2008 Great Places to Shop - Fall by Hersam Acorn

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A Hersam Acorn Newspapers Publication Chris Sobolowski, cover design Jen Hathaway, page design

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Berkshire PennySaver 154 West Park Street, Lee, MA 01238 413-243-2341 Yankee Shopper 20 Cleveland Road, Dalton, MA 01226 413-684-1373

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TriState Pennysaver News 109 South Street, Bennington, VT 05201 802-447-3381

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Vermont News Guide 99 Bonnet Street, Manchester, VT 05254 802-362-3535

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Renee Tassone, General Manager

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Great Places to Shop

A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

Great Places to Shop

Hawkins House By Telly Halkias

There are many good places in Bennington to buy gifts, so it’s always a tough choice. One of the venues I gladly drop in on several times a year is Hawkins House on North Street, a store that is difficult to describe, but even more difficult to leave empty-handed.

An exterior view of Hawkins House, on North St., in Bennington, Vt.

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Great Places to Shop

A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

Hawkins House

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A second-generation local business, owner Elizabeth Ganger and husband Jonah Spivak have continued Hawkins House’s original legacy as a destination, a place where regular customers - even those living several hours away - will want to return to as a result of a positive shopping experience and above all, a family atmosphere. While they have succeeded, the questions from newcomers are always the same: what exactly is it? A jewelry store? A clothing boutique? An art gallery? A gift shop? The answer, at least for me, is always the same: a little bit of everything to make everyone happy. That list can seem endless: handcrafted jewelry, wedding and engagement rings, extensive collections of wooden ware and cutting boards, hand blown glass,

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�� Great Places to Shop

Ephorium By Telly Halkias

The neighborhood market, once the staple of every city block, has slowly faded from the 21st century landscape. Today, you can still find them but they are not as ubiquitous as in the past.

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The neighborhood of Williams College and Spring St. in Williamstown, Mass. doesn’t have that problem. The Ephorium Spring Street Market fills the void nicely, doing its best to cater to the broadest possible audience: students, professionals, residents, and visitors.

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The Ephorium Spring Street Market in Williamstown is known to its many customers by its distinctive outdoor tableau.

Ephorium was opened in the spring of 2005 by Huff Templeton and Elayne Murphy as a venture to address

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Great Places to Shop

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A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

Ephorium

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a neighborhood need. While it has evolved since those early days, its basic premise remains the same: provide a comprehensive array of goods and foods that best represents what a cross section of its most frequent shoppers want, and more importantly, need. To that end, I stopped in on a recent afternoon while in Williamstown conducting other business since I noticed I had run out of chewing gum. Everything you’d expect in a neighborhood market was there, from pints of ice cream to paper towels to fresh produce.

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A variety of canned and dry foods were neatly organized throughout the store, and the lone afternoon employee was busy chopping something behind the deli counter, most likely to include either in a freshly made sandwich, wrap, or in the soup of the day, which happened to be minestrone, one of my favorites.

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So I got a cup and was on my way. Can’t beat that for a local market. Ephorium Spring Street Market is located at 20 Spring Street in Williamstown, MA and is open weekdays 7:30a.m. 8p.m. and weekends 8a.m. - 8p.m. For more info call 413-597-9800. Telly Halkias is a freelance writer and editor. Email: tchalkias@aol.com

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A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

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Hawkins House continued from page 5

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pottery, clothing, accessories, bags, books, cards, and a children’s toy department. There are also jewelry boxes, art work, prints … even chocolates and maple syrup. But more than anything, the quality of the products is surpassed only by the impeccable reception and service allotted to each customer who walks through the door. I’ve seen it in action when dozens of people cram into the store. The staff never stops smiling. And that’s enough to make anyone want to come back. Hawkins House is located at 262 North Street in Bennington, VT and is open Monday - Saturday 10a.m. - 6p.m., and Sunday 12p.m. - 5:30p.m. For more info call 802-447-0488 or visit www.hawkinshouse.net

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Telly Halkias is a freelance writer and editor. E-mail: tchalkias@aol.com.

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Great Places to Shop

A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

Get the Best Black Friday Deals (MS) – Many people eagerly await November because of the turkey dinner they’ll soon enjoy. But others are more anxious about the deals to be had on Black Friday shopping than turkey and trimmings.

PET SUPPLIES BIRD SEED & FEEDERS

Black Friday is the day that follows Thanksgiving each year. Retailers open their doors bright and early with supposed deep price slashing on all sorts of items.

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Black Friday gets its name from the accounting term to “be in the black” or to earn a profit. When businesses are “in the red” they owe more than they’ve earned. continued on page 10

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A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

Great Places to Shop

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Get the Best Black Friday Deals continued from page 9

Black Friday is the jump-start to the holiday season when retailers hope to see the start of a prosperous selling season. Black Friday shopping is not an enterprise to be taken lightly. Some people begin preparation weeks ahead. That’s because it’s customary for spoiler sales sites to pop up leaking information about Black Friday sales to the public. Whereas the general public may learn

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about Black Friday doorbusters a day or two prior, these spoiler sites will advertise sales maybe a week in advance. Armed with this information you can make a plan as to what stores to visit and when. There are some people who have made it an art form to circumvent the Black Friday hullabaloo and still continued on page 11

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Great Places to Shop

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Get the Best Black Friday Deals

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achieve good deals. These people are interested in the store policies of certain retailers more so than the actual Black Friday sales. Take for example a store that will do a price adjustment on a purchase. If there are no store policies restricting these regulations to purchases made other than on Black Friday, you can get deals. Simply use your spoiler sites to learn what will go on sale for what price. Purchase the item a few days in advance at regular price – and enjoy the short lines at the store. On Black Friday when everyone is frantically lining up at the registers, you go to the courtesy counter for a price adjustment on the item purchased that is now on sale. You go home happy and with the knowledge that the item was in stock and convenient for you to purchase. The advantage to this for retailers is that once in the store for your price adjustment, you may be tempted to purchase something else.

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It’s important to realize if you’re purchasing something just for the novelty of getting an assumed good price on it, it really doesn’t make it a good value. If the purchase is something that you won’t use or you’ll be gifting without much thought, even the low price can be a waste of money.

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Another way to get deals on Black Friday shopping is to do your homework on price comparisons. You may actually find a certain item in another store for a lower price. Or, to earn your business, a store may price match the Black Friday advertisement at another retailer. Either way, you don’t have to spend long hours out in the cold or battling crowds. A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

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Using Credit Wisely When Holiday Shopping (MS) -- Holiday shopping has seemingly taken on a life of its own over the years. While gifts under the tree has been a holiday tradition as long as most of us can remember, come the day after Thanksgiving, the race is officially on. Shoppers trek to the mall in droves, and stores advertise super sales in the hopes of beating their competitors for the all important holiday dollar. For many shoppers, however, the dollar bill doesn’t exactly come into the equation. Oftentimes, plastic is the payment method holiday shoppers use most, and that’s more out of necessity than personal choice. While many shoppers would prefer to avoid swiping their credit cards this holiday season, as long as they use their cards wisely they

can avoid the pitfalls commonly associated with paying with plastic.

While most people might want to avoid using credit cards for their holiday shopping, there are ways to use credit to your advantage when shopping this season.

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* Shop for the right credit card. Not all credit cards are the same, and shoppers should comparison shop for the right card much like they would shop for the right deal on a gift. Ideally, shoppers should find the card with the lowest interest rate. A credit card is essentially a loan, and the longer the balance goes without being fully paid off, the more you’ll be paying in interest charges. Therefore, the lower the interest rate, the less you’ll be paying, just like a regular loan. While it’s ideal to pay balances off immediately, for many people that’s not an option. So shop around for the credit card that offers the best interest rate, and use that for holiday purchases.

* Use credit cards for travel expenses. Anyone who has traveled during the holiday season knows that it’s rare travel plans go off without a hitch. Flight cancellations and delays have become the continued on page 13

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�� Great Places to Shop

�� A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

Using Credit Wisely When Holiday Shopping

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norm during the holiday travel season. Travelers can do themselves a favor and make hotel reservations and book airline tickets with their credit card. That’s because many companies offer insurance or protection for such purchases, so if anything goes awry at least you’ll be covered. * Learn about credit card rules overseas. Many people prefer to use credit cards when traveling overseas. While this is convenient and a good way to keep track of how much you’ve spent, it can also be more expensive. Inquire with your credit card company about foreign currency transaction charges. Such charges can be very expensive, negating the convenience of using cards abroad and stretching your budget. This is something you might not even realize until returning home and getting the bill in the mail. Avoid that shock by inquiring beforehand. continued on page 14

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A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

Great Places to Shop

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Using Credit Wisely When Holiday Shopping

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THE K WARD TEAM CAN SHOW & SELL ANYONE’S LISTINGS

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* Use cards that make it worth your while. In an effort to get people to use their credit cards more often, many cards now offer benefits to users. Bonus points that earn you discounts on hotel reservations or airline tickets are offered by some cards, while others offer cash back each time you make a purchase. If you must use credit cards this holiday season, why not get something out of it by using cards that offer something back with each purchase?

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NEW � USED � VINTAGE 177 MAIN STREET GT. BARRINGTON, MA 01230

413-528-1533

Open 10:30-5:30, Sunday 12:00-5:00 Closed Tuesday

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Tips for Holiday Accessorizing for $25 or Less (ARA) - Tough economic times may mean your holiday budget is tight this year. But trimming your holiday spending doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. With some creativity, you can add extra icing to your holiday decor - for less than $25.

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Gary Babcock, a design expert with Arhaus Furniture, offers some festive and fresh ways to deck the halls: The Green Scene:

Use backyard foliage, like pine cones and holly, to create a lush centerpiece or dress up a mantle.

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Bulbs and Baubles:

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Group ornaments in similar colors or themes and either hang them throughout your home or place them in bowls or vases.

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Flower Power:

Bring your flower pots indoors and plant bulbs that will bloom over the holidays, like amaryllis.

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Celebrating

Health Nut:

Years

Gather grocery store bushels of apples or cranberries and place them in bowls and vases throughout the house. Coordinated with holiday patterned linens, this makes a stunning display. Add to the ambiance with a grouping of adorable Pear Vases from Arhaus ($6 each). For more tips on accessorizing for the holidays, visit Arhaus Furniture at www.arhaus.com.

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�� A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication

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Great Places to Shop

A Hersam Acorn Newspapers publication