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More than $10,000 in PPE was donated to the city's Public Safety Department.

Ocean State Job Lot Makes Donation to North Adams First-Responders

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Ocean State store manager Jennifer Socie poses with Police Chief Jason Wood and Fire Chief Stephen Meranti on Thursday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Ocean State Job Lot has donated $11,000 worth of personal protective equipment to city's first-responders.
 
"We didn't know this was coming," Fire Chief Stephen Meranti said Thursday in front of Ocean State Job Lots on Curran Highway. "We much appreciate the partnership and the community involvement and this will go to good use. It will help protect us and help us protect the public."
 
The cache included digital thermometers, surgical masks, KN95 masks, and face shields. The equipment will be used by police officers and firefighters responding to emergency calls to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.  
 
Store manager Jennifer Socie said the donation is a corporatewide initiative and that Ocean State Job Lots' owners always look for ways to give back.
 
"Our owners are very philanthropic and they love to give back to the community," she said. "They saw an opportunity to really help out the first-responders."
 
She said the store has been collecting donations from customers for about four months now that also went toward the purchase of the PPE.
 
"Our shoppers really stepped up and our shoppers shop frequently," Socie said. "They would make a donation every time they shopped and every little bit helps."
 
Meranti said this is the second donation of PPE that Ocean State Job Lots has provided local first-responders. He added that the donation will most definitely help during the anticipated second wave of COVID-19 expected this fall.
 
Police Chief Jason Wood agreed.
 
"I think this is great and it is good to see some community support," he said. "We have always had a good relationship with Ocean State. We can use all the PPE we can get because we don't know what the fall is going to bring."

Tags: COVID-19,   donations,   good news,   public safety,   


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SteepleCats Edge Mystic at Home

iBerkshires.com Sports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Nelphie Lopez went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI Thursday to lead the North Adams SteepleCats to a 4-3 win over the Mystic Schooners in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
 
Nick Hunkele gave up one run in five innings of work on the mound but was not around for the decision.
 
Williamstown's Josh Polumbo threw a scoreless inning of relief, and Jeremey Cheeseman struck out a pair in one inning of scoreless relief to earn the win.
 
North Adams (3-5) continues a four-game home stand on Friday when it hosts Sanford, Maine.
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