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Leanne Wilensky and Todd Hamilton, owners of SereniTea Parlor, were approved for a liquor license and plan to host evening events.

SereniTea To Add Theatre And New Events With Liquor License

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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The pair took over the former Parlor Cafe on Ashland Street last year.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Now that SereniTea Parlor has an approved liquor license, they plan to host more evening events and bring back community theatre. 
 
Leanne Wilensky and Todd Hamilton took over the former Parlor on Ashland Street last year and since then have been building on their business and finding further ways to entrench it in the North Adams community.
 
"I want people to feel comfortable here," Wilensky said. "I want this to be people’s place."
 
Late last month the city approved the café’s all liquor license and although they are still waiting on state approval, Wilensky said they have been busy planning future events. 
 
"Since we have opened people have been asking and early on we tried to do some evening events and performances because we are performance people and it is important to us," she said. "They were popular but people wanted alcohol." 
 
She said every Friday night there will be trivia, every first and third Saturday of the month there will be karaoke and every second and fourth Saturday of the month will be an open mic/poetry slam.
 
She said they also plan to have a beer and board games night.
 
With this, they hope to hold theatrical performances in the actual café on a moveable stage. 
 
"We had Main Street Stage and Mill City but they are gone now," Hamilton said. "We want to try to bring that back."
 
Hamilton said Mill City Productions actually donated some of its equipment after their move from Heritage State Park and he hopes they can attract seasoned actors and those new to the craft.
 
"Acting is an always evolving art so yes it’s nice to have actors that you work with and can depend on but fresh faces are also great," he said. "Fresh faces bring new approaches and those who have never tried it before bringing new energy and I thrive on that and want to help."    
 
Hamilton said they plan to perform "No Exit" through October with a special evening event Oct.12 when people can have a full meal during the show.
 
Wilensky said they plan to sell local beers and a variety of wine and liquor. She said they will have staple bar drinks but want to be more explorative with their mixed drinks. 
 
"We want to focus on mixed drinks because I am passionate about mixing and crafting flavors," she said.    
 
Wilensky she does not expect the café environment to change too much because she sees the café and the bar as separate establishments with separate menus.
 
"I don’t expect it to change the café too much and in my mind, there is the café and there is the bar," she said. "Even though they are both us they feel like different things to me."
 
While the café will stay close to its current the menu the bar will have chicken wings, pigs in a blanket, cheese fries and other like dishes.
 
"We want people to just really enjoy the food and the drink that they are having," Wilensky said. "That is the number one goal."
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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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