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Horse-drawn carriage rides are a WinterFest staple.

WinterFest Set for Saturday in North Adams

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — North Adams will host its annual WinterFest on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring sledding, snow building, hot chocolate, the annual Chowder Cook-off, ice sculpting, horse-drawn wagon rides, a community camp fire and the third annual WinterFest Farm & Artisan Marketplace.

Festivities will wrap up at the North Adams Skating Rink, with free skate rentals and rink access from 2 to 4 p.m. Due to expected warmer weather and rain this week, Sunday's activities at Windsor Lake have been cancelled for this year's event.

All events are free and the schedule is as follows:

* Ice Sculpting on Main Street and Eagle Street, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.:
Watch artists along the street carve 300-pound blocks of ice into creative creatures and objects. This year's ice block sponsors are the Museum of Dog (x3), Empire Cafe, Berkshire Emporium, PopCares and Klipper Kingz.

* Fun in the Snow at Colegrove Park (weather permitting), 9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Self-guided fun in downtown's "backyard." Colegrove park offers great sledding. Bring your own sled.

* Community Conversation led by MCLA's Diversity Programs & Multicultural Education Center at the Design Lab, 49 Main St., 9-11 a.m.: In this community conversation, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," which focuses on the four steps of non-violent protest — identify, negotiate, self-purify and direct action — will be discussed.

* Farmer & Artisan Market at 66 Main St., 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Shop local at this indoor food and crafts market featuring more than 30 vendors and live music by Sandy & Sandy from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shoppers can expect to find jewelry, ceramics, knit wear, handmade toys, home decor, natural skincare and remedies, winter produce, meats, cheese, eggs, jams, relishes, syrup, bread, granola, baked treats and pastries. The market will also offer prepared crepes and grilled cheese sandwiches from Natalya's Ethnic Cuisine and Cricket Creek Farm. Bright Ideas Brewing will be offer crowlers to purchase for home consumption and pints will be available to purchase for on site consumption. Attendees wishing to purchase alcohol must be 21+ and show valid ID. Open containers cannot be taken off the premises.

* Hot cocoa, cookies, and robotics at MountainOne, 93 Main St., 10 a.m.-noon: Event sponsor MountainOne will be offering free hot cocoa and cookies in their lobby, along with robotics demonstrations from the McCann Tech Robotics Team.



* Free screening of "Cool Runnings" at the North Adams Public Library, 74 Church St., 10 a.m.-noon: Get excited for the 2018 Winter Olympics with this free, family-friendly, movie screening at the library. Free popcorn will be served.

* Children’s Winter Carnival at First Baptist Church, 131 Main St., 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: The First Baptist Church will open its Eagle Street Room for some indoor winter games and activities for the family.

* Chowder Cook-off at The Green, 87 Main St., and Community Campfire at Main and Holden streets, noon-2 p.m.: Taste delicious samplings from this year’s competitors and vote for your favorite chowder. Awards will be given for People's Choice and Judges Choice. Only one will walk away with the "Only in North Adams" award for most unique chowder. Participating restaurants are Berkshire Food Project, Boston Seafood Restaurant, Gramercy Bistro, Freight Yard Pub, Grazie, The Hub, Mingo's Bar & Grill, North Adams Commons and Ramuntos.

* Free open gym at J Star Gymnastics, 69 Union St., noon-2 p.m.: J Star Gymnastics opens its doors to the community for a free, two-hour, open gym! Families are welcome to come over and get out some energy in their spacious gym. All children must have a guardian present.

* Coloring Activity at the Makers' Mill, 73 Main St., noon-2 p.m.: Stop by the Maker's Mill for a coloring activity for kids of all ages.

* Horse-drawn wagon rides, 1-3 p.m.: The line for free horse-drawn wagon rides begins in front of MountainOne Bank.

* Ice skating and free skate rentals at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink, 2-4 p.m.: The city welcomes all to finish off the festivities at the ice skating rink for two hours of free skate rentals and skating.


Tags: downtown,   North Adams,   winter event,   winterfest,   

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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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