North Adams Notes

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Berkshire County, clear your palettes and start your appetites! The city of North Adams plays host to the first annual Northern Berkshire Food Festival, June 23rd, Sunday, from 12:00 pm until 4:00 pm. Nearly two dozen restaurants will have tables and cooking areas set up on a portion of the north side of Main Street in downtown North Adams. Patrons will buy 50-cent tickets for entrée samples for the restaurants of their choice. Prices will range from $2.00 to $5.00 for items. There will be drawings throughout the afternoon for dinners at the restaurants represented at the festival, as well. The following is a list of food purveyors who are scheduled to appear at the festival: Appalachian Bean Café, Brannings Restaurant, Brew Ha Ha, Canteen, China Buffet, Colonel Bullock’s Tavern, “11”, Freight Yard Pub, Gramercy Bistro, Hobson’s Choice, II Tesoro, Joga Café, Lickety Split, Milan at 55 Main, Molly’s Bakery, Steeples Restaurant, Stefan’s Polish Deli, St. Joseph’s Court, Taconic Restaurant, Village Pizza, and Where in the World. Jimmy Guiden, executive chef and owner of the Taconic Restaurant is looking forward to participating. According to Guiden, “What a great opportunity to showcase ourselves as a restaurant in front of a large group of people. We’re looking forward to getting outside and having some fun, as well.” Ed Fischer and Dana Roy, chefs at Steeples Restaurant expressed similar sentiments and were planning several delicious dishes that they would unveil on the day of the festival. An educational beer and wine tasting component will be a popular addition to the afternoon as well. Legal-aged patrons can sip dozens of wines, ales and lagers. Girardi Distributing, Berkshire Brewing Company and Paper City Brewing will provide micro Brews. West Liquors/Fine Wines will supply dozens of varieties of the fermented grape with the sole purpose of educating the taste bud. Established Pop, Rock and Folk performers “The Flying Garbanzos,” “Sheboygan” and Gloria Jean are scheduled to perform for patrons. Large festival tents will be erected to shade the vendors and the customers. Special thanks to Hoosac Bank in North Adams, for planning and support. Special thanks also go out to Legacy Banks. Additional support provided by Infinite Capacity Partnership. For more information on this or other events in North Adams, please contact the Mayor’s Office of Tourism and Cultural Development, 413 663 9204 (cell phone) 441-2981. Email is tourist@bcn.net Local Historian Paul W. Marino has announced the next in his series of historical walks for the summer of 2001. The Walk will be a tour of Center Street, and will take place on Saturday, July 6. While little remains of Center Street today, it was at one time a very significant part of North Adams, and one that was greatly changed by Urban Renewal in both the 1950’s as well as the 1970’s. As such, Center Street evokes memories of when the city of North Adams looked-and felt-more like a city than it does today; when there were streets and alleys everywhere, all harboring treasures that have since been lost to demolition. What historical treasures stood on Center Street? A theater that was never used as a theater, and another that was used as a synagogue; a store where a movie star worked, a bowling alley, and a parking garage for carriages. One of the city’s three firehouses was on Center Street, a restaurant owned by a mayor, and another that can be connected to a sports figure now enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. And from Center Street, one can see several significant sites, such as where the original Clark Biscuit Company bakery was, and where the infamous Reed Murders took place. At the time they occurred, the Reed Murders were expected to be as notorious and memorable as the Borden Murders in Fall River; neither crime has ever been solved. The Walk will also include a look at Eagle Street’s business section and North Church Street. The Walk, which is accessible to persons in wheelchairs, will begin at 2:30pm under the Route 2 overpass on Marshall Street. Interested persons are advised to dress for the weather, wear a hat with a wide brim, and a good pair of walking shoes; they should carry a canteen or bottle of water, and be prepared to have their ears talked off. Downtown businesses in North Adams held the latest “First Friday” on June 7 in the city. A good-sized crowd enjoyed special deals and entertainment in the stores and on the sidewalks of Ashland, Eagle and Main Street. A special feature of the event was the chance to win “Downtown Bucks,” gift certificates, which can be spent at the winner’s discretion at stores that participated in the promotion. Those locations included Air 2 Ink, Appalachian Bean Café, Claire’s Photo Supply, Color Accents and Katie’s Korner, Computer Bug, Dilego Jewelry, Edward Jones, Everything Art, EZIBA, Galadriel’s Clothing Boutique, Hairpin Tune, Hemming Way, Martin’s Shoe Store, McClelland’s, Mia’s Exchange, Molly’s Bakery, Mr. Cobbler, Papyri Books, Persnickety (Unique gifts for baby and child), Proforma, Satya’s Steeples Restaurant, Skiddoo, Tangiers, Sports Corner, Gramercy Bistro, Milan at 55 Main, and Joga Café. Shoppers were instructed to stop at any participating merchant for a flyer containing all the business names. After getting their sheet initialed by at least 12 stories, the shopper then dropped the completed sheet in an entry box. The first prize winner is Pam Senecal of 1425 Lesure Road in Stamford, Vermont. Pam is the winner of $100.00 in “Downtown Bucks.” A second prize of $50.00 went to Nina Benedetti of Bradford Street in North Adams, and Barbara Lampron of Glen Avenue won a certificate good for tanning visits at Tangiers. The 16th annual Friendship Knot Quilters Guild exhibit will be on view in the Community Gallery of the Visitor’s Center at Western Gateway Heritage State Park. It may be viewed seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until July 8. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management is the sponsor of the exhibit. Founded in 1984, the guild has members from all over the northern Berkshire and southern Vermont area who meet the third Sunday of every month at St. John’s Church in Williamstown to learn new techniques and to share ideas.This year’s exhibit is a potpourri of work done over the past year. Featured are large and small quilts, table runners, wall hangings, mixed media quilts, and wearable art. ABC quilts made by a number of members in the group for children with AIDS in Springfield hospitals are also featured. For further information about the guild and its future workshops please call Debra Rogers-Gillig at 458-8067. Western Gateway Heritage State Park is located on Route 8 between State and Furnace Streets in North Adams. The Visitor’s Center chronicles the history of the Hoosac Tunnel and the people who built it. For further information about the park and its programs please call (413)663-8059. The park is located on Route 8 between State and Furnace Streets in North Adams. The senior graduating class of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts presents the Senior Appreciation award at their Baccalaureate each year. This year’s recipient was Diane Collins, Student Government Association office manager. This was the first year students have elected to present the award to a staff member instead of a member of the faculty. As the Student Government Association office manager, Collins deals with financial and logistical issues relevant to student clubs and organizations. Student Government Association President Autumn May noted in her speech honoring Collins that her work did not stop there. “Whether it involved your roommate, family, friends, or life in general, she would be there with a kind word, empathetic ear, and of course, a card in your mailbox the next day.” Collins has served the college since 1976, when she began working in the Graduate and Continuing Education Office. She has been working with the Student Government Association since 1983. She resides in North Adams with her husband Brian and has two children, Michelle Racette and Kurt Collins, and five grandchildren. North Adams Regional Hospital recognized 76 employees at the hospital's Annual Employee Service Award Dinner on May 15 at the North Adams Country Club. The event included an awards ceremony for 11 retirees and 65 current employees who had given service for five years and increments of five years. Employees who received service awards represented a total of 1,030 years of service to the hospital. Bruce Nash, M.D., president of North Adams Regional Hospital, thanked the employees for their dedication, saying, “I have seen the care you all deliver, and I am continually impressed by the level of compassion you bring to our patients every day.” Nash also remarked on the number of long-term employees of NARH. Retirees honored at the dinner included Joann Barcomb, Dorine Cooper, Carole Dolan, Anne Haun, Martin Koscielniak, Margaret Maroni, Carol Miller, Catherine O'Brien, Claire Perreault, Martha Siciliano, and June Whitney-Lapham. Those receiving awards follow, grouped by years of service: • 40 years: Janice Tassone. • 35 years: Carol Dolle. • 30 years: Jo-Ann Bernardi, Gloria Felix, Colleen Frank, Lynne Pierce, Donna Racette, and Debra Wood. • 25 years: Debra Corkins, Donna Czubryt, Brenda Greenlaw, Michele Haskins, Sherry LaFleur, Florence LeFebvre, Mary Marlowe, Lou Ann Quinn, Nancy Ruebesam, and Charlene Wise. • 20 years: Sharyn Armitage, Sharon Barrett, Deborah Cirullo, Phyllis Gaule, Diane George, Beverly Maynard, Laura Morey, Joseph Pecor, Sandra Preite, Susan Rebideau, and Robin Simonetti. • 15 years: Patricia Biagini, John Blake, Gerald Costa, Victoria Flynn, Kathryn Henault, Debra LaCasse, Lisa Marko, Sharon Maxwell, Paul Nicol, Frank Rickus, Christine Rodriguez, Oscar Rodriguez, William Simon, and Stephanie Vidmosko. • 10 years: John Candiloro, Deborah Hicks, Jo Ann Myers, Kelly Regis, Susan Todd, and Ruth Vidal. • 5 years: Linda Bailot, Donald Boudreau, Rick Bullett, Mary Foley, Lucy Green, Lisa Hall, Lisa Ann Janovsky, Lisa Lincoln, Dolores Loholdt, Kathryn Nicholas, John Rhinemiller, Patricia Rosier, Tracey Ritcher, Kathleen Sage, Carol Smith, and Virginia White.
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Downed Line Slows North Adams Traffic, Closes Restaurant

Staff Reports

Wire & Alarm Inspector Mitchell Meranti works to disconnect the line to get it out of the roadway. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A tractor-trailer truck took down an electrical line on State Street, closing the road for an hour and Grazie for several days. 
 
The incident occurred just past 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday as the daily rush hour was about to start. Northbound traffic was detoured at Hodges Cross Road and southbound traffic was allowed through, using the driveway of Automan Sam to get around the line. 
 
The line came down across both lanes until Wire and Alarm Inspector Mitchell Meranti was able to disconnect it from the pole outside Automan Sam's.
 
The automotive accessories store and the restaurant both lost power, but Grazie owner Matt Tatro described the damage as a "face punch" on Facebook. 
 
The line was pulled off the restaurant taking out the power, a new mini split air conditioning unit and sign. 
 
"We will need a couple days (hopefully) to get back in game day form.  We apologize that we will be closed tomorrow and Thursday to hopefully get the place back in shape. No power, internet, etc. All wires sheared off," the restaurant posted on its Facebook page. 
 
The restaurant's tentative reopening is Friday. 
 
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