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North Adams Skate Park Moving Forward

The park at the corner of Houghton and River streets in North Adams is one possible location for a skate park that is now in the planning stages.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Five years ago, a group of teenagers participating in the UNITY youth leadership program at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition had an idea: They wanted to get a skate park built in the city.

This fall, that idea is finally taking shape.

A Community Development Block Grant has allowed the city's Office of Community Development, in conjunction with the NBCC, to commission a Los Angeles-based company to study and design a new skate/BMX park that eventually will be built in one of three locations.

"More than a place to skate, what was important to them was that the community mark a space that was explicitly dedicated to adolescents," said Kate Merrigan, who until recently led the UNITY teenage program and who is also a North Adams city councilor.

Adam Tobin, who is the current program associate with UNITY, is spearheading NBCC's role in the project. Tobin is working with Mackenzie Greer, a city planner with the city's Office of Community Development, through this first phase of the project, which involves working with Spohn Ranch Skateparks to determine — with community input — the design and location of the new skate park.

Tobin said three locations are under consideration: a piece of Noel Field on State Street, Houghton Street Park next to The Porches inn, and the Holden Street parking lot behind the Big Y plaza. A 2013 feasibility study used criteria such as location amenities and safety considerations when narrowing down the locations to the three finalists.

"Each one of them has its perks and its pitfalls," Tobin said.

The community will get to hear about those pros and cons at a public discussion set for 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, on the third floor of the North Adams Public Library. Tobin said representatives from Spohn will facilitate the meeting, pass out surveys, and introduce themselves and the timeline for the project.

"We'll keep having these meetings regularly," Tobin said.

Greer said Spohn will spend the fall listening to public input and finalizing designs for all three locations, and by the end of this year a decision will be made on what project the city will go forward with. The current block grant only pays for the study, she said, so a new grant will need to be acquired for the actual construction, which will not come out of the city's coffers.

The actual opening date of a brand-new North Adams skate park will depend on the design and grant availability, but everyone involved is very excited that the project is finally moving forward, even though five years seems like a long time — especially to the young dreamers who inspired the idea.

"I let them know that a project of this size would take years to realize, and that they would be in college when in came about, but they believed it was important enough that they should move forward," Merrigan said. "It's so gratifying to see the city prioritize a project that young people value — and that values young people."

DiLego Jewelry to Close After Nearly 100 Years in Business

By Daniel MatziBerkshires correspondent
05:28AM / Tuesday, May 07, 2024

Sisters Pamela Costine, left, and Cynthia Lamore have been operating the store since their aunts retired in 1987. Both started working in the business as teens.  Lamore's decided it's time to retire. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — DiLego Jewelery Store, the family-owned business that has been a staple of North Adams for nearly a century, will be closing this summer. 

 

The closure was announced on the store's Facebook page late Sunday night, where it immediately drew comments of remembrance and well-wishing.

 

Cindy Lamore, whose great uncle Frank DiLego opened the store on Main Street in the late 1930s, said the shop will cease operations following her retirement, slated for June 30. A 20 percent off Mother's Day sale will begin immediately, with increasing discounts leading up to the closing date.

 

It took Lamore "a couple of years" to reach the decision to close. Witnessing the passing of lifelong friends or their struggles with debilitating illness prompted her to reconsider her priorities, especially considering the extensive time devoted to running a small business. 

 

"You really question what you're waiting for," she reflected.

 

While recognizing that changing consumer habits have led to a decrease in jewelry and watch sales in recent years, Lamore stressed that her decision to close was a personal one. She and her business partner and sister, Pamela Costine, wanted "to do it on our terms," she said.

 

Comments on Facebook praised the store's customer service, and friends, family, and customers alike reminisced about buying jewelry for special occasions, stopping in for watch repairs, and the perennial rite of childhood for many: getting ears pierced.