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North Adams Emergency Services Holiday Fundraiser Yields Big Numbers

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Donated toys cover the Fire Department's vintage truck at Walmart last month. Fire, police and ambulance personnel collected more than 700 toys for needy children. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Emergency services received more than 700 donated toys this holiday season during their annual Emergency Services Toy Drive.
 
The North Adams Fire Department spent last Monday afternoon wrapping the hundreds of toys they received during the November toy drive outside of Walmart, where shoppers were able to purchase a toy and place it on one of the emergency service vehicles parked outside.
 
"We have doubled the amount of gifts and we have well over 700 gifts," Mary Ann King, who has spearheaded the drive with firefighter Bob Patenaude, said. "We really surpassed our goal."
 
"We are at 150, if not more, kids getting three presents each this year," Patenaude said. 
 
King, a police dispatcher, said this year instead of donating to the Toys For Tots program, emergency services worked with local agencies and organizations to find families in need to sponsor.
 
"We teamed up with [Berkshire Community Action Council] and other groups because we needed a to find those children that are in need," she said. "That was our goal to put all of this right back into the community."
 
King said the gifts will be delivered to the families via fire truck, ambulance or police cruiser.
 
Emergency personnel worked with North Adams Rotary and the Northern Berkshire Family YMCA to host a pizza party Sunday at the Y, with pizza donated by Village Pizza. 
 
"We have a big Christmas party at the YMCA for them," she said. "We are going to have a movie, there will be arts and crafts, we will hand out hats and mittens and they will open the pool for the families." 
 
King said it is important to help families in need and noted it is always a touching day when they deliver gifts to families that truly have nothing. 
 
"It’s great and you would be amazed at the number of families that register right in our own community," she said. "The families that we take on are really in need." 

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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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