Issue #63 | Friday, February 10, 2023

Congratulations to Bailey’s Bakery for reopening in their new space at 55 Main Street! Grab yourself a warm cinnamon bun and a cup of joe to celebrate.

Mayor Jennifer A. Macksey is seeking nominations from the public for the Women’s History Hall of Fame. The winner will be inducted into the Hall of Fame and be added to the official plaque hanging inside City Hall. Forms must be submitted by February 20, 2023.

Nominees that are eligible are women who have contributed to the growth of women’s rights, have had a positive impact on the community, and have been an overall example of courage, strength and wisdom. The goal of this project is to spotlight the important and unrecognized women of the City of North Adams that deserve to be finally acknowledged for their tireless work.

The nomination form requires biographical information regarding the nominee, a resume or other written materials that showcase the personal and professional accomplishments, awards, and other achievements qualifying them the nomination, along with other supporting materials like a photograph or items of interest if possible.

Those interested in nominating someone can submit a nomination form to the Mayor’s office by mail: City Hall, 10 Main Street, North Adams, MA 01247 or via email to dstevens@northadams-ma.gov.

Mayor Macksey will announce the winner at the North Adams City Council meeting on March 14. 2023.

North County Happenings

North Adams WinterFest returns on February 18

All events are FREE to the public.

WinterFest Events Schedule:
Ice Carving Downtown - Approx. 9AM - 4PM
Fun in the Snow at Colegrove Park - 10AM - 4PM
Artisan & Craft Market at Terra Nova (85 Main) - 10AM - 3PM
Hot Cocoa & Cookies with MountainOne - 10AM - 12PM
Children's Carnival at First Baptist Church - 11AM - 1PM
Community Bonfire on Main St. - 12PM -2PM
Chowder Cookoff - 12PM - 2PM
Horse-drawn wagon rides - 1-3PM on Main Street
Children's Reading with Mayor Macksey - 2PM - 2:30PM
Free skating and rentals at the North Adams Skating Rink from 2-4PM

Participate in the Chowder Cookoff

Sponsored by:
MountainOne, Terra Nova Church - North Adams, MA, First Baptist Church

>>Monthly Events<<

Every First Saturday | 9-1 p.m. | North Adams INDOOR Market at Terra Nova

Every Friday | 8-close | Karaoke at State Street Tavern
Every 1st & 3rd Sunday | 7 p.m. | Karaoke Night at The Log in Williamstown
Every 2nd Saturday | 8 p.m. | Comedy Night at Bright Ideas Brewing
January-March | Free Admission to The Clark Art Institute

Common Folk Artist Collective
Every Friday | 6-8 p.m. | Common Craft Night
Every 2nd Tuesday | 5-7 p.m. | Herbalist Meet-up
Every 2nd Sunday | 1-3 p.m. | Adams Artist Meet-up | St. Marks Church in Adams

Upcoming

February 11 | 8 p.m. | Live Music at Tourists
February 16 | 11:30-2:30 | Arts & Humanities Virtual Internship Fair
February 19 & 26 | Speed Dating Event Hosted by Secret Stash at Bounti-Fare Restaurant
February 20 | 5 p.m. | Dried Flower Crown Workshop with Full Well Farm | The Plant Connector
February 23 | 9-10 a.m. | MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board Working with High School Interns Session
February 23 | 9 a.m. | Better Financial Management Workshop | Williamstown Chamber of Commerce and MSBDC

BCC Offers Free Choke Saver Training and Food Handler’s Certification for Berkshire County

NAACP Berkshires | White Learning Programs
Every other Sunday from October to May

Want your event listed? Submit the listing here

The Blackshires Leadership Accelerator is a fantastic opportunity for anyone who wants to make a difference in their community. Over 10 to 15 weeks, you'll join a group of like-minded individuals on a personal and professional growth journey.

The program will provide a stipend of $1,000
A completion grant award for your specified project.
( Amount to be determined)

Black Community/Economic Empowerment Leadership Accelerator:

A community-owned and informed online/offline platform devoted to community development and “leadership education.” The program is guided by the values and interests of the community and serves as a forum for community members to connect easily. Thereby encouraging collaboration between organizations and community stakeholders to solve issues faced by the community:

The Program Goal

Develop the next generation of strong community leadership for municipalities, planning boards, and committees, especially among Black Berkshire County Residents.

Who is the program for?

The Blackshires Leadership program is for BIPOC individuals who are interested in making a difference in the community but just need the resources and support to get their projects, organization, or business off the ground and running successfully.

Where do you apply?

To apply for the program and find out more information, please visit our website at https://blackshires.net/leadership/ and click the apply button to complete the questionnaire.

If you or you know someone interested in this opportunity, please send them our way or have them fill out our application form at https://blackshires.net/leadership/

Application deadline: Feb. 28th, 2023

Funding Opportunities

Biz-M-Power Updates

The program has increased the matching grant from a 1:1 match to a 2:1 match. This means businesses receive $2 from MGCC for every $1 raised in crowdfunding. There is approximately $5.8 million in funding still available. This program is open until June 30, 2023. Monthly reviews will be posted on MGCC Biz-M-Power website.

Best Foot Forward Facade Improvement Micro-Grants
Deadline: Applications are now open and grants will be awarded until funding is exhausted.
Apply HERE

Do you operate a first floor business?
Does your facade need updating?
Would an update improve the aesthetics of our downtown commercial district?

If you answered "YES" to these questions, help is here! 1Berkshire is accepting applications for their Best Foot Forward Facade Improvement Micro-Grants. A minimum of 47 grants of between $500-$1000 will be made available on a rolling basis to small businesses and organizations with first-floor store fronts. A maximum of $7,000 in awards will be made within any specific municipality. Priority will be given to businesses who did not receive facade improvement grants in 2022.

Community Sub-Award Application: "Insert Here" Vacant Window Art Pilot Program

1Berkshire, thanks to a one-time grant award, is excited to announce the opportunity for up to three (3) sub-award grants to communities, community organizations or individuals in Berkshire County municipalities to support the commissioning and installation of high visibility vinyl window art pieces in vacant storefront windows of downtown commercial buildings available for rent. Only one sub-award grant can be made in any single municipality, and a letter of support from the municipality is required for consideration (NOTE: municipalities should only provide one (1) organization/individual letter of support for this program to prevent redundant applications within any individual community).

Organizations that apply may be municipalities, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, or unofficial organizations/individuals with a proven track record of project execution of this type and scale. Sub-awardee grants will be at least $5,000 each, and all work (i.e. selection of artist/art, production of vinyls, installation, etc.) must be completed by June 30th, 2023. Up to 10% of the sub-awardee grant may be utilized for administrative expenses associated with the coordination of the project. Reporting of all expenses and photos of final installations are required to be submitted by the June 30th, 2023 deadline. Failure to do so will result in the sub-awardee returning the full amount of funding back to 1Berkshire.

The Deadline to apply for this opportunity is March 3rd, 2023 and decisions will be made on awards by March 10th, 2023. Grant decisions will be based on a thorough review of all responses to this application.

Massachusetts Cultural Council

• Jul 23 Grant | Martha Boschen Porter Fund

• Aug 1 Grant | Berkshire Taconic Artist Resource Trust (for individuals)

• ongoing Grant | Hilary Teachout Covid-19 Relief Grant

• ongoing Grant | The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant

• ongoing Grant | Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Grants

• monthly Awesome Foundation Grant

• rolling Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism

• rolling Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants

• rolling Creative Capital x Skoll x Kickstarter Funds for Asian/Black/Indigenous/Latinx Creators

• rolling A.P.E. Open Call for Project Proposals

• rolling BridgeSong Fund: Emergency Relief for Women, Nonbinary, and Genderqueer Artists of Color

• rolling New England Musicians Relief Fund

• ongoing NEFA Grant Finder List
  
  Provided by the Artist Impact Coalition

  Financial Opportunities from the Berkshire Black Economic Council 
  

  FOR NEW ENGLAND BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES: 

  Power Forward Small Business grant (rolling deadline)

  FOR NEW ENGLAND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES: 

  MBDA Small Business Center’s Covid-19 Relief

  FOR MASSACHUSETTS BLACK- OR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES: 

  Mass Mutual Catalyst Fund (MMCF)

  FOR WESTERN MA WOMEN, NONBINARY, AND GENDERQUEER ARTISTS OF COLOR:

  BridgeSong Fund Emergency Relief

The Empower Digital Grant Program has modified its grant terms to include additional funding (up to $5000) for capital expenses that can help small businesses to expand or improve their digital capabilities. As a result, applicants may pursue up to $5000 of grant funding for digital services and $5000 of grant funding for relevant capital expenses.

Workshops & Webinars

February 14 | 1:30-2:30 p.m. | 8 Customer Retention Tips for Small Businesses
February 14 | 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Learning the Lean Business Model Canvas

Connect with Us!

North Adams Chamber Business Development Team
Marketing: Makayla-Courtney McGeeney
Business: Nico Dery