Desperados in North Adams to Close

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — After opening under new management in September, Desperados will soon be closed. 

A post on the restaurant's Facebook page cited financial difficulties for the closure.

Chris Bonnivier of Adams and his partners Sandra Lopez Nieves and Joseph Bevilacqua took over the Eagle Street restaurant from Pete Oleskewicz, who owned it for the previous five years. The restaurant was originally opened by David Atwell who sold it to Oleskewicz.

"Unfortunately due to the lack of business even through the 'busiest months' of the year we are having to quickly close," the post said. "After also receiving several notices that all of the furniture fixtures and equipment are on potential repossession from both the state and private vendors it just seems that there are far too many financial obstacles that have been bestowed on us to overcome at this present moment."

In November, License Commission told the restaurant it would have to reapply for a new license after Oleskewicz surrendered it to the commission. Commissioner Rosemari Dickinson said the property no longer had a valid license, and the liquor in the restaurant had to be sold or removed. 

The Facebook post thanked those who supported the restaurant under new ownership and said Oleskewicz would honor gift certificates from when he was owner of Desperados at his other restaurant, Miss Adams Diner. A follow-up post said to send a direct message for a refund. 

"We truly thank those of you that loved and supported us. Please we respectfully ask to keep the negative comments away," the post said.

Update on Dec. 28: This story has been updated to clarify that Miss Adams Diner is only accepting gift certificates from when Oleskewicz was owner of Desperados.

Clarksburg Officials Debate Need for School Repairs, Renovations

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:46PM / Thursday, January 16, 2025

Select Board member Colton Andrews stands next to a bucket catching leaks as he talks to the joint gathering. 

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — School officials acknowledged that Clarksburg School is need of renovation or rebuild but declined to commit at this point to plan of action.

 

"We can't say that because it hasn't even been put out to the town," said School Committee member Cynthia Brule. "So I mean, we could say, 'yeah, I want a new school,' but it means nothing."

 

The comments had come during a joint meeting of the Select Board and School Committee last week over what to do with the leaking roof. 

 

"We're dealing with a pretty leaky roof that's affecting several classrooms," said Superintendent John Franzoni. "The leaks are continuing and impacting the classroom learning."

 

Select Board Chair Robert Norcross had pushed for the committee to make a declaration after talks with the governor's Western Mass office over the lingering $500,000 in a bond bill for the roof. 

 

He and Assistant Superintendent Tara Barnes had spoken with Kristen Elechko, Western Mass regional director, he said, and Barnes had mentioned the school could use more than a roof. 

 

"Kristen sent me an email the next day saying that I can't go for a roof if we're going to go for a new school or if we're going to go for something bigger," Norcross said. "You have to decide quickly what we want to do, because all these deadlines are coming up. So that's why I wanted to push the meeting forward and that's why I asked the Finance Committee and the Select Board to be here, because we got to make a decision tonight."