image description — Elks Trustee David Sacco, left, North Adams Ocean State store leader Jeff Gammel, and Elks Veterans Officer Tony Sacco Elks with the donation made to the Elks coat program.

Elks, Ocean State Donate 22 Coats to Local Veterans

Community submission10:43AM / Tuesday, November 25, 2025Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Elks Lodge 487 teamed up with Ocean State Job Lots for a second year to provide winter coats to veterans in need.

A total of 44 coats were purchased, with half of those being distributed through the Veterans Services Office at City Hall.

First, the Elks purchased $1,000 worth of coats at the discount store; they were then donated back to the store and sent to a distribution center to be donated to veterans. The store reimbursed the Elks with gift cards worth the same value as the coats, which were then used to buy 22 more coats for local veterans.

This is part of Ocean State's 10th annual "Buy, Give, Get" coats program. Anyone in the Job Lot Insider program who buys a warm winter coat for $45 (retail value $200 or greater) at any of the retail chain's 176 stores and donates it back will get a $45 gift card.

The discount retailer has provided nearly 380,000 coats to people in need, including veterans, since 2016. It anticipates having some 80,000 winter coats for purchase and donation in partnership with more than 50 support organizations and programs.

Elks Trustee David Sacco said a woman was at the store when they were getting the coat donations and also purchased a coat to donate and gave the Elks her gift card to purchase another one for a local veteran.

Those donating coats through program can let the cashier know to give the gift card to the Elks, who will then get the coat to City Hall.

North Adams Elks 487 are wishing everyone happy holidays.

Tags: donations, elks club, ocean state, veterans,

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Key West Bar Gets Probation in Underage Incident

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:54AM / Wednesday, February 11, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Key West is on probation for the next six months after an incident of underage drinking back in November.

The License Commission had continued a hearing on the bar to consult with the city solicitor on whether charges could be brought. The opinion was that it was up to the District Attorney.

Chief Mark Bailey at Tuesday's commission meeting said he did not believe criminal charges applied in this instance because no one at the bar "knowingly or intentionally" supplied the alcoholic beverages.

"I feel that the bartender thought that the person was over 21 so it's not like she knowingly provided alcohol to them, to a person under 21. She just assumed that the person at the door was doing their job," he said. "So I don't feel that we can come after them criminally, or the bartender or the doorman, because the doorman did not give them alcohol."

The incident involved two 20-year-old men who had been found inside the State Street bar after one of the men's mothers had first taken him out of the bar and then called police when he went back inside. Both times, it appeared neither man had been carded despite a bouncer who was supposed to be scanning identification cards.

The men had been drinking beer and doing shots. The chief said the bouncer was caught in a lie because he told the police he didn't recognize the men, but was seen on the bar's video taking their drinks when police showed up.

Commissioner Peter Breen hammered on the point that if the intoxicated men had gotten behind the wheel of their car, a tragedy could have occurred. He referenced several instances of intoxicated driving, including three deaths, over the past 15 years — none of which involved Key West.

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