Berkshire Business Journal June 2023

Berkshire Business Journal

From nebulous to fabulous David Moresi’s concept for the Norad Mill has paid off

By Jim Therrien

NORTH ADAMS — When he bought the historic Norad Mill, developer and real estate businessman David Moresi thought that renovating the massive space for smaller business tenants might prove to be a successful plan — but a success as measured over the course of many years.

In 2017, Moresi paid $47,000 for what was, at that time, a vacant mill. Originally a textile factory constructed by Sanford Blackinton in 1863, it has 115,000-square-feet of floor space on four levels and a basement area. Moresi restored the original name, Norad Mill, which is what Blackinton had named it, after his company called Norad Manufacturing Co.

Moresi says he had only a nebulous plan in mind (mainly to house his own companies) before setting out to transform the mill on 60 Roberts Drive, just off Route 2/State Road and about 1 1/2

miles from the city’s Main Street and 2 miles from the Williamstown line. North Adams is full of old, brick mills, and Norad would soon join others across the city — like the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art from the old Sprague Electric complex to its east to Greylock Works, the former Greylock Mill that processed cotton turned event venue, further west on State Road — in giving them a new lease on life.

A nebulous plan, perhaps, but tenants showed up right away to occupy the renovated spaces: Norad has more than 40 business tenants now, said Hannah Klammer, who heads commercial leasing and special projects for Moresi’s development and real estate firms.

In 2019, Moresi told The Berkshire Eagle that he had invested approximately $3 million into the mill after he purchased it two years earlier. He acquired the mill for $47, 500 in 2017, and by 2019 had spend about $1.5 million cleaning it

out and subdividing the space into leaseable units.

The investment paid off.

“From the attic to the basement, it is leased,” Moresi said.

That’s right. There’s no space left to rent, he said.

NEW MAIN STREET?

Norad Mill’s previous occupant, a specialty printing and engraving company, had vacated the space about two years earlier, and Moresi, who owns real estate management and redevelopment businesses, sent in his crew. The team renovated and subdivided spaces for tenants, added an elevator and new restrooms. The structure was made ADA compliant.

When space was ready, tenants began moving in almost immediately.

“This took off right from the beginning,” he said.

Moresi believes Norad has, in some

ways, assumed the role of the city’s Main Street as a commercial center.

“I’ve always said this is the new Main Street, whether people like that or not,” he said. “There’s just so much diversity in the businesses here. ... It’s what makes the mill what it is.”

What Norad is, Klammer said, is “offices, retail shops, services ... ”

“... self-help, therapists,” Moresi said, picking up the thread. “There’s exercise. And, you know, self-improvement, retail, yoga. There’s everything.”

There’s even a record store.

Moresi said he thinks there are a number of reasons for the commercial vacancies along Main Street

“Right now, there is just so much vacant square footage downtown. You know, it’s unfortunate, because if we really could take this building and put it on Main Street, you would have a totally

GILLIAN JONES

Tina Whitmore of Freia Fibers stands in her showroom at the Norad Mill in North Adams. David Moresi has transformed the vacant mill space that he bought in 2017.

A company headed by Williams College graduate Geoff Chapin is turning a giant bloom of Sargassum seaweed in the Atlantic Ocean into valuable materials. Page J11

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CARBONWAVE

New owners juggle renovations and family while serving guests

By Jane K aufman

STOCKBRIDGE — As they renovate the newly acquired The Inn at Stockbridge, Gary and Nicole Kroytor are acutely aware of the experience of their guests; as owners, they’re living it themselves.

The couple lives in a suite with a loft and first-floor bedroom tucked just behind the kitchen of the bed and breakfast with their 19-month-old daughter, Riva, and 4-yearold English bulldog Brutus.

It’s been a delicate balancing act to stay open and do major construction to the main house at 30 East St., built as a summer cottage by Phillip Blagdon in 1906. There have also been surprises, behind nearly every wall and under the floors.

“There’s a lot of stuff that we’re finding,” Kroytor said. “The electrical is terrible. The plumbing — we’re finally past removing the majority of the bad stuff. But you know, they don’t build houses like they used to.”

He predicts that the house will be standing for another 100 years.

The Kroytors say they love the Berkshires and look forward to sharing their inn with returning guests as well as new families, who, like them, may prefer to travel with their children and dogs.

They have no regrets about buying the inn on Jan. 31 for $1.85 million under the name Coco Lulu Hospitality from Notre Rev Inc. They took two mortgages with Lee Bank, one for $1 million, the other of $700,000.

They plan to invest a total of $500,000 to $700,000 on renovations and have already made a heavy dent in the work.

Spending about $300,000 to date, they have gutted the inn’s main kitchen and rebuilt it, adding counter space, a central island and a new oven. They purchased an industrial washer and dryer, as well as an entire set of towels and sheets to outfit the inn’s 14 guest rooms. They have put up tile in bathrooms, wallpaper in the lounge and dining room, and paid an artisan to add gold leaf to the details of the hand-carved molding in the main house.

This week Gary Kroytor was planning to order a fountain to place in an existing stone-lined shallow pool. The plan there is to make that a foil to the highway noise from the nearby Massachusetts Turnpike.

They’re in the process of laying brick paths between the three buildings on the property. In addition, they’ve begun gutting three of the four guest bathrooms in the main house, collapsing two guest rooms into a suite and ripping out carpeting to expose the home’s original wood floors.

In the cottage and barn, which each have four guest bedrooms, the couple plans to add minisplits, do cosmetic work, and, in some cases, construction to enlarge bathrooms. They also plan to add pullout-couches to some rooms so they can be used by families.

The property has a heated in-ground swimming pool the Kroytors had planned to open by the end of May.

After the inn gets a fresh coat of paint, the Kroytors plan to build trails on the back of the property and to add a structure or two on the front of the property so that it can be used for weddings and events.

World travelers, the Kroytors said they first

Adapting technology for new uses

thought about opening their own bed and breakfast on their honeymoon in India, when they stayed at a tented jungle suite at a safari.

Nicole Kroytor said the owners cooked them a traditional Indian dinner each night.

“We stayed at a lot of fancy hotels while we were India,” Gary Kroytor said. “None of it felt as hospitable as Sher Bagh and the B&B experience there.”

Nicole Kroytor spoke of the gifts guests received each night, pointing to three maps in the Kashmir guest room at The Inn at Stockbridge’s cottage, where the couple added them to the décor.

They enjoy meeting guests and conveying the personal touch they received in India.

“We just liked that extra touch, so that’s kind of what we’re trying to figure out here,” Nicole Kroytor said.

This is not their first foray into hospitality.

Nicole Kroytor is a licensed travel agent and has worked in television production. Gary Kroytor has been an art director and set designer for film and television as well interior design for homes and exhibit design for museums.

They met working in Los Angeles and first opened an Airbnb in Arrowhead, Calif., in June of 2020. That was a three-bedroom A-frame that they remodeled. They ran that property, the Coco Chalet, as a dog-friendly accommodation, where they gave their guests goody bags with mugs and treats for dogs, taking a page from their India experience.

When they had their child, Gary Kroytor was working on “Hacks” and “Quantum Leap,” two successful television shows, but his hour-and-a half commute meant that he didn’t often see his daughter awake.

“I wasn’t spending enough time with my family,” Gary Kroytor said. “And I kind of just got tired of the business.”

He considered investing in a friend’s comic book shop. They also deeply considered taking a decommissioned Boeing 727 and turning it into an Airbnb in Joshua Tree.

“We were kind of concerned to do an AirBnB,” Nicole Kroyter said. “It’s tough with that because there are a lot of restrictions coming.”

“Airbnbs aren’t the greatest in congested, populated areas because of what they do to renters,” Gary Kroytor said.

There was another issue in California: access to water. They were looking at a place in Taos, N.M., when they learned their offer for The Inn at Stockbridge was accepted, contingent upon a walk-through.

“Taos just wasn’t me,” Gary Kroytor said. “The Berkshires are me. When I came to the Berkshires, I knew it.”

He enjoys farm-to-table dining, that there are local producers of butter, fruit, vegetables and meat and, perhaps most of all, the culture here.

With a staff of 10 and plans to hire about five more for the summer, the Kroytors are looking forward to the busier summer season.

“It was very hard to run the kitchen with it all torn up,” Gary Kroytor said. “You only have a week to do it, because you have guests checking in. And I was really proud of us for being able to do it.”

Wisconsin city tries out Pittsfield firm’s monitoring system

By Tony DoBrowolsK i

PITTSFIELD — A Pittsfield aerospace company is now testing technology it developed for aircraft on motor vehicles.

United Aircraft Technologies has formed a pilot program with the city of Madison, Wis., to test its Electric Health Usage Monitoring System on a diesel-powered city ambulance and fire truck. The pilot program, the first of its kind in North America, begins at the end of July and will last six months.

The monitoring system that UAT is testing in Wisconsin is similar to the one that it developed for aircraft. The U.S. Army liked this system so much last year that it awarded UAT a $1.5 million contract to develop it for a new line of helicopters.

“It’s the same thing,” said UAT’s CEO/President Evaguel Rhysing. “We just rebranded them.”

For aircraft, UAT developed a lightweight plastic clamp to replace the heavier metal clamps that hold wiring in place. The plastic clamps are one-fifth the weight of the metal ones, and are designed to improve fuel economy and simplify maintenance.

In Wisconsin, the Electric Health Usage Monitoring System’s plastic clamps will be wrapped around the bundle of electrical wiring in each of these two emergency vehicles and will monitor the wiring’s performance.

The software in UAT’s Electric Health Usage Monitoring System can identify both leaks and the breaks that can occur in electrical wiring systems in both vehicles quicker and more efficiently.

“It will monitor the current going through the wire,” Rhysing said, “so there are no leaks.

“This will be the first electrical diagnosis system that works with any vehicle in an emergency vehicle,” Rhysing said.

UAT, which originally formed in Troy, N.Y., developed its aircraft technology with the help of $25,000 in seed money that it received in 2019 for winning the inaugural Berkshire Manufacturing Innovation Challenge hosted by small business accelerator Lever Inc. of North Adams. Rhysing and her husband, Daryian, UAT’s chief technology officer, own and run the firm. Daryian spent 20 years as a military aircraft mechanic before he and his wife started UAT.

In 2021, UAT relocated most of its operations to Pittsfield after receiving a $300,000 tax incentive package from the city of Pittsfield. Since then, UAT has received the U.S. Army contract and moved its Pittsfield operations from Newell Street to a larger location on North Street.

Putting the technology that it has developed for aircraft into motor vehicles was a company goal.

“It was always part of our plan,” Evaguel Rhysing said. “We always said, back when we did Lever, that anywhere there’s wiring there’s an application. We are still working on aerospace.”

The pilot program began after the Rhysings met Mahanth Joishy, the city of Madison’s fleet superintendent, through contacts they made at a New York City trade show last year.

Madison has 14 fire stations that serve a population of more than 250,000. Two years ago, the Madison Fire Department placed the first electric fire truck into active duty in North America.

“We’ve been working on this for a couple of months,” Rhysing said. “For us this is to see how it performs in emergency vehicles. For them, it’s to understand what’s really happening with their vehicles because something could be affected that they fixed where the source could be electrical.”

JANE KAUFMAN

Gary and Nicole Kroytor, with Brutus, their English bulldog at The Inn at Stockbridge. The couple is renovating the inn and keeping it open during construction.

FILE PHOTO

United Aircraft Technologies relocated to Pittsfield in 2021 after receiving a $300,000 tax incentive package from the city.

‘Game change’: YMCA completes $12.4 million renovation project

New owners, new chef open Cello

By C larenCe Fan T o

differently from Nudel?

By Tony DoBrowolski

PITTSFIELD — Pittsfield’s newest downtown renovation project received a rousing and warm welcome recently at a ceremony that officially signified the completion of the Berkshire Family YMCA’s $12.4 million renovation of its city facility.

Federal, state and local officials gathered on the Pittsfield YMCA’s new 6,500-square-foot basketball court for a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovation. Construction began on the project in late October 2021.

The eight speakers, who included U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey and U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, took turns highlighting different aspects of the completely renovated space on downtown North Street, adding that the project’s completion bodes well for the city and the county’s future.

“It’s a complete game changer,” said YMCA board member Matthew Scarafoni before the ceremony. Scarafoni chaired the capital campaign committee that raised the funding for the project.

“It means something not only to the Y, but downtown, it means something to the community, it means something to those in need,” Scarafoni said. “For a $12.4 million investment, we now have a fully comfortable building that expands all of the programs that we serve.

“Day care is up 40 percent,” he said. “All of our programs have grown. Many have doubled.

“What it means is that more people in this community in need will be able to use this as a platform to change the narrative of their life,” he said.

Besides the new basketball court, actually a “sportsplex” which can also be used for volleyball and pickleball, and expanded child care facilities, the YMCA has modernized and enlarged its workout/gym space, redone the locker room facilities, improved the welcome center and pool area, and added a walking/running track, which is located above the basketball court.

Membership, which dropped by 50 percent during COVID, is now back to pre-pandemic levels, Scarafoni said. The Y has received some 1,000 new memberships from Pittsfield residents.

The Y’s main building was built in 1903 (an adjacent structure that houses the pool was added in the mid-1980s). The condition of the oldest building made the

renovation project essential.

“The weight of the deferred maintenance was going to put us in an untenable spot,” Scarafoni said. “So we either acted or collapsed.”

According to Scarafoni, the capital committee is still $1.2 million short of the project’s final price tag, but he fully expects to reach that number. He said the project was structured in such a way that the YMCA won’t have to carry debt into the future. The project includes both city, state and federal funding that the city of Pittsfield received from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The YMCA received $250,000 of the $8.8 million the city budgeted for nonprofits in the $40.6 million of ARPA funding it received, according to Mayor Linda Tyer. State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, said $2.3 million in state funding was included. All the construction was done by local contractors.

Neal, who had also attended the groundbreaking ceremony two years ago, said the project also qualified for the federal New Market Tax credit program, which the city had also used to help fund the renovation of the Colonial Theatre in the mid-2000s.

“We have plenty of promising initiatives,” said Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. “This one I knew from the earliest time it was put forward would benefit from new market tax credits and the result is with us today.”

“The building that we’re standing in today is more than brick-and-mortar, plaster and paint,” Markey said. “It’s an integral part of Pittsfield’s past, present and future.”

“This facility is now a place for everyone, all ages and abilities,” Tyer said, “and it is right here in downtown.”

Farley-Bouvier praised the YMCA’s expanded child care facilities, which allow for the enrollment of 31 additional students and praised the partnerships between local, state and federal officials that allowed the project to proceed.

“It was crazy to think that this could be pulled off,” she said. “But it was that doggedness, the strategic thinking, the partnerships that made this happen.”

Pittsfield YMCA CEO/Executive Director Jessica Rumlow was more succinct in her praise.

“We did it,” she said.

LENOX — It’s back to the future for a former star player on the downtown dining scene.

Nudel, opened in 2009 by proprietor and chef Bjorn Somlo, fell on hard times during the pandemic and closed last September.

Now under new owners and renamed Cello for its proximity to Tanglewood, the 28-seat Church Street establishment is carving out a familiar but updated identity.

Leading the kitchen is Raymond Stalker, Nudel’s most recent executive chef, trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Stalker is also a Cello co-owner.

If You Go . . .

What: Cello, 37 Church St., Lenox.

When: Open Wednesday-Saturday, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Credit cards only.

Reservations: Accepted, at 413- 551-7183 or www.cellolenox.com

The new proprietor-investors, Robert Fried and his wife, Karen Kowgios, have been business partners for 35 years. They were certified public accountants specializing in the theater industry who “semi-retired” to West Stockbridge recently from the their Manhattan firm, sold five years ago to {span}Withum Smith+Brown, PC{/span}

Although they are newcomers to the restaurant business, they hope that Cello can rekindle the buzz that once had diners lining up before the 5 p.m. opening, eager to score a table at the intimate establishment that took no reservations until the final years of Somlo’s ownership.

Acknowledging that restaurants are risky ventures, Fried and Kowgios pointed out jointly, “having worked in the theater business, we can assure you that was much riskier.”

Why dive in?

“We were Nudel regulars for a long time and loved it,” Kowgios explained, “but this kind of changed” when Somlo took on The Lantern in Pittsfield, which closed in April 2020, they said, in part because he was exhausted.

At Cello, reservations are available, and there will be outside seating for eight additional diners at two tables.

Other than that, how does Cello play

“Not much, but with more of my touch,” Fried said. As he and Stalker summed up their “American Eclectic” culinary lodestar: “Buying the best, locally and seasonally inspired ‘farm-tofork’ ingredients and being creative.”

No specials, but the menu changes at least weekly, bowing to the Nudel tradition, as Somlo revised the menu nearly every night from day one.

A typical recent menu listed salads, soups and other starters ($6-$16) and mains (fish, veal, duck, linguini, $28$38), and a choice of two desserts ($12). Stalker acknowledged that the search for trained staffers is challenging, but he has his sous-chef, Dashaan Golden, whom he trained at The Lantern.

Stalker stressed that he’s not poaching servers from other establishments.

“Everyone who works here came to me and asked for a job,” he said. “I didn’t go to anybody.”

Cello is a year-round restaurant aimed at local regulars as well out-oftown visitors, open from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with Sunday to be added. Its liquor license was expedited recently by the town and the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission in Boston, with significant help from state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Lenox.

Fried and Kowgios have a six-year lease with two five-year extensions for the premises at 37 Church St. from building owner Jonathan Molk of Housatonic LLC.

The key to success, as Fried put it: “If we get a chance to feed all of Nudel’s followers who remember their experience there, they’re going to want to be back with us. We’re a casual restaurant offering a fine dining experience, highest quality, uniquely prepared.”

On a good night, they said, the hope is to serve a total of 70 diners.

BEN GARVER

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and Mayor Linda Tyer share a moment during the opening ceremonies for the Berkshire Family YMCA’s $12.4 million renovation of its Pittsfield facility.

PHOTOS BY CLARENCE FANTO

Robert Fried and Karen Kowgios are the new owners of Cello, a downtown Lenox restaurant, formerly Nudel.

Chef and co-owner Raymond Stalker aims to recreate the culinary appeal of Nudel, now reopened under new ownership as Cello in downtown Lenox.

Walgreens abruptly closes Great Barrington store

By H eat H er Bellow

GREAT BARRINGTON

Hot Tomatoes closes after 30 years

By Sten Spinella

WILLIAMSTOWN — Hot Tomatoes has served its last pie.

The venerated pizza establishment, which opened in 1994, made it almost three decades, through the death of one of its founders, John England, and through the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was my husband and I, John England, who started the business,” owner and operator Angelina England told The Eagle. “He passed away five years ago. I’ve been trying to keep it alive.”

England said she didn’t have it in her to grind out another year, naming hiring in particular as an issue.

“You get a few people you can keep year-round, but usually it’s 80 percent high school kids or college students,” she said. “Paying someone $20 an hour to sling pizzas and having to train them is pretty difficult for just a couple months, and having to do it year, after year, after year, after year, it just gets really tiring.”

England said there have already been numerous offers on the property. And while the brand’s original ownership is finished, the brand may not be.

“If somebody wants to buy the business, I’d be interested in that as well,” she said.

More than a decade ago, the second Hot Tomatoes location opened on Tyler Street in Pittsfield. It was forced to close due to the pandemic. It won Best Pizza honors in The Eagle’s 2016 Best in the Berkshires reader poll.

The Williamstown location expanded in 2019, opening its riverside back patio for eat-in service, complete with an openair beer and wine bar.

“I kept it going a while after John

passed, and through COVID,” England said. “I expanded with the bar in the back. That actually helped with COVID, too.”

Hot Tomatoes has always been a family-owned business, with the Englands’ sons Matt and Riley England intimately involved in the past.

It took months for Angelina England to inform the public of Hot Tomatoes closing. She said it was too difficult, although, it wasn’t a secret — she told people in passing who were curious as to why it hadn’t reopened for the season.

Asked what comes back to her when she thinks of Hot Tomatoes, England said, “A lot of really good memories.”

“People just loving the product, and rave reviews, and a lot of fun,” she said. “A lot of chemistry with the employees, just good times. I loved the people enjoying it and coming in and telling us how much they love it.”

Dottie’s expanding into Mission space

By M att M artinez

PITTSFIELD — A next-door expansion of Dottie’s Coffee Lounge will include additions to the menu, including light dinner and alcoholic beverages.

The Pittsfield Licensing Board recently approved Dottie’s, 444 North St., for an alteration of premise and a transfer of the Mission Restaurant’s liquor license. Those actions will allow alcohol at both the existing location and the former Mission space at 438 North St. Dottie’s and Mission are located on the ground floor of the Greystone Building on the corner of North Street and Maplewood Avenue. The building has three commercial tenants on the first floor, and 18 apartments located above them.

Jessica Rufo, owner of the coffee lounge, said the Mission expansion will be known as Dorothy’s and will start out with light dinner service tentatively planned from 2 to 8 p.m. The coffee shop now is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dorothy’s is expected to be the sign on the Mission storefront, and will pick up where Dottie’s leaves off in terms of hours or operation.

Dottie’s has been testing out dinner menus with after-hours events over the past few months, and Rufo said she hopes to develop a larger menu.

“We want to grow into a full dinner thing eventually,” she added.

Rufo said that the two spaces will be connected by the opening of a preexisting passageway behind a staircase that leads up to the apartments above. The combined restaurants are expected to have a capacity of 106 seats, plus seating outside. The apartments are not included in the Dottie’s or Mission space. A couple from Vermont bought the Greystone Building for $4.75 million in May 2022.

Rufo said Dottie’s purchased the space in early March, and plans to begin oper-

Dottie’s

ating with the dinner options once details are completed with the license. The kitchen at Mission will accommodate the newly expanded menu.

Richard Stockwell, vice chair of the Licensing Board, advised Rufo that the cafe would need to set firm hours for entertainment so the apartment tenants will know what to expect. Rufo will need to appear at the next Licensing Board meeting in May to have the entertainment hours and new operating hours approved.

For the past decade, Dottie’s has hosted Domingo Brunch on Sundays, bringing jazz musicians to the space.

Building Commissioner Jeffrey Clemons said that Dottie’s will need a certificate of inspection as a result of acquiring the liquor license and increasing the capacity.

Attorney Michael Hashim provided background information, including the fact that Rufo has served alcohol before with a seasonal license, so she is familiar with the regulations.

—

In an abrupt announcement, Walgreens announced in late April that it would close its Main Street store and transfer customer prescriptions to the CVS Pharmacy down the road.

In letters to customers, the company said it would close the store May 2, and that prescription records would be available at CVS the following day.

An employee who answered the phone on the day of the announcement referred all questions to company headquarters.

Walgreens spokesperson Kris Lathan said the company could best meet the needs of its customers “by creating the right network of stores in the right locations.”

“When faced with the difficult decision to close a particular location, several factors are taken into account, including our existing footprint of stores and dynamics of the local market, and changes in the buying habits of our patients and customers,” Lathan said in an email.

Lathan did not answer questions about how many employees worked at the Main Street store or whether regular shoplifting had anything to do with the closing.

It is unclear what will happen with the building at 197 Main St. that is still known as “Melvin’s” after Melvin’s Drug Store, which sold everything from prescription drugs to bus tickets to fishing flies. It is still owned by a family trust, according to the Southern Berkshire Registry of Deeds.

Walgreens’ announcement follows more of the same across the U.S. In 2019 it announced it would close 200 stores.

It’s a pattern that is widespread across the industry and attributed to a number of factors including a drop in the number of pharmacists and a lack of pay raises amid inflation since the pandemic, according to a report by USA Today.

Rural location may be another reason. The number of pharmacies in “noncore rural areas” dropped by 9.8 percent over

the last 18 years, according to an analysis by Rural Health Research Gateway, a federal program that focuses on rural healthcare issues.

Walgreens isn’t alone. Rite-Aid has closed more than 150 stores, and CVS announced in a 2021 press release that it would close 900 stores in the next few years.

“The company has been evaluating changes in population, consumer buying patterns and future health needs to ensure it has the right kinds of stores in the right locations for consumers and for the business,” according to a press release from the company.

Walgreens closed its store on South Street in Pittsfield in December 2021, citing staffing problems. Three other company stores in the city still remain.

Closing the Great Barrington store leaves seven Walgreens stores left in Berkshire County, including one in Lee — the only one left in South County.

The building known as Melvin’s to many, has housed a drug store since 1950.

Despite a fire in 1978 that leveled the building, a car accident that seriously injured him and a tornado that tore up his home in 1995, Melvin Katsh kept the store going.

After Melvin’s a string of chain pharmacies came along. First Brooks Pharmacy, then Rite-Aid followed by Walgreens.

In 1992 Katsh put the building into a trust for his family.

FILE PHOTO

Coffee Lounge will expand into the space formerly occupied by Mission Restaurant next door, after moving to secure an alcohol license from the Pittsfield Licensing Board.

The Walgreens in Great Barrington closed abruptly this spring.

GILLIAN JONES

Hot Tomatoes in Williamstown opened in 1994. The restaurant recently closed and the property is on the market.

Business updates

Adams Community Bank posts financial results

ADAMS — Adams Community Bank reached record levels in assets, loans, deposits and net income in 2022.

At the annual meeting of the bank’s parent company, Community Bancorp of the Berkshires MHC, President and CEO Charles P. O’Brien said the bank increased its assets to $931 million, its loans to $751 million and its deposits to $797 million last year. He said the bank achieved record net income levels in 2022 as earnings totaled $5.1 million, an increase of about $1 million from 2021.

Newly elected board Director John Sinopoli, the president and CEO of Synagex, was introduced at the meeting. Sinopoli holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology with a minor in business from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and an executive certificate from the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“We are very pleased to have John join as a new director; his extensive exposure to the financial sector and his IT and cybersecurity expertise will be an indispensable asset to the bank,” O’Brien said.

With long-time directors Jay O’Connor and Bernie Pinsonnault retiring, Board Chair Jeff Grandchamp acknowledged their instrumental input, thoughtful guidance, and leadership to the bank during the past 25 years.

The bank opened a branch in Pittsfield in 2022 and plans to open another branch in Great Barrington late this year.

MountainOne presents report, elects officers

NORTH ADAMS — MountainOne presented its annual report, and elected or reelected officers and trustees at its 174th annual meeting, which took place recently at the Norad Mill.

Earnings for 2022 were just over $12 million, an increase from the $10 million posted the previous year, said Steve Owens, executive vice president, CFO, COO and CIO. Asset quality remains strong and capital levels are robust, Owens said.

Referring to MountainOne’s overall financial strength, president and CEO Robert Fraser called 2022 the “best year financially in our history.”

MountainOne’s newest trustees include North Adams native and entrepreneur David R. Moresi, the founder/CEO of Moresi & Associates; and Michael J. Gardner Jr., who owns Super Shine Auto Wash and Castle Self Storage of Braintree.

Newly elected corporators include, Adam Bauer of The Business Exchange; James Bunnell of the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield; Jonathan Denmark of MountainOne Insurance; Christopher Ernest of Pzerski Hatch & Co.; Kaitlyn Litchfield of Kaitlyn Litchfield Photography; Robert and Elizabeth McGraw of Berkshire County; Andrea Pyke of Friendship Home; Mark Stiles of Stiles Law; and former North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright.

Jonathan Denmark, President & COO of MountainOne Insurance, gave an insightful look at the state of the economy, and its overall impact on the insurance market, while also noting the Insurance division’s successful acquisition of the Cross Insurance operations in Pittsfield. Keynote speaker Jennifer Harrington, CEO & Founder of Hatch the Agency, presented a behind-the-scenes look at the formation of MountainOne’s beloved Spokesgoat, Mo.

Lee Chamber holding golf tournament

LEE — The Lee Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual golf tournament benefiting the Lee Chamber Scholarship Fund on June 28 at Greenock Country Club.

The tournament starts at 1 p.m. Dinner, golf awards, a raffle, and the

scholarship presentations take place at 6.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Information/questions/registration: info@leechamber.com.

Hao realigns economic development office

BOSTON — Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao has appointed new undersecretaries and realigned the office under new pillars to better focus on key sectors of the economy.

EOHED will now be structured under three pillars of economic development: economic infrastructure, economic strategies, and consumer affairs and business regulation.

Economic strategies will focus on tourism, new federal opportunities in areas such as life sciences, advanced manufacturing and clean energy and the cross-secretariat Workforce Skills Cabinet.

Ashley Stolba, who has served as EOHED undersecretary of community development since 2021, will stay on in the office as undersecretary of economic foundation

Sarah Stanton has joined the office as undersecretary of economic strategies. Layla D’Emilia has been promoted to undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

State Brewers Guild launches investment program

FRAMINGHAM — The Mass Brewers Guild has partnered with Mainvest, a Salem-based investment platform, to launch “Investing in Massachusetts Craft Brewers,” a program to enable individuals of any income level to become investors in the growing Massachusetts craft beer community.

Over the past five years Mainvest has helped over 350 small businesses, and over 50 craft breweries, across America access capital to maintain and grow their small businesses, providing local communities with great food, good beer, local jobs, local wealth-building opportunities and spaces that support and build community.

Information: mainvest.com/massbrew.

Berkshire Bank named to trustworthy banks

list PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank was recently named to Newsweek Magazine’s list of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies 2023. The list features the top 700 most trustworthy companies across 23 industries.

The Newsweek list recognized companies for their dedication to building trust with all stakeholders. Results were based on a holistic approach to evaluating trust that considered customer trust, employee trust, and investor trust.

Farms receive Grinspoon Foundation grants

AGAWAM — Sixteen Berkshire County farms are among 97 farms from the four counties of Western Massachusetts and northeastern New York that have received a combined $225,000 in grants from the 2023 Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation’s Local Farmer Awards.

These grants of up to $2,500 empower farmers to purchase essential equipment for planting, growing, harvesting and processing. All projects include a funding commitment by the farm as well. This year the Local Farmer Awards received a record 182 applications.

The Berkshire recipients include Ayrhill Farms and Full Well Farm in Adams; Holiday Brook Farm and Musante Farm in Dalton; Red Shirt Farm and Square Roots Farm in Lanesborough and Indian Line Farm and Taft Farm in Great Barrington.

Also receiving grants were Many Forks Farm in Clarksburg; The Farm and Swallowbelly Farm in n New Marl-

borough; Moon on the Pond Farm/ Farm Education in Sheffield; Woven Roots Farm in Tyringham; Three Maples Farm in West Stockbridge; Sweet Brook Farm in Williamstown; and Lions Tooth Farm in Windsor.

Berkshire Bank Foundation reports first quarter investments

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Bank Foundation provided $584,361 in philanthropic investments during the first quarter of 2023 between Jan. 1 and March 31.

Investments were made to foster upward economic mobility, racial equity and enhance opportunities for success in the regions that Berkshire Bank serves, according to a foundation news release. The investments also support the company’s BEST Community Comeback, which includes a planned $15 million in community contributions by the end of 2024.

In total, the Berkshire Bank Foundation assisted 120 nonprofit organizations during the quarter with grants to support a wide range of critical projects including small business entrepreneurship, housing, food insecurity, homelessness, educational advancement, youth, arts, culture, diversity and inclusion.

Berkshire County recipients include Berkshire Immigrant Center; Berkshire Resources for the Integration of Diverse Groups and Education; Berkshire Pride; Berkshire Agricultural Ventures; Blackshires Community Empowerment Foundation; Community Access to the Arts; Hllcrest Educational Centers; Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires; and Soldier On/United Veterans of America.

Berkshire Conservation District receives state grant

PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire Conservation District has received a grant from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Division of Conservation Services, Healthy Soils Program to increase the use of no-till seeding methods and soil testing by farmers throughout Western Massachusetts.

The district purchased an Esch 12-foot no-till seeder, which it has been renting to area farmers since 2019. With this funding, the district is now able to waive the per-acre fee as well as the cost of soil testing. Applicants enter a multiyear agreement involving annual soil testing and no-till planting.

The Berkshire Conservation District is collaborating with the Hampton/ Hampshire Conservation District, which recently purchased a 5 foot, 6-inch no-till drill, to offer two sizes of no-till drills to farmers in Western Massachusetts, which makes the program more accessible to farmers of large and small acreage. Information: berkshireconservation. org/programs.

Hinsdale man receives 2022 legacy award

HINSDALE — Doug Peters of Hinsdale, a shop foreman at Advantage Truck Group in Westfield, is one of three company employees from Massachusetts to receive the firm’s 2022 Pete DePina Legacy Award.

The award was created as a memorial to ATG employee Napoleon “Pete” DePina, who worked at the company’s Shrewsbury facility for 25 years until his untimely death in 2019.

Today, the legacy award is given to a person at ATG’s locations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont who most embodies the values and qualities DePina was known for, including integrity and a quiet leadership grounded in humility, generosity and selfless service to others. It is the highest recognition that an ATG employee can receive. ATG’s three Massachusetts facilities are located in Raynham, Shrewsbury and Westfield.

Over 100 employees across the ATG network were nominated by their peers for the award. ATG is the largest Daimler Truck dealer in New England.

Landlord Advocacy Program formed

BOSTON — The Volunteer Lawyers Project has formed the Landlord Advocacy Program, the first statewide advocacy initiative for low-income landlords. Comprised of a team of attorneys,

paralegals, law students and volunteers from communities across Massachusetts, VLP works to deliver free legal services, help process financial assistance applications and provide access to educational materials and resources.

The program serves low-income landlords who reside in the properties they rent out, often relying on their tenants’ rent to pay their mortgage. They are often elderly, non-native English speakers, and are without ready access to resources.

Those eligible for assistance are required to live in and rent out part of a two- to three-family home and must meet certain income criteria excluding the value of their home. For free services, household income must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

Information: 857-320-6452, Yeseria Carrion, ycarrion@vlpnet.org. The online application is available at vlplandlord.com.

NBT Bank posts first quarter results

NBT Bancorp, NBT Bank’s holding company, reported net income of $33.7 million, or 78 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2023, the period between Jan 1. and March 31.

The first quarter earnings were down slightly from the figures posted during the first quarter of 2022, when NBT reported net income of $39.1 million, or 90 cents per diluted share, and the fourth quarter of last year, when earned income was $36.1 million, or 84 cents per diluted share.

Excluding the impact of securities losses and acquisition expenses, NBT Bancorp generated 88 cents per diluted share of earnings in the first quarter of 2023, compared to 86 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 91 cents per share in the first quarter of 2022.

Based in Norwich, N.Y., NBT Bank operates five branches in the Berkshires. BUSINESS BRIEFS, Page 6

A free monthly publication by The Berkshire Eagle 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 Visit berkshirebusinessjournal.com for advertising information and to subscribe.

NEWS DEPARTMENT

TONY DOBROWOLSKI, Editor 413-496-6224 tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT

KATE TEUTSCH, Director of Ad Services 413-496-6324 kteutsch@berkshireeagle.com

CHERYL GAJEWSKI, Director of Ad Sales 413-841-6789, 413-496-6330 cmcclusky@berkshireeagle.com

Share your news with the Berkshire Business Journal. If you have a company promotion, a new business or a new venture, let the Berkshires know about it. Remember the 5 W’s and that briefer is better. Email text and photos to BBJ@newenglandnewspapers.com.

Provide your expertise in the Berkshire Business Journal. Do you have the answer to a persistent question about business and the Berkshires? Do you have ideas and suggestions on how our business community can grow?

If you have a comment to make about doing business in the Berkshires or if you’re looking to raise an issue with the business community, this is the venue for that. We welcome letters up to 300 words and commentary up to 600 words. Send these to Tony Dobrowolski at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com.

Berkshire Business Journal is published monthly by New England Newspapers Inc., 75 S. Church St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Periodicals postage paid at Pittsfield, MA 01201. Berkshire Business Journal is delivered free to businesses in Berkshire County via third class mail. Additional distribution is made via dropoff at select area newsstands. The publisher reserves the right to edit, reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. Only publication of an advertisement shall constitute final acceptance of an advertiser’s order. All contents are copyrighted by New England Newspapers Inc.

Chipping in: Rotary Club members perform community service

By Tony DoBrowolski

PITTSFIELD — During the week, Tom Bernard, Adrienne DeBlieux Speed, Ed Forfa and Alex Raczkowski all serve in executive positions at different Pittsfield firms and organizations.

But on a recent Saturday, they traded their professional garb for jeans, work pants and T-shirts and their weekday work utensils for rakes, hoes and spades, and got to work a for a good cause.

Those four were among 20 members of the Rotary Club of Pittsfield who became gardeners for the day. They planted, weeded and dug at the school’s community garden for a service project on Rotary International’s day of service, which took place on May 20.

They were joined locally that day by members of Berkshire’s four other Rotary Club chapters and members of Pittsfield’s UNICO Chapter, who were also scheduled to perform service projects in Dalton, North Adams, Sheffield and Williamstown.

Some 14,000 Rotary members belonging to more than 550 Rotary clubs in five states and three countries — the U.S., Bermuda and Brazil — were expected to take place in service projects on May 20, according to Vin Marinaro, the governor nominee for Rotary District 7890, which covers Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut.

“The theme of Rotary, which was started by Paul Harris in 1905, is service above self,” Marinaro said while placing plants in the ground at Conte.

According to Rotary International, service day projects are expected to address a challenge that each club’s community faces, fit into one of the organization’s seven areas of focus, and bring together volunteers within and outside of Rotary. This is the second year that the clubs from Marinaro’s district have

Business briefs

FROM PAGE 5

Berkshire Bank posts first quarter results

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp reported $27.6 million in first quarter income, or 63 cents per share, for the three month period between Jan. 1 and March 31.

First quarter income was up from the $20.2 million the bank posted in the first quarter of 2022, but down from the $30.5 million the bank’s holding company posted during the fourth quarter of last year.

The holding company’s income was 69 cents per share during the first quarter of 2022 and 42 cents per share during the fourth quarter.

Berkshire also added three executives during the first quarter: David Rosato as chief financial officer; James Brown as head of commercial banking; and Philip Jurgeleit as chief credit officer.

The holding company’s board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of 18 cents per common share to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 18. It will be payable on June 1.

Zonta Club accepting scholarship applications

PITTSFIELD — The Zonta Club of Berkshire County is accepting applications for the Jane M. Klausman Business Scholarship and the Zonta International Women in STEM Scholarship.

The Jane M. Klausman Business Scholarship is awarded to college students who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in business management. The Women in STEM Scholarship is awarded to college students who are pursuing undergraduate degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics) subjects.

Eligible applicants for both scholarships should be in their second year of college.

The $1,000 winner of the Klausman Scholarship is eligible for an additional $8,000 award at the Zonta International level. The $1,000 winner of the Women

participated in the event,

“Rotary Clubs also always give back to their communities directly,” said DeBlieux Speed, who during the week serves as the chief information officer at Pittsfield Cooperative Bank. “To me, that’s a big reason why I’m a Rotarian because I want to know that I’m impacting my community.”

At Conte, the Rotary Club members spread out across the 60-foot-by-20-foot community garden, which has nine garden beds and has been in existence for 20 years. They planted mostly herbs and flowering noninvasive species that will serve as “pollinators” to encourage

in STEM Scholarship is eligible for an additional $5,000 award at the Zonta International level.

The application deadline for the Women in STEM Scholarship is June 15, while the application deadline for the Klausman Business Scholarship is July 1. Applications/information: ZontaBerkshire.org.

Berkshire compost firms receive development awards

Second Chance Composting of Adams and Tommy’s Compost Service of Hinsdale are among 19 Massachusetts organizations that have received a combined $1.1 million in grants from the state’s Recycling and Reuse Business Development Grant program.

The grants are focused on expanding the collection of mattresses, textiles and food material. The program, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, will expand the collection infrastructure for these materials, helping to ensure more convenient and cost-effective collection options for both residents and businesses.

This grant round targets investment in trucks, roll-off containers, and bins for food materials, mattresses and textiles.

Agricultural Resource Management Survey underway

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is collecting data from over 2,000 northeastern farmers and ranchers for its annual Agricultural Resource Management Survey.

The survey looks at all aspects of U.S. agricultural production, the well-being of farm households, farm finances, chemical usage, and various farm production characteristics.

The survey also collects detailed information on production practices, costs and returns for different commodities on a rotating basis. In 2023, the survey will take a closer look at barley and oat production in the northeastern United States.

The survey is conducted in three phases from May through April 2024. The first phase, now underway, screens

cross-pollination between the plants that are located within the community space, DeBlieux Speed said. Members also weeded and refreshed the soil in the garden beds.

The refurbished space will serve as an “educational tea garden” for local youngsters who use the space for gardening activities during the summer.

“We really like that educational aspect as Rotarians,” DeBlieux Speed said. “We thought that this was a great program since it is going to be educational for children.”

The environment is one of Rotary International’s seven areas of focus, and

participants to ensure they have the commodities of interest that are needed to accurately represent the entire U.S. farm sector.

During the second phase, NASS will collect information on production practices and chemical use for specific commodities. In the final phase, NASS will survey producers on farm income and production expenditures.

State cranberry production rises

BOSTON — Cranberry production in the state of Massachusetts totaled 2.26 million barrels last year, a 31 percent increase over 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Statistics Service, Northeast Regional Field Office.

Growers across the state harvested 11,600 acres of cranberries, 100 acres more than in 2021. Yields averaged 194.7 barrels per acre in 2022, compared with 150.2 barrels per acre a year earlier.

The 2022 price for Massachusetts fresh cranberries averaged $49.20 per barrel, up from $47.40 in 2021. The 2022 price for processed cranberries averaged $36.60 per barrel, down from $37.60 in 2021.

Total utilized production of cranberries in the United States last year is estimated at 8.01 million barrels, up 16 percent from 2021, although the number of acres harvested declined by 500 to 37,100.

The average price for fresh cranberries nationwide averaged $80.90 per barrel last year, while the average price for processed cranberries was $36 per barrel.

Berkshire Bank releases 2022 ES&G report

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Berkshire Bank’s parent company, has released its 2022 environmental, social and governance report, “Purpose & Performance that Matters.”

The report highlights the totality of the company’s environmental, social and governance activities, its performance as well as its progress on its $5 billion BEST Community Comeback program.

“Our purpose will continue to help power Berkshire on our path toward becoming a high-performing, leading socially responsible community bank

the Pittsfield club wasn’t the only Berkshire-based entity that used it as a theme for service day. Members of the Great Barrington Rotary Club planned to work with the Rotary Interact youth group to plant 155 plants in a 50-foot pollinator garden that day at Mount Everett Regional School in Sheffield.

In Pittsfield, Stephanie Quetti, the city’s community gardens program manager, appreciated the help.

“It would have taken me all summer to get this done,” Quetti said.

Previous gardening experience was not required.

“I mow the lawn,” said Forfa, the executive director of Berkshire Place in Pittsfield, when asked to cite his previous gardening credentials.

Bernard, a former mayor of North Adams, who became executive director of the Berkshire United Way in Pittsfield in January, and current club president Raczkowski, who heads the Berkshire Athenaeum, could also be seen doing a variety of gardening tasks.

“This is a great way as a relatively new club member to get to know people and work side-by-side,” Bernard said. “It’s a little less formal than a club meeting.”

His previous gardening credentials?

“I try to help around the yard,” Bernard said.

“I’ve been a member of Rotary for over 30 years and when I get the opportunity I just like to do these hands on projects,” added longtime Pittsfield Rotary Club member Randy Johnson.

His job Saturday?

“A little bit of everything,” Johnson said. “Actually, my task is to follow directions.”

Marinaro was pleased with everyone in Pittsfield that participated.

“I’m inspired by today,” he said. “Everybody’s chipping in.”

in New England and beyond,” said Berkshire Hills Bancorp CEO Nitin Mhatre. All of Berkshire’s collective ESG efforts are positively contributing to our commercial performance, creating capacity to invest more in our business, customers, employees, communities and shareholders.”

Berkshire’s accomplishments over the last year are highlighted in the report. Berkshire’s full ESG report is available online at berkshirebank.com/esg2022.

Berkshire Museum to honor Crane family

DALTON — The Berkshire Museum will honor the Crane family and celebrate 120 years of art, history and science on June 17 at a gala that will take place at Crane Model Farm in Dalton.

The event takes place at 5 p.m. Crane Model Farm is the current home of Berkshire Money Management and an ancestral home of the Crane family, which founded the museum.

Zenas Crane, the third generation owner of Crane & Company, which makes currency paper for the federal government, founded the Berkshire Museum in 1903.

Tickets/information: berkshiremuseum.org/120gala.

Columbia Memorial Health Auxiliary donates $40k

HUDSON, N.Y. — The Columbia Memorial Health Auxiliary has donated $40,000 to Columbia Memorial Hospital for the purchase of patient transport and visitor chairs.

Since its inception in 1953, the all-volunteer CMH Auxiliary, known as “The Pink Ladies,” has donated more than $1.6 million to CMH and provided tens of thousands of volunteer hours to aid the hospital and its patients.

The new patient transport chairs are designed to help provide a comfortable and welcoming transport environment for caregivers and offer easy access to different service areas within the hospital. The new visitor chairs will provide comfortable seating within patient rooms to offer a more family-centered experience, which is strongly correlated with improved patient outcomes.

STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

Members of the Rotary Club of Pittsfield fix up the community garden at Conte Community School. It was one of five events held around the Berkshires by the organization’s local chapters as part of Rotary International’s day of service event.

Winbrooke owner planning high-end eatery

By Jane K aufman, TYRINGHAM

— After spending $3.5 million on a full remodel of Winbrooke, his childhood home, Nicholas Felix is hoping to open it as a combination of event space, catering service and dinner-only restaurant.

Felix said Winbrooke has been operating as an event space since last summer. Now he has received a permit to install a commercial kitchen at the 28-acre property at 8 Webster Road, which overlooks Tyringham Cobble. He has yet to design the space and install the ovens. This week, he returned to the town seeking a special permit for a restaurant. The Planning Board public hearing has not been scheduled.

His plan is to open at first as a high-end pop-up space, with a rotating group of chefs for dinner by reservation-only from Wednesday to Sunday starting in mid-June of this year through the summer and early fall. On the nights an event is booked, standard restaurant seating would not be available.

He is recruiting chefs — from Berkshire County, New York City, Boston and beyond — who will take a one- or two-week gig, which they and he would consider an audition. In the longer term, Felix said he hopes to choose a single chef to staff both the restaurant at Winbrooke and be its on-site caterer.

“So it’s almost like a rotating carousel of talent,” he said, “where you get a slightly different experience, but to the elevated standard that Winbrooke is.”

When he was young, Felix with his family first moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Great Barrington, then to the Tyringham home. He grew up there, attending Catholic schools in Pittsfield.

After his parents divorced in the 2000s, his mother, Dr. Veronica Deyeso, continued living in the home but the maintenance got ahead of her.

Felix and family members started restoring the house in 2018.

It once was the residence of philanthropist and socialite Brooke Astor during her second

JANE KAUFMAN

Nicholas Felix, shown with his wife, Amy, in the library at Winbrooke in Tyringham. He has applied to operate the property as a restaurant during the spring through early fall. His hope is to open in mid-June ahead of the Berkshires summer season.

marriage, to Charles Henry Marshall. She became Brooke Astor about a year after Marshall died, when she married her third husband, Vincent Astor in 1953.

The name Winbrooke is from Astor, and Felix eagerly points out the elements of the house that she added, particularly the library and a mantel in the pri-

vate dining room.

When Felix was growing up, the only restaurant in Tyringham, Sunset Farm, was within walking distance of his childhood home. In 2006, Sunset Farm morphed into a bed-and-breakfast and event space, eventually closing in 2011. Since then, no new restaurants have opened in Tyringham, he said.

In an accompanying description of his future plans, Felix said Winbrooke eventually would be open all week, with occupancy a maximum of 49 six days, and 99 the seventh.

He said there would be no more than 10 employees at the site. The plan is to offer a leisurely experience for diners.

“It’s an exclusive experience,” Felix said. “As soon as you start jamming in 100 covers a night, 100 seats a night and high turnover, you lose the element of service, you lose the panache and the cachet.”

Jane Kaufman is Community Voices Editor at The Berkshire Eagle. She can be reached at jkaufman@ berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6125.

By Scott Stafford

LEE — When Margaret MacDowell was 17, a junior at Lee High School, friends who worked at Joe’s Diner persuaded her to apply. She got the job.

That was in 1970. MacDowell, 71, is still there and still loves it.

“My father didn’t want me to work here, because all the customers were men,” she said in a recent interview at Joe’s, at 85 Center St. in Lee. “He came around eventually.”

Margaret MacDowell has been a waitress at the iconic Joe’s Diner since 1970, when she was 17 years old. She is 71 now. “I like the job and I like the people. If I didn’t, I would have left a long time ago.”

At the time, Joe’s primarily served workers from the local paper mills and was open 24 hours to feed all three shifts their lunch, dinner and breakfast.

“It was always busy,” MacDowell said.

After a few years, she quit Joe’s and became a mill worker. A couple of years later, diner owner Joe Sorrentino invited her back.

“So I came back,” she said, and hasn’t left.

Sorrentino opened Joe’s Diner in 1955.

By the late 1980s, with the paper industry slowing, Joe’s Diner closed from midnight to 5 a.m.

“It was so busy all the time, and I met a lot of great people,” MacDowell said. “I was working with Joe, his wife and their kids. They were a great family. Then, two years later [in 2000], Joe retired and sold the place.”

MacDowell stayed on with new owners, Joe and Pam Langlais. Joe Langlais died in 2011, and in 2013, Heather Earle bought Joe’s.

“I’m on my fifth boss now,” MacDowell said, counting Joe’s wife. “I guess once you find a home, you never leave.”

One of the benefits of her job, she said, is the variety of customers, mostly local regulars and seasonal visitors, but an occasional surprise. MacDowell said a couple of celebrities have stopped there, including an actress from “Days of Our Lives,” and an actor in one of the “Law and Order” shows.

Well past the lunch hour, the dining room was nearly full. The two waitresses on duty scurried through the tables, delivering food and taking orders.

Off-duty and sitting at a hightop table in the back, MacDowell squinted, scanning for familiar faces and pointing out regular customers she knows.

MacDowell remembers many of the customers she served in the early years who introduced their kids to the place. She became friends with them, and, in some cases, with their grandkids.

MacDowell’s mother and granddaughter also have worked at Joe’s.

“I love it, I do,” MacDowell said. “And I think it’s my customers that make it fun.”

Nowadays she works weekends at Joe’s, and on weekdays she is a custodian at Morris Elementary School in Lenox, a job she is considering retiring from. She said she looks forward to only having to work at Joe’s.

Owner Heather Earle said that MacDowell is as much a staple of Joe’s as the clatter of the plates and the aroma of the coffee.

Earle said MacDowell’s feisty and fun style helps keep customers coming back.

“Most people love Margaret,” Earle said. “When it’s busy, she’s right to the point so she can move on to the next table. She seems hard on the outside, but when it slows down, it’s easy to see she’s a softy on the inside.”

When Earle bought the diner, a 3-yearold customer begged her to keep MacDowell on the staff.

“She was one of only two employees I kept on,” Earle said. “She’s a hard worker. Some people come in over the weekend just to see her.”

MacDowell says that she intends to work there a while longer.

“I have friends here by the dozens,” she said. “So as long as my health lets me, I’ll stay here. This is where I want to be.”

Steeple City Plaza sold for $2M

By Greta Jochem

NORTH ADAMS — Steeple City Plaza, home to a number of downtown businesses and the now shuttered North Adams Movieplex 8, is now owned by a different Connecticut-based firm.

First Hartford Realty Corp. of Manchester, Conn. sold the plaza to NRT Realty for $2 million in late April, according to records filed with the Northern Berkshire Registry of Deeds.

NRT Realty, which is located in Avon, Conn., does not own other property in the Berkshires, according to local registries of deeds. The new owners have no immediate plans to change the property.

“At this point we don’t foresee any change in the shopping center,” said David Burns, general counsel for First Hartford Realty Corp., which is managing the property. Efforts to directly reach the new owner, NRT Realty, have not been successful. Paperwork filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth list NRT Realty’s principal as N. Robert Trigg.

There are no plans to reopen the shuttered North Adams Movieplex or leads on a new tenant to rent the space, according to Burns.

The downtown property is worth more than twice the recent sale price — the most recent assessment totaled $5.4 million, according to Jessica Lincourt, the city assessor.

Burns declined to comment on why

First Hartford sold the property

The parcel includes Burger King, a

strip mall building with Planet Fitness and a liquor store, and an L-shaped building on American Legion Drive and Main Street that’s home to businesses like Papa Gino’s, Label Shopper and T-Mobile. In between the buildings is a 500-space parking lot. In total, the shopping center is 131,000 square feet, according to First Hartford Realty’s website.

At one time, the plaza was being considered as a location for the Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum, according to city leaders, but the museum declined earlier this year to comment. Efforts to reach EMRCA Monday were not successful.

John Toic, First Hartford Realty’s president, declined to comment early this year when asked if it had been talking to the museum about a potential sale.

NRT Realty does not own other property in the Berkshires, according to the registries of deeds.

Some businesses in the plaza have struggled. Gordmans, a department store which occupied a large storefront at the plaza, opened in February 2020 only to close a few months later, partly due to some of the financial pressures brought on by the COVId-19 pandemic.

That space is now vacant. More recently, many residents mourned the loss of the North Adams Movieplex 8, the movie theater in the plaza, when it closed at the end of January. Before it closed, First Hartford Realty Corporation, owned the movie theater business.

‘Once you find a home, you never leave’

Margaret MacDowell, 71, has been a staple of Joe’s Diner for 5 decades

SCOTT STAFFORD

FILE PHOTO

This building, which houses the Movieplex, Planet Fitness, a defunct Gordman’s Department store and V & V Liquors, is part of the Steeple City Plaza. The community shopping center’s Connecticut-based owners have sold the property to another Connecticut realty firm.

Easing the bottleneck in slaughterhouses

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures working to streamline processing

By H eat H er Bellow

GREAT BARRINGTON — At the Hilltown Pork butchery in Canaan, N.Y., near the West Stockbridge town line, workers can only process so much beef, pork, lamb and goat meat.

There isn’t enough space or staffing for all that is produced by Hilltown’s 220 farms — 30 to 40 of which are in Berkshire County — and the pace of operations is wearing out equipment that can easily run up to $30,000 to replace.

There are no meat processors in the Berkshires, so farmers bring their animals to various butcheries in the region and beyond.

“There’s not enough of us to

take care of the demand that’s out there,” said Ben Beckwith, Hilltown’s vice president, owner and general manager. He said he’s seen this demand rise over the last 15 years, and a spike that began during the pandemic as residents developed new buying habits to avoid grocery stores.

“People want to know where their food is coming from a lot more than in the past.”

Enter Berkshire Agricultural Ventures with a solution.

The Great Barrington-based nonprofit recently received a $630,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The grant comes through the USDA Rural Development Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program. Combined with $210,000 in donations from the community, the nonprofit will establish an $840,000 revolving loan fund intended to help meat processors in the Berk-

shire-Taconic foodshed absorb more deliveries from farms.

It also allows the nonprofit to expand assistance through its Local Meat Processing Support Program — offering free technical help, loans, grant-writing and other support.

Berkshire Agricultural Venture’s mission is to keep local food agriculture in the Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut region viable and thriving.

“We want to try to mitigate the bottleneck that exists,” said Jake Levin, manager of Berkshire Agricultural Venture’s meat processing support program. “Part of the problem is that [farms] are sending all their animals [for processing] at the same time.”

That’s because the prime time for slaughter is late summer and fall when animals are fattened up after eating rich

Jacob’s Pillow looks to the future

By C larenCe Fanto

BECKET — The price tag is formidable for the new, yearround Doris Duke Theatre to be constructed at Jacob’s Pillow: $30 million.

$27 million already has been raised toward the total goal of $35 million, including $5 million for an endowment, and building plans are in hand to replace the original theater destroyed by fire in November 2020.

“In replacing what was lost while looking to the future, Jacob’s Pillow seeks to create a future-forward dance theater as it looks ahead to its second century,” according to a news release from the dance festival’s leaders. Preliminary plans were announced last November.

The goal is to create an accessible, inclusive space for dialogue, collaboration and education. At the same time, the new theater would maintain the intimacy of the original, along with a new digital lab to handle various programming needs, future technical upgrades and ensure longterm sustainable growth, flexible performance spaces and resiliency.

The reimagined theater, expected to open in summer 2025, will be more than double the size of the original playhouse — about 20,000 square feet, compared to the 8,500 footprint. The theater will seat up to 230 patrons in the main performance space.

The original Doris Duke Theatre, named for the billionaire art collector, philanthropist and heiress (1912-1993), was built in 1989 and opened in 1990 as one of three primary performance sites on Jacob’s Pillow’s 220acre campus.

The new space restores a second indoor theater for Jacob’s Pillow’s annual summer Dance Festival alongside the flagship Ted Shawn Theatre. It also will provide a year-round studio on the Pillow campus, in addition to the Perles Family Studio, home to The School at Jacob’s Pillow, and the Pillow Lab, artist-in-resi-

dence program.

Funding comes from a coalition of donors and foundations, supported by a formal campaign launching this month.

“The campaign goal is approximately $35 million, which is inclusive of construction of the new theater and establishing an endowment fund which will help support the aims and operations of the new theater,” according to Elise Linscott, public relations and communications coordinator for The Pillow.

Last November, the Doris Duke Foundation unveiled a $10 million naming gift. Additional funding came from the Knight Foundation for the digital priorities of the project, along with support from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund for the design phase.

Jacob’s Pillow, a National Historic Landmark and recipient of the National Medal of Arts, is also raising an endowment of $5 million or more for the digital project and to directly support artists who will be on site at the Pillow Lab.

The nation’s longest-running international dance festival was founded in Becket by famed dancer Ted Shawn, who had begun performing there with a small dance troupe in 1933. The festival attracts more than 80,000 patrons during its season, which opens for this summer on June 28 and runs until Aug. 27.

“We are so grateful for the leadership support that makes it possible for us to envision a re-imagined Doris Duke Theatre, one that promises to have the warmth and character of the original and beloved Duke, while at the same time being relevant and accessible to what artists and audiences will need in the future,” said Jacob’s Pillow Executive & Artistic Director Pamela Tatge in a prepared statement.

The new space will have improved lighting and audio capabilities. Many windows and skylights, with darkening capabilities throughout

forage, explained Levin, himself a butcher and charcuterie expert. That’s when flavor will be the best.

Both ends of the business are fraught. There aren’t enough processors, “a high cost operation” Levin said. And staffing problems have added to the trouble. Farmers have to drive sometimes long distances to deliver animals and return again to pick up the butchered meat.

There’s always a backlog.

“They have to schedule processing a year ahead,” Levin said, “in some cases before the animal has even gestated.”

Berkshire farmers told The Eagle in 2021 that the great challenge of raising meat animals is finding a processor.

The low-interest loans will help. The money will be available for purchases and renovations that include expansion of cutting rooms, building new

coolers or smokehouses, Levin said.

It could help pay for a refrigerated truck or an automated sausage stuffer.

While the loans will only be available initially to meat processors, when repaid, the money can be loaned out again more broadly to others in that food production chain.

“In terms of the long-term picture, this is a huge game changer,” Levin said.

Beckwith, of Hilltown Pork, said he had just been talking to his wife about applying for a loan — Hilltown needs to expand two work rooms, buy a new walk-in cooler and two machines that will run around $30,000 each, including a cryovac food sealer machine.

“Very expensive things,” Beckwith said, “for very small businesses like ourselves.”

Boba tea shop opens in Adams

By Sten Spinella

ADAMS — Local business owners and investors continue to be charmed by a growing downtown Adams.

the building, will connect the theater with the surrounding campus and landscape.

According to Tatge, the design creates a year-round venue “that will serve as an incubator for a new generation of artists seeking to integrate technology into live performance and create art native to the digital realm.”

Contributions from Indigenous artists to the design will include visual art installations, a medicinal garden with local and indigenous plantings near the entrance of the building, and a fire pit for gatherings and celebrations.

Jeffrey Gibson, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent, is a consultant on the building’s relationship to the site and Indigenous design values, a key element of the building’s design. According to the news release, The Pillow “seeks to honor the building’s context on the ancestral lands of the Muh-he-con-neok, or Mohican peoples, who are now known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community and reside in Wisconsin.”

The Pillow also honors the Agawam, Nipmuc, and Pocumtuc who also made their homes in what is now known as Western Massachusetts.

“It’s been great working with Jacob’s Pillow and [architecture firm] Mecanoo to develop the new Doris Duke Theatre,” Gibson said. “The current design takes into account important Indigenous values and supports multiple kinds of performances that can engage the inside and the outside of the building and traditional and more intimate performances. Certain Indigenous materials, patterns, and processes will be reflected in the interior and exterior, and I’m excited to see the submissions from Indigenous artists to help realize the final iteration of the building.”

Lea King and her partner Wayne Gelinas recently opened 57 Park Street Gifts & Goodies in Adams.

The shop takes some of the elements of King’s and Gelinas’ successful Wigwam Western Summit establishment in North Adams, but, among other changes, adds boba tea.

“I don’t know if people are more excited about the boba tea or they’re more excited about the souvenir shop,” King said. “Boba is catching a lot of people by surprise.”

King said that she and Gelinas have been wholly welcomed by Adams officials and the community. She named Yina Moore, who owns the Adams Theater and just bought the Topia Inn, as a friend.

“Every other entrepreneur is looking at the bigger picture of Adams, and they see a vibrant downtown could be created,” Moore told The Eagle in February.

King is planning on serving smoothies, boba tea and other products. She said the decision to sell boba — a black tea-based Taiwanese drink with milk, ice and tapioca pearls — comes from a personal place.

“I was born and raised in Taiwan, it brings back such nostalgic memories, back when we were little, didn’t have a lot of money, and that was such a nice treat,” King said. “When you get straight As, you do all the things right, you get a boba.”

King said she has been trained by Taiwanese brewmasters in how to make boba, and she’s imparted what she’s learned to assistant manager Breanna Hillard.

King describes the drink as difficult to make. Some of what she sells will be the easier-to-prepare, pre-packaged boba, but she is also planning on selling homemade tea with original tapioca pearls.

“That takes time to simmer and then soak in the tea,” she said. “It takes more than an hour to make a batch, and it’s highly perishable.”

King said she and Gelinas are not simply looking to make a buck off of selling tea.

“It’s about giving people the new Berkshire experience,” she said.

Beyond the tea, King sees her new business as a vehicle for local art and artists. The new shop’s soft opening in March gatherd the North Berkshire artist community, King said.

“Art Talk” and “Art Walk” are two staples of the new store that

will keep local artists involved, King said. The former brings in an artist to focus on their work and their inspiration, and to possibly display their work, as they address attendees. Common Folk Artist Collective will be responsible for curating the artist and the art.

The latter is a tour led by a local artist of outdoor art in the North Adams area.

“The local artist will meet tourists at the upside down tree at Mass MoCA, and the intention is to lead a tour of outdoor art,” King said. “Go see the various murals, take them to gallery row, then jump back into the car and drive up to Wigwam, where seven artists have installed beautiful outdoor art, and go through each of the art displays.”

Participants would pay $75 for the tour as well as a free drink and Whoopee Pie at Wigwam.

“When you’re done with all that, we put them on the hiking trail. Our neighbor the Berkshire Natural Resources Council has created a Wigwam connector trail right next to the butterfly garden where we have the butterfly mural,” King said.

Last year, Wigwam Western Summit unveiled a new butterfly mural and outdoor artist experience for visitors. The seasonal North Adams establishment is currently closed, but reopens May 1, King said.

The boba tea shop doubles as a gift and souvenir shop. It will feature hot sauce from Firehouse Cafe & Bistro, baked goods from The Shire Cottage Bakery, other items from local companies, and Adams regalia.

“This is the only place where you can get an Adams hoodie, an Adams tank top, razorback tank top, we are loaded,” King said. “Adams postcards, vintage post cards and I am currently looking at Adams children’s T-shirts.”

GILLIAN JONES

From left, Breanna Hillard and Lea King have opened 57 Park Street Gifts and Goodies in Adams, which features a Taiwanese delicacy, Boba Tea.

The new Doris Duke Theatre will be more than twice the size of the original, with modern updates

Lynda’s Loft starts 2nd act

By Sten Spinella

ADAMS — After more than 17 years in the Armory Block building on Park Street, Lynda’s Antique Clothing Loft has begun its second act in a new space on Columbia St.

Lynda Meyer’s shop, along with about nine other tenants of the building, were kicked out in March because of a faulty furnace.

The store is now housed in a new building at 126 Columbia St. A grand re-opening ceremony took place May 13.

Meyer’s move had inherent problems. For one, the building she is now in, owned by Art McConnell, had decades worth of electrician equipment to clear out first.

“We had to redo the floors, and I had to redesign how I would set up the store that I had the same way for 17 years, in a month,” Meyers said.

Meyer enlisted volunteers, and along with her associate Kate Coulehan, brought her new establishment to life after a short intermission.

Another problem with the move: Meyer is exceedingly particular with her collection. Her shop is a haven for collectors, selling hand-sewn dresses from the mid19th century to the mid-20th century, as well as other clothing, jewelry, glassware and more.

“If I can’t put a piece out, it’s like a lost child,” Meyer said. “That’s what took so long, was redesigning the space. It has a more cottage-y feel, and the fact that it doesn’t have two staircases to get up to it is very beneficial.”

Meyer is now paying twice the rent she paid at the Armory Block building. But, she said, her current situation is as inexpensive as possible given the market. She said that she and others in downtown Adams are facing a sort of gentrification.

“For at least 10 years, downtown has been in the process of becoming some-

thing, but most of the landlords with those buildings either went bankrupt or sold to somebody else,” Meyer said. “It’s

gentrification. They’re trying to make a new vision to conform with whatever is happening right now.”

Armory Block building update

David LaBorde confirmed Monday that his long-term plan for the Armory Block building is to make it a mixed commercial-residential building through a public-private partnership. He envisions 14 market-rate apartments and three commercial spaces.

“Adams is not a commercial hub for industry, it’s more of a residential town,” LaBorde said. “Replacing a $125,000 boiler, the return on investment is probably 50 years, so it’s out of wack.”

LaBorde contemplated shutting down the entire building when he learned of the boiler problem. He’s since installed baseboard heating for the remaining first-floor tenants: Smith Brothers-McAndrews Insurance, Bishop West Real Estate and Sam Caster Weavers.

“I’m trying to maintain the aesthetics of Park Street as I’m finishing the building next door,” LaBorde said. “I’m fighting for downtown. I didn’t want another big empty building with empty commercial space as people drive by.”

LaBorde is also turning the adjoining Jones Block building into mixed residential-commercial space. Tenants could be moving in as early as June.

“My old spot at the Armory Block, along with the rest of the spaces on the second floor of that building, will eventually be torn apart and modernized,” Meyer said.

Meyer said her shop’s place and reputation as part of the artistic backbone of Adams is another major reason why she decided to reopen.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KATE COULEHAN

Lynda’s Antique Clothing Loft’s new location on Columbia Street.

Taking the plunge

New cannabis dispensaries open in Pittsfield

By John Townes

PITTSFIELD — The legalized cannabis industry in Massachusetts is experiencing the rapid growth of a new sector with unknown potential and the volatile transition to more traditional forces of supply and demand.

But that hasn’t stopped two new cannabis dispensaries from opening in Pittsfield.

The two businesses, Potency at 1450 East St. and Budhaus at 239 West St. are separate ventures with no connection to each other. But both ownership groups are confident that their businesses will survive and thrive in this highly competitive environment.

They believe their dispensaries can succeed by emphasizing the strengths of independent, locally-based businesses focused on quality and customer service.

Both businesses are also acting as growers, wholesalers, and retailers, which their owners say gives them more control over their costs and enables them to tailor their selection to the tastes and preferences of their customers.

“When you grow and cultivate your own cannabis, the profit margins are higher because you created the product,” said Devin Bajardi, who co-owns Budhaus.

Tim Mack, who co-owns Potency, said quality and custom-

ization allow an independent dispensary to offer a better product that can compete with larger companies.

“The large multistate operators are able to flood the market with cheap product,” said Mack. “But you get what you pay for. We can compete with them because we focus on quality and people appreciate the difference.”

Many cannabis dispensaries start with unrealistic expectations, Bajardi said.

“People thought there is more money in this industry than there actually is, and put everything they had into their businesses,” he said. “But the profit margins are actually very tight.”

Potency, which opened April 24, is an offshoot of two other related businesses, Mass Yield Cultivation, a wholesale cannibas grower, and Berkshire Hydroponics, a retailer that carries supplies for indoor and outdoor gardening.

Mack is the sole owner of

Berkshire Hydroponics. His partners in Potency are Owen Martinetti and Chris Abbenda. His partner in Mass Yield Cultivation is Sonia Orenstein Barile.

All three of Mack’s businesses are near the intersection of East Street and Merrill Road.

Potency and Berkshire Hydroponics are located in adjacent sections of a commercial building at 1450 East St. Mass Yield Cultivation is located in a 5,600-square foot nearby facility at 10 Commercial St.

The three businesses employ 28 people, said Mack.

Mack started Berkshire Hydroponics in 2014. He partnered with Orenstein to form Mass Yield Cultivation in 2018. but about two years ago, Mack decided to expand from cultivation and wholesaling into direct retailing of cannabis products. He formed Potency with Martinetti and Abbenda, who both live in New York and have a background in CBD products.

“I was focused on cultivation with Mass Yield, and initially I didn’t have the intention to open a retail dispensary,” Mack said. “However, an adjacent space opened in the building where Berkshire Hydroponics is located and the landlord offered it to us. I decided a retail dispensary could work there, and we launched Potency.”

The 3,000-square foot shop includes a large mural-like display of a maze of live vines on one wall.

The dispensary sell cannabis flower, edibles, concentrates, pre-rolled joints and other items, including MyHi, a stir stick with THC powder, for beverages. It offers accessories like paper and pipes.

Potency also serves as a retail outlet for products of Mass Yield Cultivation, including basic flowers and buds, and some packaged products that are made with the cannabis they grow.

“Mass Yield concentrates on cultivation and growing, but we work with manufacturers and distributors who make

DISPENSARIES, Page 14

STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

Budhaus owners, from left, Mark Penna, Kisha Bajardi, and Devin Bajardi, at their store on West Street in Pittsfield.

The Sargassum solution

Williams grad runs company that is turning seaweed into valuable materials

By Tony DoBrowolski

There’s a large visible reminder of climate change floating in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a giant bloom of Sargassum seaweed.

This large patch of brown seaweed has developed in the Atlantic every spring and summer since 2011. Pieces of it can usually be found anywhere from the west coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. But this year’s bloom — located mostly in the eastern Atlantic, mainly in the Caribbean Sea — is particularly dense. In March researchers at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science estimated that it contained 13 million tons, a record for that month. NASA refers to it as “The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt.”

Many people consider this giant bloom to be a problem. But Williams College grad Geoff Chapin views it as an opportunity.

Chapin is the co-founder and CEO of Carbonwave, a high tech company based in Boston and Puerto Rico, that has developed a technology that can turn this floating mass into a host of valuable materials, including an organic fertilizer and a natural cosmetic emulsifer. An emulsfier is a chemical additive that encourages the suspension of one liquid into another — salad dressing is created this way. In cosmetics, emulsifiers normally made from petrochemical/hydrocarbon derivatives, not natural materials, are used to make lotions, creams and hair conditioners.

Carbonwave is also working on creating a fabric from this seaweed that is similar to leather — “we haven’t launched it yet,” Chapin said — and would eventually like to use it to make bioplastics. The possibilities are endless, he said, because no one knows what to do with this large floating mass.

“Nobody’s figured out how to use this seaweed,” said Chapin, who graduated from Williams in 1996 with a dual major in political science and economics. “It was just throw it away and put it in a landfill.”

Like other plants, Sargassum seaweed can trap carbon in the atmosphere. Using that process, Chapin believes this large floating mass can help combat carbon emissions that pollute the air and lead to global warming.

Chapin said that theory is based on research conducted by marine biologist Antoine Ramon N’Yuert of the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. N’Yuert and his team proposed in 2012 that covering just 9 percent of the world’s ocean surface with Sargassum could produce enough sufficient reliable energy to replace all of today’s fossil fuel requirements while removing 53 million tons per year of the greenhouse carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which they say would restore pre-industrial atmospheric conditions.

“The elegant aspect of our solution is that it uses already occurring marine plants and a natural process (photosynthesis) to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide,” N’Yeurt said via email.

“Overabundance and beaching of Sargassum will remain an issue for a long as the underlying causes (global warming, nutrient pollution, growing world population) remain unchecked,” N’Yeurt said. “Hence, any innovative solutions to convert the seaweed biomass into useful products that benefit humanity as a whole are strongly encouraged, especially for food and energy security.”

Carbonwave has embraced N’Yeurt’s philosophy.

“My main goal, beside making this into a financial success which we have the ability to do and are doing, is to emulate Professor N’Yeurt’s idea and bring it to life,” Chapin said. “We can actually grow more Sargassum in the open ocean because it’s uniquely suited to address this carbon problem.

“The reason Sargassum is very hard to deal with is that the traditional methods of making valuable materials out of this seaweed don’t work,” said Chapin,

who currently lives north of San Francisco. “So we had to create a new set of extraction methods to get the valuable parts out and make it work.

How does this extraction method work?

Carbonwave begins by collecting the Sargassum seaweed that washes ashore near its research and development facility in Mexico. “We wash it, treat it, chip it up and put it in a giant screw press,” Chapin said.

The screw press squeezes the liquid out of the seaweed, but carefully so the valuable materials within the plants aren’t lost, and a dangerous substance can be removed.

“The challenge is that’s it’s very hard to do this because there’s arsenic in there and you have to know how to get the arsenic out, but leave all the good things,” he said.

The pulp that remains after the liquid is squeezed out is then brought to Carbonwave’s facility in Carolina, Puerto Rico where the materials are extracted. Chapin won’t say exactly how this is done.

“The other methods of pulling valuable ingredients out of it don’t work on Sargassum, so we now have our own methodology, our new intellectual property,” he said. “We do our own extraction process that is patent pending. It allows us to to create two more products, the emulsifer

CARBONWAVE, Page 14

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CARBONWAVE Geoff Chapin

RICARDO MAZALAN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seaweed covers the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean Sea, in this file photo. A company headed by Williams College graduate Geoff Chapin has developed a process that can convert the large bloom of Sargassum seaweed that is floating in the Atlantic Ocean into a number of valuable materials.

The recipe for big spaces: Go small or go home

By Jim T herrien NORTH ADAMS — Go

smaller or go home:

Norad Mill in North Adams struck upon a successful business strategy in subdividing a large, industrial mill space.

David Carver, a partner in CT Management Group, redevelops and manages a number of downtown buildings here in North Adams and elsewhere in Berkshire County. He, too, has been experiencing and managing the trend of dividing larger spaces into smaller ones for specialized business tenants.

Norad

FROM PAGE 1

different ballgame.”

Norad Mill’s positive vibe is derived, too, from its past: Its modern-day renovations jibe with its historic architecture and atmosphere.

“The attention to detail and cleanliness make it successful,” Moresi said. “The first-rate employees of my company — our skilled tradesmen and women — make it successful. The tenants, however, are really what make it successful.”

MULTIPLE TENANTS

The leasing demand at Norad Mill “was unexpected,” Klammer said. “We had a Craigslist ad, and it just exploded from there.”

Moresi and Klammer estimate about 100 tenant employees work in the building on a given day, in addition to a stream of shoppers, clients and other visitors.

Norad’s businesses, listed on the Norad Mill website, noradmill.com, include Tunnel City Coffee; Moresi’s Norad Café; Norad Toy & Candy Company; the Computer Bug; Studio North Dance Arts; Cheeky Fishing; and 3 West Events. It has a host of other business and nonprofit organization offices, professional and personal services and artisan studios.

Amy Eichhammer, of Rootz Hair and Nail Studio, came to the mill three years ago. She had been working in South County for 15 years but wanted to do something closer to her hometown of Adams.

She said she enjoys the atmosphere

and camaraderie among the tenants.

“And I like being close to Mass MoCA, too,” Eichhammer said. “I do makeup artistry and I do permanent makeup, and I feel that fits with the whole arts [focus] in the town.”

Eichhammer found that hometown sensibility at Norad: “There is such a community here. My grandfather used to work in this mill, and I just felt like I needed to be here. We’re good, we’re busy. … I love this place.”

Tina Whitmore, owner of Freia Fibers, lived in Oakland and was thinking of leaving California when a friend

of hers moved to the Berkshires.

“I basically looked online and fell in love with the area,” she said.

Freia Fibers hand-dyes knitting yarn and sells balls of yarn to customers around the world and from their space at the mill.

John Kozik, who works at his step-daughter McKenna Burzimati’s dog treat shop, Roxie’s Barkery, said their business sells homemade, all-natural treats for dogs.

“Wedobirthdaycakes,treats,muffins, cookies, all made here in our facility,”

FILE PHOTO Developer David Carver, a partner in CT Management Group, believes subdividing large properties into smaller spaces is the best way to develop the Berkshire’s large industrial mill spaces.

For a successful downtown, market-rate housing also is a key ingredient, Carver said. And North Adams has the historic buildings on Main Street where new housing can be and is being created in combination with commercial spaces, which adds energy to a town’s main street, he said.

Large retail businesses were the cornerstones of downtown decades ago, Carver said. But as large factories closed, as malls came and as the internet arrived, those factors and others rendered that format “dead as a doornail.”

Carver said downtowns that are doing well and transforming have added housing and smaller businesses like restaurants and those that are culturally oriented.

“Those are the three things you look at in downtowns that are coming back strong,” he said.

His firm’s Berkshire Plaza space on Main Street in North Adams had large tenants, but with most of those now gone, “we are finding that we are almost full again,” Carver said.

“We started to subdivide it into much smaller spaces, and we only have two small vacancies left. That’s it.”

Another example of the trend, he said, was in the Clock Tower Business Center on South Church Street in Pittsfield — a former mill that houses The Berkshire Eagle on the lower floors and a number of small businesses on the upper floors.

In marketing the upper floors at Clock Tower Business Center, “we were not successful in landing a 15,000-square-foot tenant,” Carver said.

CT Management decided to break the big space up into small offices.

“And all of a sudden, we were seeing a demand by artists … working, successful artists who could pay a very nice rent for the spaces we were creating,” Carver said. “Over the past 12 months, we’ve landed 20 working artists. So that works.”

PHOTOS BY GILLIAN JONES

The Norad Mill in North Adams is a business incubator with many different types of businesses from office to retail.

David Moresi stands in the entrance to the first floor of the Norad Mill in North Adams.

NORAD, Page 13

he said. “Dave and his staff put this together for us; they did a wonderful job, and it’s been a great partnership.

Moresi said “the original plan” was for the mill to be a headquarters for his own companies.

And it has become the home base for all of Moresi’s different companies — from the construction to the electrical company.

“All our shops and warehouses are here,” he said.

He added, “We had some various warehouse areas, but never had a home base. And we grew a lot following that, too.”

“We never planned to be here, and then we’re, like, we need to be here,” Klammer said, gesturing around the Moresi & Associates offices that are now located in the mill.

“And this was one of the last spaces [not leased],” Moresi said.

A TEAM IN PLACE

Norad’s success came earlier than anticipated. Moresi’s strategy helped.

“The mill has been successful because we made a commitment to businesses both old and new that we would work with them to ensure their success,” he said.

“It is not rocket science but, by our helping the businesses get settled in their lease space and perhaps negotiating some initial lease rates that worked for them, it helped to ensure the longterm success of the many businesses in the mill, as well as allow them to get initially stabilized.”

Said Moresi, “Until commercial landlords begin to realize that something is better than nothing, we will continue to see considerable commercial vacancy in downtown areas of the Berkshires.”

Aside from the construction services and reasonable rents his company offers tenants, Moresi said, “it really does come down to simple leasing economics.”

Moresi summoned the saying, “Nothing attracts a crowd more than a crowd.”

“In this case, nothing attracts businesses more than businesses,” he said. “And we sure have plenty of them here at the mill.”

RELATED COMPANIES

The related Moresi companies do commercial construction in the health care, hospitality and housing sectors, he said, including renovating for professional offices, businesses like restaurants and hotels, and to create housing units.

The latter sector, he said, primarily involves large projects like redeveloping the former Johnson School and Wall Streeter

buildings in North Adams, and soon the former Notre Dame School for housing.

Crews do the entire redevelopment projects, Moresi said, adding that his real estate business also manages about 1,000 units in the county for condominium complexes, homeowner associations and other properties.

Moresi said having “a great staff” in place is crucial to their business success.

That consists of more than 50 employees, he said, including tradespeople, maintenance, property management and office staff, and means the company can work with new Norad Mill tenants in fitting up their space — and at times providing a lower rent while they build up their business.

“We’ve had a lot of businesses who come here and say, ‘You know, I’m not quite sure,’ so we work with them,” Moresi said.

Residential S er vices

PHOTOS BY GILLIAN JONES

The Drury High School Senior Prom was held at the Norad Mill’s 3 West Events space in May 2022.

to cosmetics and the leather alternative.

“We had to develop all that to make these additional materials because to date we haven’t seen anyone do anything with Sargassum that’s very valuable,” Chapin said. “Mostly they just talk about [using it] for compost or bricks.”

In small doses in the open ocean, Sargassum contributes to marine life by providing a habitat for turtles, fish and birds and producing oxygen through photosynthesis, according to NASA. But when it gathers near the coast, it makes it difficult for some species to move and breathe, and can smother coral and seagrasses when it sinks to the bottom of the ocean in large quantities.

When it reaches shore, Sargassum releases methane, a greenhouse gas, when it rots if it’s not disposed of properly. The rotting seaweed emits an odor similar to rotten eggs and can effect marine biology, local tourism and air quality while contributing to global warming.

Those three factors combined can affect areas located near the ocean where tourism is a major economic driver. Carbonwave’s process can also help small countries that become overwhelmed when this seaweed washes up on their shores.

“What I love about this is not just the massive potential, but it can also help island nations and other that are being inundated (with this seaweed) and help them turn what is a problem into a solution,” he said.

Chapin was a standout basketball player at Williams, earning honorable mention NCAA Di-

Dispensaries

FROM PAGE 10

vision III All-America honors his senior season when the Eps finished 23-4 and lost to eventual national champion Rowan College of New Jersey in the NCAA Tournament. He roomed with the late Matt Stauffer, who captained the Ephs’ 1995 Division III national championship team and later died from leukemia which he had contracted before his senior season began.

Williams placed a rock with a plaque honoring Stauffer’s memory and achievements near the college’s soccer field, and Chapin said he visits the site whenever he returns to town.

“I love Williams. I love the town,” he said. “I go back at least once a year.”

Chapin also holds an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management and a master’s in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

“My training is in business,” said Chapin, who has previously worked for Bain Capital, Bridgespan Group , which provides consulting services for nonprofits, and founded Next Step Living, a firm that conducted energy audits in the state of Massachusetts. “I’m not the brilliant scientist who has figured this out.

“I’ve really for the last 20 years tried to work in sustainability because I’m very concerned about where we’re headed.”

He formed Carbonwave two months before COVID-19 hit in January 2020, and the company’s concept has already attracted significant interest from investors.

Carbonwave has raised $12 million so far, and recently closed on $5 million in Series A funding, which was led by Mirova1, an affiliate of Natixis Invest-

products for our brand using what we grow,” said Mack.

Potency also sells third-party products in the dispensary using cannabis from other sources.

“We focus on products from other independent sources in Massachusetts, rather than the larger multi-state operators,” he said.

LOCAL TIES

Budhaus, which opened in March, is owned by Bajardi, his wife Kisha Bajardi, and Mark Penna. This business also includes a growing operation and wholesale component.

Penna is from Pittsfield, Devin from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Kisha originally from California.

Damin Bajardi had previously operated a hydroponics store in Arizona where Penna was one of his employees. Both men relocated to Berkshire County in 2019, then decided to take this chances in the cannabis business here.

“Mark told me he wanted to move back here and suggested that we start a cannabis business together,” said Bajardi. “I also wanted to come back to this area to be closer to my family and raise our kids here, and my wife agreed.”

They initially started a small craft cultivation and wholesale business in 2021 on a section of the same West Street. property where the dispensary is located.

“The building that now houses the store was occupied, and we received our cultivation license and started growing first,” he said. “Then when the building became available, we received a retail license and opened the dispensary in March.”

Budhaus carries a mix of products, including flowers, trim, pre-rolled and flavored joints, concentrates, edibles, vapes, and batter, among others. It also sells related accessories.

A majority of the cannabis Budhaus sells is home grown. The company also has partnerships with firms that manu-

ment Managers, a firm that is dedicated to sustainable investment. Series A funding is a level of investment in a start-up that follows initial seed capital, and is used to expand what a company has developed so far. Start-ups normally don’t attract this level of financing unless they’ve developed a viable business model with strong growth potential, according to Investopedia.com.

The company is currently working on securing an additional $4 million in financing,

facture products out of their plants.

In addition to the financial benefits, producing its own inventory enables Budhaus to carefully control the quality and characteristics of the cannabis that they sell, Bajardi said .

He explained that there are many variables in cannabis production that affect factors such as taste, potency and the specific effect a product has on a user’s mood.

“People are looking for different effects at different times, and have differing personal tastes,” he said. “One person might want something to help them maintain a high energy level, while someone else might want to stay at home and relax.”

Both Bajardi and Mack see the market as rapidly changing, both in overall terms, and on a localized basis.

A major challenge, they say is a potential oversaturation of outlets and supplies.

“What surprised me most when I got into this is that I didn’t expect the market to jump so fast,” said Mack.

As wholesalers, Bajardi and Mack says they deal with dispensaries around the state, and conditions differ in individual communities. This reflects in part the number of dispensaries in a locale and their ratio to the population.

“Some markets in Massachusetts are really difficult because there are too many dispensaries, while other communities are more in balance,” Mack said.

“Northampton is very tough, for example, because there seems to be a dispensary on every street corner. Overall, I think there will be a shakeout around the state.”

Both Mack and Bajardi believe that in Pittsfield the city currently has an appropriate number of dispensaries for the size of the population.

“I believe Pittsfield has about as many dispensaries as it will have in the long run, even if the operators change,” Mack said. “There is enough business to support the present levels if there aren’t too many more licenses added.

“We hope to be one of those that survive.”

which Chapin said will be used to build a large scale emulsifer plant in Puerto Rico.

“We can’t keep up with the demand for the emulsifer, so we’re building a 200 ton production capacity plant,” Chapin said.

He said Carbonwave has proved what it is capable of doing.

“Two years ago it was very hard to describe what this problem is,” Chapin said. “Most people had never heard of it and it was seasonal so most people

could just kind of deal with it. But now it’s not seasonal. It’s most of the year and it’s gotten much bigger.

“Now we’ve reached the proof points,” he said, “and everybody’s really aware of it. So it’s a different game now.”

Modern science has create an opportunity.

“Really, it’s harnessing the power of biology,” Chapin said. “The ocean is already making this. We just have to prevent it from becoming a problem.”

Common Capital offers small business loans of any size up to $300,000 in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties.

Colorful Resilience

“They were so good with communication, they were very clear with their expectations, they were extremely reasonable with the things they were asking of me and it was actually a very seamless, very positive experience.

I’m really glad that Colorful Resilience exists because of Common Capital.”

Owner Mayrena Guerrero

Elliott Properties

“Common Capital has been a big part of growing our business. Helping out with the accounting, always having ideas and things to help us with infrastructure. Making sure we are making some of the right choices. They’ve also put us in touch with grant money that is out there, that we wouldn’t have otherwise known about.”

Owners Chris Elliott & Cristie Phinney

Common Capital is a nonprofit community loan fund that responsibly lends money to small businesses that are unable to access all the capital they need from other lenders. Please visit our website at www.CommonCapitalMA.org to learn more. CommonCapitalMA .org

Common Capital, Inc. 1780 Main St. | Springfield, MA 01103 413-233-1680 info@commoncapitalma.org

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CARBONWAVE

Workers rake the large quantities of Sargassum seaweed that wash ashore into mounds so they can be gathered for other uses.

Investing in cannabis social equity training benefits Berkshires

LEE — Like other states focused on some type of social equity program for their legal cannabis industry, Massachusetts has finally zeroed in on excellent big program implementation.

Recent legislation introduced in the State House is aimed at awarding business loans and loan forgiveness to social equity applicants via the Cannabis Social Equity Loan Trust. The fund makes “no interest loans, forgivable loans, or grants” for equity program participants available. An applaudable effort to be sure.

But with the ostensible aim of social equity being an intention towards encouraging the full participation of entrepreneurs from communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement via the War on Drugs, centering on funding is only one part of it. In place of a chest of state-backed funds or the establishment of large trusts — which as an operator isn’t my ability or skill set — the question then becomes what can impact social equity right at the heart of matter, and within my own lane?

I’m a firm believer that small and independent cannabis businesses, which Canna Provisions is with only two retail stores in Western Massachusetts and one small craft cultivation in Sheffield, can focus on providing a new avenue for supporting

social equity. It starts by training them in your business, and paying the entrepreneurs and applicants while they learn. Or in other words: hire them. At least for a while.

We have one employee currently on this track with us. A social equity operator on the rise, she lives near our Holyoke location and has been learning about the retail store there. She doesn’t live anywhere near Sheffield or our Lee store, but for her, it’s a moment in time to learn from an award-winning cannabis operator and cultivator. So driving an hour for the next six months becomes an acceptable trade off.

This method can potentially solve two problems: It gives social equity candidates the same experience as any of our employees that we hire to train and work extremely hard to make sure they have the tools they need to go to do their job the best they possibly can, but it also solves some gaps in our hiring by bringing people that maybe wouldn’t have thought to come and work in the Berkshires.

There’s a well documented affordable housing issue in the region, so hiring and talent retention is tough (and ironic when speaking on the boon of temporary employees). But you bolster your Berkshire workforce in a different way when

opening your doors to workers just outside the county’s borders with this method (either from the east in Massachusetts or west of us in New York state).

It puts passionate humans for this industry in your business and teaches them. And, you get the benefit of having committed smart people with a new reason to have a short-term Berkshires commute while soothing some of the pain points of hiring right now. Win-win. Go ahead! Train those social equity entrepreneurs as temporary hires. Expose them to group procedures, train them on delivery and transportation, and how operators must constantly monitor all the different things that the Cannabis Control Commission and the regulations specific to Massachusetts require us to do. Our state-mandated seed-to-sale tracking system that they’ll be required to know is as critical as deeply learning the pointof-sale system and how they all work together compliantly. How do you actually monitor a transportation vehicle when it’s out in the field, and what are the tools that are required to do it compliantly? How do you harvest a plant and correctly record it in METRC? Exposing entrepreneurs to those answers in a hands-on way so they can exit way smarter than when they entered, now armed with significant industry-specific experience, allows you to send off

a new entrepreneur with skills that can help them be successful in this crazy industry, which goes way way beyond simply “selling weed”.

For me, it’s well worth the investment. We are very passionate about social equity. I think some businesses might not love this method, feeling like you’re handing over a lot of knowledge amidst a “what’s in it for me” kind of attitude. But I believe that the most natural and authentic way my team could honor social equity operators on the rise was by coaching them up on things that we think are important both for the

business as well as people while paying them to do so. I love that we are providing that opportunity in our stores. Especially if they succeed, because that then becomes a win for the entire industry, and for the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

It’s crucial to never forget the long road that led to legalization, and to respect the inertia and core purpose of social equity in legal cannabis with real support beyond corporate virtue-signaling, or lip service in place of real-world (and paid) experience.

Meg Sanders is the CEO and cofounder of Canna Provisions in Lee.

THOMAS PEIPERT — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sarah Woodson, executive director of the advocacy group The Color of Cannabis, runs a 10-week business course to help students navigate Colorado’s social equity application process. New legislation in Massachusetts will allow the state’s cannabis industry to implement social equity programs in a bigger way.

Meg Sanders Cannabis Corner

PITTSFIELD — It’s awards time in the Berkshire Realtor community.

The Realtor organization is deeply committed to the communities we serve and are passionate about giving back in meaningful ways. Each year, we recognize outstanding members who have contributed to the real estate industry, given back to their communities through charitable work and embodied the best of our profession in housing matters.

The Berkshire Beautification Award and the Housing Hero Award, annually presented by the Berkshire County Board of Realtors, recognize individuals and organizations outside of our association that are committed to making Berkshire County a better place to live, work, and play.

Nominations for these two community awards can be given at www.berkshirerealtors.net/ awards. You can also use the two QR codes attached to this article to cast your ballots.

Here is some information about both of these awards.

BERKSHIRE BEAUTIFICATION AWARD

The Berkshire Beautification Award recognizes property owners who go above and beyond in maintaining and enhancing the beauty of their homes or businesses. The award is presented to individuals or organizations who have made significant improvements to

their properties, including landscaping, exterior renovations, and other enhancements that improve the overall appearance of the property. The award not only recognizes the efforts of property owners but also highlights how one property can impact the overall beauty of Berkshire County’s communities. When one property is revitalized and beautified, the whole neighborhood is improved.

Many times, improving a property can also serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for others in the community. When neighbors see the positive changes made to a property, they may be more likely to invest in their own properties as well. This can lead to a domino effect of improvement and enhancement throughout the community. Improving a property can also have a positive impact on safety and security in the community. A property that is well-lit and well-maintained can help to deter crime and make the community feel safer. This can lead to increased engagement among neighbors and a greater sense of community pride and ownership.

Moreover, when a property owner invests in their property, they are often contributing to the overall well-being of the community. For example, if a property owner installs solar panels or implements energy-efficient upgrades, they are not only improving their own

GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY BERKSHIRE COUNTY BOARD OF REALTORS

property but also reducing their impact on the environment. This can help to promote sustainability and conservation efforts in the community. Is there a property that you have seen where significant improvements have made the whole street or neighborhood better? Go to www.berkshirerealtors.net/awards to nominate an individual or organization that fits that description.

HOUSING HERO

The Housing Hero Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the overall housing industry in Berkshire County. The award honors individuals who have worked tirelessly to help individuals and families find affordable housing options, provide support for individuals facing housing insecurity, and advocate for policies that promote fair and equitable access to housing.

The award is a way to acknowledge the valuable contributions of those who work to make Berkshire County a more accessible and affordable place to live. Last year’s honoree, Carolyn Valle of Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, is the epitome of what the award seeks to honor and recognize — tireless work and determination to improve the housing landscape for all.

Here are some common traits that fit the description for the Housing Hero award (one or more may apply):

• An outstanding history of volunteer service to housing programs or initiatives in Berkshire County.

• Fighting for the preservation of property rights, affordable housing or well-planned communities.

• Coalition building and advocacy/legislation on behalf of housing and property rights.

• Improving housing condi-

tions in the county or accessibility to safe housing.

• Making contributions toward the creation of affordable housing for individuals, families.

• Making educational efforts regarding housing accessibility, homeownership.

• Creating sustainable, smart growth or smart energy to our housing stock or communities.

• Authoring legislation/public policy that addresses our housing needs.

• Helping others solve housing problems.

Realtors are on the front lines of the real estate industry and have a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing Berkshire County’s communities. They have a deep understanding of the real estate market and can help individuals and families navigate the complexities of buying or selling a home. In this way, we like to use this position to recognize the hard work and dedication of others that are also committed to making Berkshire County a better place to live. In this, we welcome you to submit names and/or organizations for consideration as well.

Who is a person or individual that you believe has been active in the housing arena that stands out as a leader?

Let us all take a moment to recognize the valuable contributions of all who work tirelessly to make Berkshire County a better place to live.

Sandra J. Carroll is the chief executive officer of the Berkshire County Board of Realtors and the Berkshire County Multiple Listing Service.

Recognized by the Banker & Tradesman as one of the fastest growing lenders in Massachusetts!

Gregg Levante VP & Commercial Banking Relationship Manager 413.446.5051 glevante@nbtbank.com

It’s time to honor Realtors for their service

Sanda J. Carroll Real estate

Do something this summer; find a seasonal job

PITTSFIELD — Every year around this time I start to get bombarded with emails, information and press releases about summer jobs and internships that are available for young people.

Some of these notices end up being published as business briefs in either this publication or The Berkshire Eagle. Others are often included in stories or are the subject of columns (see Heather Boulger’s column on youth summer employment in this month’s issue of Berkshire Business Journal).

I do this because summer jobs and internships, at least for me, we’re an important part of both growing up and my entrance into this profession. I want others to know about them. Three summer newspaper internships I did while attending journalism school in college are the reason I’m in this business in the first place.

They gave a me toehold into the industry — my first full-time professional newspaper job was in the chain that I had interned for in Connecticut. They also provided me with the contacts that I would need to pursue job opportunities elsewhere, a journey that eventually brought me to the Berkshires and Western Massachusetts.

Considering I went to college in Canada, where I couldn’t work full-time

legally with a student visa, those three summers laid the foundation for what became my professional career.

Most young people today — I don’t think — understand the importance that working or doing an internship during the summer can bring to their career prospects. It’s normal when you’re a teenager or college student to want to spend the summer hanging out with your buddies. It’s seems fair considering all the studying and other hassles that you had to put up with during the school year. You need some time to blow off some steam. I mean, what’s the summer for?

We’re still young, right?

But consider this. Unlike the world that I grew up in, this one is constantly changing. Look at all the changes that technology has brought to the workplace just in the three years since COVID struck. Lots of these things, like Zoom meetings, were considered futuristic or fantasy back in 2019. We’ll get to them eventually everybody thought. Well, circumstances beyond our control brought them into the mainstream before their time. We had to adapt to this whether we liked it or not.

That’s why, to make it in today’s workplace, you need to stay on top of things. Sure, being with your buddies

Summer jobs for Berkshire young people are available, and doing one can improve your job skills, says columnist Tony Dobrowolski.

this summer is probably more fun than working, but while you’re out doing nothing someone else is taking advantage of an opportunity to gain an edge on you when you graduate. Trust me on this one, there’s nothing worse than having to play catch up. Unlike previous generations like mine, today’s economy contains no safety net. There’s no fall back position anymore. There’s no large employer around to swallow up everyone who doesn’t quite fit into the traditional career track. Sadly, those jobs, which served as the backbone of the middle class for years and years, no longer exist, at least around here. They’ve gone, and they’re not coming back. You need job skills nowadays to suc-

ceed in almost any profession. Summer jobs can help provide that.

Summer jobs can also be fun, especially if you’re still a high school student. Not everything has to be career-oriented. When I was in high school, I spent one summer helping to make oil filters in a factory that my friend’s father owned, a second working for a paving company, and a third as a groundskeeper for a major university in my hometown. In no particular order, I have also at various times in my life served as a bus boy at a country club, as an extra driver for an auto dealership where one of my friends was employed, helped paint a stadium and some dorm rooms, served drinks and parked cars.

During my newspaper internship summers, I took on a second job at night driving a specially equipped van to transport seniors and those with physical and/or mental disabilities to and from appointments and social events in the area that I grew up in. I met a lot of interesting people, picked up and dropped off passengers after dark in some really sketchy neighborhoods (I grew up in a city), earned some walking around money, and now have plenty of stories to tell.

I’m glad that I had all of those experiences. Show a little incentive this summer and you could have them, too.

Tony Dobrowolski is the editor of the Berkshire Business Journal.

Hiring young people for the summer is a good idea

PITTSFIELD — When I was growing up, everyone in my neighborhood had a summer job.

It meant independence and extra money in your pocket. It was the first time many of us learned about the importance of hard work, responsibility and accountability.

Summer jobs teach young people valuable skills such as punctuality, following directions, how to get along with others, work ethic and how to manage money. Early work experiences can also keep teens out of trouble, improve heir soft skills, and help them build strong pathways for their futures. Most of us remember having jobs like delivering newspapers, serving ice cream, running a cash register, serving as a lifeguard, or helping kids as a camp counselor. Back then, 60 percent of Berkshire County people ages 16-to-19 used to work during the summer. Today, less than 37 percent of people in that age group are employed, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

You should care about the rise in youth unemployment. Summer jobs help employers because they create an opportunity to train their future workforce, which reduces recruitment costs. They can also help employers reenergize their workforce. Summer jobs help revitalize the regional economy, reduce crime and inspire teens to work, thrive and live in Berkshire County.

Nationally, evidence shows that young people who work over the summer are more likely to remain in high school, have an easier transition after graduation, are less likely to get in trouble with the law and perform better in school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. They were also 86 percent more likely to have jobs the following year.

Summer youth programs are special initiatives designed to

engage youth in summer jobs. These programs are designed to help youth gain valuable work readiness skills and employment. Every summer for the past 20 years, in partnership with the MassHire Berkshire Career Center, the Pittsfield and North Adams public schools and the Berkshire Workforce Board have organized employers to participate in the region’s Jobs4Youth Campaign. Through this YouthWorks program, more than 60 high school students, who meet the income-eligibility requirements, are hired to work in either employer-paid jobs, subsidized work experiences, or paid internships at more than 40 local companies.

It’s easy to get involved. Employers can hire a youth directly, but those who do so should also notify the workforce board. Every young person employed helps secure more funding for grants to support summer jobs. For more information, contact YouthDirector@MassHireBerkshire.com or call 413-442-7177 ext. 151.

Organizations can also sponsor a young person. Every $2,500 raised provides a young person with six weeks of subsidized work experience and training. Information: MassHireBerkshire.com.

A word of caution: Before bringing teens into the workforce, check the child labor laws to determine the restrictions that exist around youth employment. More information on that topic is available on the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office website at mass.gov/ago/youthemployment or dol.gov/whd.

Young people ages 14-to-25 who are interested in working this summer should contact the MassHire Berkshire Career Center Youth Department at 413-499-2220 or visit www. MassHireBerkshireCC.com to

learn more.

LAND THAT SUMMER JOB

There’s a lot of competition for summer work, so it’s best to start early. Classified advertisements are a great place to start, but since most jobs aren’t advertised, it’s important to knock on doors and fill out applications. Make sure you dress appropriately, be pleasant and polite. Remember, first impressions matter.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS:

• Network and market yourself: Friends and neighbors are going to be your most valuable means of finding gainful employment. Ask your school guidance counselor and teachers for help and check community center bulletin boards for job listings. Utilize social media outlets to help market yourself, especially if you’re interested in self-employment options like child care and lawn maintenance.

• Be prepared: Take the application seriously. List all of the skills that you have in order to give an employer a reason to hire you. Compile a list of names, numbers and emails of people not related to you who can provide references, either personally or professionally. Ask previous employers, volunteer organizers, teachers and coaches for references.

• Dress appropriately: Wearing business attire shows that you want to be taken seriously.

• Be on time: Arriving a few minutes early for an interview is a smart choice. Bring any information you think an employer might want to see, like reference letters and a resume.

• Find specialized job search sites: JobQuest, Monster, Snagajob and GrooveJob are websites that specialize in jobs for teens and high school students. You can search for jobs by location, interest, age range and employer on these sites. They also offer advice on writing cover letters

and resumes, provide interview tips and describe how to dress for success.

• Final thoughts: Do not take cellphones or other mobile devices into the interview. Be patient, but persistent. Identify your strengths, do your research, reach out for help and don’t give up. Most importantly, have a positive attitude. With lots of hard work and preparation, your first job is only one application away.

While it’s tempting to avoid a summer job, the pros outweigh the cons. Focus on your interests and goals and find a summer job that closely matches them.

Don’t let this time go by without taking full advantage of opportunities available to you. You never know what doors your summer job will open in the future.

Heather Boulger is the executive director of the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board in Pittsfield.

STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

Ziniyah Adams spent the summer of 2018 working as an intern at The Christian Center in Pittsfield. Summer jobs can teach young people valuable job skills.

Heather Boulger Inside the Job Market

Tony Dobrowolski Commentary

Update your information to stay current and informed

GREAT BARRINGTON — As we enter the gala season, so much energy is devoted to planning outdoor programs and events. For those nonprofits that operate on a calendar year, we’re in the thick of it now. For those whose fiscal year ends in June or another summer month, it’s “year-end” reporting and wrap-up time. While June may not be the month to tackle miscellaneous nonprofit housekeeping tasks, addressing one or two items every quarter will move your organization up the best-practices ladder. For all of you gardeners out there, consider the following items to be “nonprofit fertilizer.”

• Clean up your web site. Have someone from outside the organization volunteer to go through every page and look for typos, broken links, and missing or outdated information. Your web site is probably your single most important marketing tool.

• Put the name and email address of your executive director or other manager on your web site. There is nothing more frustrating than contacting a nonprofit via a contact form — especially if the reason I am contacting you is to tell you about a grant opportunity with a short deadline.

• Update your profile on Guidestar. org. Many small nonprofits enter no information at all. This site is where potential funders and partners go to investigate. Fill out as much information as you can. It takes time to pull facts and figures together.

• Advocate for your organization by creating a one-page synopsis that outlines your mission, impact, the number of people you employ, and the amount of money you spend in the community on various products and services, including rent. Share this information with funders and legislators.

• Attend a chamber of commerce event and meet some business folks. These are

the people who may serve on your board, connect you to services, or sponsor a program. Get to know them personally to make future dealings less transactional and more like a real partnership.

• Participate in professional development. It can be a workshop or webinar, cohort work or peer support group, or just something you’ve always wanted to learn such as graphic design or how to get better at social media. You owe it to yourself and your organization to do this.

• Track your accomplishments on a quarterly basis and update your board so they can be well-informed and proud. Tracking quarterly makes it easier at the end of the year to put together an annual report for your supporters.

• Prepare for an emergency by creating an organizational information inventory that includes where your most valuable documents are located. That includes financial information, key contacts, legal, insurance, human resource and facilities information, contract obligations, and grant/ funder information. Update it annually and share with board officers.

• Survey your stakeholders. A simple “survey monkey” form coupled with some in-person meetings should give you an idea of how you are doing and what might need addressing or improving.

• Provide outreach to community organizations. If it’s been a while since you’ve given a presentation about your organization to a civic group such as Rotary, brush off your “dog & pony” show and connect in-person, or host a “meet & greet” to keep people updated on your work and steward partners and donors.

• Build a board prospect list. Have a meeting with yourself, as well as brainstorm with your board to create a list of potential board members. Begin meeting with those folks to gauge their interest and fit. It can take as many as 10 pros-

pects to find one new board member.

• Review your bylaws and mission statement. Things change — like meeting by Zoom and voting by email. Things evolve — like forward movement on the diversity, equity and inclusion front. And, if you’re lucky, things grow — such as programs, staff and boards. Dust off your founding documents and update them.

• Thank your media contacts, active board members, and legislators. These folks have supported you throughout the year. Receiving a phone call or

card that is not attached to an ask, but rather an acknowledgement, would be a refreshing delight.

My apologies for adding things to your already extensive “to do” list. Hopefully, you can delegate some of them to staff and board members. One more thing. Don’t forget to add “nurture best practices” to your job description.

Now, let’s get to work.

Health insurance is reemerging as an issue for employers

LEE —The cost of providing health insurance to employees is remerging as an issue for Massachusetts employers after several years of price stability.

A survey by Associated Industries of Massachusetts, where I serve as board chair, found that state companies saw their health-insurance premiums increase an average of 7.2 percent in 2022, up from 5.9 percent in 2021 and from 6.2 percent in 2020. Average premiums have increased another 7.6 percent statewide this year, according to healthinsurance.org

Here’s the problem. Rising health-insurance premiums erode the ability of employers to provide the kind of health insurance we want to offer — affordable plans that allow employees to care for themselves and their families. In the face of significant inflationary pressures as well as rising labor costs, it is difficult for employers to fully absorb the increasing health care premiums. Employers are making the difficult choice to maintain the same plan but shift more of the premium costs onto employees, or select lower cost plans with higher deductibles and co-pays. The AIM survey finds that while employer contributions to health-insurance premiums have remained steady, some 20 percent of companies plan to increase co-pays and deductibles for employees in 2023.

Cost-sharing within private

health-insurance plans increased by 16.9 percent in 2021, according to the Center for Health Information and Analysis, meaning that workers and employers both ended up paying more for coverage. Enrollment in high deductible health plans grew by 4.1 percent, which now accounts for 42.7 percent of total enrollments in the private commercial market.

Health care and health insurance has always been somewhat of a paradox for Massachusetts, which passed a first-in-thenation health-care reform law in 2006 and a cutting-edge health-care cost-containment law in 2012. While the commonwealth is a national leader in innovative and high-quality health care, it is also among the states with the highest healthcare spending.

The average cost of health insurance in the state of Massachusetts is $8,068 per person based on the most recently published data. For a family of four, that’s over $32,000. This is $1,087 per person above the national average for health insurance coverage. The high cost of health insurance is yet another force working against the state’s efforts to stem population loss and attract workers.

The problem of rising health care insurance costs is most acute for small businesses.

Businesses with less than 50 employees purchase their insurance in the small business

market, which was merged with the individual insurance market in Massachusetts in 2006. This policy decision was made to make individual coverage more affordable, but it had the effect of small businesses subsidizing individual insurance coverage, and paying more than they would have to in a separate market. From 2019 through 2021, small group insurance premiums in Massachusetts have increased 5.3 percent annually compared to 3.2 percent a year for large businesses. Workers at smaller businesses also tend to have health plans with disproportionately higher deductibles, meaning they must pay more upfront and out of pocket before certain benefits kick in.

Berkshire County has many businesses with less than 50 employees. Based on the 2017

census, Pittsfield ranked 13th among small metro areas across the U.S. that have the most businesses with 50 or fewer employees. These businesses need to be able to offer competitive benefits to attract workers in this tight labor market.

Increasing insurance premiums are putting them at a disadvantage as they compete for talent against larger companies.

What is driving the higher insurance premium costs? The increases reflect a range of factors, including increased labor costs in the employee-strapped health care field, persistent inflation, rising prices for prescription drugs and people returning to routine health appointments and elective procedures after putting off surgeries and medical appoint-

ments during COVID-19.

Total health-care expenditures in Massachusetts rose 9.0 percent in 2021, the most recent year for which information is available. Spending had dropped by 2.4 percent in 2020, but the decline was the result of the reduction in use of care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not a reduction in the amount paid for a given service. Commercial prices not only grew in 2020 but increased at an aggregate rate of 2.7 percent, higher than in previous years.

The long-term solution to rising health insurance rates is complex and multi-faceted. It includes policy elements such as transitioning to an episode-based payment model for large employers, de-merging the individual small business insurance marketplace, deploying technology to reduce administrative complexity, increasing flexibility with licensure to allow cross-state behavioral health telehealth visits, managing care in the community and allowing patients access to the right care setting, and requiring companies involved in the drug supply chain to undergo the same transparency as the rest of the health care system.

Without such comprehensive reforms, employers and employees will be left to divvy up an ever-larger expense in a zero-sum game in which no one is the winner.

Liana Toscanini is the executive director of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires in Great Barrington.

FILE PHOTO

Attending professional development events like this one that involves educators in Lenox is a good way for the heads of nonprofit organizations to improve themselves and get the word out about their work, says columnist Liana Toscanini.

Liana Toscanini Nonprofit Notes

Patricia Begrowicz, the president and co-owner of Onyx Specialty Papers in Lee, is chair of the board of directors of Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

After several years of stability, rising health care costs are again becoming an issue for state employers, says columnist Patricia Begrowicz.

Patricia Begrowicz The View from AIM

Tedx at the BIC: Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible

By Ben SoSne

PITTSFIELD — TEDx Berkshires

began in 2010 in front of a small audience at the Winthrop Estate in Lenox.

It was produced by Ethan and Jamie Berg and Mark Liponis. Ethan Berg, an independent investor and entrepreneur, lived with his family in Lenox at the time.

“As someone who has been on a lifelong quest for knowledge, it was my aspiration for TEDx Berkshires to be a driver of inspiration, innovation and education for our Berkshires community,” he said.

Over the last 13 years, Berg’s vision has materialized and TEDx Berkshires has flourished as an opportunity to gather and be inspired in the Berkshires. It has featured talks from prominent locals including former Governor Deval Patrick; Berkshire-based physician Mark Hyman; former state Sen. Benjamin Downing; state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Lenox; Dr. Jennifer Michaels of the Brien Center; and Maria Sirois, a Pittsfield-based licensed clinical psychologist, as well as numerous academics, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

TEDx Talks are events that serve as a showcase for speakers that present well-formed ideas in talks that place in under 18 minutes. They are, essentially, shorter versions of the well-known TED Talks series because they are geared for smaller, local audiences (TED Talks are designed to reach

global audiences).

This year, the BIC will be hosting TEDx Berkshires on July 22, an event with an intriguing theme, “Pushing the Boundaries of What’s Possible.” It will feature speakers who illuminate the future of innovation and what lies ahead in healthcare, cleantech, social justice and wellbeing in the age of Industry 4.0.

But before we talk about the speaker and the agenda, let me tell you a little more about how this year’s event came to be held at the BIC.

Several years ago, Berg invited Giovanna Fessenden of Lenox, a local IP technology attorney with the law firm of Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds in Concord, to help co-produce TEDx Berkshire events.

“As someone who is also passionate about innovation, Ethan and I were in complete alignment with the vision for TEDx Berkshires,” Fessenden said. “We were both drawn to emerging technologies that inspire change to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”

In 2016, Fessenden who has advised high tech companies and startups in software patents, product development, licensing, trademark branding, and intellectual property strategy for over 20 years, took to the stage herself, delivering a TEDx talk on the blockchain revolution. She was hooked and has continued to play a key role in producing TEDx Berkshires ever since.

When Fessenden and Berg

connected to discuss plans for the 2023 TedX Berkshires event, the BIC quickly emerged as a natural fit. Fessenden joined the BIC’s board of directors in 2021 and has since organized numerous panels and events as part of our monthly “BIC Presents” series. Berg who is always looking for opportunities to leverage and grow partnerships, shared this vision.

“The BIC is a natural fit for TEDx Berkshires, and I am looking forward to it thriving there under the helm of Giovanna Fessenden and Stephen Boyd,” he said.

Boyd, the CEO of Boyd Biomedical in Lee and co-founder and chair of the BIC’s board of directors, was quick to jump at the opportunity to host and partner in producing the event.

“The BIC is a catalyst for innovation, and hosting TEDx here makes it all the more impactful,” he said. “It is a natural

fit for us, as we aim to serve, inspire and provide opportunities and resources for our community and for the world.”

When Boyd and Fessenden approached me about their idea, their vision was clear, and their enthusiasm was palpable. At the BIC, we are founded on the belief that collaboration and collective wisdom always win. This forms our north star and the planning team immediately united around a message of hope and optimism as we begin to curate this year’s event. While our world faces existential challenges, solutions are everywhere. At this year’s event, Burr Purnell, executive director of social good at VidMob Gives, will share his vision of using business as a force for good. Charlotte McCurdy, an award-winning designer and researcher from Arizona State University will ask us to “Forget

Everything We Know About Climate Change.” Former NFL player Chris Draft will speak on his quest to change the face of lung cancer and Sienna Leis from MassVentures will talk about raising a child in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Shivang Dave, co-founder and CEO of PlenOptika, will focus on innovating at scale. John Hart, co-founder of VulcanForms, will speak on the future of 3D printing.

“Pushing the Boundaries of What’s Possible.” By exploring the problems, solutions and interplay between the steady progress of innovation and change, the speakers will share insight into their life’s work in 12-to-18-minute talks, each filled with inspiration and passion. The main event space at the BIC will be converted into an originally designed and custom outfitted TEDx studio set and the center will be alive with the buzz and activity worthy of a TEDx event, with local food and an outdoor tent and screens broadcasting the speakers throughout.

“Learn something new, be inspired, this is why we come to TED talks,” Fessenden said.

We are thrilled to be hosting this year’s TEDx Berkshires at the BIC and hope to become the home for the event for years to come. For more information visit www.berkshireinnovationcenter.com or www.tedxberkshires.com.

Ben Sosne is the executive director of the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield.

BEN GARVER

Intellectual Property Attorney Giovanna Fessenden of Lenox and Boyd Biomedical CEO Stephen Boyd, both members of the Berkshire Innovation Center’s board of directors, were the main forces behind having TEDx of the Berkshires held at the BIC this summer.

EAGLE FILE PHOTO

The Berkshire Innovation Center will be the site of the 2023 TEDx Berkshires event on July 22. The theme is “Pushing the Boundaries of What’s Possible.”

Real estate transactions

Berkshire County real estate transactions for April 3-28

ADAMS

Guiseppa Scieszka sold property at 42 Melrose St., Adams, to Joseph Gagliardi, $250,000.

Richard B. and Kimberly A. Briggs sold property at 9 Beecher St., Adams, to Timothy and Samantha Safford, $245,000.

Barbara J. Fiske and Terri A. Ellert sold property at 107 Orchard St., Adams, to Richard B. and Kimberly A. Briggs, $310,000.

East Hoosac Properties LLC sold property at 3 Gavin Ave., Adams, to Cove T. Massey-Carver, $186,000.

Bruce W., Theresa and Jeffrey B. Mendel sold property at 1 Horn Place, Adams, to Lisa A. Mendel, $60,000.

Karen D. and Joseph D. Claramunt sold property at 9 Elm St., Adams, to Robert S. Parker, $212,500.

Norman S. Haas Jr. sold property at 4 Godek St., Adams, to Jason Nocher, $120,000.

Dru N. Abrams sold property at 1 Daniels Ave., Adams, to Veronica Szymczak and Cameron Whittle, $470,000.

Pittsfield-Adams, Massachusetts, Lodge No. 272 Inc. sold property at 63 Center St., Adams, to Last Supper LLC, $50,000.

ALFORD

Douglas J. Flackman sold property at 402 West Road, Alford, to Adam R. Brebner and Miranda L. Purves, $419,000.

BECKET

Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, trustee, and April A. Martin sold property at 98 Dawn Drive, Becket, to TMR Realty LLC, $203,000.

David M. and Helen Darby and Margaret Loutrel Darby Kordon sold property at Leonhardt Road, Becket, to David R. and Dianne T. Kaeli, $325,000.

Arthur G. Martin sold property at 298 George Carter Road, Becket, to Mark A. and Amy S. Nichols, $26,000.

Jay and Laura Schwartzapfel sold property at 55 Mallard Drive, Becket, to Steven Small and Nancy DesRoberts, $705,000.

Krupesh Govindbhai Patel aka Krupesch Govindbhai sold property at Bancroft Road, Becket, to Roman Vasilchenko, $26,000.

U.S. Bank Trust NA, trustee, sold property at 89 Lady of the Lake Court, Becket, to Michael and Diane Mkrtichian, $205,000.

Randy D. Johnson and Lakilya N. Brown sold property at 551 Otis Road, Becket, to Michael Gilbert and Molly Berkstresser, $660,000.

Erik P. Kimball and Mary C. Walsh sold property at Mallard Drive, Becket, to Peter Augustine and Kate Lommen Hickey, $69,000.

Edward L. Mendenhall sold property at

Prince John Drive, Becket, to Lukas Behrndt, $2,500.

Barbara A. Tulip sold property at Excalibur Drive, Becket, to Lukas Behrndt, $2,000.

CHESHIRE

Stephen M. Berti and Karen L. Clark sold property at 233 Railroad St., Cheshire, to Nadine M. Whiting, $260,000.

Terri-Lynn Hurley sold property at 91 Meadowview Drive, Cheshire, to William R. Kalisz, $21,000.

Lois M. Nangle sold property at 64-66 Dean St., Cheshire, to Joshua Louis Balzer, $200,000.

CLARKSBURG

Richard J. Bernardi sold property at 64 Farview Heights aka 64 Fairview Heights, Clarksburg, to Nicholas A. Fortin and Noelle C. Howland, $235,000.

DALTON

Randy J. Smith sold property at Kirchner Road, Dalton, to Courtney A. Addy, $42,000.

William E. Thompson, trustee of the Thompson Family NT, sold property at 725-727 Main St., Dalton, to Richard J. Bartolomei Jr. and Connor and Kira Smith, $125,000.

Paul Rodhouse, trustee of the 573 Red Barn Road Nominee RT, sold property at 573 Red Barn Road, Dalton, to Susan S. Jaskot, $650,000.

Ann M. Farrell sold property at 556 Main St., Dalton, to Hugh Douglas Jr. and Cassie M. Buckhaults, $410,000.

Kenneth A. and Kim J. Larabee sold property at 577 Old Windsor Road, Dalton, to Wayne and Verity Frankel, $589,000.

EGREMONT

Danny Charles Smith aka Danny C. Smith sold property at 224 Hillsdale Road, Egremont, to Hilltown Hot Pies LLC, $767,500.

Andrew Kopelman and Sargam Mona Jain sold property at Jud End Road, Lot 5, Egremont, to Robert L.W. McGraw and Elizabeth H. McGraw, $15,000.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Leigh Curtiss sold property at 102 Egremont Plain Road, Great Barrington and Egremont, to John P. Humes and Elisabeth R. Humes, $275,000.

Karen M. Carson, trustee of 35 Silver Street Nominee Trust, sold property at 35 Silver St., Great Barrington, to Blackwater Realty LLC, $895,000.

Ross & Meares Partnership III sold property at 409 Monterey Road, Great Barrington, to Clinton Craft LLC, $159,000.

HANCOCK

Frederick W. Kruger sold property at 137 Brodie Mountain Road, Hancock, to 137 Fine Dining Inc., $950,000.

Joseph G. Clarke and Celeste A. Patton, trustees of Clarke Patton LT, sold property at Corey Road, Hancock, to Howard Green-

span, $133,000.

Domhnall LLC sold property at 37 Corey Road, Unit 21, Hancock, to Thomas and Karen Burgie, $375,000.

HINSDALE

Andrew G. Perenick, trustee, Perenick NT, sold property at 195 Pine Cone Lane, Hinsdale, to Paul Rodhouse, trustee of the 573 Red Barn Road Nominee RT, $437,500.

LANESBOROUGH

Joseph R. and Lisa A. Trybus sold property at North Main Street, Lanesborough, to Daniel Gaylord, $10,150.

Jeanne Kruger sold property at 16 Alice Ave., Lanesborough, to Kevin L. Matthews and Donald R. Cicchelli Jr., $276,000.

Daniel W. and Cheryl A. Pigott sold property at 56 Victoria Lane, Lanesborough, to David I. and Hannah Sorkin, $697,900.

Nancy Leren sold property at 25 Bena St. and Opechee Street, Lanesborough, to Jasmine Zhu, $67,000.

Kent Fox sold property at Meadow Lane, Lanesborough, to Aaron M. Williams, $90,000.

Michael J. and Lori L. Phelps sold property at 51 Baker St., Lanesborough, to Hannah M. Sorensen and Kimberly E. Granito, $260,000.

LEE

Dale K. Drimmer, trustee of Dale K. Drimmer Living Trust, sold property at 3 Whiteholm Road, Lee, to Jamieson and Doreen Schiff, $950,000.

54-58 Main Street LLC sold property at 54-58 Main St., Lee, to 54-58 Amicon Lee LLC, $680,000.

Anne D. Enser, Elizabeth M. Maloney and Mary P. Dowling sold property at 44 School St., Lee, to Luz Maria Cambi Panora, $205,000.

Planet Home Lending LLC sold property at 20 Washington Mountain Road, Lee, to HLP Realty Holdings LLC, $152,100. Barbara Scharer sold property at 375 Leisure Lee Road aka 281 Antelope Drive, Lee, to Carol Anne Ances, $275,000.

Alan M. Cummings and Laura E. Cummings, formerly known as Laura E. Ranzoni, sold property at 40 Pinnacle Way, Lee, to Douglas A. Conn and Paige A. Greytok, $315,000.

Michael J. Fern and Maria Butler, trustees of the Fern Italian Family Real Estate Trust, sold property at 214 High St., Lee, to Bernard M. Reginster and Stephanie Miller, $229,080.

LENOX

Marcella B. Merker aka Susan Merker aka Marcella S. Merker sold property at 60 King William Road, Lenox, to Frank Hughes IV, $500,000.

Louis R. Coradetti and Pauline Lassalle sold property at 901 East St., Lenox, to David D. Cox and Jarasa M. Kanok, $754,000.

MONTEREY

Sidney Robert Smith V and Douglas Adam Smith, devisees of estate of Sidney Robert Smith IV aka S. Robert Smith, sold property at 0 Lake View Ave., Monterey, to Cheryl

A. Bronstein, $30,000.

NEW ASHFORD

Polish American Realty LLC sold property at Beach Hill Road, New Ashford, to James and Therese Nishimura, $170,000.

NEW MARLBOROUGH

Become Berkshire LLC sold property at 476 New Marlborough Southfield Road, New Marlborough, to Kevin Pieropan and Katherine White, $225,000.

Carole Obedin and Sanford Schwartz sold property at 576 Hartsville-New Marlborough Road, New Marlborough, to Stuart Warmflash and Julie Biblowitz, $484,150.

NORTH ADAMS

Ellen Millard, trustee of the Deep Realty Trust II, sold property at 53-55 River St., North Adams, to 30 River Street LLC, $28,000.

Elizabeth Nackoul, personal rep. of Timothy O’Brien, sold property at 195 Eagle St., North Adams, to Jorge E. and Claudia E. Acosta, $160,000.

Adams Community Bank sold property at 62-64 Charles St., North Adams, to David Field, $35,000.

Donald E. Pierce sold property at 394 River St., North Adams, to North Adams Ambulance Service Inc., $334,900.

Jared A. Lampiasi sold property at 19 Clark St., North Adams, to Kurt A. and Pamela A. Lazits, $249,500.

Michael Lavigne sold property at 167 Liberty St., North Adams, to D & B Real Estate Ventures LLC, $28,500.

Tammy L. and William J. St. Pierre sold property at Lorraine Drive, North Adams, to Carrie B. and Kyle B. Schadler, $20,000. Bruce W. Palumbo Jr. and Elizabeth Cheesbro sold property at 82-84 Bracewell Ave., North Adams, to Bey & Bey Holdings LLC, $85,000.

Riley Eama Howard and Jennifer R. Stevens sold property at 23 Goodrich St., North Adams, to Charles E. Poulton Jr., $186,500.

McGowan and Sons LLC sold property at 60 Cliff St., North Adams, to Leto Commercial Group LLC, $379,000.

Cheryl A. Krueger sold property at 1136 Notch Road, North Adams, to Robert Wesley and Sarah Hardin Munro, $510,000. PJC Realty Ma Inc. sold property at 60 Lincoln St., North Adams, to Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc., $2,660,000.

Main Street NA Parkade LLC sold property at Main Street, North Adams, to NRT Realty LLC, $2,000,000.

OTIS

David B. Warren sold property at 51 North Pine St., Otis, to William Bloomfield, $13,558.19.

Roger L., Wendy and Sarah Duryea sold property at 633 East Otis Road, Otis, to David Peralta-Villalobos and Virginia D. Garza-Villicana, $670,000.

Joseph Ruotolo, conservator for Theodore Malek, sold property at 188 Telephone Road, Otis, to Dow K. Hardy and Jennifer L. TRANSACTIONS, Page 21

Maximize Your Content Strategy with ChatGPT

PITTSFIELD — As a savvy business owner in the Berkshires, staying ahead of the curve means exploring AI-powered tools like ChatGPT.

Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence model that understands and generates human-like text, taking your marketing strategy to the next level while saving you time and energy. Let’s dive into how you can use ChatGPT to amp up your social media presence and optimize your

content creation and promotion efforts.

One fantastic way to utilize ChatGPT is brainstorming ideas. Need social media captions, blog post topics, or promotional campaign concepts?

ChatGPT has got you covered. Give the AI a simple prompt describing your niche, and it will generate multiple suggestions tailored to your business. For instance, a bakery owner could ask ChatGPT for “engaging Instagram captions

for showcasing our pastries” and receive a variety of creative options.

Content optimization is another area where ChatGPT shines. With attention spans at an all-time low, creating concise, eye-catching content is essential. ChatGPT can help you fine-tune your existing content, making it more appealing and effective. Just input your text, and the AI will provide suggestions to improve readability, incorporate keywords, or add a creative spin.

ChatGPT can also lend a hand

in drafting personalized responses to comments, inquiries, and messages on social media.

By providing the AI with context about the customer’s question or remark, you can quickly generate thoughtful replies that you can review and post. This approach not only saves time but also fosters deeper connections with your audience.

But remember, it’s important to have a clear plan for your content. While ChatGPT can generate a plethora of ideas, an effective social media strategy requires a focused approach

to avoid overwhelming your audience. Be sure to prioritize your content, select the most impactful pieces, and align them with your overall marketing objectives.

By tapping into the potential of ChatGPT and implementing it strategically, businesses in the Berkshires can boost their online presence, save time, and create high-quality content that sets their brand apart.

Kaitlyn Pierce is the founder and chief strategist of PierceSocial, a digital marketing company.

Kaitlyn Pierce

Real estate transactions

Mario Perez sold property at 350 Cheshire Road, Pittsfield, to Andre Ahoussi, $289,900.

SHEFFIELD Sikorsky Construction LLC sold property at 1399 & 1405 North Main St., Sheffield, to 1399 LLC, $1,340,000.

Nancy A. Perry sold property at 44 East Stahl Road, Sheffield, to Havens Lawn & Patio LLC, $134,310.

Peter A. Buratto, co-trustees of Eighty-One Wilson Street Nominee Realty Trust, sold property at Cross Road, West Stockbridge, to Timothy J. Korte, $25,000.

WILLIAMSTOWN

Gauthier-Hardy, $500,000. PITTSFIELD

Steven Lanphear sold property at 304 Tyler St., Pittsfield, to Steamship Mars LLC, $159,900.

Erinn Hnafonko, formerly known as Erinn K. Rice and Erin K. Nejaime, sold property at 26 Meadow Lane, Pittsfield, to Karen Orner, $120,000.

Louis Arace sold property at 83 Blythewood Drive, Pittsfield, to Elizabeth J. Quigley, trustee of the S & G Real Estate Trust, $645,000.

Jogeshwar Singh sold property at 49 Churchill Crest, Unit 49, Pittsfield, to Joan Tenuto and Benjamin Rickard, trustee of the 3 Amigos NT, $255,000.

Martha J. Haughey, formerly known as Martha J. Thibodeau, sold property at 15 Strong Ave., Pittsfield, to Mark A. Amuso Jr. and Kathleen A. Amuso, trustees of the Mark & Kathleen Amuso RVT, $185,000.

U.S. Bank Trust, NA, trustee, and Mark H. Kurber sold property at 210 Woodlawn Ave., Pittsfield, to U.S. Bank Trust, NA, trustee, $158,113.31.

Kathleen H. Nolan sold property at 57 Revere Parkway, Pittsfield, to Josef J. and Pamela A. Quirinale, trustees of the Josef J. Quirinale and Pamela A. Quirinale RVT, $349,500.

Warren D. and Tammi M. David sold property at 37-39 South John St., Pittsfield, to Michelle L. Johnston, $249,900.

Shane A. Peaslee sold property at 19 Hillside Ave., Pittsfield, to 555 East Street Realty LLC, $91,000.

272 Corbin Realty LLC sold property at 466-468 Fenn St., Pittsfield, to Peter Brown, $70,000.

Michael W. Bigos sold property at 3H Pondview Drive, Unit 3, Pittsfield, to Victor P. and Danielle E. Samuel, $210,000.

Noelani V. Castro sold property at 78 Winship Ave., Pittsfield, to Zoey Renee, $275,000.

Deborah J. and David M. Lysonski and Bridget A. Verchot sold property at 73 Chickering St., Pittsfield, to Duta Real Estate LLC, $75,000.

Donald W. Shorey sold property at 106 Foote Ave., Pittsfield, to Fabio M. Cardoso and Shana Sullivan, $270,000.

Mary L. Blair and Joseph E. Laurin sold property at 46 Deborah Ave., Pittsfield, to Shelbey K. Stengl, $290,000.

David R. Cianflone, personal rep. of the Estate of Louise Forrest Cianflone, sold property at Churchill Street, Pittsfield, to Brendan M. and Mary C. Toole, $145,000.

Diana M. Sullivan, trustee of the Robert J. Sullivan NT, sold property at 79 Leona Drive, Pittsfield, to Donna Ebbs, $585,000.

Michael J. Costanzo sold property at 33-35 Wellington Ave., Pittsfield, to Lavante L. Wiggins, $300,000.

Trinity Ventures LLC sold property at 96 Pontoosuc Ave., Pittsfield, to Eric V. Bentz Sr., $187,000.

Pittsfield Properties Group LLC sold property at 45-47 Circular Ave., Pittsfield, to Fredy Andres Bernal aka Fredy Andres Bernal Bernal, $235,000.

Joseph R. Matthews and Ashley A. Matthews, formerly known as Ashley A. DiMartino, sold property at 575 Benedict Road, Pittsfield, to Scott W. Ellis and Dianna Dempsey Lupiani, $399,900.

Barry C. and Robin A. Alexander sold property at 115 King St., Pittsfield, to Sabrina Y. Sistrunk and Patrick E. Fannon, $90,000.

George C. and Anne E. Valli sold property at 123 Lucia Drive, Pittsfield, to Lois J. Saltarelli, $370,500.

Gerald Friedman sold property at 27 Lakecrest Drive, Pittsfield, to Peter and Dora Edelman, $504,000.

Pinnacle Property Operations LLC sold property at 16 Lincoln St., Pittsfield, to Licentia Properties LLC, $305,000.

Rose Marie B. West, Peter R. West and Tracy L. Reis, trustees of the Rose Marie B. West Trust, sold property at 33 Anita Drive, Pittsfield, to Samuel Parry Jr. and Tracy Haupt, $292,000.

Andrew and Susan Wrba sold property at 73 Whittier Ave., Pittsfield, to Michael J. Lodowski and Bronwyn E. Niece, $320,000.

Margaret M. Smith, Patricia A. Van Roekens and Roger B. Houle sold property at 136 Morningview Drive, Pittsfield, to Celeste Demarsico, $266,000.

Anthony S. and Joan M. DiMartino sold property at 125 Sadler Ave., Pittsfield, to Trevor Ciempa and Jamie Barthe, $330,000.

Norma E. Blaney sold property at 33 Denise Ave., Pittsfield, to James and Shirley Jacobsen, $289,725.

Jamie R. and Dylan N. Kingston and Rebecca Jones sold property at 73 Backman Ave., Pittsfield, to Heather Corcoran, $256,500.

Jacob Sweener sold property at 127 Wahconah St., Pittsfield, to City of Pittsfield, $45,500.

Claire T. Grady sold property at 27 Rockland Drive, Pittsfield, to Jeremy L. Griffin, $330,000.

KPJ Enterprises LLC sold property at 30 Daniels Ave., Pittsfield, to Joseph A. Gunn, $165,900.

Kermit S. Goodman sold property at Dewey Avenue, Pittsfield, to Aron Callahan, $23,000.

NAMV Investments LLC sold property at 112 High St., Pittsfield, to Neil Maslowski, $222,500.

Randy D. Johnson and Lakilya N. Brown sold property at 19-21 Dawes Ave., Pittsfield, to 19-21 Dawes Real Estate LLC, $650,000.

Susan L. Harrington, J. Candace Blasioli Scussel, Anthony J. Blasioli Jr., Bruce J. Stringer, Bruce Jacob Stringer, Hanna B. Stringer, and Bonnie Howland and Erik Kristensen Jr. co-personal reps. of the Estate of Paula M. Lemire, sold property at 773 Peck’s Road, Pittsfield, to Steven Wall, $300,000.

Rebecca Horn, personal rep. of the Estate of Laura Jean Madden, sold property at 112 Crane Ave., Pittsfield, to Daniel N. Horn and Nicole H. Bohle, $200,000.

Valerie M. Ball, personal rep. of the Estate of James M. Ostaski, sold property at 605 West St., Pittsfield, to Molly J. Carlotto, $250,000.

Rosemary Flynn sold property at 57 Beacon Ave., Pittsfield, to Jose Miguel Arias-Batista, $262,000.

SANDISFIELD

Peter Mele sold property at 32 Bosworth Road, Sandisfield, to Hannah Mele Andrews, $85,000.

Jeffrey L. Marres sold property at 0 Town Hill Road, Sandisfield, to Christopher J. Hughes, Jennifer L. Hankenson and Catherine A. Hankenson, co-trustees of Hankenson Hughes Family Realty Trust, $200,000.

Franklin Woods Investments LLC sold property at Cold Spring Road, Sandisfield, to Philana Rowell, $59,000.

SAVOY Susan M. Verow sold property off River Road, Savoy and Windsor, to Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, $133,400.

Jeremiah J. Cronin sold property at 0 Oak St., Sheffield, to Christopher J. Seward and Colleen E. Seward, $54,000.

Julia K. Barros sold property at 483 Home Road, Sheffield, to Michael B. Peabody, trustee of Peabody Family Irrevocable Trust 2023, $711,000.

Andrew F. West and Ann M. Brassard sold property at Silver Street, Sheffield, to Danielle M. Pedretti, $221,100.

STOCKBRIDGE

Wilma Guerette, trustee of the Guerette NT, sold property at 200 Old Stockbridge Road, Unit 3B, Stockbridge, to Edmund A. Grossman, $990,000.

Edward James McPartlin sold property at 12 Mahkeenac Heights Road, Stockbridge, to Nicholas A. Dillon and Melissa A. Mattoon, $315,000.

Jennifer Grausman sold property at 3 Stone Hill Road, Stockbridge, to Deborah Grausman, $250,000.

Karen Selva-Beckwith, personal rep. of the Estate of David John Selva, and Mark J. Buffoni, personal rep. of the Estate of Laura-Lee Buffoni, sold property at 6 Mohawk Road, Stockbridge, to Meaghan Carlotto, $275,000.

WEST STOCKBRIDGE

Susan Leo sold property at 4 Lenox Road, West Stockbridge, to Steven Schulz, $405,000.

Wanda M. Beckwith, trustee of Wanda M. Beckwith Revocable Trust, sold property at 64 Lenox Road, West Stockbridge, to Leila Hirvonen, $370,000.

Mary A. Korte and Peter A. Buratto, co-personal representatives of the estate of John Peter Buratto, and Mary A. Korte and

Michele S. Riley sold property at 189 Stratton Road F-3, Williamstown, to William B. Raymond, $180,000.

Sylvia Kennick Brown sold property at 56 Waterman Place, Williamstown, to Karen Lee Bowen, $840,000.

160 Water LLC sold property at 160 Water St, Unit 22, Williamstown, to John S. and Jane B. Howland, $715,000.

180 Water LLC sold property at 6-8 River Run, Unit 8, Williamstown, to Steven G. and Ann Loar Brooks, $1,040,000.

K. Beth Phelps sold property at 0 Oblong Road, Williamstown, to Williamstown Rural Land Foundation Inc., $745,000.

Justin T. Jennings sold property at 1382 Cold Spring Road, Williamstown, to Seth A. and Bernadette G. Alden, $229,500.

Jeffrey G. Michelson Custom Homes LLC sold property at 270 Sweet Farm Road, Williamstown, to Rockwell Cooley and Joseph Franz, $235,000.

Beechacre 2 LLC sold property at 173 Luce Road, Williamstown, to Michael F. Curtin Jr. and Maureen E. McDonnell, $525,000.

John M.F Goodell, personal rep. of Anne Jane Goodell, sold property at 189 Stratton Road, Unit F-5, Williamstown, to Michael J. and Elizabeth S. Keyes, $177,600.

FT — Family Trust

LLC — Limited Partnership

LT — Life Trust

NT — Nominee Trust

RET — Real Estate Trust

RT — Realty Trust

RVT — Revocable Trust

The real estate transactions are provided by the Middle Berkshire, North Berkshire and South Berkshire Registry of Deeds offices.

BIC Presents Event

Thursday,

People in the Berkshires

Jennifer R. LaChance, a former physician assistant at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass., has joined Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Orthopedics and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians.

She will practice out of Northern Berkshire Orthopedics, SVMC’s location in Williamstown, Mass.

LaChance holds a bachelor’s degree in biomolecular science from Central Connecticut State University. She earned a master’s degree in health sciences and a physician assistant certificate from Duke University.

She worked as a physician assistant at BMC from 2017 to 2022. The U.S. Navy veteran has also worked at Lawrence and Memorial Medical Group and Backus Hospital, both in Connecticut.

Kristen McNeice has joined Molari Employment and Healthcare Services as a health care supervisor, while Michelle Neales has joined as an administrative coordinator.

McNeice will be responsible for ensuring that elderly clients receive the assistance they need to maintain their independence and stay in their own homes.

Neales will often serve as the first point of contact for applicants, screening them and scheduling interviews for the employment services and health care teams. Her expertise in office administration ensures that the office runs smoothly and efficiently.

Robert L. Plotz has been appointed the new chair of Hancock Shaker Village’s board of trustees.

Outgoing Chair Diane Varrin Eshleman will conclude her 15-year tenure on the board in December, and will work closely with Plotz to support him during the transition to new leadership.

Plotz is a retired litigator. In the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, he investigated and prosecuted federal crimes including insider trading and stock manipulation cases. He subsequently practiced in a boutique litigation firm and later on his own.

He received his law degree magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was also executive editor of the law review. He was awarded a bachelor of arts degree cum laude from Yale University.

Plotz, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and his wife, Sue, reside in Berkshire County. They have been full-time Berkshire residents for the past four years.

Anthony Arevalo has been appointed to director of operations for Sita Hospitality, which does business as Best Western Plus Berkshire Hills Inn and Suites at 1350 West Housatonic St.

He will be responsible for day-to-day operations of all departments, guiding the departments by utilizing proper procedures to ensure customer satisfaction with a coordinated and productive operation among staff members and departments. Arevalo will also work with general manager Kevin Martin to increase group sales and general revenue management for the hotel.

“We are pleased to have Anthony take on this role,” said Mauer Desai, principal of Sita Hospitality. “His variety of skills and experiences will allow Anthony to bring our hotel to the level of service we need to prepare our hotel for the post-pandemic visitors.”

Arevalo grew up in California and worked on the customer service side of the wedding and function industry and in manufacturing of new housing developments. He is an avid fan of the San Diego Padres.

Roberta McCulloch-Dews has been named vice president of marketing at Greylock Federal Credit Union.

McCulloch-Dews, of Hinsdale, will manage Greylock’s marketing department, ensuring its brand and image are communicated effectively across all channels. She will also develop a comprehensive data-driven, digital-first marketing program incorporating communications, creative services, and public relations to meet Greylock’s vision to be the face of financial inclusion in the communities they serve.

She previously led communications for the mayor of Pittsfield’s office for eight years. She has also held positions worked in the global manufacturing and health care industries, higher education and city government.

McCulloch-Dews holds a master’s degree in social policy from SUNY Empire State College and a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from New York University. She is also an alumna of

the Leadership Institute for Public Policy and Impact through the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts.

She is a trustee board member of the Norman Rockwell Museum and hold several leadership positions in the community.

She lives in Hinsdale with her husband, Warren Jr., and their children, Warren III, West and Kennedy.

Sylvia Bashevkin, a renowned gender and politics scholar who graduated from Drury High School in 1972, received an honorary degree, doctor of letters, honors causa, from Memorial University of St. John’s, Newfoundland at the school’s annual convocation May 30.

She is one of 14 people who were chosen to receive honorary degrees at Memorial’s convocation this year.

Bashevkin is a professor emerita of political science at the University of Toronto and a former principal of Toronto’s University College.

A senior fellow of Massey College of Toronto and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Bashevkin is arguably the leading scholar of gender and politics in Canada. She has published 12 books and dozens of articles in top-tier academic journals.

Since the 1980s, women and politics groups in Newfoundland and Labrador have relied extensively on her research on women, politics and power.

Bashevkin holds a bachelor of arts degree from Hampshire College, a master of arts degree from the University of Michigan and a doctoral degree from York University in Toronto.

The ceremony is archived on Memorial’s convocation website for future viewing. Memorial’s website is www.mun.ca.

Thomas Duchesne has been named senior vice president of operations for CHP Berkshire’s countywide health care network.

Duchesne will oversee CHP’s medical, dental and mobile health operations, collaborating with other CHP leaders to plan and execute strategic initiatives. The Great Barrington resident will also serve as the operations advocate for compliance, quality and safety and will oversee clinical controls, administrative and reporting procedures.

He most recently was employed at CVS Health in Rhode Island as the lead director of strategic growth and insights.

Duchesne has previously held management positions at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Newport Hospital in Rhode Island and Bristol Hospital in Connecticut.

He holds a master’s degree in health administration from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, with minors in political

geography and French, from Bucknell University.

Jonathan Comisar, Ryan LaBoy, Matthew Thomas, and Carol Yahr have recently joined the faculty at Berkshire Music School while Andrew Smith has joined the staff as an administrative assistant.

Comisar and Thomas will teach piano and LaBoy and Yahr vocal instruction.

Comisar, a musical theater composer who is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, attended Eastman School of Music pre-college, Oberlin Conservatory for the piano and holds a master’s degree in classical composition from the Manhattan School of Music.

Comisar is also an ordained Cantor with a Masters in Sacred Music from the Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music and received numerous commissions and artist residencies from synagogues and Jewish organizations.

LaBoy, a singer, conductor and educator, currently serves as artistic director of Berkshire Children’s Chorus and as choir director at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington. He served as founding music director of ComMUSICation — an El Sistema-inspired choral youth-development program in St. Paul, Minn. LaBoy holds degrees in choral conducting and music education from the University of Minnesota and Westminster Choir College, respectively.

Thomas is a pianist, organist, music director, conductor, composer, and music educator. He is the minister of music at St. John’s Episcopal Church Williamstown, the artistic director of the Berkshire Concert Choir, the dean of the Berkshire Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and is a highly active music educator. Thomas holds a double concentration in organ performance and music composition from Hunter College; an undergraduate degree in piano performance from Belmont University in Tennessee; and an artist diploma in musical theatre performance from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy

Yahr had an international opera career singing the dramatic soprano repertoire. For the past 20 years she has had an active voice studio in New York City and was the director of the New York Summer Opera Scenes Training Program for aspiring opera singers.

PEOPLE, Page 23

Community Health Programs… Care for a Lifetime.

The health and wellbeing of you and your family—at all ages and stages—is at the heart of CHP.

Our multiple locations and two mobile health clinics make getting the care you need easy From medical and dental to nutrition ser vices, we have you covered. Want to know more? Scan the QR code or visit chpbershires.org for more information.

LaChance

Neales

McNeice

Plotz

Comisar

Arevalo

McCulloch-Dews

Bashevkin

Duchesne

LaBoy

Thomas Yahr

People

FROM PAGE 22

Peter Graber-Lipperman and Abigail Rollins were recently elected board chair and president, respectively, of the board of directors of the Berkshire Opera Festival.

Graber-Lipperman practiced corporate law for 30 years prior to retiring in 2020 to focus on nonprofit work and community service.

He has extensive experience in corporate and non-profit boardrooms. He and his family have been visiting the Berkshires for over 20 years. He has been a part-time resident of Otis since 2011.

Rollins joined Berkshire Opera Festival as executive director in September 2019. Originally from Athens, Ohio, Rollins now lives full-time in Pittsfield. Rollins holds undergraduate degrees in dance and psychology from Kenyon College and a master’s degree in arts administration from Boston University. She previously served as the managing director of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company in Boston, which is best known for its annual Free Shakespeare on the Boston Common performances.

Aidan Gilligan, vice president, commercial loan officer at Salisbury Bank, has graduated from the Connecticut School of Finance & Management.

The program is an intensive twoyear bank management training program that is sponsored by the Connecticut Bankers Association.

It provides an opportunity for bank management personnel and other key employees of Connecticut’s banking industry to obtain additional knowledge and skills as well as a more comprehensive understanding of financial services.

Gilligan holds a bachelor of science degree in business from Southern New Hampshire University. He joined the bank in February 2018 and has worked in the commercial credit and commercial lending departments. He received the Connecticut Bankers Association New Leader in Banking Award in 2021 — the same year that he graduated from the bank’s leadership development program.

Salisbury Bank operates Berkshire County branches in Great Barrington, Sheffield and South Egremont.

Cara Vermeulen has joined the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire as director of fundraising and philanthropic partnerships.

She has over 30 years of expertise in philanthropy and fundraising, sales and marketing, and community outreach.

“I am honored to join such an extraordinary organization,” she said. “The CDCSB’s commitment to community development aligns with my personal values, and I am excited to contribute to their mission.”

Vermeulen is the co-founder and former publisher of Berkshire Magazine. She has received certifications in philanthropy and marketing from Cornell University, in global philanthropy from American University

and in nonprofit philanthropy and the psychology of giving from Northeastern University

Berkshire County Arc has promoted Jessica Warner to assistant director of brain injury residential services, and Erwin Figueroa to assistant director of developmental disabilities residential services.

Warner joined BCArc in 2003 as a habilitation specialist at the social development center. Since then she has worked in direct support — full-time and relief — as a site manager, and most recently as a supervisor. Warner recently helped open several new brain injury residential programs in the Westfield area and organizes more than 40 volunteers every year for BCArc’s annual golf event.

Figueroa joined BCArc in 1999 and has served in several residential positions. He started as a relief worker, moved to fulltime direct care, then became assistant manager of a residential program, a manager, a multisite manager, and most recently a residential supervisor overseeing relief staff. He is a former BCArc Employee of the Year.

Figueroa earned a teaching degree in Guatemala. He holds an associate degree in computer information systems from Berkshire Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Jeffrey Vermette has been promoted to assistant vice president, Bank Secrecy Act officer at Greylock Federal Credit Union.

Vermette will manage a team of direct reports, and oversee anti-money laundering compliance efforts under the Bank Secrecy Act throughout the organization.

He is responsible for the development, oversight and performance of annual BSA/AML training for employees, new hires, senior management, the supervisory committee, and the board of directors. He also ensures that BSA compliance issues, audit findings, or regulatory examination findings are properly recognized and that sufficient action plans, corrective measures, and recommendations are implemented appropriately.

Vermette, who joined Greylock 11 years ago, has been a BSA officer in the banking industry since 1997. He holds an MBA from Suffolk University and a bachelor’s degree from Salem State University. The Ludlow resident recently retired as a master sergeant from the Air National Guard after 20 years of service.

Justin Pinsonneault has been promoted to assistant vice president, facilities director, at Greylock Federal Credit Union.

Pinsonneault who has been with Greylock for five years, will now have budget and hiring authority and will oversee the execution and compliance of all capital projects for Greylock.

He will lead an expanded team for facilities, administering vital projects including the development of a multiyear property and maintenance improvement plan and the record retention program. Having recently completed renovations of Greylock’s branch in Adams, he will now focus on the relocation of Greylock’s Lee branch and major renovations to the business offices at the credit union’s branch on West Street in Pittsfield. The Pittsfield resident has previously served as the facilities manager for the

former Country Curtains, owned a business, and served as assistant superintendent at the Boston Golf Club.

Dr. Ira J. Schmelkin, a board-certified and fellowship-trained gastroenterologist, was recently appointed to the medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center and the provider staff of Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC.

Schmelkin had previously served at Berkshire Medical Center as chief of the division of gastroenterology from 2004 to 2011. He is returning to the Berkshires after a 10-year tenure at Baystate Medical Center and Baystate Noble Hospital and as the chief of gastroenterology at Baystate Health. He previously worked at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, N.Y., and North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, where he was in private practice.

Schmelkin is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and was fellowship trained in gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, and completed his residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Peter W. Radigan has been appointed senior vice president, residential and consumer lending officer at MountainOne Bank. Radigan will oversee the statewide mortgage banking division including loan origination and residential lending operations. He brings over 40 years of banking and mortgage lending experience to MountainOne.

Radigan was previously employed at MountainOne in a similar role from 2009

to 2017, from which he retired. He subsequently provided mortgage banking and consulting services through Spillane Consulting.

A U.S. Army veteran, Radigan holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. He also served on the regional advisory board for FannieMae and the board of the MA Mortgage Bankers Association, of which he was president.

Griffin, Kranick join SVMC Certified Nurse Midwives Kim Griffin and Amy Kranick recently joined Southwestern Vermont Medical Center OB/ GYN and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians.

The two women had been partners in Women’s View Midwifery and Women’s Health, which was located in the medical office building on the SVMC campus in Bennington. Their former practice’s patients are invited to follow the providers to SVMC OB/GYN.

Griffin received her graduate education from Baystate Medical Center in Massachusetts and her undergraduate education from Adirondack Community College in New York. She completed additional training at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass. She has worked as a nurse midwife since 1999.

Kranick received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the State University of New York at Albany, an associate’s degree in nursing from SUNY Empire State College, her midwifery degree from the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing in Kentucky, and her graduate education from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. She completed additional training at Bassett Healthcare in New York. She is certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. She has worked as a nurse midwife since 1998.

Feeling Dizzy or Unsteady?

If you or someone you know suffers from dizziness or imbalance, keep in mind that intervention is key There are steps you can take to improve your balance and decrease your chances of falling!

FYZICAL’s treatment and recovery protocols include ut il izing cut t ing-edge equipment which is not available at any other outpatient physical therapy or treatment center in the area!

Graber-Lipperman Rollins

Radigan

Gilligan Vermeulen

Warner Figueroa

Schmelkin

Vermette

Pinsonneault

Kranick

The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank + Love Us and Leave Us

Leader of the Pack

For Renee DeRagon, puppy love isn’t about romance – it ’s all about business Since opening Love Us and Leave Us in 2014, Renee’s Pittsfield-based doggie daycare and boarding facility has become so Paw-pular that she decided to add to her pack with a second location in Lee. So, when look ing for a little scratch to run with her expansion plan, she reached out to business’ best friend, The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank We’ve been lending a paw to local businesses for 130+ years and were happy to give this pack leader the push she needed. We always love a good snuggle with our fur babies, but nothing warms us more than helping local businesses unleash their potential!

For help leading you to your financial future, contac t us today at 413-447-7304.

Renee DeRagon

O wner, Love Us and Leave Us