Below is a preview of the major stories the Transcript staff is working on for the weekend edition. The Transcript posts breaking news and updates on Twitter (@natranscript), on Facebook www.facebook.com/natranscript, on our mobile app and here on our homepage. Have a story idea or have something to contribute to a story below? Feel free to reach out to reporters or contact Editor-in-Chief Michael Foster at mfoster@thetranscript.com or 413-663-3741, ext. 223.
What the Y has to offer: NORTH ADAMS --The Northern Berkshire Y is offering the community a chance to sample its fitness programming, including a new kids-oriented Zumba class led by Becky Miner, during an open house Tuesday.
"Our practice is to annually open our doors and expose the community to as much of the Y as we can in one evening," Executive Director Justin Ihne said. "A lot of community members know we’re here, but they don’t always know what we have to offer. This is the night where we show off our different programs that we have, and the community can come in and try out the Y for free."
The open house, which will run from 5 to 8 p.m., will not only let community members check out the pool, work-out areas and gym, but will also offer a sampling of the individual fitness programs offered throughout the week.
Jennifer Huberdeau is writing
Adding to the Armory: NORTH ADAMS -- With new lines on the floor, the gymnasium of the North Adams Armory can now host volleyball in addition to the winter basketball leagues that it is already home to, but city administrators are envisioning it as the home of a community center in the not-too-distant future.
"With two rounds of Community Development Block Grant funds left before its completion, we’re going to need to sit down as a community and discuss what is going to go there," Mayor Richard J. Alcombright said recently during a meeting of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission, which currently oversees the building. "We envision it as a community center of some sort. How it is managed and what it is used for is what we’ll need to determine. I can see it being used for everything from youth basketball to folks walking there in the morning or even an archery range in the basement. There are so many things that can be located in the office space -- we’ve been approached by the local food pantry and we could locate our emergency shelter there. We still have a lot of thinking to do. Our intent is to see it move forward as a community center."
Jennifer Huberdeau is writing this story and can be reached at jhuberdeau@thetranscript.com, on Twitter @NAT_DigitalJen, or by phone at 413-663-3741, ext. 227.
E. coli update: ADAMS -- Providing an update on the discovery of E. coli in the Tophet and Reed brooks last week, Town Administrator Jonathan Butler says residents will be immediately notified when the results of additional testing come in and that officials are determined to isolate the source.
Phil Demers is writing this story and can be reached at pdemers@thetranscript.com, on Twitter @NAT_DigitalPhil, or by phone at 413-663-3741, ext. 225.
2 1/2 year OUI sentence: NORTH ADAMS -- David W. Cantoni, 57, of Ryan Street in North Adams, was sentenced to two-and-a-half year in a house of correction on an operating under the influence of liquor charge at Northern Berkshire District Court on Friday.
Though a longer sentence was probable, given Cantoni’s admission after the arrest that it was his "seventh or eighth" OUI arrest, the commonwealth was unable to produce evidence of the prior arrests.
Phil Demers is writing this story and can be reached at pdemers@thetranscript.com, on Twitter @NAT_DigitalPhil, or by phone at 413-663-3741, ext. 225.
Scary celebrations: Whether this year’s Hallo ween festivities will bring on traditional ghouls or references to the latest Internet memes remains to be seen, but North County communities have the stage set for holiday fun.
Adams, Cheshire, Savoy, North Adams, Clarksburg, Flor ida, Williamstown, New Ashford and Hancock have all scheduled trick or treating hours for Wednesday, Oct. 31, and some towns have additional festivities planned as well.
Phil Demers is writing this story and can be reached at pdemers@thetranscript.com, on Twitter @NAT_DigitalPhil, or by phone at 413-663-3741, ext. 225.
Comparing like with like: WILLIAMSTOWN -- The Mount Greylock Regional School District’s annual budget is on par with the spending of regional school districts of similar size and demographic.
School Committee member Heather Williams presented an analysis comparing Mount Greylock’s finances to nine other regional school districts in Massachusetts at the board’s meeting this week.
"The idea behind this analysis is that we should compare apples to apples, and figure out whether or not Mount Greylock is spending more than schools like us given the number of students we have, or less," she said.
Meghan Foley is writing this story and can be reached at mfoley@thetranscript.com, on Twitter @NAT_DigitalMeg, or by phone at 413-663-3741, ext. 224.
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