News & Notes: Lowe's Cleared for Construction
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Lowe's Home Improvement has cleared the final hurdle of the state's environmental concerns and is expected to begin demolition of the vacant North Adams Plaza soon.
That's a relief to local officials who feared the delay would derail the project, especially considering the current economic downturn.
The long-awaited project had been held up by new state regulations calling for greater use of solar or alternative energies. The Department of Energy Environmental Affairs had wanted the home improvement company to include solar panels on its new building; Lowe's had argued that it would take years to see any returns by installing a solar system.
The project was given the go-ahead Friday with the recommendation it design the building to take advantage of such a system in the future.
The $15 million, 126,000-square-foot store will be built at the defunct plaza on Curran Highway. The project will also include a freestanding building, likely a bank. It's hoped the construction will spur more development on the city's southern commercial end.
The closest Lowe's are in Latham, N.Y., and Springfield. Its competitor, Home Depot, has stores in Pittsfield and Bennington, Vt.
Unemployment Rates Up in Pittsfield, North Adams
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The latest unemployment figures are out from the Department of Workforce Development and they are not encouraging. The North Adams unemployment rate rose from 5.2 percent to 5.7 percent. This includes the towns of Adams, Clarksburg, Florida, Monroe and Williamstown.
The unemployment rate in Pittsfield went up almost a full percentage point over the past 12 months, from 4 percent in September 2007 to 4.9 percent in September 2008. The Great Barrington area, which includes 13 South County towns, increased from 3.2 percent to 3.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September.
Turn Your Clocks Back One Hour
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Just a reminder that this is the weekend where you turn your clocks back one hour to Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday and most people turn their clocks back one hour, or fall back, before going to sleep tonight.
Fire officials throughout the Berkshires would also like to remind you that this weekend is a great time to change the battery in your smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, just to make sure you have fresh batteries in the units.
District Attorney to Prosecute Former Catholic Priest
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County district attorney's office announced Thursday that it intends to prosecute a former Catholic priest on rape charges.
District Attorney David F. Capeless said he will bring charges against 60-year-old Gary Mercure, who served as a parish priest in Great Barrington and Monterey between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 1986. There was also a New Ashford incident that took place in February 1989.
Both alleged victims are from the Albany, N.Y., area and are now in their 30s. Mercure was indicted this month by a Berkshire County grand jury and will be arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court on Nov. 18 on three counts of rape of a child with force and one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
Monument Mountain Trying to Return to Normal
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — School officials say Monument Mountain High School will be back to normal on Monday after being closed three days last week because of two separate bomb scares.
Students were sent home 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday and the school closed through Friday, when the "threat" reportedly ended. The elementary and middle schools were open on Friday.
No arrests have been made so far but police are collecting information from several people. Police said the bomb threats came in the form of hand-written notes found on Monday and Wednesday. Students will have to make up the lost days sometime during the year.
A Parent Council meeting has been scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. on Monument auditiorium. There will also be class meetings during first and second periods and staff meetings before and after classes.
