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Cascade School Supplies Vice President Todd Shafer stands in the company's warehouse on Brown Street with some of the items for sale next week.
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Games and more will be available.
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While geared to educators, there's plenty of choices for stocking stuffers this holiday season.
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Cascade School Supplies Sets Warehouse Tag Sale

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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It's been years since the Cascade held a tag sale,  which had been an annual event. That means plenty of merchandise to sort through, say company officials. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Cascade School Supplies is bringing back its warehouse tag sale after an absence of years.
 
"The Cascade tag sale is a long-standing community tradition where we open our warehouse to educators and the public to offer school, office and art supplies for pennies on the dollar," said Vice President Todd Shafer. "The event ran for many years, and we're excited to bring it back."
 
The company has been in the business of supplying schools with everything from pens and paper to desks and bulletin boards for 90 years. 
 
Shafer said the family-owned company has been doing a lot of renovations and upgrades and hasn't able to organize the tag sale, but is now ready to bring it back "bigger than ever."
 
"Since it hasn't happened for several years, we've accumulated more stock than ever, so this felt like the perfect time to reintroduce it," he said. "Our goal is to support our education community locally, while creating a fun, accessible event for everyone."
 
The tag sale will be held from Wednesday, Dec. 10, through Saturday, Dec. 13, with hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday; 11 to 8 on Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The event is open to the public to search through the 10,000-square-foot area at 1 Brown St.
 
Five people won a contest to get into the tag sale early on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m.
 
"Everyone is able to come tag sales ... teachers have historically been the primary audience, but we want this one to be a true community event," said Shafer. "So we're hoping that we see educators, artists, office workers, parents, students, hobbyists. Anyone looking for us for supplies or unique items is welcome. There's something for everyone here."
 
Thousands of items will be put out for sale, including many school and office supplies and some office furniture. Shafer suggests buyers come more than once since new items will be put out daily.
 
"Don't even know how much is going to end up out there, because we haven't even pulled everything that we're going to put out there yet," he said. "We'll keep adding things as the sale progresses. So what's ready to go on the shelves now may not be all that there is, because we're going to be bringing stuff out as we go."
 
Admission is a non-perishable food item to support the local food pantry or $2 at the door. Children admitted free.
 
"To help support the community, we're asking attendees to bring one non-perishable food item as their entry fee. These donations are going to go directly to the Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry," he said.
 
Shafer said he hopes this helps the community come together and people get needed supplies in an affordable way, as many of the items will be a dollar or less.
 
"We want this to feel like a community celebration and chance for teachers to stock their classrooms affordably, for families to find great deals during the holiday season and for neighbors to come together while supporting a local cause," he said. 
 
"Bringing back the tag sale is our way of reconnecting with the community and continuing a tradition that people have always loved."
 
Cascade will accept cash or card and educators should bring their tax-exempt certificate to avoid the tax. 
 
Shafer also said to pay attention to the company's Facebook for updates.

Tags: school supplies,   tag sales,   

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Freight Yard Pub Serving the Community for Decades

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

One of the eatery's menu mainstays is the popular French onion soup. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Freight Yard Pub has been serving the community for decades with a welcoming atmosphere and homemade food.
 
Siblings Sean and Colleen Taylor are the owners Freight Yard Pub. They took it over with their brother Kevin and Colleen's first husband in 1992. The two came from Connecticut and Boston to establish a restaurant and said they immediately felt welcomed in their new home.
 
"The reception that the community gave us in the beginning was so warm and so welcoming that we knew we found home," Colleen Taylors said. "We've made this area our homes since then, as a matter of fact, all of our friends and relationships came out of Freight Yard Pub."
 
The pub is located in Western Gateway Heritage State Park, and its decor is appropriately train-themed, as the building it's in used to be part of the freight yard, but it also has an Irish pub feel. It is the only original tenant still operating in the largely vacant park. The Taylors purchased the business after it had several years of instability and closures; they have run it successfully for more than three decades.
 
Colleen and Sean have been working together since they were teenagers. They have operated a few restaurants, including the former Taylor's on Holden Street, and currently operate takeout restaurant Craft Food Barn, Trail House Kitchen & Bar and Berkshire Catering Co. 
 
"Sean and I've been working together. Gosh, I think since we were 16, and we have a wonderful business relationship, where I know what I cover, he knows what he covers," she said. "We chat every single day, literally every day we have a morning phone call to say, OK, checking in."
 
The two enjoy being a part of the community and making sure to lend a hand to those who made them feel so welcome in the first place.
 
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