Pittsfield's Tavern at The A Will Seek New Operators

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Tavern at The A is again looking for a new operator with a hopeful opening in the spring. First, it must be able to transfer the liquor license.

On the agenda for last week's Licensing Board meeting was a conversation with Steve Cobb, president of the General Electric Athletic Golf Course board of directors. The Crane Avenue restaurant is on the golf course's property. 

Attorney Bill Martin said there is a "really bad relationship" with the holder of The A's liquor license — with owners struggling to even get in contact. A few years ago, the former tenants went out of business and now, he said the GEAA is facing a worse situation with the latest tenants.

"Another tenant operator has managed to do even worse, has left us in a situation where we not only have, I think, unpaid [Department of Unemployment Assistance] and [Department of Revenue] obligations but we can't even get enough information out of her at this point to determine what those obligations are," Martin reported.

"It looks like there has been a lot of months that were not filed. We spent the last three or four weeks basically chasing as hard as we can simply to get the renewal application filed."

According to The A's Facebook, the restaurant appears to have been closed since late summer though craft-making events at the Roasted Garlic, a restaurant on West Housatonic Street, are being advertised on the page.

Martin said there are also unpaid vendors, amounting to "tens of thousands of dollars worth of obligations that we're probably going to have to clear in connection with an application" for a liquor license transfer.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.