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The cause of the fire on Thanksgiving Day that left three families homeless has not been determined. Several fundraisers are being held to help the Richmond Street residents.

Multiple Fundraisers Started for Richmond Street Fire Victims

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — A week after a Thanksgiving morning fire destroyed an apartment building on Richmond Street, multiple community fundraisers have, combined, raised more than $50,000 for the victims of the fire. 

While none of the occupants were injured, the fire caused significant damage to the attic, second floor and front facade of the building. Fire Chief John Pansecchi said the cause of the fire was undetermined after an investigation by the State Fire Marshal's office.

"Nobody was hurt. Great job by everybody that was there," Pansecchi said. 

Two separate GoFundMe fundraisers, one for resident Jacob Anderson-Hall and another for residents Marie Ellis and Jake Hall, have raised a total of $13,350 as of Nov. 30. A spaghetti dinner benefit, hosted by the Bounti Fare on Dec. 18 from noon to 4, is being held on support Hall, Ellis and the other victims. 

"We are thankful for each and every person in their kindness through donations, prayers, kind words, and sharing the gofundmes that are set up," Ellis said in an update on the fundraising page. 

Another fundraiser, organized by Susan Bloom for her in-laws Paul and Vanessa Mazzantini, has raised more than $40,000. 

"Yesterday, we spent the day sorting through donations and cleaning them. We appreciate everyone who has donated, it means so much after this loss," Bloom said in an update on the fundraising page. 

The century-old building at 16-18 Richmond caught fire in the early morning, with Firefighters from Adams, North Adams, Cheshire, Dalton and Savoy responding to the scene at about 9:30 a.m. By about 11:30 a.m., the fire was contained but hotspots were still sending smoke into the air. 

A lower-level apartment was being rented out as an AirB&B and the occupant, Kelsey-Lynn Corradetti of Canada, was able to flee and later get her documents out. 
 
iBerkshires received an email from the guest's mother, Tosca Reno, who said there was a hero to this story and her name is Sabrina Fortier. 
 
It was Fortier, another Richmond Street resident, who saw the smoke while walking her dog and ran to the house and started banging on doors. The Mazzantinis and their 3-month-old daughter were having breakfast, unaware of the fire. Paul Mazzantini broke down the door to the AirBnB unit to get Corradetti out, Reno wrote. It was just in time as the windows began to explode. There are numerous photos on Facebook showing the ferocity of the blaze and how fast it spread.  
 
"I have so much gratitude on this day, for Sabrina's alertness and for Paul's quick action.  My daughter is alive and well, albeit in a state of shock and for this, on this Thanksgiving day, I am beyond grateful," Reno wrote us. "I can't even begin to contemplate what would have happened otherwise."

The nearly 7,000-square-foot structure is listed as a three-apartment building that the Mazzantinis bought in January 2021 and renovated.


Tags: fundraiser,   structure fire,   

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Adams Planning Board Cited for Open Meeting Law Violation

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The state Attorney General's Office has determined that the Planning Board violated Open Meeting Law by continuing to deliberate on a matter after adjournment.
 
According to the determination, the violation occurred after adjourning the Jan. 27, 2025, meeting when three board members stayed to discuss permitting concerns for Aisling Mountain Farm, a 22-acre equestrian facility on West Road owned by Kathryn Foley.
 
The board was ordered to amend its meeting minutes within the next 30 days, to include a summary of the discussion that occurred after the meeting was adjourned, to certify to to the AG's Office that it has done so, and to comply with the Open Meeting Law going forward.
 
The ruling stems from a complaint filed by Catherine Foster on Aug. 22, 2025, alleging that the board violated the Open Meeting Law during and after its Jan. 27 meeting.
 
Although filed nearly seven months after the January meeting, the Attorney General's Office said it met the 30-day filing deadline because Foster did not become aware of the situation until it was raised at a July 23 Select Board meeting.
 
"The Open Meeting Law requires that complaints be filed within 30 days of the alleged violation, or if the alleged violation could not reasonably have been known at the time it occurred, then within 30 days of the date it should reasonably have been discovered," Assistant Attorney General Matthew Lindberg said in the determination.
 
"The complainant could not reasonably have discovered that the Board deliberated after adjournment of the January 27 meeting until the issue was raised during public comment at the July 23 Select Board meeting. Because the complaint was filed within 30 days of the July 23 Select Board meeting, the complaint was filed timely as to this allegation"
 
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