North County Community Rallying Round Ailing Infant

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Little Carrick Wood is battling a rare form of leukemia; the community has rallied around his family with a number of fundraisers.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Community members are drumming up support for local baby born with a rare form of leukemia.

Carrick Wood was born on July 4 to Pat and Crista Wood and rushed to Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center’s NICU, where he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after two blood transfusions and chemotherapy. Currently Carrick and his parents have relocated to the Children's Hospital in Boston.

Brandon Horn, a family friend who is spearheading some of the fundraising, said Carrick suffers from a form of leukemia that is very rarely found in newborns. He said although the blue spots on his body he was born with are mostly gone, things are still touch and go.

"The blueness in him is almost all gone; if you look him now you would think he is doing pretty well, but in fact he's not," Horn said. "Crista was telling me they were doing more blood transfusions, and he has good days and bad days."

Although Carrick's condition is unknown at this point, Horn said the community is doing everything it can to help.

Among many donations from local people and businesses, Horn on Friday said he has also heard from the Boston Red Sox.

"They actually called me yesterday; they are on board and are going to make a donation," he said. "I have a ton of local people in businesses donating too; there is definitely a lot of people backing him up."

Horn has scheduled a Bowling tournament Saturday, Aug. 16, at Greylock Bowl and Golf. Four person teams can join for $60.

"People are really coming out for Carrick; I have 150 people confirmed to come to the bowling tournament," Horn said. "There is going to be a Chinese auction, a silent auction, a bake sale, and a 50/50 raffle; I'd like to get everyone out to the bowling alley if I could."

In addition to the bowling tournament, there will be a spaghetti supper at the Bounti-Fare on Tuesday, Aug. 12, to support Carrick along with a number of other events posted to the Carrick's Journey group on Facebook. Family and friends have also started a fundraising page on YouCaring.com.

Horn said anyone looking to join the tournament or who is looking to make a donation can contact him at brandonscateringservice@gmail.com, or by phone; 413-464-4799.


Tags: benefit,   fundraiser,   

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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