Food Drive to Benefit North Adams Food Pantry

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city of North Adams will hold a food drive from Monday, Nov. 5, through Thursday, Nov. 15, to benefit the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative's Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry, located at 43 Eagle St.

Collection boxes decorated by students from the North Adams Public Schools will be available at City Hall, the North Adams Public Schools central office, the North Adams Public Library, the Mary Spitzer Center and the North Adams police and fire departments.

Suggested non-perishable foods for donation include: tuna, peanut butter, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, pasta sauce, low sodium canned vegetables (e.g. potatoes, green beans, carrots), low sodium soups, whole grain cereals (low sugar) and/or oatmeal, canned fruits (no sugar added) and beans (e.g. kidney beans and garbanzo beans). In addition, personal care items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and shampoo also are welcome.

North Adams Mayor Thomas Bernard will deliver the collected items to the food pantry on Friday, Nov. 16, at 9 a.m. At the time of delivery, there will be a weigh-in to determine how much has been collected to benefit those in the community in need of donations.

Clarksburg Officials Debate Need for School Repairs, Renovations

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:46PM / Thursday, January 16, 2025

Select Board member Colton Andrews stands next to a bucket catching leaks as he talks to the joint gathering. 

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — School officials acknowledged that Clarksburg School is need of renovation or rebuild but declined to commit at this point to plan of action.

 

"We can't say that because it hasn't even been put out to the town," said School Committee member Cynthia Brule. "So I mean, we could say, 'yeah, I want a new school,' but it means nothing."

 

The comments had come during a joint meeting of the Select Board and School Committee last week over what to do with the leaking roof. 

 

"We're dealing with a pretty leaky roof that's affecting several classrooms," said Superintendent John Franzoni. "The leaks are continuing and impacting the classroom learning."

 

Select Board Chair Robert Norcross had pushed for the committee to make a declaration after talks with the governor's Western Mass office over the lingering $500,000 in a bond bill for the roof. 

 

He and Assistant Superintendent Tara Barnes had spoken with Kristen Elechko, Western Mass regional director, he said, and Barnes had mentioned the school could use more than a roof. 

 

"Kristen sent me an email the next day saying that I can't go for a roof if we're going to go for a new school or if we're going to go for something bigger," Norcross said. "You have to decide quickly what we want to do, because all these deadlines are coming up. So that's why I wanted to push the meeting forward and that's why I asked the Finance Committee and the Select Board to be here, because we got to make a decision tonight."