Ta Bellas in North Adams Under New Management

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Anthony Donovan II has taken over the management of Ta Bellas on Main Street in North Adams along with Tim Lanfair.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Italian restaurant Ta Bellas is under new management.

Anthony Donovan II and Tim Lanfair will manage the Main Street Italian restaurant, which has seen several incarnations over the years, most recently as Mediterra.

Owner Fahri Karakaya reopened the location as an Italian restaurant in April but after conflicts with his chef, he decided to close.

Lanfair said they were looking for a location and found Ta Bellas last minute.

"It was an 11th hour thing," Lanfair said. "Fahri was in need of some help, and it came down to us, and this is a no-brainer. We both have long backgrounds in business and the location is outstanding."

Donovan said Karakaya agreed to lease them the space and let them run the restaurant. He said most things will remain the same.

"We call all of the shots, and he stays home and collects his money," Donovan said. "We are keeping the name and the theme, but we are making it much more organized."

Donovan has managed three different restaurants: the Cobble View in Cheshire, Village Pizza in North Adams and the Adams Ale House.

Donovan explained that he felt it was important for North Adams to have an Italian restaurant.

"We looked at Red Sauce, and we thought this town needs Italian, that's it," Donovan said of the now closed eatery on Ashland Street. "I am Italian, I love Italian food and to eat anywhere good I have to drive 30 or 40 miles."

Donovan said he planned to have a soft opening this past weekend after they finish their construction. They look to have a grander opening next week.

Donovan said that he wishes to work with the other restaurants in the area.

"We should all work together, and if you want good burger I have no problem making a recommendation," he said. "We serve stuff that they don’t have, and it is a family neighborhood."

Donovan said he and his partner will be the chefs and they are ready for the summer season.

"We are going to kill in the kitchen and take it from there," he said. "We are going to hit the beginning of the season with good beer and good food."


Tags: downtown,   Italian,   Main Street,   reopening,   restaurants,   

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Clarksburg FinCom, Select Board Agree on $1.9M Town Operating Budget

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town is looking at an operating budget of $1,859,413 for fiscal 2025, down a percent from this year largely because of debt falling off.
 
Town officials are projecting a total budget at about $5.1 million, however, the School Committee is not expected to approve a school budget for two more weeks so no final number has been determined.
 
Town officials said they've asked the school budget to come in at a 2 percent increase. Finance Committee member Carla Fosser asked what would happen if it was more than that. 
 
"Then we would need to make cuts," said Town Administrator Carl McKinney, adding, "I'm a product of that school. But at the same time, we have a town to run to and, you know, we're facing uncertain weather events. And our culverts are old, the roads are falling apart. ... ." 
 
The assessment to McCann Technical School is $363,220, down about $20,000 from this year.
 
The major increases on the town side are step and cost-of-living raises for employees (with the exception of the town clerk at her request), the addition of a highway laborer, an increase in hours from 16 to 24 for the town accountant, and insurance and benefits that are about $70,000. There is a slight increase for employee training and supplies such as postage.
 
Select Board Chair Robert Norcross at Wednesday's joint meeting with the Finance Committee, said the town's employees are hard-working and that wages aren't keeping up with inflaction.
 
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