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Repairs being made to the portals on the sides of the Notre Dame steeple on Friday. The work is being financed through a matching state preservation grant.

Repairs Being Done on Notre Dame in North Adams

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Towering Repairs

Notre Dame steeple towers over the trees as seen from the bottom of Willow Dell.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Workers from Five Star Building Corp. of Easthampton have a commanding view of the city on Friday as they make repairs to the steeple on Notre Dame Church.

Repairs to portals on the steeple, including the prominent louvered sides, and replacement of the rear portions of two of the church's roofs are being done through a matching grant of up to $100,000 from the Massachusetts Historical Commission awarded in late 2008. Reinhart Associates of Agawam is the project engineer for the estimated $95,000 project.

The cross atop the steeple was removed two years ago along with other religious items.

The city purchased the Notre Dame complex nearly two years ago in an effort to preserve the buildings. The rectory was sold to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the school has been optioned by Arch Street Development of Needham, which is currently rehabilitating the Clark Biscuit mill for housing. The city received $25,000 from the Diocese of Springfield for roof repairs as part of the purchase agreement.

Work began nearly two weeks ago. On Friday, a crane towered above steeple, a distinctive part of the city's skyline from its eastern gateway, wth the bucket holding the workers dangling from it.


Tags: church,   renovation,   

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Berkshires Getting Frozone Weekend

Staff Reports
The groundhog saw his shadow and hunkered down for the never-ending winter as more snow and more cold hits the Berkshires this weekend. 
 
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has issued a winter weather advisory from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday for snow and gusty winds. 
 
The region could get between 3 and 6 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 35 mph, which will cause blowing and drifting of snow. This will particularly hit Northern Berkshire and western Windham County in Vermont. 
 
Plan on slippery road conditions. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.
 
Also prepare for yet another deep freeze (even freezier than it has been) on Saturday. Albany has issued an "extreme cold" warning in from 7 a.m. Saturday through Sunday at 1. 
 
The forecast has "dangerously cold" wind chills as low as 25 to 35 below. 
 
Right now, the warning is targeted for eastern New York State and the southern Adirondacks, but the NWS map shows the frigid air covering all of Western Mass and Southern Vermont and most of Connecticut. 
 
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