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The city was presented the Berkshire Trendsetter award for marketing.

Alcombright Hopes to Share Trendsetter Award With Community

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City Hall is looking to share the love when it comes to the city's recent Berkshire Trendsetters award.

Mayor Richard Alcombright said last week that he and Suzy Helme, the city's event coordinator, are considering ways that local businesses and organizations might host the award.

North Adams was presented this year's "Comprehensive Marketing Campaign" award on Sept. 15, beating out The Berkshire Eagle, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Miss Hall's School and SoCo Creamery.

"There were four others that were really good, good organizations, but to  get the award in front of such a community of business leaders at Tanglewood, that was very, very gratifying, very humbling," said Mayor Richard Alcombright. "It was great exposure for the city and the region."

The awards are presented by 1Berkshires to recognize outstanding local efforts within the county. Finalists are chosen from an open nomination process and winners were named at annual Celebrate the Berkshires event, held this year in Lenox.

The city's new branding campaign kicked off this past spring with the installation of welcome signs at the city's three main entrances paid for by private contributions through the Partnership for North Adams. The new blue and green logo was based on input from the community last year and will be eventually be rolled out throughout the city on signage and other materials.



"This was timely, we're doing so many good things here," the mayor said. "Kudos to our good friends at the Partnership and [North Adams Chamber of Commerce] who helped us with that."

As for sharing the plaque featuring Mount Greylock, Alcombright said one possibility is a "Flat Stanley" approach. The popular children's book character (interpreted in multiple ways) travels around the world getting its picture taken. In this case, the award might travel around North Adams to be prominently hosted.

"Maybe something that excels in the city ... and we give it to them for a week," he said. "Or maybe we'll try to recognize somebody."

For now, the award is sitting on the mayor's desk.

"It really is more a statement of what's going on here locally over the past few years," he said.


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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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