image description — General manager and owner Derek Dubie, left, and service manager Norm Haskins in front of a lifted truck in their expanded service center.

North Adams' K-M Toyota Expands Service Center

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:08AM / Monday, May 05, 2025Print Story | Email Story

The service center is located next to the main building at 51 West Main St.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — K-M Toyota has revamped its old body shop on West Main Street to better accommodate the service needs of its customers.

The body shop was closed down a few years ago, and has been used intermittently since, said Dennis Dubie, owner of K-M Toyota.

He decided it would be a great service area because it has enough room to be able to work on bigger vehicles. That took some investment and renovation.

"We had to take and change everything in the body shop to make it desirable for a service area," Dubie said.

He explained that Toyota had historically manufactured smaller automobiles but models and the brand have changed during the 62 years K-M Toyota has been in business in the county.

"Years ago Toyota was all small cars and now they've grown to very large cars so we knew that we had to make a change," he said. "We decided rather than just have it as a regular area to go in and service your Corolla, so to speak, we had a lot of room in there and the thing to do was to probably set it up for full-size vehicles."

A new heavy duty lift, new compressor, and two cranes have been installed. It also has more space for technicians to work around trucks and sport utility vehicles.

"With the equipment that we put in there, it is designed right now where we not only can do big engine and transmission repairs we can replace engines, we can replace transmissions," Dubie said.

The new equipment and space will help technicians work on bigger-sized trucks and SUVs regardless of the make or model whereas before the service area was limited.

The space also has new scan tools to diagnose vehicles, new tire machines to accommodate bigger tires, and upgraded garage doors.

With these upgrades and the expansion, said Dubie, K-M will be able to help more customers and service more vehicles.

"We want to hang around for a while, we want to be here and we want to continue to service cars," he said.

The service center is located at 51 West Main St. and the dealership is located at 1300 Curran Highway. Contact the service center at 413-663-7406 or schedule an appointment online. Contact the sales office at 413-663-5731.

Tags: automotive,

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Clarksburg Students Write in Support of Rural School Aid

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
07:25AM / Sunday, March 15, 2026

Mason Langenback calculated that Clarksburg would get almost $1 million if the $60 million was allocated equally.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Eighth-graders at Clarksburg School took a lesson in civic advocacy this week, researching school funding and writing letters to Beacon Hill that call for fully funding rural school aid.

The students focused on the hardships for small rural schools and their importance to the community — that they struggle with limited funding and teacher shortages, but offer safe and supportive spaces for learning and are a hub for community connections.

"They all address the main issue, the funding for rural schools, and how there's a gap, and there's the $4 million gap this year, and then it's about the $40 million next year, and that rural schools need that equitable funding," said social studies teacher Mark Karhan.

A rural schools report in 2022 found smaller school districts cost from nearly 17 percent to 23 percent more to operate, and recommended "at least" $60 million be appropriated annually for rural school aid.

Gov. Maura Healey has filed for more Chapter 70 school aid, but that often is little help to small rural schools with declining or static enrollment. For fiscal 2027, she's budgeted $20 million for rural schools, up from around $13 million this year but still far below the hoped for $60 million.

Karhan said the class was broken into four groups and the students were provided a submission letter from Rural Schools Advocacy. The students used the first paragraph, which laid out the funding facts, and then did research and wrote their own letters.

They will submit those with a school picture to the governor.

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