North Adams Transcript from North Adams, Massachusetts • 8

1 Page A8 North Adams Transcript I KOM PAf iF Wednesday, April 23, 2008 www.TheTranscript.com New York investor purchases former Taconic Restaurant By Bonnie Obremski North Adams Transcritt ttHi JAMSTOWN A New York investor spending millions to renovate the former Delftree building on Union Street in North Adams bought the former Taconic Restaurant on the Cold Spring Road portion of Route7onTuesdayafemoonforthe bargain price of $150,000. Ariel Sutain of Long Beach, N.Y., a managing partner at Wave Realty, bought the property from the South Adams Savings Bank through Realtor Philip Coleman, a sales associate at Harsch Associates Inc. The bank most recently listed the restaurant at $199,000. That figure, however, had been reduced from previous list prices the bank posted in the months following the December 2006 foreclosure. The bank foreclosed on the former upscale, family restaurant in 2006 after owner and chef James Guiden had difficulty paving bills.

Sutain could not be reached at his office on Tuesday evening. Coleman said he understood Sutain did not yet have definitive plans for the former landmark restaurant Sutain has already hired a team of nearly a dozen people, however, to help repair and restore the building, according to Coleman. Some of those contractors began working immediately following the sale on Thursday afternoon. "We're all very happy he's stepping up Coleman said of Sutain. "The building really does need some attention and this is a great opportunity.

The town needs it," Coleman said repairing the roof, removing mold and general refurbishing are a few of the items on the construction crew's to-do list "There's a lot to do there, believe me," he said. Paul Harsch, president of Harsch Associates, said the sale took him slightly by surprise, since he had watched' several other investors lose interest when they learned that zoning restrictions limited the property's use to tourist business. Harsch has been supporting an ammendment to the town's zoning bylaw that would allow some busi nesses to open offices in derelict buildings on Cold Spring Road. Sutain bought the Delftree building, which he is calling the NoAMA building for "North Adams, Massachusetts," in April for $820,900. He has said in the past he has plans to develop the century-old mill into retail and restaurant space or condominiums, but has no formal plans yet Fire: Building avoided extensive damage service Thanks for the r- i 1 1 1 1 i fi' i Continued from Page A1 unnoticed for some time.

The, alarm rang at 4 a.m., and a fire crew led by Lt. Matt LaBonte' arrived moments later. said he was told if )Jfe fire had continued another 15 minutes or so, it could have spread to the roof and caused extensive damage. He said he has had a problem with people dumping trash behind the building for some time. He said he had stacked up an old armchair, a pile of wood, some wooden tables, three discarded microwave ovens and other debris on Friday so that a contractor could come and haul everything away Saturday afternoon.

Before mat could happen, someone set fire to the pile. According to Meranti, the burning chair caused most of the damage, with flames shooting high the smoky smell was gone by Monday, in time for the bowling alley to host events for students on spring vacation: Meranti said he believes the fire started sometime between 2:30 and 4 a.m. because a police officer had driven by the building at 2:30 and noticed nothing amiss. He asked anyone who saw anything suspicious or heard anyone talking about the fire to call Lt. Joseph Beverly at 664-4923 or Detective Richard Lesniak at 664-4944! "Thank God he had that alarm system," Meranti said.

Superneau also credited the system with preventing potential catastrophe. "We and other businesses complained a lot about the state's new regulations after the Rhode Island nightclub fire, but it's well worth it," he said. enough to destroy a section of metal flashing near the roof "It must have really been ing," Supemeau said, adding that two'electrical junction boxes were also damaged. He said he would not know the total amount of damage until an insurance appraiser makes an inspection. "The alarm rang at my house about 4 a.m." he said.

"By the time I got here, they had it pretty well controlled and had fans out and the front doors wide open to get rid of the smoke. Matt LaBonte and crew did just an excellent job." The smell of smoke lingered at the bowling alley all day Saturday and Sunday, Superneau said, but the recent spell of warm weather proved fortunate because he could leave all the building's doors open and keep fans going. Almost all of Ryan HuttonNorth Adams Transcript Selectmen chairman Paul Astorino, left, presented Robert Copeland, right, with a plaque for his 20 years of service to the Cheshire Police Department as Police Chief Tim Garner stands by. Copeland recently retired from the force. NARH: Hospital recycled 42 tons of paper SMITH BOILERS Cut your heating bills up tp 30! plus Make it a Grcylock Loan Heating Oil Special Financing Greylock Federal Credit Union: tor of Environmental Services at the hospital.

Center for Ecological Technology contractors transport the hospital's waste paper, which contains confidential patient infor- mation, in secured vehicles to a mill Jn Erving, where machines shred the documents and turn the pulp into tissue paper. Choon credited the staff's overall concern for a healthy planet as a primary reason so many of its members recycle paper. He said there are also recycling baskets next to every desk. He estimated the hospital recycles about 35 percent of the materials in its waste stream cost of dispos-; ing of recyclable material is "significantly" less than disposing of trash, Choon said. Continued from Page A1 doing their small part, they will really be able to make a difference," Cahillane said.

"We demonstrate the significant benefits from their collective efforts." Cahillane listed North Adams" Regional Hospital, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, Williams College, Berkshire Bank, Dion Money Management, Village Ventures, Storey Publishing and C.W Construction as Northern Berkshire customers: North Adams Regional Hospital alone recycled 42 tons of paper in 2007, up from 30, tons in 2006, according to Joseph Choon, direc The Center for Ecological Technology is 32-year old non-profit organization supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council that has offices in Pittsfield, Northampton and Springfield. The center's mission is to "research, develop, demonstrate and promote those technologies, which have the least disruptive impact on the natural ecology of the Earth," according to its Web site, www.cetonline.org. In addition to paper, the center also helps businesses, schools, towns and households dispose of rechargeable batteries, cell phones, ink jet and laser printer toner cartridges, electronics, cardboard, fluorescent lamps, scrap metal and organic material. Call today to schedule a free estimate. The Series 8, with its rugged cast iron construction, offers commercial quality in a residential boiler.

The series 8 offers higher heat retention, better combustion, quiet operation and superior performance. 'Offer Ends May 30th, 2008 LIFETIME WARRANTY Three people charged in stabbing death WORCESTER (AP). Three people have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the stabbing death of a 35-year-old Westborough man in Worcester. The body of Jack McGuire was; discovered inside a BMW parked on Florence Street on Monday. Police and prosecutors said Tuesday that McGuire was stabbed during a fight that began early Monday after he allegedly tried use a fake gun to rob a street dealer of crack cocaine.

McGuire was stabbed in his upper left leg, severing a major artery. Those charged were 26-year-old April Marlborough of Wales, 28-year-old Janleer Povez and 37-year-old Lance Savage, who are believed to have no permanent address in Worcester A judge on Tuesday ordered the suspects held without bail. Service Heating North Adams 663-6588 Pittsfield 499-4800 1 7 J5' I Room Makeover Contest Opportunity to do a Spring Makeover of a room in your home and have a chance to WIN a cash prize worth 1500.00 RULES: a Berkshire Healthcare Renabititation Nursing Senior Housing www.berkshireheaithcare.org 1 Reader must submit entry form with before photo of the room they are plannin makeover by April 1 8, 2008. 2. At completion of project, reader must submit (3) proofs of purchase receipts fn advertisers that are participating in this home improvement section with FINAU PHOTO.

3. All entries must be in by May 9, 2008. 4. Winner will be notified by May 5. Winner will have a story published about them in the North Adams Transcript May 22, 2008.

Photos and entries can be dropped off or mailed to the Transcript. Photos can also be emailed to advertisingthetranscript.com That word defines a big part of our nonprofit mission. ENTRY FORM Name Address Being responsive to our residents and their families is our first priority. But being responsive to the healthcare needs of the community is important to us, too. As a nonprofit, our goal is to provide the community with services of value.

To that end, our dedicated employees work together to provide quality care to our residents every day And our facilities assess their community's healthcare needs and develop programs to meet them. For us, responsiveness is an ongoing pursuit. Our residents' needs change over time, and so do the needs of the community. As those needs change, we'll change with them. That's not what we have to do.

what we want to do. To find out more, stop by the Berkshire Healthcare facility near you or call 1-800-445-4560. We're Perfecting the Art of Superior Care. Phone Number (Please circle one below) Attached Photo Emailed Photo iVurll) hw (tramrripl P.O Box 1840 North Adams, MA 01 247 www.TheTranscript.com AMtGtoylock lain irtr wttmnns -Hillcrest Commons phone (413) 663-7942x275 fax (413) 662-2792 KimhaJl Rirms Commons czi, i.