Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini will soon retire after 23 years. In an interview, Pedercini reflected on memorable fires, the expansion of the student volunteer firefighter program, and the department's future.
Two warrant articles drafted by the Planning Board will be voted on at Town Meeting on May 22, after the Williamstown Select Board voted to add them to the Town Meeting warrant on Monday. One measure aims to regulate short-term rentals in the Town, while the other would regulate the installation of geothermal heating wells.
The Williamstown Planning Board approved Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity’s application to develop a 1.75-acre lot on Summer Street in the Town’s White Oaks neighborhood at its Jan. 14 meeting. Habitat for Humanity is set to acquire the land from the Williamstown Affordable Housing Trust, and the development, which will be called the Meadowlands Subdivision, will comprise four 1,200 square-foot houses for residents earning 30-percent to 60-percent of the Town’s median income.
One person was wounded in a shooting at the Cole Avenue Apartments, a housing complex at 330 Cole Avenue, at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 22. In response to the incident, the College imposed an 87-minute lockdown of campus.
Students and administrators at Mount Greylock Regional School District established a Black Student Union at the high school last month with support from students at the College.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Western Massachusetts on Nov. 6, signaling a high risk of brush fire amid unseasonably low humidity, warm temperatures, and strong winds. In response to these conditions — which have created the second driest season in Williamstown since 1982 — more than 200 municipalities across the state, including North Adams, have prohibited all outdoor fires.
Gramercy Bistro, a farm-to-table restaurant on Water Street, permanently closed on Oct. 6 after 23 years in business. According to Alexander “Sandy” Smith, the chef and owner of the restaurant, the property’s landlord declined to renew his lease, forcing him out of the space.
The Aso O. Tavitian Foundation donated 331 works of art — which date from the 15th through 19th centuries — to the Clark Art Institute, the museum announced in a press release on Monday. The foundation also gifted $45 million to support a dedicated curator position at the museum and the construction of a new Aso O. Tavitian Wing, which will host the donated collection.
The Williamstown Apothecary — the only pharmacy within a mile of campus — will close on Nov. 14 due to major financial challenges. Its closure will pose accessibility challenges for students seeking over-the-counter medications, prescriptions, and toiletries. In response, the College is working to provide new services that will replace gaps created by the Apothecary’s closure.
Spoon Cafe, a Spring Street establishment that sells frozen yogurt and other treats, will close its doors on Nov. 11. Spoon has operated in a storefront on the ground floor of the Williams College Bookstore since July 2020.
