The Planning Board's Monday meeting was briefer than usual, with only two items on the agenda.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — An established livery company is moving into the former Coury's automobile salvage business on Curran Highway and bringing 35 jobs with it.
Coury's closed last fall after nearly 50 years of selling used car parts and automobile services. JP Parent Co. LLC plans to use 858 and 874 Curran Highway as its headquarters for storage and servicing its fleet.
Attorney James Sisto, representing JP Parent, said the company had outgrown its location in Adams and is now leasing the Curran Highway property.
"They plan to move their entire business in, which includes about 30 vehicles and 35 employees to the North Adams location, which I think is a big boon for North Adams," he said.
There are no proposals to change the structures or extend the buildings, or for signage, Sisto said. "It's not going to be open to the public, it's mainly going to be to operate their business. This is where they're going to have their headquarters for all their vehicles."
Planner Kyle Hanlon complimented the applicant on being thorough in filling out the application. "It answered all my questions before the meeting tonight," he said.
The livery, also doing business as E-Pod Transportation, was approved for a special permit with conditions including keeping any car parts, such as tires, under cover.
An application by Woodstock South, a clothing store, to operate in the Norad Mill at 60 Roberts Drive was allowed to withdraw without prejudice at the request of the applicants, in hopes of coming back before the board in the spring.
In other business, Chairman Michael Leary appointed Hanlon and Planner Lynette Bond to the nominating committee for officers for the coming year.
The Redevelopment Authority, meeting immediately prior to the Planning Board and consisting of Chairman Paul Hopkins and members Hanlon, Leary and David Bond, approved an application by Nina Kilroe to open a botanical shop in the Oasis Shopping Center located at 150 American Legion Drive.
Kilroe said she would be selling natural, plant-based herbs and supplements.
"I know you can buy them at the drugstore, a lot of herbs and things, but there's nobody to teach you how to use them properly or safely, and that's something I can do," she said. "Every herb or tea will have information for people to take home and read or give to their primary-care physician so they can make informed decisions about the things they digest."
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Veteran Spotlight: Coast Guard Capt. Thurman 'Tom' Maine
By Wayne SoaresSpecial to iBerkshires
MASHPEE, Mass. — If I were to describe the best attributes of this week's veteran, they would be an infectious personality, role model, leader, wonderful family man and a person that leads by example in the very best way.
The aforementioned, are the primary reasons why Thurman "Tom" Maine enjoyed a successful and distinguished military career in the Coast Guard from 1983 to 2014.
Born in North Stonington, Conn., Maine entered the Coast Guard at the age of 21 and was sent to boot camp in Cape May, N.J. His first assignment was at Coast Guard Station in Provincetown, R.I. From 1994 to 1997, he was a helicopter pilot for Coast Guard Air Station at Otis Air National Guard Base and was elevated to operations officer, chief pilot at the base from 2004 to 2007.
During his 31-year career, Maine flew some of the Coast Guard's most elite helicopters; the Sikorsky H-3 (the Coast Guard's last amphibious aircraft), the Sikorsky H-60 (the most widely flown military helicopter in the world) and the H-65 (a smaller, faster helicopter that deploys on ships).
Maine continued to rapidly climb the ranks and in 2009 was promoted as the Coast Guard's liason to the Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, a position he held until 2011. Following that assignment, he was promoted to captain and rose to be the commanding officer at the Coast Guard's prestigious Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Ala.
During his tenure as commanding officer, he suffered a devastating blow when four Guardsman were killed during a night training exercise. He conveyed that his greatest achievement in his entire military career, was the leadership he provided
to his 600-member unit and the families of the fallen Guardsmen, by always being accessible, communicating constantly and holding vitally important family nights.
He said this tragedy, "gave him the ultimate opportunity to live out his faith." He also lobbied intensely for the student pilot who was killed to be awarded his designation posthumously, which he did.
If I were to describe the best attributes of this week's veteran, they would be an infectious personality, role model, leader, wonderful family man and a person that leads by example in the very best way. click for more
Northern Berkshire United Way entered the 1990s with big goals — and met almost all of them. It ended the decade with the largest campaign in its history.
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