Road Closings, Times for 66th Fall Foliage Parade

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The 66th annual Northern Berkshire Fall Foliage Parade, sponsored by 1Berkshire, begins on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 1 p.m.

This year's theme is "Holidays on Parade" and the 2022 grand marshals are the Arnolds and the Kings, two families who have brought good cheer and a festive spirit to the city of North Adams for decades.

The parade will once again start at the intersection of State Street and Old State Street. The lineup will begin at Curran Highway between DiSanti Field (north point) to United Cerebral Palsy (south point); roughly 400 Curran Highway to 535 Curran Highway and the ending point will be at the intersection of Ashland Street and Washington Avenue, same as last year.

Due to the new starting location and staging area, through traffic is able to detour on Old State Street to access parts of Curran Highway. The road will be fully shut down along the parade route starting at 12:30 p.m.

Be a spectator along the 1.2-mile parade route from the intersection of State Street and Old State Street, along Main Street, to the intersection of Ashland Street and Washington Avenue, or on Community Television, channel 1301.
 
The Children's Parade steps off from Monument Square on Friday, Sept. 30, at 5:30 p.m. and marches to City Hall. Winners in the costume and float categories will be invited to march in the Fall Foliage Parade on Sunday.
 
The annual Children's Fair and Road Race runs from 10 to noon at the Armory (because of rain) on Saturday, Oct. 1.
 
The races for children ages 2 to 11 start at 11:15.
 
Free admission to all events, which includes fun activities, games, giveaways and entertainment, including by Terry A La Berry and Friends. 
 
There will also be booths hosted by local community organizations.

For more information, visit 1berkshire.com/events/fall-foliage-parade.
 
There will be no parking allowed in the parade route after 9 a.m. on Sunday, including along Curran Highway, State Street, Hadley Overpass, Main Street, Ashland Street, Church Street, historic Eagle Street and North Church Street
 
Curran Highway will be closed to northbound traffic at 11 a.m. at the intersection by Ocean State Job Lots. The entire parade route will be shut down to traffic at noon.
 
All parade participants are asked to enter the area from the north and exit to the south. Route 8 traffic will be detoured over Church Street, via Hodges Cross Road to Main Street or West Shaft Road to Route 2.
 
Any cars that are found on the parade route will be ticketed and/or towed at the owners' expense.

 


Tags: Fall Foliage,   parade,   

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NAHA Board Accepts Director's Resignation, Unlocks Tenants Association Office

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office.

The board held a special meeting Thursday to vote to accept Hohn's resignation and determined that there are currently no plans to replace her.

"We didn't make any final determinations in terms of the executive session so we will schedule another meeting at another time," Chairwoman Leigh Uqdah said after returning from more than an hour session. "Day-to-day operations will continue to be managed as normal by staff."

Per their bylaws, board member Marie Harpin will continue to handle finances, and Uqdah will manage contracts.

Hohn stepped down on Oct. 8 after 24 years leading the agency. Her resignation followed rising tension between her and the NAHA Tenants Association, culminating in the scheduling of a formal grievance hearing between both parties.

The boiling point was the locking of the association's office this summer. Tenants alleged the lockout was retaliation for posting a video on social media depicting improperly functioning door alarms. Hohn claimed the office was locked for tenant safety and to stop the spread of misinformation.

Tenants Association President Corey Fortin asked if Hohn's security access had been removed. Uqdah confirmed her credentials were revoked the day she resigned, meaning she can no longer monitor security cameras remotely.

Jennifer Barbeau, a former city councilor who was liaison to the Housing Authority, asked when the board met to discuss Hohn's severance package. Uqdah stated that Hohn did not have one.

The board also accepted the resignation of Commissioner Richard Lavigne, though they will vote officially on the matter at their next meeting.

The open portion of the meeting was brief, with nearly an hour and a half spent in executive session. Before entering executive session, the board opened the floor to tenants.

"The tenants requested an opportunity to talk to the board," said Uqdah. "It has been quite a while, but we have decided to honor that."

Fortin, who posted the original video to social media, was the first to speak. He was clear in his request: unlock the office door.

"Let's cut straight to the chase tonight. The former resigned Director Jennifer Hohn ordered the office locked," he alleged. "She is gone. The lockout is a direct violation, and the board has a duty to end that tonight."

He cited federal and state laws that mandate the tenants association be provided with office space, including computer and network access.

"We are here with a direct administrative demand. We demand that the board vote tonight to unlock the doors," he said. "Do not let a resigned director's illegal action remain the board's ongoing liability. Open our door tonight, and let us get back to work."

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