NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Lifeguards will be on duty this holiday weekend at Windsor Lake.
The city has contracted with Northern Berkshire Family YMCA to provide lifeguards for the public beach three days a week this summer and on the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays.
Lifeguards will be on duty from noon to 5 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays beginning on Thursday's holiday.
"It will be a guarded beach during those hours and unguarded at the other times, when it will be swim at your own risk," said Administrative Officer Michael Canales on Wednesday.
The administration had decided against using lifeguards this summer in part because of the difficulty in scheduling them and the general trend of states and municipalities making facilities "use at your own risk." State parks haven't had lifeguards in years and neither do many other local waters, including the city's own Historic Valley Campground at the lake, often known as Fish Pond. Pittsfield, however, still staffs Onota Lake's popular Burbank Park from 10 to 5 on Wednesdays through Sundays through Aug. 18.
While the Windsor Lake Recreation Commission had not lodged opposition to the move, the City Council was decidedly hostile to the idea. The information had come up at a Finance Committee meeting and the committee's chairman, Marie T. Harpin, attempted a financial maneuver during the approval of the fiscal 2020 budget to restore funds for the lifeguards.
Harpin's attempts to cut funds out of two line items for the airport to pressure the Mayor Thomas Bernard to restore the lifeguards succeeded: the mayor agreed to reconsider the idea and look at reserve funds as a possible funding source.
Canales said the local camps that use the public beach bring their own lifeguards — there are more rigorous requirements for camps in this regard. They usually swim during the early part of the week but Canales cautioned that while the camp lifeguards may be on site, the beach is still considered "unguarded" during those times.
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DiLego Jewelry to Close After Nearly 100 Years in Business
By Daniel MatziBerkshires correspondent
Sisters Pamela Costine, left, and Cynthia Lamore have been operating the store since their aunts retired in 1987. Both started working in the business as teens. Lamore's decided it's time to retire.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — DiLego Jewelery Store, the family-owned business that has been a staple of North Adams for nearly a century, will be closing this summer.
The closure was announced on the store's Facebook page late Sunday night, where it immediately drew comments of remembrance and well-wishing.
Cindy Lamore, whose great uncle Frank DiLego opened the store on Main Street in the late 1930s, said the shop will cease operations following her retirement, slated for June 30. A 20 percent off Mother's Day sale will begin immediately, with increasing discounts leading up to the closing date.
It took Lamore "a couple of years" to reach the decision to close. Witnessing the passing of lifelong friends or their struggles with debilitating illness prompted her to reconsider her priorities, especially considering the extensive time devoted to running a small business.
"You really question what you're waiting for," she reflected.
While recognizing that changing consumer habits have led to a decrease in jewelry and watch sales in recent years, Lamore stressed that her decision to close was a personal one. She and her business partner and sister, Pamela Costine, wanted "to do it on our terms," she said.
Comments on Facebook praised the store's customer service, and friends, family, and customers alike reminisced about buying jewelry for special occasions, stopping in for watch repairs, and the perennial rite of childhood for many: getting ears pierced.
The closure was announced on the store's Facebook page late Sunday night, where it immediately drew comments of remembrance and well-wishing.
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