North Adams Library Trustees Firm on Cariddi Fund Use

The Berkshire Eagle  reports the library trustees are hesitant to use money left by state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi to address major maintenance needs.

Chairwoman Robin Martin told the trustees Wednesday that she recently met with Mayor Thomas Bernard who asked that the trustees consider using the money left by the late Cariddi to go toward some of the maintenance concerns in the original part of the library.

The state representative and former city councilor passed away in 2017 and left a considerable amount of money to the city. Cariddi left the library $175,000 from her estate plus a $7,500 gift to go toward establishing an astronomy program.

Martin said the mayor thought the funds could go toward plans or design work. Complete design work would better position the library for grant funding that could address the many maintenance issues in the 150-year-old Sanford Blackinton mansion.

Trustee Tara Jacobs said there are no real stipulations attached to the bulk of the money left in the estate. She said their only guidance is that it goes toward maintenance, operational, and programming needs in the library.

The trustees agreed that it would be OK for some of the money to go toward this work but did not think emptying the fund was appropriate.

"I can see using a bit of it but I can't see using it all," Jacobs said. "I don't think that was the spirit of it ... it makes the money become invisible in terms of legacy."

Trustee Sara Farnsworth said said she would not be comfortable tapping more than a third of the fund and felt the money should not be used to address maintenance issues the city has deferred.