The new Desperados on Eagle Street in North Adams marked its official opening on Wednesday morning with a ribbon cutting. Among those present were Rep. Daniel E. Bosley and Jay Green, administrative officer for the city. The restaurant's been open a couple weeks now and marks a return to the city after closing several years ago. Owner David Atwell, who also operates a Desperados in Williamstown, said he was excited about the opening and is glad to be back in North Adams. He said Legacy Banks is the reason it all happened; he's always loved the building at 23 Eagle St. and wanted to be an owner of his location time and not a renter. There's hope that Desperados will do what it's predecessors have not — succeed, of course, but also draw foot traffic down Eagle Street to help other businesses. Desperados Reopening in North Adams Desperados Returning to City

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Jennifer Barbeau, who turned the anemic Fall Foliage Craft Fair into a rousing downtown success this year, isn't done with Main Street.

Barbeau, an independent consultant with Tastefully Simple, a home-party prepared foods business; her daughter, Kate Barbeau, Diane Daniels and crafter Kathy Turner have teamed up to open The Holiday Stop at 81 Main St. to offer a variety of crafts and merchandise and support nonprofits over the holidays.

Merchandise includes range of handcrafted local items, overstock and bargains: from purses, shawls, linens and jewelery to homebaked goods, crocheted baby sweaters, natural lotions and handmade Christmas decorations. There's also, of course, information about their home businesses; Kate Barbeau sells Miche Bags and Daniels is consultant for Linen World.

"It's a nice opportunity for us to help the community," said Barbeau, since a lot of the sales go to local charities. "We got a lot of donations."

They're selling calendars for the Greylock Animal Hospital, for instance, to raise funds for its Stray and Wildlife Medical Fund. St. John's Episcopal Church's thrift store Gilded Cage has taken over a spot to continue selling its goods through the holiday. Sales of clothing go to Shriners' Hospital; a gift wrapping station benefits Relay for Life. The shop is also accepting food pantry and animal shelter donations.

"We wanted to make this fun, too," said Barbeau, "by bringing people in to talk and do demonstrations."

That means craft and story times for kids, information about what the animal hospital's been helping with its fund and raffles. One of the more popular demonstrations is "elegant napkin folding," said Barbeau, along with bow making. Advance registration is recommended for all activities. The cost: a donation to the food pantry.

The store is open Saturdays 9 to 5; Sundays 9 to 3; sometimes at lunchtime, and for the Thursday night Hometown Holidays events. This Thursday, Dec. 2, there'll be a bow making class at 6:30. Saturday offers a children's program at 10:30 and a Greylock rep will be on hand from 11 to 1. 

The last day is Thursday, Dec. 23.

Update: The shop is a now a FIVE-person venture with the addition of Mary Ann Caproni the "Crochet Queen." Caproni has (adorable!) hats, doll clothes, children's sweaters, purses and more.
 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Shoppers in the downtown should be on the lookout for a mystery man or woman this Thursday browsing local stores. If you guess right, you'll win a $25 gift certificate.

The "Mystery Shopper" contest was resurrected as part of Hometown Holidays, an initiative of the city, Develop North Adams and downtown merchants to encourage people to shop locally. A kids' trivia contest is also being run through Dec. 24.

The Mystery Shopper was a popular North Adams holiday event decades ago. Does anyone remember it?

Downtown patrons will have the chance to track down a mystery shopper on the next four Thursday evenings before Christmas. Two Mystery Shoppers will be browsing stores, restaurants and galleries along Main, Eagle, Ashland, Holden and Marshall streets. Look for clues as to who and where the mystery shoppers will be on each Thursday in the text ads on iBerkshires; there'll also be clues in the local paper.

To make shopping easier, the city has revived the old tradition of free short-term parking along the streets (but not the long-term parking in the municipal lots). The limit is two hours and includes Main, Eagle, Ashland and Marshall streets and American Legion Drive through the end of Christmas weekend, Sunday, Dec. 26.

If you spot a Mystery Shopper all you need to do is ask them "Are you the Mystery Shopper?" based on the clue given for that evening. If you are the first to ask them you win a $25 gift certificate to a favorite downtown business.

One Mystery Shopper will be out between 6 and 7 p.m. and the other from 7 to 8. You have to figure out which one at which time. One prize will be awarded for each identified Mystery Shopper.

We'll give you clues for this Thursday, Dec. 2; look for the next set in the text ads circulating through iBerkshires.

Clue for Shopper 1: My purfect pet feels the beat of my heart.

Clue for Shopper 2: Plowing tops my mind when I go shopping.

For more information, contact Keith Bona, DNA Merchant Committee, at 413-664-6388 or at www.ShopNorthAdamsMA.com.

The city gets a jump-start on the county's holiday season by lighting Main Street's two Christmas trees on Thanksgiving Eve.

Mayor Richard Alcombright will take his first turn at flipping the switch to light up the downtown on Wedneday, Nov. 24, 6:30 p.m. at Monument Square.

The celebration includes, of course, the Drury High School band directed by Chris Caproni, the arrival of Santa Claus on the historic North Adams Trolley bearing gifts of coloring books, crayons, candy canes and scavenger hunt maps of downtown businesses. Goodie bags will be handed out to the first 500 children.

Afterward, the band will go caroling along the downtown, kicking off the monthlong "North Adams Hometown Holidays" event, an initiative of the North Adams downtown merchants and Develop North Adams to showcase the shopping and services available in the city — and to encourage residents to buy local.

The evening will include a treasure hunt within participating businesses for the kids, drawings and music, plus a marshmallow roast, hot cocoa and treats and an appearance by "Jolly the Reindeer."

Window displays are already going up throughout the downtown (the best will get an award later in the month) and plans are to stay open on the traditional Thursday nights (Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 23) when downtown patrons can search for the "mystery shopper" to win a prize. Look for clues to the shopper's identity on iBerkshires (we'll let you know when they post).

On Dec. 2, city galleries will open their doors for "DownStreet Art on Ice," featuring the 99-cent-and-up art sale at MCLA Gallery 51 (get there early because the bargains go fast) and other related activities.

Keep abreast of what's happening at ShopNorthAdams.com.

Specials and sponsorships for Hometown Holiday events are offered by Shima, the Party Place, Desperados, Bark 'N' Cat, Creations, Elf Parlor, Persnickety Toys, Christo's Famous Pizza, Jack's Hot Dogs, K-M Motors, Mia's Consignment, Martha Flood Design, Gallery 51, Empire Antiques, Papyri Books, Edward Jones and Dilego's Jewelry Store. Tranquil Moments Day Spa, Petrino's Cafe, Holiday Inn and Richmond Grille, Physical Therapy of North Adams, I Got Goodies, Dion Money Management and Supreme Pizza and Wings also offer specials and/or sponsorship.

Other sponsors include Develop North Adams, the city of North Adams, the North Adams Transcript, and Donovan and O'Connor, Attorneys at Law. The North Adams Office of Tourism is grateful to Landmark Credit Union, Cascade School Supplies, Big Y Supermarket and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts for their help in staging the tree lighting.

For more information about the tree lighting or any city event, contact the North Adams Office of Tourism at 413-664-6180.

Downtown is getting spruced up. Or should we said "mapled up"? After most of the trees were hacked away on Main Street, the city is back to replanting.

The center median on Main Street will now feature pear trees and Eagle Street is getting some new maples.

Massive tree removal and replacement are part of a $3.2 million streetscape project to renovate downtown. Many of the removed trees were endangering the sidewalks and others were likely to be damaged because of construction.  

The streetscape project won't be completed until summer 2011. It includes the laying of new conduit, sidewalks, lighting and traffic signals along River, Main, Eagle, Holden and Marshall streets, Route 2 and American Legion Drive.

New decorative streetlights have been installed on the lower end of Union Street near and traffic signaling will be installed on the massive columns placed at strategic intersections within the downtown.