image description — Liquor World owner Chirag Patel stands in front of the newly opened deli. The store is located in the former Kmart plaza in North Adams.

Liquor World in North Adams Opens Deli

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:37PM / Monday, August 04, 2025Print Story | Email Story

Liquor World opened in the former V&V last year.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Liquor World and Market has opened up its deli section along with adding Krispy Krunchy Chicken to the store.

Chirag Patel has been the owner for a little over a year and was excited to bring in the deli and Krispy Krunchy chicken. When it first opened, he planned to focus on the alcohol portion before starting up the deli. He said he got many comments from customers asking when it would open.

"When we bought it, we wanted to go step by step. So we just, first year, focus just on our liquor side and the liquor section," he said. "Then we start working with the deli as the time goes. People asking about the deli, 'when you guys open, you guys doing something with the deli, and like that.'"

The deli had been in the plans since the prior entity, Steeple City Liquors Inc., better known as V&V, opened back in 2013. The deli counters and equipment was installed on righthand side of the store but never took off.

V&V closed abruptly in February 2024 as the plaza changed hands a couple times. First Hartford Realty, the former owner of the former Kmart plaza, had owned the liquor store since its opening in 2014. Mahakaleshwar LLC, doing business as Liquor World and Market, was approved for the license transfer last year.

Patel noted that the store has added a new walk-in beer freezer in a space formerly used for storage. He said store will continue to grow, one day hoping to add a Pizza Hut Pizza Express.

"Definitely we're going to grow more on our liquor side section. We're going to have more allocated bottles coming. We're going to have the more expensive wines and in the food section, we are thinking down the road for the Pizza Express," he said.

Patel says he hopes that customers like the deli. "We're hoping that everything goes well with them [customers], and we would love to help the community, too."

Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a national fried chicken chain that sells mainly in convenience stores and gas stations. The deli sells meats by the pound, lunch and breakfast sandwiches, burgers and quesadillas, some hot subs, sides, daily soups and fries.

The store is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (deli until 7:30) daily except on Sunday from 10 to 7 (deli until 6). More information here.

Tags: alcohol, business changes, deli,

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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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