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New Korean Restaurant Opens in North Adams

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A pair of veteran restaurateurs are offering traditional Korean and Japanese cuisine and sushi.

The Korean Garden at 139 Ashland St. opened more than a week ago in the former Red Sauce location.

After living in North Adams for eight years, Yong and Jenny Pae thought it was time to open up their own eatery.

"We know a lot of people like Korean food and good sushi so we thought a long time ago that we wanted open up here," Jenny Pae said.

The Paes are not new to the restaurant scene and have worked with Boston restaurateur Jae Chung, who grew up in Clarksburg. They ran their own small Korean take-out business in Boston for a decade about 15 years ago.

Pae said the menu has many traditional favorites such as bulgogi, kimchi, and hot stone bi bim bab. There are aso various sushi and maki specials, including the North Adams Maki and the Red Sox Roll.

"It's different," Pae said. "A lot of people say North Adams only has a Burger king and Chinese food and we need something new and something fresh. We try to give the best service and the best food."

She said they have been busy since opening a week ago Saturday.

"Business has been busy a lot of people come in late," Pae said. "I think maybe we need a couple weeks to really get a lot of people in here all the time."

She said the restaurant seems to be a hot spot for college students with its close proximity to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She added that a lot of Williams College students stop in, too.

The building has been mostly empty since Red Sauce Ristorante abruptly closed in 2012. More recently there were a short-lived Italian and a Southwestern restaurant.

The Korean Garden is open every day except Monday for lunch and dinner. During the week the hours are 11 to 9:30 and on the weekends, 11 to 10.

Clarksburg Students Write in Support of Rural School Aid

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
07:25AM / Sunday, March 15, 2026

Mason Langenback calculated that Clarksburg would get almost $1 million if the $60 million was allocated equally.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Eighth-graders at Clarksburg School took a lesson in civic advocacy this week, researching school funding and writing letters to Beacon Hill that call for fully funding rural school aid. 

 

The students focused on the hardships for small rural schools and their importance to the community — that they struggle with limited funding and teacher shortages, but offer safe and supportive spaces for learning and are a hub for community connections.

 

"They all address the main issue, the funding for rural schools, and how there's a gap, and there's the $4 million gap this year, and then it's about the $40 million next year, and that rural schools need that equitable funding," said social studies teacher Mark Karhan.

 

A rural schools report in 2022 found smaller school districts cost from nearly 17 percent to 23 percent more to operate, and recommended "at least" $60 million be appropriated annually for rural school aid. 

 

Gov. Maura Healey has filed for more Chapter 70 school aid, but that often is little help to small rural schools with declining or static enrollment. For fiscal 2027, she's budgeted $20 million for rural schools, up from around $13 million this year but still far below the hoped for $60 million. 

 

Karhan said the class was broken into four groups and the students were provided a submission letter from Rural Schools Advocacy. The students used the first paragraph, which laid out the funding facts, and then did research and wrote their own letters. 

 

They will submit those with a school picture to the governor.