Wayward Branch Causes Power Blip

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NORTH ADAMS - A branch that bounced off a power line near the National Grid substation in Adams caused a blip that reset clocks and computers in Adams, North Adams, Clarksburg, Williamstown, Clarksburg and Stamford, Vt., on Monday. Deborah Drew, spokeswoman for National Grid, said on Tuesday that a company was cutting trees in the area when a tree limb apparently hit one of the two supply lines coming out of the station at about 7:58 p.m. She declined to name the company. The power didn't shut off, but in some cases it blinked long enough to reset electrical appliances, such as computers. Those in the affected areas saw their lights flash once or twice before coming back on. Street lights in Adams and North Adams were out a little longer before the automatic systems came back on. The redundancies built into the system prevented the sustained loss of power, said Drew. "It showed that the system was working the way it should."
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

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