Williamstown's Water Street spiffed up and styling

By Linda CarmanPrint Story | Email Story
While town officials ponder the fate of two anchors on Water Street — the former Carol Cable and former town garage — local business people and real estate investors have given the street a facelift and a bright new wardrobe. And even without the benefit of large-scale developments at those two sizable question marks, Water Street is remaking itself as a shopping street with some pizzazz. “I certainly think so,” said Jay Merselis, co-owner of The Mountain Goat, the outdoor clothing and gear shop which has been a retail magnet on Water Street for many years. “I think it’s great. The appearance is really nice. “Spring Street is nice, certainly, but Water Street is more eclectic. At one point The Mountain Goat was the only wild color [a dark teal] but now it looks tame. “When you put together the buildings Mike Patten has renovated, and Toonerville Trolley and Plum Gallery, the whole street is really attractive.” “There’s more foot traffic, increasingly more use of the river and Linear Park,” he said. “It’s a great place to be.” “Maureen O’Mara has relocated her insurance business here, [near the corner of Latham Street],” he said. “There are a lot of stable businesses making the street thrive.” Most dazzling, without a doubt, is the Painted Lady Victorian, now brightened with a sizzling tangerine paint job, that houses Toonerville Trolley. Toonerville owner Hal March, who rents space from the new owners Richard Miller and Katie Ziglar, is delighted. “I certainly love what Dick and Katie have done for this building,” said March, who has operated his first record and tape and now CD shop there for about 26 years. “I love the color scheme, bright orange. It makes my day when I come in to work,” said March. “The new gallery, too, [Plum Gallery, across the street] always has interesting stuff. It’s a neat old building, and a good use, the perfect thing for it to be used for,” he said. “It’s an attractive street,” said March. “It’s had its ups and downs, certainly, and now there are a few new things going on, and that looks good.” ”And this is certainly the most eyecatching building on the block, if not the town, if not the county.” The building is managed for Miller and Ziglar by Alton & Westall, a longtime Williamstown real estate brokerage which has had its offices at 77 Water St. since 1986. The classic frame building, painted a soft sage green, is owned by James Montepare. Real estate broker Donald Westall said “Toonerville is striking, it gives a lift to the street.” “Katy and her husband did quite a bit of research on the history of Victorian Painted Ladies. [The house] is striking, and it certainly helps to get other people in the mood. Nick Whitman [at Plum Gallery] and Mike Patten [of Redstone Group] have renovated buildings on the street. “It’s due, maybe we’re even overdue,” said Westall. “I don’t know if it’s the anticipation of the future of Water Street, or if it’s just contagious, sometimes when one building is fixed up, the one next door gets fixed up, too.” “Mike [Patten] renovated the building next to Meacham Street, then bought the next two from Jack Watson’s estate,” he said. In addition, Patten’s office confirmed that he has purchased the Waterworks building at 136 Water St. “The Mountain Goat looks great,” said Westall. “Now we need to get more local people shopping locally in the shops going up. It’d be nice to have critical mass, a lot of individual shops.” Joan Marks, manager of The Cottage at 24 Water St., said “There’s a lot going on that’s terrific.” Marks said the prospect of public parking as part of the development of the old town garage site would help bring potential customers. “Parking should help a lot,” said Marks. “Very many people don’t come around the block. That continues to be a concern of everyone over here. Tonwspeople always know where to find us, but not first time visitors.” Besides parking, the town garage site is expected to house a building of three or more stories, with retail shops on the first floor, offices on the second, and apartments on the higher floors. Maureen O’Mara has relocated her longtime business, Farm Family Insurance, from Main Street across from Plum Gallery. The building, and an adjacent building on Latham Street that houses therapists offices, are both painted a deep, rich teal. “It feels like a neighborhood,” said O’Mara. “It’s an area where people are trying to show pride in their buildings.” The street’s restaurants — Hot Tomatoes pizza, Hobson’s Choice, Water Street Grill and Mezze — draw diners to Water Street. The new Mezze has relocated to the top of the street, 16 Water St., in part of what was once the Phillips Hardware building after Mezze’s old quarters burned in August, 2000. John England, who owns Hot Tomatoes at 100 Water St., is planning to purchase the former Mezze building from his mother, Adelaide, this spring and renovate it. Adelaide England owns The Potter’s Wheel at 96 Water St., a shop which she expects to reopen in June. Near the Alton & Westall building, the accounting firm of Umlauf & Dunn is located in a much-admired vintage 18th century building on the corner of Latham Street. Reached by telephone in Washington, D.C., Miller, who owns the Toonerville Trolley building at 131 Water St. with his wife, Katie Ziglar, said “we had not really thought about purchasing commercial property, but we liked the aesthetic of it, the shape, the way it looked. We looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s try it,’ and we did.” “We loved the history of it, it got us all fired up. We learned that the original owner was in the ice business, and also sold guns and tobacco. When he accidentally shot himself 500 people came to the funeral. Where Hal’s CD store is now has always been a store,” said Miller. “My wife, Katie, bought seven or eight books about Painted Ladies, books on the historical colors of the period, and looked at combinations with graphic designer Diane Guitardi. “We took the advice in one of the books which was to do something that makes you happy, so we thought, ‘Why don’t we spruce it up a little bit and make it happy?’” “It’s a pleasure coming in there,” he said. “We wanted to improve the property and make a contribution to Williamstown. We want it to be there for posterity. We hope it is appealing to people. “We looked at the town’s economic structure, which makes it a place where we could manage the risk. With a great college, there’s a need for a mixture of commercial and rental units. “We did consider those things economically,” said Miller. “But at the core, we wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t love the building.”
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McCann Recognizes Superintendent Award Recipient

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Landon LeClair and Superintendent James Brosnan with Landon's parents Eric and Susan LeClair, who is a teacher at McCann. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Superintendent's Award has been presented to Landon LeClair, a senior in McCann Technical School's advanced manufacturing course. 
 
The presentation was made last Thursday by Superintendent Jame Brosnan after Principal Justin Kratz read from teachers' letters extolling LeClair's school work, leadership and dedication. 
 
"He's become somewhat legendary at the Fall State Leadership Conference for trying to be a leader at his dinner table, getting an entire plate of cookies for him and all his friends," read Kratz to chuckles from the School Committee. "Landon was always a dedicated student and a quiet leader who cared about mastering the content."
 
LeClair was also recognized for his participation on the school's golf team and for mentoring younger teammates. 
 
"Landon jumped in tutoring the student so thoroughly that the freshman was able to demonstrate proficiency on an assessment despite the missed class time for golf matches," read Kratz.
 
The principal noted that the school also received feedback from LeClair's co-op employer, who rated him with all fours.
 
"This week, we sent Landon to our other machine shop to help load and run parts in the CNC mill," his employer wrote to the school. LeClair was so competent the supervisor advised the central shop might not get him back. 
 
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