WILLIAMSTOWN - Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity is well along in its preparation for the 18th annual Christmas Tree Showcase to be held Saturday, Dec. 8, from 1 to 7 at First Congregational Church.
Once again, more than 100 trees have been distributed to businesses, individuals and community organizations to decorate for the annual raffle. One tree, "Mrs. Claus Gets Santa Ready," is on display in the window of Library Antiques on Spring Street. This tree will be auctioned off by sealed bid while all other donated trees will be raffled. Raffle tickets for the trees are $1 each.
If you wish to decorate and donate a tree for the raffle, they may be purchased until Dec. 6 for $5 at the Mountain Goat, St. John’s Episcopal Church and First Congregational Church or at McClelland’s and First Baptist Church in North Adams.
This year's little houses are whimsical birdhouses and range from a golf pro shop to Noah's Ark to a lighthouse by the sea. See the display of selected houses in the window of the Harrison Gallery. There will be more than 30 houses for sale at the showcase. All the home designers were local women giving a helping hand to Habitat.
Also, for bluebird lovers, there are "predator proof" birdhouses that have been made by the sophomore woodworking class at McCann Technical School in North Adams. The house was designed by a University of Tennessee professor and is guaranteed to thwart any predator to a young bluebird family so they will survive until they are ready to fly the coop. A terrific gift for a bluebird lover.
There will also be many gift baskets for sale, ranging from $10 to over $100, for guest baths, the library, a handyman/woman, golfers, teachers, gardeners, wine and goodies, a chocolate lover’s and many more.
The popular "Angel Tree" will be decorated with angels and white lights. Angels can be purchased in memory of or in honor of a loved one or friend, then the light turned on for the loved one. The tree will transition from angels to all white lights. The tree is dedicated to Sam Edson, a Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity board member and house builder who died last year.
There is a need for affordable housing in the county and there are several families who need decent homes. All proceeds from the Christmas Tree Showcase go directly to help build Habitat houses in the Northern Berkshires. The current project on Henderson Road is a home for Melisa Larabee and her two children. Volunteer crews work on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Volunteers, skilled and unskilled, are always needed and are most welcome.
The Christmas Tree Showcase is the one annual fundraiser for Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity as well as being a family event for the whole community.
The Showcase will be held Saturday, Dec. 8, 1 to 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church, at the top of Spring Street, as part of the Williamstown Holiday Walk Weekend.
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant
Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building.
"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu.
A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building.
White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.
He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns.
Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot.
A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use.
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