From the Stacks

12:00AM / Friday, March 08, 2002Print Story | Email Story

Friends Donate $10,000 to Building Renovation/Expansion Fund by Margaret Lanoue The Friends of the North Adams Public Library worked very hard during the last three years to fulfill a $10,000 pledge they had made to the Library Building Fund. After a successful Book Sale in June 2001, we realized that goal and presented a check to Mayor John Barrett, who accepted on behalf of the City with appreciation for our many years of service. When the Building Fund Committee needed volun-teers to compile thousands of packets of information about the building project to mail out to possible donors, the Friends stepped forward to do their part in accomplishing this very important task for the campaign. Early in the year, several members attended a Legis-lative Breakfast to hear the status of the state's funding for libraries and the progress of our own Building Grant application. Throughout the past year, we have subsidized the cost of this newsletter, prepared it for mailing, provided refreshments for the North Adams Garden Club fundraising tea, donated the cost of materials for the quilt raffle, con-ducted a city-wide membership drive, decorated the library for the holidays, provided financial help for several programs at the library, and ended our year with the Tai Chi presentation at our Annual Meeting. Get Involved in "Library Pursuit" by Richard Markham Want to support the capital campaign, engage in some friendly competition, show off your knowledge, and have a blast . . . all at the same time? Then sign up for "Library Pursuit: a Non-Trivial Competition." This community-wide event -- to be held at MASS MoCA on Sunday, May 5 at 4:00 p.m. -- will test your knowledge of arts/literature, geo-graphy, history, entertainment, math/science, and sports. Questions of local interest will be included within each category. With Representative Dan Bosley as the evening's Master of Ceremonies, Library Pursuit is guaranteed good fun! Other prominent members of the community will serve as Question-Masters and Judges. An added attraction is a 50-50 raffle with the winning ticket getting 50% of pot. Teams from all over are invited to participate. Trivia buffs, neighbors, friends, and co-workers are all invited to form 3-person teams and register to compete. Area busines-ses, local organizations, news media, city officials, schools, etc. are encouraged to create and sponsor rival teams.Only 32 teams may enter. Those interested need to organize, raise the $250 entry fee, and register early. The winning team will receive bragging rights, be recognized in local papers, and have their names recorded on a plaque in the library. Admission to the event will be free, although donations will be accepted. Raffle tickets will be offered before and during the event. So get involved and have a great time. Get your registration form at the library and form a team. Remember: It's first come, first served, so get started right now. Renew your library books from home If you need to keep library items past their due date, you now can renew items online from home. First go to the NAPL webpage . Click "Renewals." Enter your name, library card number and PIN (if you don't have one, you can create one), and follow the instructions from there. Items may be renewed one time only, and you must: * have a current library card *owe no more than $10 in fines * not owe for any billed materials. Also, the item you wish to renew must not be on hold for another person. Do note that you are responsible for remembering your PIN. Library staff is unable to look it up for you. If you lose your PIN, staff can clear your old PIN so that you can create a new one - ask at the desk. To Comply with Network Standards by Kim DiLego Beginning with the New Year, the fines system and circulation period of several categories of materials changed at the North Adams Public Library. Most notable among the changes is an increase in fines for printed materials, CDs and books on tape. Fines for these items increased from 5 cents per day per item to 10 cents per day per item, with a maximum fine of $3.00 for any individual item. Video and DVD fines remain at $1.00 per day per item; however, the maximum fine was decreased from $10 to $5 per item. Although holds still are not allowed on videos and DVDs, they now may be checked out for one week with a one-week renewal if needed. The recent changes were implemented to comply with the Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing (C/WMARS) Standard Loan and Fine guidelines. C/WMARS anticipates that all network members will adhere to the new fine and circulation policies, which will lead to less confusion among those who use more than one network library. Finalization Floor plans to be displayed this Spring! by Hulda Jowett, Trustee Chair The Library Building Committee has made significant progress in the past few months. Working with the architects, Best Joslin of Simsbury, CT, the committee has completed and approved the schematic design for the renovation and addition to the existing Houghton Memorial Building. In January Mayor John Barrett III signed a contract for the next stage, which is design development. Since then there have been a number of refinements to the plan. Library staff worked with the architects to create spaces that better meet their needs and those of the community. While the basic design remains the same, with the main entrance on the south side of the new addition, the circulation desk has a more central location on the first floor, and the reference desk on the second floor has been moved to allow adequate space for Special Collections storage. Recently the Library received a grant from the Massachusetts Historic Commission that will allow for reno-vation of the current library building's exterior. This project will go out for bid this spring, with work expected to begin this summer. Friends Donateâ€¦ We would be remiss if we did not mention the loss of two very dedicated members of our community: Rita Quinton, a member of our Board, and Anthony Talarico, one of our Trustees. Rita was a very special friend to our group. She was always willing to step forward to help with any project. Tony, with his ready wit and special smile, brought pleasure to those with whom he came in contact. They will be sorely missed. Won't you join us by becoming a member of the Friends - active or inactive? Much has been accomplished but there is still work to be done. Together, we will succeed! Literacy Program Seeks Tutors by Dee Dee Hynes According to the 2000 Census, approximately 2,700 adults over the age of 25 in northern Berkshire County do not have an education above the 9th grade level. Northern Berkshire Reads! A Volunteer Literacy Tutor Program, working in collaboration with the Northern Berkshire Adult Basic Education Program at MCLA and the public libraries of North Adams, Adams and Williamstown, provides volunteer tutors for people age 16 and up who do not have a high school diploma and are no longer enrolled in school. Individual tutoring is designed to augment instruction received in MCLA's adult basic education program or at The Parent's Place in North Adams. People interested in volunteering as tutors are invited to attend a series of workshops in basic literacy, GED preparation, computer technology and English as a second language. The 12-hour training will help volunteers under-stand different adult learning styles, computers and the adult learner, teaching those with learning disabilities, and strategies for teaching reading and writing. Tutors will work one-on-one at the participating public libraries or serve as teaching assistants in adult basic education classes. Volunteers are asked to commit between one and three hours per week. If you are interested, please call Northern Berkshire Reads! at 664-0078. Tarot Tuesdays are a Hit! Tarot Tuesdays are very popular with adults at the library. Since October, Maryanne Santelli has been volunteering her time to give Tarot readings on selected Tuesdays each month. Comments from participants have been very positive, and each available appointment has been filled every month! The $10 donation for each reading goes into the Library Building Fund. Maryanne hopes to raise at least $1,000 for the Library Building Fund this way. Upcoming Events: First annual game of "Library Pursuit" Place: Mass Moca Time: Sunday, May 5 At 4 P.m. In three elimination rounds, 32 teams from local businesses, agencies and neighborhoods will compete to become known as "The Brainiest!" in a game similar to Trivial Pursuit. Come out to cheer your favorite team and support the North Adams Public Library's Building Fund! N.A. Historical Commission Auction, Auction & Auction Place: Yet To Be Determined Time: Watch For Our Announcement Of A Date This Fall! After innumerable hours of research and evaluation by nearly a dozen professionals and highly-experienced experts, the North Adams Historical Commission will hold an auction to divest itself of artifacts, books and other old items from the library's third floor that do not pertain to North Adams or Northern Berkshire history. The Commission has given dozens of other items from the Third Floor Collections to the Library for storage, preservation, and research. Funds raised through the auction will go toward the expensive tasks of preserving and creating access to the remaining collections. Library Building Fund Books: Disappearing Into North Adams - Joe Manning Steeples - Joe Manning Narrative of the Capture and Burning of Ft Massachusettsâ€¦- The Rev. Mr. John Norton (reprint) Why We Curse - Tim Jay Boys of Bob's Hill - Charles Pierce Burton (reprint) The Bob's Cave Boys - Charles Pierce Burton (reprint) Bob's Hill Braves - Charles Pierce Burton (reprint) Boy Scouts of Bob's Hill - Charles Pierce Burton (reprint) Set of all 4 C. P. Burton Titles Chinese American Portraits - Wooden Fish Songs - Ruthanne Lum McCunn Map Bird's Eye View of North Adams, 1875 (reprint) Puzzles These puzzles contain 80 pieces each, and when completed the picture is approximately 8"x10". Cost is $5 each. "Peace On Earth" Houghton Memorial Building Main Street c.1900 Set of all 3 puzzles available at a discount. Post Cards & Note Cards "Peace on Earth" by Herman Haskins Welcome to North Adams mural by CommUNITY Arts Note Cards "Peace on Earth" by Herman Haskins Houghton Memorial Building/North Adams Public Library Artworks "Generation of Hope" by Cheryl Murphy "North Adams Public Library" lithograph by Donna Sapienza "Welcome to North Adams mural" by CommUNITY Arts Miscellaneous NAPL Centennial Mugs NAPL Bookmarks NAPL Canvas Tote Bags Wanted: Local High School Yearbooks! Cleaning out your attic? Rummaging through a box in the back of the closet? If you find a Drury, McCann or St. Joe's yearbook, consider donating it to the library! Researchers can use them. Please help us re-establish our collection. Meeting our campaign goal will depend heavily on grants and individual gifts. However, from the beginning, the Capital Campaign Committee believed it important to build awareness and involvement through a variety of fund-raising efforts. The campaign had a spectacular kick-off in June of 2001 raising $8,911 with three performances of the Lippizanner Stallions. Other events included the Read-a-thon with the public schools, the Appraisal Day and the Christmas Tea sponsored by the North Adams Garden Club. Paul Marino's library tours and Maryann Santelli's Tarot Card readings have added substantially to our coffers. These amounts add up, but their real value is that they have helped keep the community aware of the capital campaign and have been enjoyed by all who participated. Promotional brochures explaining the library's building project were mailed out to city residents, some Drury High School alumni, and library patrons from neighboring towns in the fall of 2001. As of February 1, 2002, 442 individuals, organizations or businesses have contributed or pledged over a three-year period $445,691 to the library's capital campaign. We are thankful to the following individuals, businesses and organizations that have taken the lead and contributed or pledged already to the campaign. Houghton Philanthropist Over $50,000 Hoosac Bank Richard Rowles Houghton Benefactor $10,000-$24,999 Adams Co-operative Bank Irving & Esther Bashevkin Berkshire Bank Henry & Mary Flynt Friends of the NAPL Larry & Hulda Jowett Michael & Agnese Meehan James & Mary Maxymillan Helen Schmidt Hardman Joan Vincent Patron $5,000-$9,999 Coakley, Pierpan, Dolan & Collins Manny & Shirley Ficklestein Colonel & Mrs. Lawrence A. Laliberte Joe Manning Ethel Wikander (in honor of Elisabeth Hardman Furst) Builder $1,000-$4,999 Jean Arons (in memory of Arnold B. Arons) Alma Beneditti Ashley Swift & Sons Theresa Bellini Donations in memory of Thomas Beall Angelo Berasi (in memory of Patricia L. Berasi) Evelyn Bird - (In memory of John Delano Netherwood) William Boland Mary Boulger (in memory of Richard F. Boulger, Sr.) Ruth B. Browne Joseph Campedelli Family Gailanne Cariddi Justyna (Steuer), Marissa & Gene Carlson Robert & Sharyn Collins In Memory of Andrew Campoli (Drury 1943) Daniel & Sally Connerton Fort Massachusetts Chapter of the DAR Angela Crowley Jean Danz (in memory of Hazel Maxymillian) Paul & Kim Dilego Gerald & Mary Jane Desmarais Cheri Dragotta Flynn & Dagnoli Drury Class of 1946 First Massachusetts Bank John & Dana Frazee Edward & Ginny Gleason (in honor of Art & Isabel Jensen) Greylock Federal Credit Union Lawrence & Marcia Gross Art & Isabel Jensen Marie Lamarre Holly Taylor & Dick Lamb Landmark Credit Union Marsha Landry Legacy Group Horace, Eva and Peggy Lapine Richard & Donella Markham Robin Martin (in honor of the Cote family) James Melcher (Drury 1957) North Adams Garden Club Gerald O'Neil (in memory of Peter Goodrich) Nancy Philie (Drury 1954) Raymond Ranzoni Ralph & Helen Renzi Camille Sarrouf (Drury 1950) Susan Spooner Therese J. Taft William, Janet & Billie Taft Tansman & Maselli Joseph & Marilyn Truskowski West Oil Co. (in memory of Edward J. West & Francis A. Peters) Whittum Family Mary Zocchi (in honor of Alma Beneditti) Sponsor $500-$999 Brian Allen Mayor John Barrett III Mary Boisvert Archer DesCognets Massachusetts State Eagles Eagles ARIE Lodge #310 Elinor & Stephen Long Donations in Memory of Frank McKay Stephen Green & Sue Walker Storey Communications Friend $100-$499 Thomas & Susan Aceto Dick Alcombright Morris Alpert Ross Baldessarini (Drury 1955) Barbara Beall Anti Ms. Adele Ashkar Robert & Rita Baker (in memory of the Manuco Family) Leon K. Berry, Jr. James & Jane Betti Richard & Jean Blake Patrice & Kaare Bolgen L. Paul Brazeau Patricia Brewer Jane Bryce Francis & Peter Buttenheim (in honor of Marcia Gross) Mary Anne Carter Helen Ingham (in memory of Justine Parsons) Barbara Isenhart (in memory of Walter Luczynski) Steven Jensen (Drury 1954) Scott & Ellen Kalicki Metilde Kassner Myrna Katz (Drury 1946) Jill Kelley Michael & Mary La Versa, Sr. Marle LaFountain Margaret E. Lanoue Sally LaPlante (Drury 1946) Donald & Ramona LaValley (Drury 1946) Martha LaValley Frederick, Rita & Jean Lavigne Isabelle LeClair Anita Lentine Mildred A. LeSage Nancy & Michael Lewis Robert Lilly (Drury 1946) Theresa Lincourt Joan Lister Bernard & Elizabeth Lord Dorothy Lorenzo (Drury 1946) Doris Luchini Teresa Macksey Bill & Kassie Mahoney John Mahoney Carolyn E. Mallinson (Drury 1946) Lorraine B.Maloney Al & Lorraine Mancuso Dianne Manning Francis Mastroianni Mr. & Mrs. Joseph McCann Mr. & Mrs. Andre McCollough Judith McConnell Mr. & Mrs. Stephen McConnell Mary Anne McDougall Vincent & Margo Melito Mary Messier Craig & Ellen Millard Edward Morandi Mary Morrison Albert Mottau (Drury 1946) Harriet Neiman Linnea Nelson Collene Nichols Marta Nichols John & Shirley Norman Robert O'Hearn Charles O'Neill Ann Ott (Drury 1946) Philip Ouimet Richard Rand and Kelly Pask Donald Pecor Francis Perenick (Drury 1946) Ms. Elizabeth Perras Fred Perry, Jr. (Drury 1946) Arlene Person (Drury 1955) Marguerite C. Peters Raymond & Lorraine Piaggi Elizabeth Pinkston Doris Primmer (Drury 1946) Robert Purdy (Drury 1946) Mike Putnam Rita Quinton (Drury 1946) Barbara Rennell Debra Richer Lawrence Roberts Janet Robinson (Drury 1946) James & Elizabeth Rosse Jacqueline Royal (Drury 1968) Elliott Rubin (Drury 1950) Eric & Barbara Rudd Edna Rudnick Don & Dot Russett Francis Schmidt Jennifer Sebasino Leo & Margaret Senecal Linda Shapiro (in memory of Priscilla Less Wood) Charles & Esther Shea Wayne A. Shepard Fred & Elizabeth Simon Frank Sinclair (Drury 1946) Alyssa & Rita Sporbert (in memory of Lauri H. Sporbert) Paul & Sheila Sprague Julia Steuer Margaret H. Stewart Jay Strange (Drury 1946) Catharine Talarico Mary Provencher Taylor Margot Thompson Robert Tomaselli (Drury 1948) William & Sydney Tower (in memory of Rita Quinton & Frank McKay) Charles & Joan Tompkins Jr Christopher Tremblay Phyliss Trotter Mark & Cindy Vadnais Raymond Vallieres, Jr. Dr. George Curran VFW Ladies Corine Viens Judith & Clarence Walker (Drury 1944) Eugene & Jacqueline Wein Paulette Wein Samuel Westcott (Drury 1946) John & Jane Wilson Honrita Windover Patricia Wol James Wolfe Julida Wolfrum George H. Wood Jr. Bequests prior to the start of the 2001 capital campaign For more than half a century it has been apparent that the Houghton Memorial Building needed to be updated and enlarged in order to better serve the needs of the community. During this time more than $500,000 in donations were made to the building fund. These include: Houghton Philanthropists who donated over $50,000 The estate of Katharine A. Hadley Eleanor Furst Roberts in memory of Elisabeth Hardman Furst The Hoosac Bank The Schmidt Hardman Trust Florence Gallup Houghton Benefactors who donated between $10,000-49,999 Estate of Louisa Gallup Estate of Grace Stroud Fort Massachusetts Historical Society Robert Siciliano in honor of Dominic and Frances Siciliano Builders Donations in memory of Betty Lively, Priscilla Nelson and Leo Risatti Members of Friends of the North Adams Public Library for 2002 Bea Arrighini Theresa M. Bellini Alma Benedetti Pamela J. W. Beverly Stephen & Ruth Boisvert Mr. & Mrs. John W. Bond Arlene Bouras Rachel Branch Judith & Herbert Brolen Ruth Browne Deborah Bullett Susan Cancro Justyna M. Carlson Mary Anne Carter Margaret Chang Peg Christiansen Greylock Community Club Alan Cooley Kay Corriveau Angela Crowley Norma Deslisle Archer Des Cognets Valerie Dickinson Margaret Duguay Ella M. Dunsmore Mrs. Marjorie Fern Shirley Finkelstein Vera V. Flood Florence Flynn Dana Frazee Germaine Gamache Cecilia Garner Alfred J. Golonka Jr. Evelyn Gooch Anita Hodgdon David & Dorothy Howe Dorothy L. Jackson Annette Jenks Isabel Jensen Hulda Jowett Ann Kremers Carolyn Kuzia Marie LaFountain Annie Laliberte Judith Lane Margaret E. Lanoue Peggy LaPine Denise LeMieux Anita L. Lentine Mildred LeSage Shirley Lescarbeau Elizabeth Loholdt Teresa Mackey Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Macksey John Mahoney Lorraine Maloney Donella Markham Brian Marlow Robert Maroni Mildren A. Mazzu Florence McKane Judy Noel Anne Olsen Carolyn J. Ouimet Papyri Books (Karen Kane & Eileen Gloster) Diane G. Parsons Armand Perreault Christine Petri Felix Puccio Sonia Puccio Ruth Pytko Barbara Ranzoni Helen Renzi Mr. & Mrs. Alan W. Reutlinger Mary Richardello Mary F. Rosasco Ann Rosse James & Elizabeth Rosse Edna Rudnick Janet Scott Elizabeth Senay Ruben & Barbara Shay Stephen & Ellen Smachetti Lawrence Smallwood Susan Solak Rita R. Sporbert Virginia Sprague Julia Steuer Frank Stevens Marilyn & Melvin Tierman Jacqueline & William Toomey Ida M. Trabold Ellie Tunkel Erika A. Uchman Barbara Wagner Donald Washburn Ann Wells Janet Wheeler Eric White Kathleen Whitney Julia Wolfrum Joyce Wrend Louise Zocch Erminia Zocchi Frank Zoltek Thanks to all our Supporters!

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Brown Street Bridge Reopens in North Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
01:16PM / Monday, December 15, 2025

Mayor Jennifer Macksey is the first to drive across the bridge, closed since early 2023.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayor Jennifer Macksey led a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Dec. 15, marking the official reopening of the Brown Street Bridge.

"We are very excited despite the cold weather," Macksey said before the ribbon-cutting. "… We are chipping away at these projects, but this is long overdue."

The bridge had been closed to all vehicle traffic since March 2023 after being deemed structurally deficient by the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The 26-foot steel structure, built in 1952, was flagged after its superstructure rating fell to 3.

The reopening follows a temporary repair project designed to safely restore access while the city and state determine a long-term plan. The temporary repair contract was awarded to J.H. Maxymillian at a cost of $349,920.

Funding for the project included $75,000 from state Chapter 90 road funds, with the balance was covered by state flood money the city had been previously awarded following a severe storm in July several years ago.

The mayor emphasized the critical need to reopen the span, particularly for public safety.

"The perception behind that was we have flooding on West Main Street and River Street, we have to use this bridge," she said. "We are very excited to have it open. Not only to alleviate traffic problems down at the intersection of Big Y and the intersection of City Hall, but to help our friends at emergency management with the ambulance."

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