Mayor Richard Alcombright joined Walmart employees in the groundbreaking ceremonies.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — At the groundbreaking of the Walmart Supercenter on Friday morning at the construction site on Curran Highway, Mayor Richard Alcombright finally seized his opportunity to deliver a short, powerful phrase.
"I've always wanted to say, 'Welcome to Walmart,'" Alcombright said to a small group of Walmart employees, project organizers and others. "It's a great opportunity."
Similar messages of "growth, jobs, opportunity, [and] employment" were echoed throughout the brief ceremony.
"This is truly a great project, not just for North Adams, but Berkshire County," said Michael Supranowicz, the president and CEO of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.
"A Super Walmart, in my mind, becomes a regional destination," Alcombright said, noting that the 160,000 square-foot store could draw customers from New York, southern Vermont and throughout Berkshire County. With the additional customers, heavier traffic will follow and officials were optimistic that some of that traffic will spillover to the rest of the community's businesses.
"I think this area is perfect for this type of store," State Rep. Gailanne M. Cariddi said. "I see it as an anchor for the rest of the road."
Cariddi also applauded everyone for sticking with the lengthy process. After facing residents' questions and opposition, planning, and receiving approval from the Planning Board, the state's Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and City Hall, the construction finally began. The project's completion follows a timetable of nine to 13 months, according to Alcombright. Alcombright said he expects the project to finish around June 2013.
Construction of the Walmart Supercenter began in the past three weeks and will finish around June 2013, according to Mayor Richard Alcombright.
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Big Y Investigates Conn. Skimmer Incident
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Big Y supermarket discovered skimmers in two of its Connecticut stores last month.
In a press release on Monday, the grocery chain said an unknown individual attached a skimming device to one single terminal in each of its Naugatuck and Plainville locations. The skimmers were found on June 29.
Skimmers are devices that are illegally installed over or inside card readers at places like convenience stores, fuel pumps and ATMs to steal information off the cards. The FBI estimates that skimming costs consumers and financial institutions more than $1 billion a year.
"We are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident, and we notified and are working with law enforcement. We have inspected all of our terminals, and continue to do so. If we learn that any particular customer's information was compromised, we will promptly notify them and provide them with additional information so that they can take steps to protect themselves," according to Jade Rivera- McFarlin, Big Y's manager of communications.
"As a best practice, customers should always review their bank and credit card statements for any signs of fraudulent activity and, if they have any questions or concerns, contact their bank or credit card company directly."
Today, the backyard sport has a presence on national television, merchandise ranging from boards to customized beanbags and partnerships with organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs and Special Olympics.
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The 127,626 square-foot retail center was sold on June 4 for $2.6 million to Guru Realty LLC of Mendon, with listed managers Nitant Raval of Mendon and Chirag Patel of Dalton.
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