Letters: It's All Dick's Fault

To the Editor:

"It's All Dick's Fault!"

On Jan. 27, 2011, Cariddi Auto Agency's building burned to a total loss. The building was not salvageable.  Mayor Alcombright came to the scene of the fire and sought me out to console me as a business owner watching my 29 years of work, go up in smoke. The North Adams Fire Department did a wonderful job, along with many of the local town fire departments, bringing the fire under control with their efforts on that cold night, we were in good hands! My hats off to the North Adams Fire Department and all of the fire fighters that provided mutual aid!

Mayor Alcombright was a serious inspiration to the ongoing existence of my business! I told him if we were going to survive this fire, we were going to have to find a temporary location to set up shop. He assured me that he would do all he could to help with that process and advised, when I find a temporary location, to let him know in the form of a letter. Well with the help of other business friends and family we relocated on Jan. 28 a little further down Curran Highway. We created the letter and delivered it to Mayor Alcombright on that same morning. With a lot of friends, valued customers and family we emptied the burnt-out building and set up shop down the street on Jan. 29. It was a fast move!  

At the time, Cariddi Auto and Tunnel City Transport employed about 12 full-time and five part-time employees. Without the extensive support of Mayor Alcombright and his staff granting permission allowing the emergency move, all of these people would have been out of work and it may have been the demise of our 29 year old company!

So to summarize the facts:

"It's All Dicks Fault!!"

1) Cariddi Auto/Tunnel City Transport – Reopened 48 hours after a devastating fire.
2) Not one employee lost a day's pay or got laid off.
3) Cariddi Auto/Tunnel City Transport – built a new state of the art building.
4) Cariddi Auto/Tunnel City Transport is steadily growing and has since then doubled its work force in the city.
5) We have two new business neighbors down the street.
6) The new Wal-Mart is newly opened up the street.
7) Crane is still here with a larger work force.
8) Main Street merchants have been moving around and expanding.
9) Our city is a pleasant place to live – with reasonable cost of living expenses.
10) We're getting a city landmark school restored to its once grandeur, where many of my family and close friends graduated from high school and many of our local citizens can tell you about the fun high school day stories.  I know: I went there as a middle school student in 1977 – 1978 as the first graduating middle school class.  My mother was a teacher and I received my diploma from my mom in that gym.  A savored memory!  My dad graduated high school there. Hopefully, my grandchildren will also go there!
11) I know that 24/7, I can walk down any street in North Adams and feel safe. Try that in other local communities; I have been on these streets many nights plowing and towing and I have been in other cities when I was scared to death, to say the least.  My hats off to the local North Adams Police Department.
12) REMEMBER ON ELECTION DAY: It's all Dick's fault! Let's allow him to continue his ability to make North Adams a better place. Out future is RIGHT with Alcombright!
 

Guy Cariddi
North Adams
Oct. 31, 2013