North Adams Pride Returns to Downtown on June 12

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— North Adams Pride announced its return to downtown North Adams on Friday, June 12, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, for an evening of celebration, community, and Pride.

This year's event will feature live entertainment, local vendors, food, and activities designed to create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for attendees of all ages.

Attendees can look forward to:

• Downtown businesses and eateries open throughout the evening

• A diverse lineup of local vendors

• Food from area favorites

• A family-friendly Drag Story Hour

• Author talks and book give-aways

• Live Drag Performances 

• A live DJ dance party in the streets

• After-parties at participating venues

The event will be hosted by North Adams' very own Drag Legends Vuronika Baked and Jackie Legs. BFG will be playing the music for the dance party. 

"Bringing Pride back downtown is about visibility, celebration, and supporting our local businesses," said North Adams Pride organizers Keifer Gammell and Suzy Helme. "We're excited to gather together in a space that reflects the heart of our community."

Clarksburg Looking to AG's Receivership Program to Help With Distressed Properties

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:34AM / Tuesday, July 21, 2026

 

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town is looking to move two properties into receivership to get them cleaned up and back on the tax rolls. 

 

Health Agent Valerie Bird has raised the idea last month when a Daniels Road property was ordered vacated for multiple code violations. Bird and the Select Board didn't believe the owner had the capacity to address the myriad issues. 

 

Bird recommended the Attorney General's receivership program, which takes blighted property and, through the court system, gets it into the hands of a developer who can rejuvenate it. 

 

Maja Kazmierczak, assistant attorney general with the Neighborhood Renewal Division, offered a virtual presentation to the board on Monday, explaining the program and how it might be able to help Clarksburg. 

 

"We've partnered with over 170 municipalities, and we definitely have over probably about 215 active properties that we're working on," she said. "We've had just about $715,000 in back taxes returned to municipalities through our program."

 

The program has been around for 30 years in various forms, with the goal to turn abandoned and blighted properties that have code violations into safe housing. 

 

The state's receivership statute allows the court to appoint a receiver to a property if there are code violations and there is no one to repair them.