around its 2 a.m. closing time.
Police officers outlined a list of complaints they had with the bar's security in the process of investigating the still unsolved shooting incident; these included alleged underage drinking, inadequate ID verification, patrons leaving the club with alcohol, and insufficient surveillance camera coverage. Instances of employees drinking or using marijuana in the bar while at work were also alleged in the department's report.
Lt. Michael Grady depicted the establishment as being frequented extensively by known gang members and drug dealers.
"This is the kind of clientele coming in and out of this bar," Grady told the board.
Board members expressed stern dissatisfaction with "inadequate answers" to many of their questions, particularly inquiries as to why no staff seemed to be aware of the shooting until police showed up to investigate based on reports from patrons.
"You don't seem to have a handle on much of anything," said Quattrochi.
According to the police report, a doorman outside believed the sound he heard on the other side of the parking lot to be someone setting off fireworks, at which time he "ducked inside" the building.
"If he thought it was fireworks, why did he duck inside the bar?" asked board member Richard Stockwell. "My assumption is that he knew it was gunfire and he did nothing about it."
Sweener said she had managed the East Street establishment for three years with only one previous occasion before the board for disciplinary action.
A suspension of this length would be a massive, perhaps even fatal blow to the enterprise, she said.
Chameleon's, which opened in early 2011, already faced financial woes prior to the shooting incident. Served with an eviction notice in March by the property's landlord, the club also lost its liability insurance for a time, though Sweener said these issues have been resolved.
Stockwell suggested a 21-day suspension after which the licensee will return to the board at its May 19 meeting to present its efforts to address these issues and discuss possible changes to the hours of operation.
"This is basically the last shot for you," said board member Thomas Campoli. "Something's got to change, and it's got to happen now."
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Pittsfield 2025 Year in Review
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city continued to grapple with homelessness in 2025 while seeing a glimmer of hope in upcoming supportive housing projects.
Founders James Shulman and his wife, Jackie, offered it to the city through a conveyance and donation of property, which was met with some hesitation before it was withdrawn.
Now, a group of more than 50 volunteers learned everything from running the ride to detailing the horses, and it is run by nonprofit Berkshire Carousel Inc., with the Shulmans supporting operating costs.
Median and Camping Petitions
Conversations about homelessness resumed in Council Chambers when Mayor Peter Marchetti proposed a median standing and public camping ban to curb negative behaviors in the downtown area. Neither of the ordinances reached the finish line, and community members swarmed the public comment podium to urge the city to lead with compassion and housing-first solutions.
"If you look at this as a public safety issue, which I will grant that this is entirely put forward as a public safety issue, there are other issues that might rate higher that need our attention more with limited resources," said former Ward 7 councilor Rhonda Serre.
Protesters and public commenters said the ordinance may be framed as a public safety ordinance, but actually targets poor and vulnerable community members, and that criminalizing activities such as panhandling and protesting infringes on First Amendment rights and freedom of speech.
Some housing solutions came online in 2025 amidst the discourse about housing insecurity in Pittsfield.
The city celebrated nearly 40 new supportive units earlier in December. This includes nine units at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
These units are permanent supportive housing, a model that combines affordable housing with voluntary social services.
Pittsfield supported the effort with $750,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds and some Community Development Block Grant funds. Hearthway, formerly Berkshire Housing Development Corp., is managing the apartments and currently accepting applications.
After the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee completed its work with a formal recommendation in 2024, news about the park was quiet while the city planned its next move.
The ice rink was originally proposed for Clapp Park, but when the project was put out to bid, the system came back $75,000 higher than the cost estimate, and the cost estimates for temporary utilities were over budget. The city received a total of $200,000 in donations from five local organizations for the effort.
Last year, there was $18 million committed between grant funding and capital borrowing.
The Parks Commission recently accepted a negotiating rights agreement between the city and longtime summer collegiate baseball team, the Pittsfield Suns, that solidifies that the two will work together when the historic ballpark is renovated.
It remains in effect until the end of 2027, or when a license or lease agreement is signed. Terms will be automatically extended to the end of 2028 if it appears the facility won't be complete by then.
William Stanley Business Park
Site 9, the William Stanley Business Park parcel, formerly described to have looked like the face of the moon, was finished in early 2025, and the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority continues to prepare for new tenants.
Mill Town Capital is planning to develop a mixed-use building on the 16.5-acre site, and housing across Woodlawn Avenue on an empty parcel. About 25,000 cubic yards of concrete slabs, foundations, and pavements had to be removed and greened over.
There is also movement at the Berkshire Innovation Center as it begins a 7,000-square-foot expansion to add an Advanced Manufacturing for Advanced Optics Tech Hub and bring a new company, Myrias, to Pittsfield.
Voters chose new City Council members and a largely new School Committee during the municipal election in November. The council will be largely the same, as only two councilors will be new.
Earl Persip III, Peter White, Alisa Costa, and Kathleen Amuso held their seats as councilors at large. There were no races for wards 1, 3, and 4. Patrick Kavey was re-elected to Ward 5 after winning the race against Michael Grady, and Lampiasi was re-elected to Ward 6 after winning the race against Walter Powell.
Nine candidates ran to fill the six-seat committee. Ciara Batory, Sarah Muil, Daniel Elias, Katherine Yon, Heather McNeice, and Carolyn Barry were elected for two-year terms.
Katherine Nagy Moody secured representation of Ward 7 over Anthony Maffuccio, and Cameron Cunningham won the Ward 2 seat over Corey Walker. Both are new to the council.
In October, Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre stepped down to work for the Pittsfield Public Schools.
In 2025, the city remained challenged by the homelessness crisis, though the development of new supportive housing offered a promising outlook. click for more
The ribbon was cut on Thursday Dec. 19, on nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at The First, located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. click for more
Disrepaired houses at 154 Francis Ave. and 224 Fourth St. will be demolished as part of the city's yearly efforts to address condemned properties. click for more
Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Northumberland Road.
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The Licensing Board on Monday slammed Chameleon's Nightclub with a 21-day suspension.
