NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City workers spent the morning on Monday installing this year's Christmas trees.
"We love this," Wire and Alarm Inspector Mitchell Meranti said. "Everybody looks forward to it."
The tree closest to city hall is a Blue Spruce donated by the Mancini Family on Hathaway Street.
Kathy Mancini said the tree has been an important part of their lives for over 30 years. She said her daughter Katie made her first communion in 1993 and all she wanted for her first communion gift was a pine tree sapling to plant
"My husband's uncle Henry Dean went out into the woods and came home with the tiniest sapling I have ever seen," Mancini said. "They planted it and that is the tree that we just donated to the city."
She said the tree is well over 40 feet.
"We always decorated it at Christmas time until we couldn't, and it has been just such a sentimental tree for us…it just brought so much joy to this neighborhood," she said. "But I know I am not going to be here forever. We talked it over with our daughter…and we felt what better way to memorialize it…we wanted to donate it to the city for everyone to enjoy because it is such a beautiful tree."
She praised the city workers and said they cut her a slab from the tree. They plan to place photos of their daughter with the tree as well as a photo of the tree at city hall as a gift.
The monument tree was donated by Juan Bolte from Houghton Street. Meranti said it was a double balsam, about 30 feet tall.
"If you look at the branches on a single balsam, they are flatter. Double balsam has more of a rounded look to it," Meranti said.
Meranti said that although installing the tree was easy, getting it to downtown North Adams was a challenge.
"It's the first time we've had to unhook the truck from the trailer. I had to get in position first with the bucket to get the harness on," he said. "Then we had to back the trailer in. In very tight quarters, we had to back the trailer in and unhook that. Then we drove the crane in and got him set up. Then we reversed the whole operation."
"It went in very smoothly, and it is a beautiful tree."
Once both trees are secure, Meranti will spend the time between now and Thanksgiving stringing the lights.
This story will be updated with more information on the trees.
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Friday Front Porch Feature: A North Adams Turnkey Home
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Are you looking for a three-story home that's newly renovated? Then this is the home for you.
Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 74 Washington Ave.
This home was originally built in 1880 and has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It is 2,320 square feet on less than an acre.
The first floor includes the kitchen, a full bathroom, an office, a large open living room and dining area, and an entry with a staircase to the second floor, which has three bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and a laundry closet. The third floor was turned into a spacious primary suite with a full bathroom.
The house comes with major kitchen and laundry appliances.
It's on the market for $349,900.
We spoke to Allison Pacelli with Pacelli Zepka Corp., which has the listing.
What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?
A house at this price point with so much space for several people is not easy to find. There are four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, large living room, kitchen, and a bonus room off the kitchen that could be an office or dining room or possibly even an extra guest room.
What was your first impression when you walked into this home?
I love some of the character of the house. For example, the banister and railing on the stairs is ornate and beautiful.
How would you describe the feel or atmosphere of this home?
The house is light and bright. It's a great mix of some class features like the stairway and updates like the kitchen and bathrooms.
What kind of buyer do you see this home being perfect for?
I can see all sorts of people in this house.
What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?
North Adams is such a vibrant and welcoming community. You can walk to MCLA or downtown. Williams College and Mass MoCA are close. The hospital is nearby, and the house would be great for doctors or nurses. There are a lot of opportunities in the area.
Are there any standout design features or recent renovations?
The entire house was renovated about two years ago. The owners removed all knob & tube wiring, installed a new boiler, added a new laundry setup on the second floor, and redid the third floor into a great primary suite, with private bathroom. The kitchen and all three bathrooms are also new.
You can find out more about this home on its listing here.
*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.
Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 74 Washington Ave.
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