| News and events in North Adams, Mass.
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North Adams Still Grappling With Public Safety StructureBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
08:00PM / Friday, January 27, 2012 | |
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Public Safety Committee in trying to balance costs and needs when it decides on a management structure for the police and fire departments.
Mayor Richard Alcombright is proposing what he believes is a lower-cost option to fill the public safety commissioner position that E. John Morocco is leaving empty with his retirement. The proposal is a clear-cut replacement of the position and it would continue the way the fire and police departments operate.
"For all intents and purposes, this is what we have now," Alcombright said when he presented the committee draft job descriptions and flow charts for both dividing the position into two and keeping the 1 Comment
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'Red Tails': ... And Stout of HeartBy Michael S. Goldberger, iBerkshires Film Critic
05:15PM / Friday, January 27, 2012 | |
 Popcorn Column
by Michael S. Goldberger
Twentieth Century Fox
The saga of the Tuskegee Airmen benefits from air support in the George Lucas' film 'Red Tails.'
When first the Tuskegee Airmen take to the sky in "Red Tails," director Anthony Hemingway's action-filled chronicle inspired by the African-American 332nd Squadron's service during WWII, you want to be a pilot, too. At least I did. And the six 15-year-old boys to my right, who quieted down once the pageantry began, apparently agreed.
Cut it any way you wish, this is a war movie, proving that all-black casts are subject to the same bromides that have been a mainstay of the genre ever since the earliest 0 Comments
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Expanded North Adams Carr Hardware To Open MondayBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
05:10PM / Friday, January 27, 2012 | |
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The new Carr Hardware will open its doors on Monday morning at 7:30 — a month earlier than expected — and a grand opening celebration is planned for April.
The hardware and paint supply store just completed an expansion by moving its business from State Street to the former Carbone Auto Sales on State Road. The new 10,000-square-foot building at least triple the size of the previous location and will feature 30,000 new items.
"It's a great location. We're thrilled about the location and the outside opportunity and the parking," said co-owner Bart Raser on Friday, describing the interior of the store as "super nice." "We're 3 Comments
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Superior Court Briefs: January 23 - January 27Staff Reports,
02:44PM / Friday, January 27, 2012 | |
 , 51, of Pittsfield had not a guilty plea entered on his behalf on one count of rape.
Jones was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $5,000 cash or $50,000 surety bail. Jones allegedly sexually assaulted a 39-year-old woman in Pittsfield on December 31, 2011.
, 24, of Pittsfield was found not guilty on one count of rape.
A jury deliberated for about three hours and returned the not guilty verdict. Labounty was accused of sexually assaulting a 40-year-old woman in Pittsfield on August 6, 2010.
, 34, of Pittsfield - also known as Sleepy - pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of cocaine, three counts of drug violation in a school zone and a single count of 0 Comments
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Winter Weather Advisory In Place Thursday into FridayBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
02:32PM / Thursday, January 26, 2012 | |
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The roads are expected to be slick for the commute home Thursday.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter advisory notice from 4p.m. until Friday morning at 7 a.m. with freezing rain, sleet and snowmoving into the region.
The service is not expecting much accumulation of snow but about a tenthof an inch of freezing rain is expected to fall. The storm is expectedto start as snow and sleet but when the temperatures drop in the eveningit, it will switch to freezing rain. The rain is expected to continuethrough much of Friday.
The service warns of power outages, fallen tree limbs and slippery roads.
The Adams Free Library will close at 5 p.m. on Thursday 0 Comments
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MCLA Hosts Annual Blues & Funk Festival| 10:51AM / Thursday, January 26, 2012 | |
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The 7th annual MCLA Blues and Funk Festival will bring two nights of “soul-pumpingmusic,” featuring the Berkshires' own Misty Blues and rising star Blitz the Ambassador on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3-4.
According to Jonathan Secor, director of special programs at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, audiences can expect a little old school, a little new school, and an all-around weekend of great music and musicians.
"We kick it off old-school style with Gina Coleman and Misty Blues channeling the great women of the blues — from the great Etta James, whom we recently lost, to Bessie Smith," Secor said. "Gina and the band will 0 Comments
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Clarksburg Setting Search Panel to Vet New AdministratorBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
11:55PM / Wednesday, January 25, 2012 | |
 CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The new chairman of the Selectmen pledged a "transparent process" in the selection of a new town administrator.
Carl McKinney, elected as chairman just minutes before, told a crowded Selectmen's meeting on Wednesday that the replacement for Town Administrator Michael Canales would be vetted by a search committee.
"I would like to have an open and transparent process," said McKinney. "There are no backroom deals. There is no preferential treatment; there is nobody who has been selected in a backroom discussion. ... My goal is to get the town back to where we were."
But the problems of having a two-man board quickly surfaced as he and 14 Comments
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Sen. Scott Brown Asserts His Independence At Pittsfield StumpBy Andy McKeever,
06:27PM / Wednesday, January 25, 2012 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is using his election campaign to assert his independence as one of the nation's most bipartisan politicians.
Brown kicked off campaigning last week and stopped in at the Ralph J. Froio Senior Center to meet with voters on Wednesday. There the Wrentham Republican assured voters in the heavily Democratic region that he is not a "rock thrower" and can work with Democrats.
"I am doing exactly what I said I would do, which is to read the bills and see how they affect Massachusetts, our country, our debt and our deficit, and vote. I am the most bipartisan person in the delegations by at least 20, 25 points and probably one of the most 8 Comments
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State Auditor Wants More Effective GovernmentBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Wednesday, January 25, 2012 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Suzanne Bump has been shaking up the state auditor's office, refocusing its mission from just ensuring compliance to making government more efficient and effective.
A year into her post, Bump said she's using her experience as former state secretary of labor and legislator to bring a broader perspective to the office's objectives and find ways to collaborate.
"The role of the state auditor is to follow the money," the Great Barrington resident told members of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce at an "Eggs & Issues" breakfast on Wednesday at the Country Club of Pittsfield.
The traditional questions, she said, "have been what did you 1 Comment
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North Adams Council Sets Hearing for Solar PresentationBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
10:33PM / Tuesday, January 24, 2012 | |
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Tuesday's City Council meeting ran more smoothly than usual but still stumbled over procedure on two agenda items.
It was the first council meeting under new rules that limited public participation on agenda items to comments only at the beginning of the meeting.
There was some grumbling by frequent speakers Robert Cardimino and Mark Trottier, who said it was difficult to provide opinions on agenda items because of they lack of information.
The agenda and documents can be found here.
"None of the city's papers are posted on the city website," said Trottier, referring to communications and other documentation in the "packets" given to councilors 23 Comments
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