Cohen, at her final meeting as a councilor, was given a caricature as a going away gift by Council President Keith Bona. An artist, he also gave the other councilors a group drawing at a previous meeting.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council's attempt to finish out some real estate business by the end of the year came to naught on Thursday for a lack of members.
The decision to again postpone a vote on Sullivan School was a repeat of the last meeting in November when it was felt there weren't enough votes to pass.
The current council is ending its term and had hoped to deal with the issue of Sullivan School before the new City Council takes office on Jan. 1. But only five members were able to vote on the sale of the closed school because two members were absent and two had to step down because of conflicts.
"You need a minimum of six people are for this to pass," said Councilor Wayne Wilkinson. "You will don't have six people voting. So it either dies or you postpone it."
The offer being recommended by Mayor Thomas Bernard was to sell the vacant school building on Kemp Avenue to a newly formed advanced manufacturing training organization for $1.
Since the $1 bid is well under the assessed value of the property at nearly $2 million, the council would have to approve the sale by a two-thirds vote of the full council, which would be six members.
But both Eric Buddington and Joshua Moran — both of whom did not run for re-election — were absent from the special meeting; Councilors Keith Bona and Benjamin Lamb stepped into the audience because of personal or professional relationships with the two bidders on the property.
The council had easily approved sales of Johnson School and land in Vermont that were below assessed value. But they had been unsure of a proposal for a startup technical training school in the 50-year-old Sullivan School.
Several councilors, including Wilkinson, had sharply questioned the ability of BAMTEC to make good on its plan, the effect of the school on the neighborhood and potential zoning conflicts over businesses possibly using the school's equipment.
Overall, however, the council had seemed generally been positive to the concept of a training school.
"I'd just like to take a moment just to thank everyone on the City Council for all the work that you folks do during the year," said Michael Therrien, BAMTEC's president, during hearing of visitors. "Your dedication to your job and your position is commendable. So regardless of how everything goes for us tonight, I just wanted to say that."
Wilkinson, who had at first moved to deny before agreeing to postpone, thought the councilors should tour the building. It's been vacant since the opening of Colegrove Park Elementary School four years ago and has been vandalized and had fires set within it.
"I'm sure the building is horrible," he said. "I did a quick little analysis and the land is worth — the building wasn't there — about $65,000. The demolition of the building is close to $650,000. So it's not viable as a building anymore."
Wilkinson, a commercial appraiser, said he didn't like the idea of selling anything for a dollar but thought he might be "persuaded" by the condition of the building.
In any case, the decision to sell or rebid the school will be up to the incoming council with three new members that will take their seats on Jan. 1.
In other business, the council postponed action on a new fee schedule until the first meeting in January. Finance Committee Chairwoman Marie T. Harpin said her committee had only received the new fee schedule and analysis by Dec. 5 and had not had time to meet to discuss it.
A proposed policy for inquiries to the city solicitor was discussed and referred back to General Government Committee to tighten up the language. The former solicitor had been on retainer, local and had an open line to councilors; KP Law specializes in municipal law but charges per hour. Inquiries had been directed through the mayor's office but councilors noted that the charter specifies that City Council have access.
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BAAMS' Monthly Studio 9 Series Features Mino Cinelu
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — On April 20, Berkshires' Academy of Advanced Musical Studies (BAAMS) will host its fourth in a series of live music concerts at Studio 9.
Saturday's performance will feature drummer, guitarist, keyboardist and singer Mino Cinelu.
Cinelu has worked with Miles Davis, Sting, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Lou Reed, Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Vicente Amigo, Dizzy Gillespie, Pat Metheny, Branford Marsalis, Pino Daniele, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Salif Keita.
Cinelu will be joined by Richard Boulger on trumpet and flugelhorn, Dario Boente on piano and keyboards, and Tony Lewis on drums and percussion.
Doors open: 6:30pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
All proceeds will help support music education at BAAMS, which provides after-school and Saturday music study, as well as a summer jazz-band day camp for students ages 10-18, of all experience levels.
Also Saturday, the BAAMS faculty presents master-class workshops for all ages, featuring Cinelu, Boulger, Boente, Lewis and bassist Nathan Peck.
More than 300 students from area high schools entered their work in 12th annual Teen Invitational at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. click for more
Backed by a $750,000 federal grant for a planning study, North Adams and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art are looking to undo some of that damage.
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"It wasn't 100 percent consistent but I was afforded the opportunity to get to know other people with different religion, beliefs, backgrounds and culture and to be able to embrace that." click for more
With the area warming up, events are blooming in the Berkshires this weekend, including an egg hunt, live music, fitness events, and more.
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