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Motorama Roars Into North Adams For Fourth Year

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Motorama's runs this Sunday; see pictures of last year's event here.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Motorama roars back into the downtown this Sunday from 9 to 3.

This is the fourth year of the car show and its expected to be bigger and better than ever.

"This show has really grown beyond our expectations," said Joseph Dean of Dean's Quality Auto, one of the organizers and a founder of the event. "We love hosting this here in North Adams and the event draws people from all over New England to the city."

While free and open to the public, those wishing to enter their classic, pimped out or hot-rodded vehicles into show can do so for $10. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 11. Motorcycles, snowmobiles, tractors and more will also be exhibited.

The first 150 registrants will receive a "goody bag" with coupons, information and freebies from local businesses and sponsors.

Main, Holden and Eagle streets will be closed to traffic, along with a large section of the plaza parking lot and possibly a section Ashland Street, depending on the number of entrants.  

MotorHead Media, a division of Internet Brands, which owns and operates a group of online marketplaces serving motorsports enthusiasts, will have a funny car on display along with booths in front of BoxCarMedia, with which it shares offices.

One of its affiliates, OldRide.com, is sponsoring this year's winners jackets.


New this year is a car corral and live auction sponsored by Caridd Auto beginning at 10:30 in the plaza parking lot. One of the featured vehicles, a Pontiac Firebird, will be auctioned off by Cariddi to benefit the Northern Berkshire Youth Hockey League.

Separate events, such as a ride sponsored by Lick's Motorcycles from 10 to 11 and concession by the North Adams ROPES Camp, also will benefit various organizations and charities; the show donates a portion of its proceeds as well.

There will also be a chinese auction, 50/50 raffles, food vendors and more. Loose Change will be playing later in the morning and into the afternoon.

Some 250 vehicles were registered for last year's events and more are expected this time around, based on the amount of interested inquiries, said Debra Dean, of Dean's Autos, with advance registrations from as far as Saratoga, N.Y., and Boston.

The event is run through the city's Office of Tourism & Community Events with a small event committee. Other event organizers include Jeff Sylvester of McAndrews-King and Daryl Roy from Berkshire Valley Auto Works (NAPA) as well as a group of hardworking volunteers. The Berkshire County Night CruZers car club will lend a hand during the event by handling registration and the 50/50 raffles and announcements happening throughout the day.

A parking ban will be in effect in the following locations beginning at midnight the night before the event: Main Street and North Church Street, Center Street lot (from light poles in the middle of the lot to Route 2) and in the Steeple City Plaza parking lot (the row closest to TD Bank and All Saint's Church). Churchgoers will be allowed access to drop off parishioners for First Congregational Church and the First Baptist Church the day of the event.

Motorama is presented by local radio stations WNAW 1230-AM and WUPE 100.1-FM. Other major sponsors include Motorhead Media, Southside Sales & Service, Greylock Federal Credit Union and Berkshire Valley Auto Works (NAPA). Motorama extends a special thank you to all of the local businesses and organizations that have generously supported this event.

In the case of extreme inclement weather the rain date is Aug. 30.

 

 

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North Adams Hopes to Transform Y Into Community Recreation Center

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Mayor Jennifer Macksey updates members of the former YMCA on the status of the roof project and plans for reopening. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has plans to keep the former YMCA as a community center.
 
"The city of North Adams is very committed to having a recreation center not only for our youth but our young at heart," Mayor Jennifer Macksey said to the applause of some 50 or more YMCA members on Wednesday. "So we are really working hard and making sure we can have all those touch points."
 
The fate of the facility attached to Brayton School has been in limbo since the closure of the pool last year because of structural issues and the departure of the Berkshire Family YMCA in March.
 
The mayor said the city will run some programming over the summer until an operator can be found to take over the facility. It will also need a new name. 
 
"The YMCA, as you know, has departed from our facilities and will not return to our facility in the form that we had," she said to the crowd in Council Chambers. "And that's been mostly a decision on their part. The city of North Adams wanted to really keep our relationship with the Y, certainly, but they wanted to be a Y without borders, and we're going a different direction."
 
The pool was closed in March 2023 after the roof failed a structural inspection. Kyle Lamb, owner of Geary Builders, the contractor on the roof project, said the condition of the laminated beams was far worse than expected. 
 
"When we first went into the Y to do an inspection, we certainly found a lot more than we anticipated. The beams were actually rotted themselves on the bottom where they have to sit on the walls structurally," he said. "The beams actually, from the weight of snow and other things, actually crushed themselves eight to 11 inches. They were actually falling apart. ...
 
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