NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city ended 2022 with a partial solution to its problematic public safety building, the feds taking interest in the flood chutes, new faces at City Hall and the opening of a $20 million cannabis cultivation facility.
Temescal Wellness cut the ribbon in September on a 72,000-square-foot, more than $20 million state-of-the-art cannabis cultivation facility. The plant in the Hardman Industrial Park had been the home of Crane & Co. until it closed the year before. The new facility is expected to add 80 jobs to the city's economy.
Another cannabis venture went nowhere when the mayor filed a suit against the Planning Board and the operator. Rustin Kluge of New England Alchemy LLC had been approved for an outdoor cultivation facility on Ashland Street but neighbors loudly opposed the idea.
The year saw a number of businesses move and expand: Common Folk purchased its own space on Holden Street after years of moving about the downtown; the Plant Connector expanded from its small space on Eagle Street to larger quarters on Main; and Savvy Hive moved out of Berkshire Emporium to a new location a few doors down.
Police and fire officials have been complaining about the state of the obsolete public safety building for decades and city officials have guided numerous state and federal representatives through it in hopes of gaining funding to replace the 60-year-old building.
The issue came to a head again in 2021 when the local police union, Massachusetts Coalition of Police (MCOP) Local 382, offered a litany of problems with the deteriorating structure that officers said were hampering their ability work and serve the public.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey in December informed the City Council the police force would be moving out of the American Legion Drive building for new digs in the Berkshire Plaza. Police had urged the former administration to consider the former juvenile court; Macksey anticipated the use of the court for at least two to three years until a decision can be made on the old public safety building. The Fire Department will continue to operate out of American Legion Drive.
Hoosic River, Opioid Studies
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren gets a firsthand view of the flood control chutes.
The federal government appears to be taking the condition of the flood control chutes seriously. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was in the city in August take a look at the critical 70-year-old infrastructure, and said Congress will need to "nudge" the Army Corps of Engineers into action.
U.S. Rep. Richie Neal secured $200,000 in federal funding that along with $1 million from the state and $500,000 from the city will go toward a $3 million feasibility study of the river's run through the city.
Jessica Lincourt was appointed as city assessor, Diane Stevens came on as executive assistant to the mayor and Katherine Eade returned to City Hall when Administrative Officer Angeline Lopes Ellison took a job in Fair Haven. Library Director Sarah Sanfilippo also left and was replaced by Veronica Clark.
The city clerk's office had the most dramatic turnover as it went through as many clerks in a matter of months as it had in nearly three decades. The year started with City Clerk Cathleen King and assistant Marcus Lyon; King quit about a year into her term and Lyon was promoted but left months later. He was replaced by his second assistant during that time, Joshua Vallieres, who was appointed as permanent clerk at the end of July after a month alone in the office as acting clerk. Tina-Marie Leonesio joined him as assistant clerk in September.
The drama in the clerk's office was a component of the tensions that continued to plague the City Council throughout 2022. Both King and Lyon had complained about toxic behavior and Lyon publicly vented on his Facebook page. Councilors Jennifer Barbeau and Marie T. Harpin had both voted against Vallieres' appointment and both have filed Open Meeting Law complaints against the council, committees and boards, with Harpin filing one against Councilor Keith Bona recently.
The disagreements have spilled over onto social media, private communications and sharp words between councilors during meetings. Councilor Ashley Shade has attempted to come up with a code of conduct for councilors but has so far been unsuccessful.
On the school side, Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Roberts-Morandi became superintendent of the Sutton school district and was replaced by Drury Principal Timothy Callahan and Nancy Rauscher became director of school finance and operations and Bobbi Tassone replaced her assistant to the administrator. Stephanie Kopala was named principal of Drury and Anne Riello took over at Greylock Elementary when Principal Sandra Cote left for Clarksburg School.
Mohawk on Pause
One of Macksey's first actions as mayor was killing the deal to sell the Mohawk Theater to a private developer for use in his plans for a hotel on Main Street. The plans had been opposed by some members fo the public and the new mayor pledged to take residents' ideas into account on the next request for proposals. The vacant movie house's use as some form of entertainment venue — which it is not structured for — was again a favorite idea but a subsequent RFP failed to attract a single bid.
The city took possession of the former dry cleaning shop in 2019 as part of a portfolio of properties transferred by the now-dissolved Housing Opportunities Inc. That process took several years because of site testing and over concerns of liabilities for cleanup.
Another River Street structure that had been the site of a fatal fire 60 years ago also was razed. The former Harvest Ministries soup kitchen was taken down to make way for an estimated $2 million restaurant as part of the Porches resort campus.
But another significant downtown building is finally getting a makeover. The Tower and Porter Block has been empty for years and, early in 2022, new owner Veselko Buntic got approval to transform it into eight apartments. Over the past year, the exterior of the structure has been rehabilitated.
A second building on Eagle Street, the former Moderne Studio, was sold at auction in December with the hopes that the new owner will invest in the crumbling historic structure and the old St. Francis rectory was torn down.
People in the News
Orella Robare marks 100 years.
Two former mayors found new roles in the community with Thomas Bernard taking on the leadership of Berkshire United Way and Richard Alcombright, who retired from MountainOne, working with MassHire to create workforce solutions for businesses.
Seven-year-old Quinn Battaini-Barnaby was recognized by the Police Department for being calm and efficient in getting emergency medical services to her mother's aid and longtime EMT David Burdick was lauded by McCann Technical for his 35 years of service to the school and its athletic program.
A group of E3 Academy students were back in the news after Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts republished a cookbook of healthy, nutritious and affordable meals they put together seven years earlier.
Officers Jonathan Beaudreau and Taylor Kline and dispatcher Kaitlyn LaValley received commendations for their swift actions during a shooting incident in February that saved the lives of two victims.
The Arnold family spent more than three decades welcoming residents to the annual Christmas wonderland on their lawn. 2022 was the last year for the extravaganza and the Arnolds were named as grand marshals of the Fall Foliage Parade along with MaryAnn and Leon King (Mr. and Mrs. Claus for many years.)
The Ugly
The city was the site of two murders in 2022. Jillian Tatro, 38, was stabbed to death in her Charles Street apartment in June; her husband, Luis Rosado, has been charged with her murder.
Doris A. Cote, 74, was murdered in November inside her Church Street home. Her granddaughter, Kelsie Cote has been charged in her murder.
City men Paul Starbird, 20, and Keith Larrabee, 27, were both indicted by a grand jury with assault with intent to murder, among other charges, related the shooting incident outside Key West in February.
Brian McCreary, 33, who was captured on film several times inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2020, next to the so-called "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley, was sentenced to three years of probation for trespassing.
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