Berkshire Business Journal June 2024

Training troubleshooters

A Berkshire Manufacturing Academy program is geared toward personal development to enhance the region’s workforce. Page 2

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Berkshire Business Journal

Spreading its wings

Pittsfield Municipal Airport’s latest expansion includes new hangar, solar arrays

BY JAMES THERRIEN

PITTSFIELD — Pittsfield Municipal Airport has reached a smoother cruising altitude after years of turbulence through complex, difficult construction projects, and a global pandemic.

“We’ve been trying to stabilize things and move forward and grow with our [business] tenants,” said airport Manager Daniel Shearer. “They are going well, and hopefully some good stuff is coming up in the next couple of years.”

CONSTRUCTION SPURT

Actually, some major news is on the immediate horizon — including a groundbreaking for a long-planned solar generating facility, and construction of a $3 million, 23,000-square-foot air-

craft hangar that Lyon Aviation is building, one of a half-dozen planned in the coming years.

Lyon already has several hangars on-site, but the new facility will be its largest, and it will be in a newly developed area near the 500-plus-acre airport’s entrance off Tamarack Road.

Most of the new business-related activity is driven by Lyon Aviation, a multi-faceted aviation company that also acts as the airport’s fixed-base operator, providing fuel, hangar space, maintenance, ground connections, information and other services for pilots who use the airport.

“We’ve been expanding yearover-year,” said company President Michael Lyon.

He said the company has smaller hangars and three main hangars. The largest — where

bigger aircraft are accommodated and the more complex main tenance work is done — was built in 2003.

NEED FOR SPACE

The hangar entering the construction phase, which will nearly double the company’s capacity, is scheduled to be completed in late 2024.

“We are just out of space and out of space everywhere we

AIRPORT, Page 10

Patrick Kalinowsky and Blake Srzepa inspect a Falcon jet in the Lyon Aviation hangar at Pittsfield Muncipal Airport. Construction has begun on a $3 million, 23,000-square-foot aircraft hangar — one of a half-dozen planned in the coming years.

PHOTOS BY BEN GARVER

Pittsfield Municipal Airport Manager Dan Shearer said the most recent impact study commissioned by the state found 219 jobs were created at the airport or indirectly at other businesses, representing a total payroll of $13,421,000.

Front pages

Turning employees into problem solvers

Training program drills down on troubleshooting, systems thinking

By John Townes

One of the lynchpins in the effort to advance the technology and manufacturing sector of the Berkshire economy is the Berkshire Manufacturing Academy, sponsored by the Berkshire Innovation Center in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

BIC is a collaborative membership organization that is a coalition of the private, public and educational sectors that provides resources and support to companies.

The Manufacturing Academy is an industry-led training collaborative designed to address persistent challenges facing the manufacturing economy in the Berkshire region by providing professional training and personal development to enhance the region’s workforce. Its core is the Systems Thinking for the Application of Technologies (STAT) program. Since it was started last year STAT has graduated 24 participants who have completed the first two cohorts. Another 12 students are participating in the most recent cohort, which began in May.

STAT incorporates established industry processes and practices into an innovative training program.

“We conducted extensive research and interviews with employers in the region to determine their primary workforce issues and we developed the program to address those,” said Dr. Dennis Rebelo, chief learning officer at BIC.

STAT has two primary purposes: developing employee troubleshooting and systems thinking and enhancing human skills. On a technical level it trains participants in problem solving and solutions using a process called DMAIC (which

stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control). In addition, it includes a human-development component with an assessment of the individual’s basic personal and social skills.

Companies recruit members of their staff to attend STAT. Participants have included managers, engineers, lab technicians, mold-makers, and others who hold professional positions within their operations.

“The goal is to apply what they have learned at STAT to real-world problems and become catalysts for continuous improvements in their workplaces after they complete the program,” said Rebelo. “This will benefit them as professionals and have positive impacts for their employers.”

The 24-week courses are offered in complete sessions known as cohorts. Each cohort includes three phases of two classes per week lasting six weeks, with short breaks between each phase. The first section is an instructional overview. The second includes a team project involving a simulated manufacturing issue to solve. In the third, the participants (under the guidance of coaches and their employers’) use the processes to identify a specific manufacturing issue in their own workplaces and develop a solution. So far 11 companies have sponsored participants.

“They include companies in a variety of sectors, and include startups, established small businesses and major employers such as Interprint and General Dynamics,” Rebelo said.

Peter Stasiowski, director of communications at Interprint in Pittsfield, said the program has several advantages for employers such as his company. He is also a

member of the board of the BIC.

“It’s an important program that is targeted to help future leaders grow and develop,” he said. “One of the advantages for employers is that it’s the type of program that has not been available here.”

Stasiowski added that an important benefit is the interaction among participants from different companies.

“It brings together our professionals with those from other companies with different perspectives,” he said. “The participants find that they are often dealing with similar issues as their counterparts in other businesses. This creates opportunities to share their ex-

periences and best practices.”

Among the participants from Interprint, which prints décor papers used for the surfaces of materials used for furniture, flooring and other objects, is Matt McInerney, who is manager of the Prematch and Finishing Departments.

“I believe in lifelong learning,” McInerney said. “I appreciate that the STAT program doesn’t have a singular focus. In addition to improving my problem-solving skills with the DMAIC process, it prompted deep reflection on a personal level. It helped me to understand how to leverage my strengths more effectively

STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE Mayson Morse, a graduate of the Systems Thinking for the Application of Technologies (STAT) program through the BIC’s Berkshire Manufacturing Academy, checks for imperfections in a roll of nonwoven synthetic filter backing at Mativ in Pittsfield, where he is employed as an operations supervisor.

MANUFACTURING,

and improve on the personal skills that are

McInerney, who has been with Interprint for some 20 years, oversees several stages of the printing process.

For his project, he worked with other staff to evaluate the company’s handling of inks, and devise ways to reduce waste and use it more efficiently.

“Our inks are organic and can spoil if they are handled improperly or are contaminated,” he said. “My project focused on identifying how much ink was lost to this, and the root problems that cause spoilage and waste. We looked at factors such as the changeover of inks in the equipment, and ways that bacteria can contaminate the ink. Then we developed control measures to reduce this, such as using flushes to wash equipment more carefully to reduce bacterial contamination.”

Another participant, Mayson Morse of Pittsfield, is an operations supervisor at Mativ, a Pittsfield manufacturing company. Morse, who has been with the company for five years, oversees a team of employees who manufacture paper filtration material for the aerospace industry.

Morse’s project focused on improving the paper’s absorbency.

“I used the DMAIC process to solve a specific problem,” Morse said. “That led to larger improvements to the manufacturing process and product that reduced waste and resulted in cost savings.”

Morse said that the program helped advance both his professional abilities and personal development.

“For example, in the personal assessment, I found that one area that I needed to fine tune was adaptability to change and be more flexible.”

He added that that it had another important benefit, noting that that he had not completed college before entering the workforce.

“I was somewhat nervous about par-

ticipating in a program like this,” he said. “The experience has boosted my confidence, and helped me decide to complete a college degree.”

Morse expressed praise for the program’s instructors. “They were very engaged and passionate and gave their all to make the program helpful,” he said.

Jake Dardaris is a manufacturing engineer at General Dynamics Mission Systems in Pittsfield, and provides technical support in the manufacturing of fiber optic cables. He has been with that company for a year. He was nominated by his supervisor, who had been in the program, to participate in the second cohort.

“It was a true master class,” he said. “All of the instructors were super knowledgeable.”

For his project he evaluated issues in the process of receiving and allocating raw materials which had been causing problems.

“I served as a catalyst and involved others in the project,” he said. “I applied the DMAIC process to identify the root causes of the problems and develop and implement measures to counteract them. It was amazing how well DMAIC worked. It’s still too early to quantify the effect of the changes, but it seems to be going well. I know the assembler is a lot happier since we implemented this.”

For the initial cohorts, the costs have been covered by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, as well as support from MassDevelopment, MassTech Collaborative, and General Dynamics Mission Systems.

The STAT program is designed to be offered on an ongoing basis. The cost of the first cohorts have been covered by the initial funding.

“There will be a fee for the program beginning in the fall, but we are developing other sources of funding, and grants will be available to reimburse companies that participate,” he said.

Business updates

PITTSFIELD

Goodwill Industries nets job skills funds

Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont received $8,500 in grants from Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union and MountainOne Bank to support its Soar for Success employability skills program.

The nonprofit social services organization received an additional $2,500 from Greylock Federal Credit Union toward promotion and other costs associated with its annual meeting in October.

Goodwill’s Soar for Success program focuses on job training in custodial skills, customer service, employability skills guidance for individuals preparing for job interviews, and provides interview and work attire. The program is offered free of charge to all Berkshire County residents. Services are provided at Goodwill’s Career Centers in Pittsfield and North Adams and online.

Goodwill sells donated clothes and other household items at a discounted price to aid in funding training and educational programs for individuals seeking employment.

BOSTON

Berkshire Bank Foundation gives over $400K to 107 nonprofits

Berkshire Bank has announced its foundation made $401,190 in philanthropic investments during the first quarter of 2024. The grants covered projects that foster upward economic mobility, support overall well-being, and enhance opportunities for individual success in the communities the bank serves. The investments also support the company’s BEST Community Comeback program.

In all, the Berkshire Bank Foundation gave 107 local nonprofits grants to assist

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with critical projects in the areas of education, youth, food insecurity, housing, health care, substance abuse prevention, veterans and employment. In addition, the foundation supports programs that align with Berkshire Bank’s Center for Women, Wellness, and Wealth.

Berkshire area nonprofits that received funding include the Berkshire International Film Festival Inc., Community Access to The Arts, 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance Foundation Inc., Goodwill Industries of The Berkshires and Southern Vermont, NAACP Berkshire County Branch, Nonprofit Center of The Berkshires Inc., and Second Street Second Chances, Inc.

BERKSHIRE COUNTY

Discuss sharing services in the Berkshires

Nonprofit leaders are invited to advance the conversation about the opportunities and challenges in realizing a structure for sharing services in Berkshire County. Summaries of research and recent survey results will be provided, and attendees will break out into groups to discuss infrastructure models and decide on next steps.

The gathering will be run from 10 a.m. to noon June 14 in the Lenox Town Hall auditorium.

State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli and Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires will be your hosts. Register online at npcberkshires.org. This is a free event.

MONTEREY

Gould Farm hosts Commonwealth Corps

Gould Farm has announced its selection as one of 16 Commonwealth Corps host site partners in the 2024-2025

BUSINESS UPDATES, Page 4

Business updates

program year. Administered by the Massachusetts Service Alliance, the Commonwealth Corps is a state-funded service internship program that engages Massachusetts residents of all ages, backgrounds and identities in service to strengthen communities, address critical community needs and increase volunteerism. Serving a 10-month term, Corps members provide direct service, build capacity, and recruit, organize and mobilize additional volunteers.

Gould Farm will host two Commonwealth Corps members who will be involved in wellness and nutrition education and individual assessments and serve on one of six therapeutic work teams with staff and guests. Teams include: kitchen, bakery, farm, garden, Roadside Store and Cafe, and forestry and grounds.

To apply to become a Corps service member at Gould Farm, send your resume and cover letter to Gould Farm Volunteer Coordinator, Pauline Banducci, at pbanducci@gouldfarm.org.

PITTSFIELD Scholarship open to law school students

Applications for the 2024-25 Frank H. Wright Memorial Scholarship Fund are now available. The award is a general scholarship fund sponsored by the Berkshire Bar Association and is given annually to Berkshire County residents who are entering or attending law school in the fall.

This year the scholarship fund has $4,000 to award to area law students, but the amounts of the scholarships awarded will depend on the number of applicants.

Applications can be obtained from the offices of Barry & Kinzer in Pittsfield or by calling (413) 853-4223. Applications can also be downloaded from the Berkshire Bar website, www.berkshirebar. com. The deadline for applications is July 31.

The scholarship is named after Frank Hull Wright, a lawyer, activist and community leader from Southern Berkshire County. Scholarship recipients are selected who have demonstrated academic excellence and shown a commitment to community activism.

BERKSHIRE COUNTY

Price Chopper/Market 32 offers med disposal

Price Chopper/Market 32 is issuing a reminder that each of its eight Massachusetts pharmacy locations offer safe and convenient year-round drug disposal services. Individuals can access a consumer drug take-back kiosk located near the pharmacy and return expired, unused or unwanted medications during pharmacy hours, no questions asked. Each kiosk is equipped with a secure latch, allowing guests to open and easily insert medications while also preventing the removal of items already placed inside. Unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medication, as well as pet medication, are accepted. All medications must be returned in the original dispensed packaging or in a sealed bag. Schedule I controlled substances, illegal drugs, thermometers, medical devices and needles are not accepted.

To find a pharmacy location nearest you, visit the Price Chopper/Market 32 pharmacy homepage or call 1 (800) 666-7667.

BERKSHIRE COUNTY

1Berkshire launches tech assistance program

1Berkshire, thanks in part to funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, is launching its next slate of technical assistance offerings through the Berkshire Economic Recovery Program.

Through a series of three years of cohorts since 2021, the Berkshire Economic Recovery Program Technical Assistance series has been able to support more than 110 businesses through

targeted training offerings, resulting in business improvements and quantified by the over $2 million in funding collectively accessed by businesses through their participation. Going into the Spring/Summer of 2024, the series continues with its next two cohorts: “Jumpstarting Your Crowdfunding Campaign” with Laura Christensen and “Be Press Ready” with Cathy Husid.

The Technical Assistance series is free and offered to any business in the Berkshires. Registration is required. For information and to register: tinyurl. com/599xus4m

PITTSFIELD

Goodwill grant targets food insecurity

Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont announced it has received a $1,500 grant from Fallon Health for the nonprofit’s continued work in fighting food insecurity in the Berkshires.

Goodwill is part of a local collaborative effort that transports roughly 9,000 pounds of food every week from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Chicopee to Berkshire County soup kitchens, food pantries and a homeless shelter.

Goodwill’s programs are funded through its recycling initiatives, including sales of donated clothing and household items at Goodwill retail stores, as well as local foundations and organizations.

ADAMS

Community Bancorp holds annual meeting

Community Bancorp of the Berkshires, MHC, the parent company of Adams Community Bank, held its annual meeting April 10 at Charles H. McCann Technical School in North Adams.

President and CEO of Adams Community Bank, Charles O’Brien, said that the Pittsfield branch reached $26 million in customer deposits from its opening in December of 2022 and that those deposits were loaned out locally during 2023. At year-end 2023, total assets were $995 million, and the Bank crossed the $1 billion threshold during the first quarter of 2024.

The annual report meeting was O’Brien’s last, given his upcoming retirement. An executive search is underway for O’Brien’s replacement.

LENOX

Zonta Club adds $1,000 scholarship

The Zonta Club of Berkshire County has announced that the Jane M Klausman Women in Business application is now available at www.ZontaBerkshire.org

The scholarship is awarded to college students who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in business management. Applicants should be in their second year of college. The deadline for applications is June 15. The $1,000 winner is also eligible for an additional $5,000 award at the Zonta International level.

The nonprofit, volunteer-run Zonta Club of Berkshire County is comprised of Berkshire County women working together to improve the lives of girls and women locally and worldwide.

PITTSFIELD

Local businesses make ‘impact’

Two Pittsfield businesses, Hot Plate Brewing Co. and Interprint, respectively have been named silver and bronze winners of the 2023 MassEcon Economic Impact Awards.

The Economic Impact Awards celebrate companies throughout the Commonwealth for their contributions to the state’s economy. Each awardee must meet three criteria including locating a new operation in Massachusetts or expanding operations resulting in added jobs and facility investment, social impact with community involvement/philanthropic efforts and internal/external equity, diversity and inclusion practices.

Hot Plate Brewing Co. opened in Pittsfield in early 2023, bringing craft

beer to the heart of downtown. Interprint, a Pittsfield manufacturing business since 1985, is constructing a 57,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to accommodate a project that includes three new printing presses.

Each has received funding support from the city and its development arms. The city asks other business owners wishing to expand their operations to visit businesspittsfield.com.

PITTSFIELD

Rotary honors students for volunteer service

The Rotary Club of Pittsfield President John Hudnall has announced the 2024 Service Above Self Award winners.

The recipients include Pittsfield High School students Abigail Rose Malumphy and Grace Ungewitter, and Taconic High School students Damaris Escalon-Brizuela, Bhumi Patel and Nevah Williams.

This award exemplifies the students’ volunteer efforts and their selfless contributions to the service of others.

The awards were presented on May 9 at Mazzeo’s Ristorante. Eric Ungewitter, Service Above Self Committee chairman, spoke about the extensive accomplishments of each student and their commitment to volunteerism in the community.

LANESBOROUGH

Bedard dealership aids Puppets in Education

The Vermont Family Network’s Puppets in Education partnered with Bedard Brothers Chevrolet to provide of day of puppet presentations centered on anxiety to the preschool to grade 2 classes at Lanesborough Elementary School on May 2.

The interactive program uses life-size puppets to help children address many societal concerns, including bullying, abuse, mental health, disability awareness, drug use, and other topics.

Based on extensive research, the

anxiety puppet show teaches children critical social-emotional skills in a fun, creative and supportive environment.

Lanesborough Elementary School will also be receiving five brand-new silly puppets to live at the school. Students and teachers alike will have the opportunity to use these puppets to create shows of their own and talk about important topics.

GHENT, N.Y.

$30K to equine center for veterans program

High & Mighty Therapeutic Riding and Driving Center has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the American Legion Department of New York to expand its Veterans Program.

The programming for veterans, active military personnel and military personnel family members focuses on the many challenges faced by military service members daily.

Using a combination of unmounted and mounted activities, benefits of the program include improving communication, problem-solving and relationship skills; decreasing stress, anxiety and depression; increasing confidence and focus; and building/ gaining trust and respect.

In addition to veterans and their families, the center serves individuals with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities; underserved youth; schools and libraries; and more.

To learn more about the program, contact Executive Director Rachel Conaway at rachel@high-n-mighty.org.

High & Mighty also partners with the Joseph Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Program that is coordinated by the Columbia County Veterans Services Director Gary Flaherty. To learn more about the Dwyer Program, contact Flaherty at 518828-3610 or visit the office at 389 Fairview Ave., Hudson.

Ideal Commercial Location:

Building One at the Lenox Commons, Located on rt 7/20 with 35,000 cars passing per day! Easily accessible with a traffic light located at the entrance. Directly across the road from the Marriott Courtyard Hotel.

Fresh spin to an old favorite

New owners update, expand Teddy’s Pizza in Pittsfield

By Jane K aufman

PITTSFIELD — Michael Manning has plowed the Massachusetts Turnpike on the overnight shift and worked construction on hot days, but he’s never longer hours than he is right now, as the owner of Teddy’s Pizza.

“Restaurant work is harder than paving,” Manning said. “The hours are ridiculous. The hours are insane. We laugh all the time about it.”

Manning decided to buy the restaurant at 508 East St. when he learned that previous owners, Theodoros and Susan Billis, planned to close the place.

He did so for one reason: He wanted to have a place to park employees from his paving business, so when spring swept around again they’d be available to work.

That concept failed. Just two of his employees — one being his son, Patrick — stayed with that program. The rest found other work by the time their seasonal unemployment compensation ran out in February.

“I’ve been hiring ever since,” he said, shrugging.

In the meantime, he’s sunk time, labor and materials into a remodel of the interior of the restaurant. He won’t say how much he spent, except to say “a lot of money.”

The interior isn’t the only thing to get an overhaul. So has the menu. And so has the previously paper-only ordering sytem. If diners want takeout or delivery — yes, delivery — they need not pick up the phone; they can order online.

And even though it’s under new ownership, the original sauce and crust remain on the menu. When the Billises sold the restaurant, they stayed on for about a month and a half to teach Manning and his staff how to create both.

Manning says his favorite item on the menu is Teddy’s Special, a pizza with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and olives.

Now hungry diners can order the original pan crust, a hand-tossed thin crust

or a cauliflower crust developed by head chef Travis Deinlein.

“He has transformed the menu into something pretty amazing,” Manning said, citing as examples the Brussels sprouts with bacon and a balsamic glaze, and nachos topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, hot peppers served with sour cream and salsa.

Deinlein, who’s been working kitchens for 30 years, most recently at the Knox Trail Inn and Kona Catering, says his favorite dish on the menu is the chicken pesto, made with a pesto of his creation.

Manning has put in three flat-screen TVs, painted, ripped out carpeting and put in laminate flooring, added new ta-

bles and chairs and moved the bar from along one wall — creating a U-shaped bar in the middle of the restaurant. For beers, he’s offering Maine Lunch on tap as well as a half-and-half combination of Mango Cart and Kona Big Wave called Beachbum.

Manning is also developing beverages, with Teddy’s Goes West a tribute to daughter Kirsten, who’s headed to Santa Barbara to pursue her doctorate in psychology. It’s got tequila, cucumber, ginger ale and club soda.

The restaurant seats 38. Busy nights are suppers Tuesday and Thursday. But there’s also the option of settling in at the bar for a game. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday.

Manning was born in Northampton and moved to Pittsfield with his mother, Marilyn Manning, when he was about 5. He studied carpentry at Taconic High School and has done landscaping, been a truck driver for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, started Patriot Driveway, Commonwealth Foundation Solutions, EYW Trucking and Wind Chime Properties, under which Teddy’s is owned.

When Billis bought the property in 1973, it was known as the Pittsfield Pizza House. In 1976, he changed the name to Teddy’s Pizza. Manning bought it for $300,000 in November and financed the purchase with a $196,000 mortgage from Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.

His wife, Jennifer Manning, handles the financial side of things, but oftentimes, she’s also the face of the restaurant as a waitress.

Born in Pittsfield, she learned service at the former Itam Lodge, where she worked through college.

Now a speech pathologist at Dalton schools, she said she’s enjoying waitressing, but it can be stressful when the restaurant is busy.

Echoing a similar sentiment expressed by her husband, “I have a new admiration for people who do this all the time,” she said.

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PHOTOS BY JANE KAUFMAN

Teddy’s Pizza owners Michael and Jennifer Manning have given the East Street restaurant a facelift, including new flooring and a U-shaped bar. And while customers can still get the original Teddy’s sauce and pan crust, there are lots of new items on the menu as well.

Head chef Travis Deinlein prepares pesto sauce at Teddy’s Pizza on East Street in Pittsfield. “He has transformed the menu into something pretty amazing,” owner Michael Manning said.

‘You felt like they were your family’

PHOTOS BY GILLIAN JONES-HECK

DiLego’s, beloved North Adams jewelry shop, to end nearly 100-year run

By Sten Spinella

NORTH ADAMS — Lisa-Marie Pisano and her family have never had to worry about where to find, or fix, jewelry. Not so long as DiLego Jewelry Store stood downtown.

“I’ve known them forever,” said Pisano, of North Adams. “It’s where my parents went — we went there for everything; every special occasion. I got my ears pierced there. Whenever I needed a piece of jewelry repaired, that’s where I went.”

“You felt like they were your family,” she added, “not just a jewelry store.”

Pisano’s family was like countless others, across the generations, who have patronized DiLego’s since it opened nearly 100 years ago. The store is set to close at the end of June — the owners have elected to retire.

The late Frank DiLego originally opened the shop in the 1930s; his brother is the grandfather of current owners Cynthia Lamore and Pamela Costine. When DiLego retired, Lamore’s aunts ran the business, until Lamore and Costine took it over in the ‘80s. Originally located on Main Street, the family moved the store to Ashland Street in the ‘60s during urban renewal.

DiLego’s has always been in the family, and Lamore said, when asked if she considered selling the business, that she couldn’t envision another way.

“I couldn’t see the DiLego name carrying on outside the family,” she said.

When the store announced its impending closure in May,

not only was there an outpouring of support and well-wishes on social media, but Lamore and her daughter, manager Jessica Bugbee, arrived at work to find sticky notes plastered on the door from loyal customers and friends, mourning the end of the store’s tenure.

“I don’t think I was prepared for the response,” Lamore said.

“This area has been good to us, and the people have been like family. We’ve already been brought cookies, flowers, beautiful notes from friends.”

“Even our competitors have wished us well,” Bugbee said.

“We all know the blood, sweat and tears that go into a small business,” Lamore said.

TESTIMONIALS

Just how did DiLego’s come to engender the trust of the city, and what allowed for its longevity?

Misa Chappell of Florida has a clue. Her husband, Gregg Eastman, grew up in North Adams, and she came to know DiLego’s as “a local family store that, when you need jewelry, that’s where to go.”

Chappell said Eastman bought her a locket from DiLego’s for Valentine’s Day and has gotten it fixed there every year since.

“I’m kind of rough with my jewelry, and it broke,” Chappell said. “We started this tradition where my locket would break, and he’d bring it to DiLego’s, and they fix it! I’d get the same locket every Valentine’s Day.”

Vanessa Thomas, the greatgranddaughter of Frank DiLego, has chains and bracelets from the store. She acknowledges her bias as a family member, but everyone The Eagle talked to seemed to echo this comment from her: “It has the hearts of so many people in this small city.”

“They’re from here,” Thomas said. “They’ve lived here forever, same with my great-grandfather, who opened this store. As a customer, you get to create a connection with them, and you don’t want to stop going. The prices are reasonable, and the people are the sweetest.”

Pisano’s mother’s engagement ring is from DiLego’s; she took the stones out after her mother’s passing and made it into a pendant, then she had her parents’ birthstone put into the ring. She still has her first communion bracelet from DiLego’s, which is engraved.

Lamore and Bugbee noted that people have kept baby cups for years, with engravings on the same cup repeatedly for generations. They’ve been told that for some, it isn’t Christmas without a gift from DiLego’s under the tree.

State Rep. John Barrett III, D-North Adams, also has been a customer. In fact, when he first started going into the store, Frank DiLego was still behind the counter.

“I walked into that store more than 50 years ago for the first time,” he said. “They’ve always been a staple in our downtown. I think they’re one of the last of the longtime local retailers in the downtown area, which is too bad. It really is sad. Nothing lasts forever, especially the good things.”

Barrett attributed the survival of DiLego’s to “how they ran their business, with a sense of pride for the service they provided, and the many generations of customers they’ve served.”

PROFESSIONALISM

Barrett, and several others interviewed for this story, mentioned how no one felt rushed or pressured to buy when they walked into DiLego’s.

“We probably hold people up,” Bugbee said. “‘Oh my God, I have to go to DiLego’s, that’s going to be an hour!’”

Lamore tells a story of a young man shopping for an engagement ring.

“He kept saying, ‘I think I have to get her this,’ and I said, ‘OK, I’m going to take my salesperson hat off, and I’m going to put my mom hat on. I don’t want you to use the words ‘have to’ while buying this ring. I want you to take a little more time and think about this.’”

In some ways, DiLego’s staff can be like bartenders — often talking customers through life-altering decisions.

“What happens in DiLego’s, stays in DiLego’s, is all we have to say about that,” Bugbee said.

MISSING PIECE

Customers said they also appreciate the details, down to the packaging, which Chappell described as “luscious” and “classy.”

Pisano and Barrett said the loss of DiLego’s is akin to losing collective memories.

“It’s the end of a long era,” Barrett said. “Every individual involved in the store, the family, they were pure North Adams; pure Northern Berkshire.”

Lamore, who said the decision to close was extremely difficult, said the city “loses another piece of the heart of the downtown.”

Cindy Lamore and her daughter Jessica Bugbee of DiLego’s Jewelers in North Adams. The shop is closing at the end of June.

DiLego’s jewelry moved to its Ashland Street location in the 1960s during urban renewal.

40 years and (still) serving

By Jane K aufman

DALTON — In rain, sleet, snow and blistering heat, Maureen Brennan has been standing under a tent orchestrating outdoor weddings and other events for 40 years now.

Catering is in her blood, she said, the posthumous gift of her father, John “Jake” Brennan, who died when she was just a year old. He was the proprietor of the Dalton Restaurant and Brennan’s Restaurant, both on Main Street.

On the job, she’s shaken hands with the late Leonard Bernstein and the late Ted Kennedy.

“He was very nice, just a little intimidating,” she said of Bernstein, whom she met at a Lenox estate.

Kennedy was more engaged when she was introduced to him at a Dalton home.

“He would talk to you and be a little more embracing,” she said.

Along the way, she’s become expert at keeping detailed and timed lists, grilling in high winds, watching wedding cakes slide into leaning towers, and then cutting them, and developing signature dishes, such as Brennan’s Salad, which features pistachios, golden raisins, hot house tomatoes and feta over mesclun mix with a maple balsamic vinaigrette.

Brennan’s first job wasn’t in a kitchen. It was at the Dalton Pharmacy when she was a student at Wahconah Regional High School.

She quickly gravitated toward restaurants though, and graduated with an associate degree in

Maureen Brennan says catering is in her blood

hotel and restaurant management from Berkshire Community College, where one of her mentors was Carl Maaia, who gave her advice she lives by to this day.

“Do one thing,” he told her, “and do it well.”

She’s taken that motto to heart — letting it form the backbone of her business. She never books more than one wedding or event at a time so that she can give each one her full attention.

Later she graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor’s de-

gree in food service education.

Over the years, she’s developed a loyal core staff, first and foremost Doreen Jewell, who handles front of the house. The two met while working at Wahconah high school. Sous chef Mario Godbout is the other core member of the team. Both Jewell and Godbout have been with Brennan for more than 28 years.

While Brennan handles the planning, prep and menu, with help in the kitchen from Godbout, Jewell handles the hiring, training and presentation under

the big tent.

How does Jewell handle anxious brides — or an anxious Brennan — in the kitchen?

“I try to turn things around with my humor,” Jewell said. “I’m just very chill.”

Both women have taught at Berkshire Community College, with Brennan calling teaching her true passion in life. Her favorite moment as an instructor?

Watching her students “shine” in the dining room as they present what they’ve contributed following meal service.

Now 62, she started the business as a single mother when she was just 22, after returning from Cape Cod. It was there that she first waitressed and then found her way to the kitchen, learning knife skills and how to work under pressure from chefs at the Christopher Ryder House and Christian’s.

Brennan has done her prep in church kitchens, with her first “home” at St. Agnes Catholic Community in Dalton, and after working out of other venues away from Dalton is now making her base across the street at the First Congregational Church of Dalton.

From 2006-08, she owned Brennan’s Inn and Restaurant in Cummington.

“It’s full circle,” she said. “It’s like working out of grandma’s kitchen.”

In addition to teaching at Berkshire Community College, she’s also taught at Drury High School, where she developed a student-run cafe.

The secret to keeping things smooth on the day of an event, Brennan said, is planning and preparation. She makes a point of setting up a day in advance if possible.

Having worked throughout the Berkshires and New York state, where else would she like to cater?

“I’d like to do a nice big wedding in Ireland,” she said.

An avid hiker on her time off, Brennan has no plans to stop working.

“When they put me in the ground is when I’ll retire,” she said.

GILLIAN JONES-HECK

Maureen Brennan, right, and Doreen Jewell of Brennan’s Catering and Events, have been working together for 28 years. While Brennan handles the planning, prep and menu, Jewell handles the hiring, training and presentation under the big tent.

A new era brews for Tunnel City 3

poised to take over popular North County coffee business

By Sten Spinella

WILLIAMSTOWN — Tunnel City Coffee has found its future.

About five months after owner Paul Lovegreen announced that Tunnel City was on the market, three buyers — Jamal Stockton, Janine McCarl and Nilaykumar Patel — are poised to purchase the business.

The listing price was $995,000, and the business, including the lease rights for its three locations, sold for $850,000. The sale is set to be finalized early next week.

“Paul Lovegreen did a phenomenal job starting the business 30 years ago — it’s obvious to us it’s well-run and with little intervention will continue to run well,” Stockton said recently. “We want to think about areas where we can be more involved and expand the business.”

Stockton and McCarl moved to Williamstown full-time about two years ago and have a young child. Patel owns multiple businesses in town.

McCarl and Stockton have corporate backgrounds: McCarl works in marketing and Stockton is an engineer who has worked in financial services.

Each brings their own experience and interest into the project. Stockton spoke of starting another business “looking at things like innovation reform and generative AI compliance.”

“We’re newer to the area, we have a young child, this also gives us the abil-

ity to integrate ourselves in a community we care about and we’re able to raise our family in,” McCarl said. “Nil brings his skill set of owning quite a few small businesses here in Williamstown. For him it was the ability to work with friends and lend his small-business knowledge.”

The three partners are taking over three locations: Two in North Adams and one in Williamstown. The Spring Street location in Williamstown has indoor and outdoor seating and sells baked goods, coffees and teas. The 2,656-square-foot space is under lease to Williams College, which is the landlord. The lease goes through the end of the year, at which point there is an option to extend another five years.

One of the North Adams locations is at the Norad Mill, where Tunnel City roasts, prepares and packages its beans for wholesale, online and retail.

The 3,000-square-foot space has a lease through Sept. 30, 2025, with the option of two, four-year renewals.

At 850 square feet, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art location is significantly smaller than the Williamstown shop, but its focus is similar — baked goods, coffees and teas. That lease runs until Dec. 1 of this year and has an automatic four-year renewal.

Stockton, whose family first moved to the Berkshires some 75 years ago, was born in Pittsfield, and though he didn’t

Asian fusion cuisine on tap in Lenox

By C larenCe Fanto

LENOX — Ever since the 2012 closing of the Japanese restaurant Fin, the downtown Restaurant Row has lacked Asian cuisine.

That’s about to change with the arrival of Yao, offering a modern Asian fusion menu with 45 seats, including a 10-seat sushi bar, at 9 Franklin St., opposite the popular Haven cafe.

The Select Board recently approved an all-alcohol restaurant license for the establishment, with members voicing enthusiasm over the prospect of sushi and other Asian cuisine in a long-vacant downtown space.

Yao owner Ziao Xia Wang, who goes by “Wendy,” said she plans to open in about two months, with lunch and dinner hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Attorney Jeffrey Lynch, appearing with her at the Select Board meeting, pointed out that “Wendy” was a co-owner of Koto Hibachi Steakhouse on Dalton Avenue in Pittsfield, and the former owner of Enso Asian Bistro, operated from 2015 to 2019 at the now-demolished Dakota restaurant site on South Street in Pittsfield. The location previously hosted

Da’Koto Steak House from 2013 to 2015 after the Dakota went out of business.

Wang and her husband’s JCMA LLC, managed by Mengyao Chen, purchased the Franklin Street property, formerly owned by fallen crypto exec Ryan Salame’s North Sandy Brook LLC, for $600,000 last month, according to Middle Berkshire Registry records.

“She brings with her a wealth of restaurant management experience,” Lynch said, “looking forward to coming into Lenox and introducing their experience in the restaurant business.”

He noted the site has

grow up in the Berkshires, he’s spent a lot of time here. Stockton said his grandfather Will Stockton was the first Black city councilor in Pittsfield.

“My family has longstanding roots in the area and heavy involvement in the community,” Stockton said.

Apart from the Berkshire connections, Stockton said he and his partners purchased Tunnel City because he has wanted to own his own business for some time. And he adores coffee.

“After working 80-hour weeks for 20 years, you develop a passion for anything that keeps you awake,” he said. “It’s a pure addiction and love, so much so that I get happy when I go to bed at night because I know I get to wake up

and drink coffee.”

McCarl and Stockton complimented the current staff, and said they are all staying on in their same roles.

The new business owners are optimistic about the future of Tunnel City, as well as the market, with the majority of direct competition 40-plus minutes away.

With an eye toward expansion, Stockton said the group hopes to grow the wholesale and online retail aspect of the business, while keeping all the brick-and-mortars open.

“We’ll look for other locations in the area if the customers are looking for other locations,” Stockton added, “or for a different vibe. We’ll listen to feedback in this first year and see what we can do.”

been vacant for many years. It previously housed the Lenox Pizza House, and a four-week run of Asian Breeze in mid-summer 2011.

“This is a great opportunity for Lenox, a little bit of diversity, in terms of the type of offerings there,” Lynch noted. “I’m excited to see that building put back into operation, Wendy and her husband will be a great addition to downtown.”

“Me and my husband have worked in restaurant for more than 15 years,” she told the Select Board. “We want to bring our best Asian cuisine to the neighborhood.”

BEN GARVER

Janine McCarl, Jamal Stockton, center, and Nilaykumar Patel will be the new owners of Tunnel City Coffee. The three partners are taking over three locations: Two in North Adams and one in Williamstown.

BEN GARVER

Yao, an Asian fusion restaurant, is set to open in the coming weeks in this building on Franklin Street in Lenox. It was formerly owned by Ryan Salame.

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turn,” Lyon said.

“This is just slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle in place to encourage our growth in the future,” he said. “We’re pretty excited about both our short-term and long-term prospectus. We’re hoping that this initial hangar we’re building will be the first of five, six or seven over the next 10 to 15 years.”

REGIONAL APPROACH

Over that time, the company hopes to draw in aircraft now based at more expensive or crowded airport facilities within a 100-mile radius here, he said, adding, “We can offer much more competitive hangar fees and rents than those locations. ... It’s just that most airports are out of space.”

Lyon Aviation (lyonaviation. com) operates an aircraft charter service with clients worldwide; an aviation maintenance section that has significantly expanded over the past few years and services the company’s 11 planes and those of other private or business owners.

Lyon Aviation’s fleet includes Gulfstream IV and Gulfsteam V jets, accommodating as many as 16 people, along with smaller passenger jets.

In addition, Lyon operates an avionics business, which does repair work, maintenance and equipment upgrades on aircraft communications and navigation systems.

And the airport has long provided a flight training school for perspective pilots.

WELL-PAYING JOBS

With the ongoing expansion, Lyon said the company is intent on recruiting both aircraft mechanics and pilots, offering what he believes are very competitive wages and benefits.

“We have a great team in place,” he said. “I think we are up to 85 employees, and I think our current staff is about the best we’ve had in our 40 years ... And we want to hire more maintenance employees and pilots.”

Pittsfield Municipal Airport is “an asset to this community in a variety of ways,” said Mayor Peter Marchetti.

“Based upon a study conducted by MassDOT Aeronautics Division, the Pittsfield airport makes an impact economically by contributing to 219 local jobs, $13.4 million in payroll and over $40 million in economic output,”

the mayor said.

In addition, Marchetti said, the airport hosts “community events like Cruise Nights, Wild Acres Fishing Derby, tours and more. Lyon Aviation employs about 80 individuals and will need to add to its workforce when their new hangar is constructed, providing more opportunities for local jobs with good wages. I look forward to seeing additional growth in the months and years ahead.”

FORMER ‘ANTI’ ABOARD

Pittsfield Airport Commission Chairman Thomas Sakshaug has witnessed both the long, arduous years of planning and controversy surrounding a major runway expansion — as well as the current promising surge in business growth at the airport.

“Guess who was leading the antis on that,” he said of the multi-year runway expansion.

Sakshaug was active with the grassroots group, Citizens for a Sensible Airport, along with former Ward 5 City Councilor Jonathan Lothrop and others, who initially opposed the plan over its expected impacts on

the neighborhood and the environment.

“But they listened to our concerns as a group, and with the help of [then-Mayor] Jimmy Ruburto, they went with our compromise,” Sakshaug said.

COMPROMISE REACHED

The compromise plan reduced impacts on South Mountain Road, the surrounding neighborhood and on the environment, including to nearby Wild Acres conservation area.

“It turned out to be a good project,” Sakshaug said.

“A major goal of the runway expansion was to make it safer in more types of weather conditions so aircraft would not have to turn away to other airports like Albany,” he said.

The work, first discussed in 1998 to bring the airport in line with changing Federal Aviation Administration safety requirements, had to resolve questions on the environmental and economic impacts and spurred multiple public meetings.

To accommodate the expansion plan, contractors had to move to the north a 2,100foot section of South Moun-

tain Road between the new and former entrances of Wild Acres. That forced the closure of South Mountain Road to through traffic for 16 months during construction.

The process likewise involved setting aside new undeveloped areas for conservation to offset land used for the runway expansion, cleared runway approaches and other site changes.

A 790-FOOT EXPANSION

Shearer said the main runway was 100 feet wide and 5,001 feet long and was extended during the project to 5,791 feet.

“What should be noted, though,” he said, “is that the project didn’t only add 790 feet of pavement; it included extended sections of safety area on both ends of the runway, 1,000 feet toward South Mountain Road and 805 feet toward Barker Road.”

The FAA-required safety areas had to be “free of obstructions, steep terrain, and other immovable objects, providing a safer area if an aircraft should land short of the runway or overrun the end,” Shearer said.

The airport also has a smaller runway, set at an angle across

the main runway, which is 3,498 feet long and 100 feet wide.

Most of the runway expansion work, costing more than $20 million, occurred in 2012, but some follow-up work carried on into 2013-15, he said. Both runways also were reconstructed with new pavement during a $7 million project in 2017 and 2018.

Shearer said most airport improvement projects are funded through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program grants, which include 90 percent federal funding, 5 percent state and 5 percent local funding.

PENDING PROJECTS

Sakshaug said in May that construction on the planned solar facility by developer Navisun LLC, and a taxi lane project are both close to the construction stage.

“Next thing is the taxi lane so we can open up to more development,” he said, as the lane provides a connection to the site of the new Lyon Aviation hangar. Building and FAA permits being processed for the solar arrays, he said, “and we worked

BEN GARVER

Mike Lyon, president of Lyon Aviation, said the company’s new hangar at Pittsfield Municipal Airport will nearly double the company’s capacity. It is scheduled to be completed in late 2024.

AIRPORT, Page 11

with [city] Conservation Commission keep it away from [conservation or wetlands] jurisdictional areas. ... Hopefully by November, it will begin to produce electricity.”

“It’s kind of a slow slog,” Shearer said of the solar initiative, which has been in the planning stages since 2016.

Preliminary work was underway in early May on the new hangar site near the airport entrance.

Shearer said that involved initial site preparation work for the hangar, with the bulk of the excess material to be used to prepare portions of the solar sites.

SOLAR FOOTPRINT

The solar projects total 17.7 acres — 12 acres split between two sites along Barker and Tamarack roads, and 5.7 acres along South Mountain Road, Shearer said.

The planned taxi lane will extend to a new section of airport land, where Lyon wants to build several hangars.

“Their hangar is the first that will be going into this new area,” Shearer said. “It has been an area the airport has sought to development since at least the early 2000s.”

FLIGHTAWARE EQUIPMENT

The airport manager also cited opportunities related to installation of aircraft traffic sensors, systems that have been developing over the past decade and have been mandated by federal regulation since 2020 for most aircraft.

The airport will be using on-site FlightAware ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveil-

lance-Broadcast equipment, which tracks landings and the fees to be billed to aircraft owners. The equipment also provides data on usage of airport facilities that is important in planning maintenance and construction projects.

Landing fees, along with tenant lease payments, which the airport has been renegotiating with higher prices, provide much of the airport’s revenue.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS

The Pittsfield area and sur-

rounding communities already feel a significant economic impact from having the airport here, Shearer said.

He said the most recent impact study commissioned by the state found 219 jobs were created at the airport or indirectly at other businesses partly created by the airport, such as restaurants, hotels and transportation services, representing a total payroll of $13,421,000.

The total economic output in 2019 was $40,262,000 in the 2019 report. The statistics are de-

termined according to an FAA methodology formula, Shearer said.

“Between the city and Lyon Aviation, the airport is a pretty a significant player for the region,” 1Berkshire President and CEO Jonathan Butler said of the economic impact.

“We like to think of the airport as a regional asset, because the business community and a segment of the residents of Berkshire County feel a benefit from having the airport here,” Butler said.

“First off,” he said, “there is the business component of it; we have a lot of companies here that have markets and clients and do business throughout the country and overseas, and having an airport just outside of downtown Pittsfield has a lot of convenience.”

He added, “It is predominantly private travel, but it opens up the opportunity for business leadership, executives and specialized clients, to have access to meetings and different business dealings in the city and around the Berkshires.

“When you think of our key employers in technology and manufacturing, like General Dynamics,” Butler said, “anything that we have in the region infrastructure-wise, like the airport, helps stabilize those employers being here in the Berkshires.”

The more amenities the area has, he said, “the better we are positioned to retain those employers and help those employers expand when those opportunities come along. From that perspective, it is definitely very valuable.”

Another important component, he said, “is that we are a huge visitor destination community, so the hospitality and tourism industries — think of all the cultural institutions, and hospitality properties — Canyon Ranch, Miraval Berkshires, Kripalu.

“You know a lot of their clientele have opportunities to take advantage of more direct travel to and from the Berkshires because of the airport,” Butler said, “versus having to transport themselves from an hour or two hours away from Albany or Hartford. So there is a lot of value in that as well.”

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BEN GARVER

Pittsfield Municipal Airport buildings and Lyon Aviation’s current hangar are seen from the air in 2018. Lyon expects to complete construction on a 23,000-square-foot hangar by the end of the year.

Berkshire voices

Quasis pave the way for innovation

Massachusetts is home to one of the strongest innovation economies in the world. This innovation economy is driven by key resources such as talent, technology, research activity, and access to capital.

Underpinning this ecosystem, however, is an intricate array of quasi-state agencies that play a critical yet sometimes underappreciated role.

At the BIC, we work closely with several of these agencies and have seen their impact firsthand. We are proud of these partnerships and proud to support the Healey administration’s proposed comprehensive economic development bill — The Mass Leads Act — which, among other things, seeks to continue to leverage these agencies to catalyze long-term economic growth in all corners of the commonwealth.

QUASI-STATE AGENCIES

influential are the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), and MassDevelopment.

MASSACHUSETTS

CLEAN ENERGY CENTER

Established in 2008, MassCEC is the economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean-energy and climate-tech sector in the commonwealth.

MassCEC’s programs provide training for tomorrow’s clean-energy workforce, fund climate-tech innovation to meet the state’s emission-reduction goals, and grow the state’s clean-energy economy.

a nearly $13 million investment by Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, a quasipublic agency, that made the BIC’s state-of-the-art research and development facility possible,

how they operate synergistically and are able to address needs across various often unrelated sectors. These quasi-state agencies also share best practices and work collaboratively to vigorously foster an environment conducive to innovation and growth; they are indispensable drivers of the state’s economic vitality and innovation.

MASS LEADS

Generally speaking, quasi-state agencies are organizations that have been created through legislative acts to perform specific functions. Unlike traditional government departments, they straddle the line between the public and private sectors. Often described as “hybrid organizations,” they benefit from a combination of public and private sector funding, operate with a degree of independence that allows them to tackle specialized tasks, but are still subject to state oversight.

Structurally, these agencies have a board of directors that typically consists of both public officials and private sector representatives. This blended governance structure again allows the agencies to find a balance between private sector expertise and public accountability; it’s a mix that works

DRIVING THE MASSACHUSETTS

INNOVATION ECONOMY

Massachusetts boasts a diverse array of quasi-state agencies that each serve a distinct role in providing strategic support, funding and other resources to advance the state’s priority sectors and drive our world-class innovation economy. Among the most

MassCEC not only propels Massachusetts towards a greener future but also strengthens its position as a leader in the global clean-energy market. The center’s efforts contribute to job creation, economic growth, and environmental sustainability, reinforcing Massachusetts’ reputation as a hub for clean-energy innovation. In the last year alone, CEC has played a critical role in helping the BIC launch and grow our accelerator and incubator programs and has continued to provide direct support to clean-tech firms looking to scale in the region.

MASSACHUSETTS

LIFE SCIENCES CENTER

MLSC is charged with maintaining the state’s status as the global epicenter for the life sciences industry. Founded in 2008 as part of a 10-year, $1 billion initiative, MLSC supports the growth of life sciences in the commonwealth through investments in education, research and commercialization. Through a variety of programs, MLSC provides funding and other resources to academic institutions, research organizations, and private companies. Always embracing an ecosystem approach, MLSC encourages multi-institution and cross-sector sector collaboration from a range of private and public-sector partners across the commonwealth. Indeed, it was a nearly

$13M investment by MLSC in 2019 that made the BIC’s stateof-the-art research and development facility possible. MLSC was also the primary partner in funding the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

THE MASSACHUSETTS

TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIVE

MassTech focuses on strengthening the state’s innovation economy through strategic investments in technology infrastructure, workforce development, and collaborative initiatives. Established in 1982, MassTech has a variety of programs focused on talent, ecosystems, and innovation infrastructure across six key divisions: the Mass Cyber Center, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, the Massachusetts eHealth Initiative, the Innovation Institute, the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, and the newly established Northeast Microelectronics Hub.

Since the BIC opened in Pittsfield in 2020, numerous regional member firms have been intimately engaged with MassTech, launching exciting projects through programs that MassTech offers to support advanced manufacturing, robotics and artificial intelligence, collaborative R&D projects and cybersecurity resiliency efforts. MassTech has also played an

instrumental role in helping the BIC launch and grow our Manufacturing Academy.

MASSDEVELOPMENT

MassDevelopment serves as the state’s finance and development authority, offering a wide range of services to stimulate economic growth and improve the quality of life in Massachusetts. Established in 1998, MassDevelopment provides financing, real estate development, and technical assistance to businesses, nonprofits and municipalities.

MassDevelopment’s tax exempt bonds, loan programs, and grants, have made it feasible for many of our BIC member firms to expand their facilities, move to larger facilities, and acquire new technologies. The grant programs were also key to standing up the BIC’s operational efforts — both in helping the organization launch the new facility, expand our programmatic offerings, and open our satellite facility in North Adams. They have and will continue to play an important role in continued redevelopment of the William Stanley Business Park in Pittsfield.

The collective impact of these quasi-state agencies, as well as others not called out through this article, is profound. From my seat at the BIC, I’ve seen

In March, Gov. Maura Healey filed the Mass Leads Act, her administration’s economic development bond bill designed to strengthen Massachusetts’ global leadership in life sciences and launch game-changing investments in climate tech and applied artificial intelligence. In addition to positioning Massachusetts as a leader in these innovative sectors, the bill also proposes support for small businesses, rural communities, workforce development along with support for arts and culture.

In total, the legislation recommends approximately $2.8 billion in bond authorizations for capital grants, with $1.75 billion allocated for the reauthorization of current programs and $1 billion designated for new capital endeavors. It also advocates for an additional $750 million in adjustments to economic development tax programs.

At this BIC, we are proud to enthusiastically support the legislation. We see this bill as a catalyst for economic recovery and long-term growth. We are also quite eager to work with the Healey Administration, our local delegation, and our partners at the quasi-state agencies to make sure these investments impact all corners of the commonwealth, including Berkshire County.

The focus on innovation, workforce skill development, evolving needed infrastructure, and having a small businesses focus is exactly what our county needs to propel us on a path of sustainable growth. I believe the time is now to thank these quasi-state agencies for the key part they each play in the game plan for sustained economic development, right here in Berkshire County.

Ben Sosne is executive director of the Berkshire Innovation Center.

GILLIAN JONES

Crews install the Berkshire Innovation Center sign in August 2019 on the building on East Street in Pittsfield. It was

notes columnist Ben Sosne, executive director of the facility.

Ben Sosne News from the BIC

First-quarter real estate market watch

REAL ESTATE SALES DOLLAR VOLUME UP 6%; SALES UP 2%

In the first quarter of 2024, the volume of real estate sales rose to over $137 million dollars transacted including residential, condo, multifamily, land and commercial sales. The number of transactions rose by 2 percent, or an increase of 6 sales when compared to last year.

Notably, the sales of single-family residential homes, condos and multifamily units improved in the first quarter of 2024 when compared to last year, but land and commercial sales fell.

Overall, first-quarter sales are more consistent with pre-pandemic rates. A lack of available inventory remains a significant issue in the residential home market, especially in workforce housing price ranges. This is reflected in a slightly improved but still considerably lower historic inventory level.

OVERALL REAL ESTATE SALES BY REGION

• 2023 was a tough year for home buyers finding a property within their range and being able to afford and qualify for a mortgage while rates moved up and leveled during the year.

• 2024 starts with a slight but comfortable overall rebound. Noting that the lack of home inventory remains a challenge, as does high building costs, interest rates and inflation pressure, sales are still impacted by market dynamics. We see now more than ever that looking at specific property types, locations and price ranges is critical to understanding the buyers remaining in the market and where the housing gaps

are that can be filled with our current inventory.

RESIDENTIAL REPORT: SALES UP 2%, DOLLAR VOLUME UP 18%

The number of Berkshire County home sales in the first quarter of 2023 rose by 2 percent over the previous year, from 201 single-family sales slightly up from 197. North County sales dipped 7 units but rose 38 percent and more than $5 million dollars over the 1st quarter sales from last year. In the middle registry area, sales rose 8 percent and dollar volume also jumped double digits by 17 percent. In southern Berkshire, sales rose consistently by 9 percent in both the total number of sales and the dollar volume. Notably, average sales prices rose significantly in northern Berkshire, modestly in middle and remained level in south.

CONDO REPORT: SALES ROSE 11%, DOLLAR VOLUME UP 24%.

Condominium sales in northern and southern Berkshire County remained level, but increased considerably in middle Berkshire. Condo dollar volume countywide rose to a whopping $17.6 million in the first quarter alone, the highest on record. You can note year-after-year appreciation in the condo prices, especially as single-family residential inventory gets tighter, condo sales pick up. The attraction of condominium living is also at an all-time high in the Berkshires, which also helps fuel this growth.

MULTIFAMILY REPORT: SALES UP 39% IN BOTH UNITS SOLD AND DOLLAR VOLUME

In the first quarter of 2024, multifamily sales are booming in all parts of the county. Each region is reporting double-digit gains in the number of sales and dollar

volume transacted. Despite the upswing in the multifamily market of between one and five units, the average sale price did not rise at all from the rate last year at the same time.

LAND REPORT: SALES DOWN 19%, DOLLAR VOLUME UP 12%

After a few robust years of land sales, the market started to retract in 2022 and continued deep decent in the first quarter of 2024. Despite land parcel sales falling from pandemic highs, warmer months are more conducive to raw land transactions when testing and site work can be done before purchase and with soft ground. It is important to maintain a close eye on permits and building opportunities to help alleviate pent-up buyer demand for existing homes in popular price points. It remains incredibly hard to build needed workforce priced housing with current costs and codes.

COMMERCIAL REPORT: SALES DOWN 45%, DOLLAR VOLUME DOWN 70%

Despite a commercial market heavily impacted by work-from-home and business closures, commercial sales rose in 2021, dipped in 2022 and regained momentum in 2023. The first quarter of 2024 reflects slowing sales countywide, with minimal activity in southern Berkshire. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, noted that the national commercial vacancy rate rose above 20 percent in the first quarter as well. Please note not all Realtor assisted commercial sales are included in this data — only those on the open market are included in this data.

We are looking forward to a robust spring market. A full, town-by-town historical comparison report can be found at BerkshireRealtors.net

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

FILE PHOTO

Sanda J. Carroll Real estate

Seeding next generation of volunteers

While the term philanthropy might not immediately resonate with the average middle schooler, the importance of caring for others certainly does; for many, it’s a natural extension of daily life.

In a region rife with nonprofits and young people eager to make a difference, a collaborative approach to pitching in and giving back was piloted at Reid Middle School in Pittsfield earlier this year.

Working with Pittsfield Public Schools Arts Integration & Community Partnerships Program, Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires’ Philanthropy Curriculum takes a novel approach to teaching student giving in a classroom setting — one that cleverly embeds English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies Common Core Standards —aimed at creating engaged citizens during their most formative years.

“The curriculum hits all the marks,” said LeeAnn Massery, eighth grade ELA teacher at Reid Middle School, who underscored the social emotional learning opportunities it presented her students.

“Learning about nonprofits, and understanding that we can all give back has been a wonderful journey for these kids,” she said, emphasizing that — developmentally speaking — 14-year-olds tend to be more self-involved than concerned with others. Knowing this, NPC teaching artist Julie Haagenson kept social emotional learning opportunities top of mind when preparing to help kids learn what philanthropy is and understand why it’s important.

“[The students] became united as a group, with a shared purpose, working toward the same goal,” said Haagenson — an educator, counselor, consultant and coach— of the leadership and community that emerged among students, who were somewhat reticent at first, during the eightweek curriculum.

What began with a big-picture discussion of philanthropy and famous philanthropists quickly pivoted to include hands-on research and, ultimately, collaboration. Using the Giving Guide (a

publication of the NPC Berkshires listing each of the more than 1,200 nonprofits in Berkshire County), students set to work creating a list of up to 10 nonprofits that aligned with their interests, passions and values. As to the goal?

Figuring out which nonprofit would get each student’s $100 donation.

“One of the first steps we take in delivering the philanthropy curriculum is helping kids identify: What matters to you the most? What moves you to want to make a difference? What activates you in the world?” says Haagenson, whose own passion is empowering others to find their purpose.

The more students learned about nonprofit missions and populations served, the further they were able to whittle down their individual lists.

“If students were keen on giving to similar organizations, there was an opportunity for collaboration,” says Massery, adding that presentations, both written and verbal, followed before students cast votes for which organizations would get their pooled donations. The “winners” were Berkshire Humane Society and MassHire Berkshire Career Center, both in Pittsfield.

“[These students] really showed an ability to care a lot about other people, especially those in need, and they were very supportive of one another,” said Massery, who emphasized her students’ maturity when it came to the decision-making process. Not coincidentally, this equally impacted Haagenson.

“The capacity [these students] built to view multiple perspectives, and to vote — in the end — for a different organization than they had imagined based on the compelling presentations of their peers [was impressive],” she said. The more individual students spoke, the more carefully their classmates listened.

“It was really cool to hear the personal connections students were making with one another,” Massery said.

One spoke about her parents’ positive experiences gaining job support from Mass Hire as

young people, which enabled their current career success; another shared that, over the years, he had asked for donations to the Humane Society in lieu of birthday gifts, which he and his mother would proudly deliver the day after.

“They were very convincing,” said Massery, adding that final presentations were made during a giving event, held in the school library, with representatives from both organizations on hand to receive checks, proudly presented by the students.

Executive Director John Perrault invited Massery and her 12, second-period students to visit the Berkshire Humane Society — and has even offered to pay for transportation. “He promised to lock away the $700 and, when [the students visit], they can have a voice in how it is spent,” said Massery, of a process that, thanks to invaluable community support, has allowed the project to come full circle.

“This program allows every student to have a voice, which gives them agency and, in turn, really builds a sense of belonging,” said educational consultant Stacey Schultze of how offering entry points to community engagement is critical. For a generation of students keen on making a

difference but often lacking the tools or the vision to do so, teaching philanthropy through the schools is invaluable.

“It shows them they are valued and can be an active participant [in their community],” she said, of a smart move likely to yield long-term investment from young people. Across Berkshire County, one in four jobs exist in the nonprofit sector, and filling that pipeline is critical to the region’s economic development. Bottom line: Presenting youth with the opportunity to “give back” increases the likelihood of their going on to work for a nonprofit exponentially.

Funding from the local business community, to the tune of $5,000 per school, is critical to implementing this program and ensuring its future scalability; another $5,000 is needed to transfer the teaching materials into Canvas (a webbased learning management system) and provide customizable segments to meet the unique curriculum needs of each school and its students.

By 2025, an estimated 950 eighth graders will be enrolled in each of 10 school districts across Berkshire County; it will indeed take a village to make this programming available — albeit gradually — to all of them.

“We have come to really appreciate what NPC Berkshires does as a force multiplier for those myriad organizations, people and causes that we are already supporting and have been for years,” said Tim O’Donnell of Guardian Life Insurance, Corporate Sponsor of the NPC’s Philanthropy Curriculum. As a life insurance company, Guardian is always thinking about spending money today to yield results far down the line.

“Catching students in middle school, when they’re discovering the local community and their role in it, is a great time to teach philanthropy and makes for a really cool long-term investment,” said O’Donnell, underscoring that the program goals align well with the company’s philosophy and way of operating.

Suffice it to say, this programming is a real boon to the Berkshires.

“These students have been given a window into a part of society to which they might not have a front-row seat,” said Massery, underscoring the biggest win: “But their eyes have been opened [to the nonprofit world], and they are much more curious about it.”

Talk about a win-win.

Liana Toscanini is the founder of Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires.

Time for regulatory reevaluation?

In October 2023, I wrote a column for this paper titled “Time to Pause and Reassess” highlighting a critical issue facing the Massachusetts cannabis industry.

I pointedly criticized the state’s overemphasis on revenue without considering the sustainability of the market. Concerns revolved around the unchecked licensing and the burden this placed on existing businesses, ultimately calling for a pause in awarding further business licenses until a more sustainable approach could be adopted. Given the developments since then, it seems I was seeing things as they were to soon play out in the state industry.

Recent conversations and opinions of fellow operators in the legal space have only reinforced this stance. Newer voices in this chorus echo my previous concerns, emphasizing the dire consequences of cultivation capacity exceeding demand — and the drastic price crashes amid what many consider a major oversight in regulatory frameworks.

The call to action becomes one for state regulators publishing data that informs prospective cultivators and operators of demand and the current licensed canopy.

And it may be more urgent than ever in the state, as well as here in the Berkshires. Such transparency is not just beneficial — it is necessary for the survival of a competitive yet equitable market.

In Massachusetts, the lack of regulatory foresight has resulted in a skewed market where cultivation far exceeds demand. This has not only led to financial strain on cultivators but has also jeopardized the viability of small, often family-run businesses that lack the buffer of large capital reserves. This is a stark deviation from the vibrant, competitive market envisioned during the legalization of cannabis. The current scenario mirrors a systemic failure that could destabilize the entire industry if not urgently addressed. Moreover, the argument that cultivators should maximize production despite price crashes to cover variable costs only serves to underscore the lack of a coherent strategy in managing industry growth. While microeconomic principles might suggest such a strategy is rational, it’s a clear sign of cracks in the regulatory soundness of logic when applied to an

entire sector.

After all, one would think the role of the regulator should be to maintain equilibrium, preventing market distortions, and steering an industry that continues to struggle under unpredictable conditions exacerbated by regulators unwilling or unable to right a ship gone off course.

As we reflect on the past months, it becomes increasingly clear that a regulatory intervention is necessary. Some have suggested reducing canopy for any cultivator selling less than 70 percent of their production. That could be a step in the right direction. This would not only help stabilize prices but also ensure that cultivation is more in line with actual market demand, thus preventing waste and potential financial ruin for producers.

There are other ideas out there too. The industry just needs to hear them from people who understand the conversation that is already happening across the state.

There is also a broader implication for how states across the U.S. regulate burgeoning industries. Massachusetts

has the opportunity to set a precedent by adopting a more measured and data-driven approach to common sense cannabis regulation. This could serve as a model for other states grappling with similar issues, highlighting the importance of balance between market freedom and regulatory oversight.

The future of numerous local businesses and the broader community depends on the actions of today. Before I said maybe the time was upon us to pause and reassess. Now it’s clear the state must reassess its approach to cannabis regulation overall. It is not enough to continue on the current path without considering the long-term health of the industry, creating production controls based on realistic market analyses, and ensuring that growth of the local industry is sustainable and beneficial for all stakeholders involved.

Only then can we ensure the cannabis industry in Massachusetts is not just surviving, but thriving.

RYAN COWDRY — PITTSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Students at Reid Middle School present MassHire with a donation of $700 through Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires’ Philanthropy Curriculum.

Meg Sanders is the CEO and co-founder of Canna Provisions in Lee.

Liana Toscanini Nonprofit Notes

Meg Sanders Cannabis Corner

Real estate transactions

ADAMS

Katherine and Thaddeus J. Cote sold property at 472 East Hoosac St., Adams, to Ellies Holdings LLC, $40,000.

Thaddeus J. Cote sold property at 0 Upper East Hoosac St., Adams, to Ellies Holdings LLC, $25,000.

Brian S. Warner sold property at 70 Center St., Adams, to Lauryan LLC, $310,000.

Ellies Holdings LLC sold property at 246½ Columbia St., Adams, to Manuel Naula, $17,000.

Jayson K. and Arleigh M. Cooper sold property at 8-10 Burt St., Adams, to Trevor W. Crombie, $150,000.

Lahcen Bamadi and Saleh Salhi sold property at 17 Spring St., Adams, to Ceme Gomes, $29,000.

BECKET

Daniel Sbrega and Melissa Dallon-Sbrega sold property at 402 Sherwood Drive, Becket, to William Trinkle and Nicole Cerussi, $730,000.

Carlos Rivera sold property at Pill Drive, Becket, to 219WMR LLC, $25,000.

Jan Poklad sold property at Moberg Road, Becket, to Michael Laliberte, $11,500.

Alison B. Odle sold property at 66 Woodmens Path, Becket, to Aaron D. and Nicole L. Morse, $200,615.

CLARKSBURG

Kimberly J. and James D. Cameron Jr. sold property at 140 Cross Road, Clarksburg, to Michaela S. Maria, $80,000.

DALTON

Nancy M. Brooks, trustee, Richard A. Brooks RVT, and Nancy M. Brooks, trustee, Nancy M. Brooks RVT, sold property at 490 South St., Dalton, to Victoria A. Standring, $450,000.

Mary Bedient-Wood sold property at 77 Kimberly Drive, Dalton, to Lucas J. and Abigail C. Wood-Polidoro, $120,000.

GA HC REIT II Dalton ALF LLC sold property at 45 Main St. & 50-52 Off Main St., Dalton, to Sugar Hill Realty of Braintree LLC, $1,300,000.

Melvyn S. Garskof and Della K. Relling sold property at 110 River Birch Lane, Dalton, to Michael and Nancy Cummings, $775,000.

Robert C. Green sold property at 24 Evelyn St., Dalton, to Grace L. Plunkett, $250,000.

EGREMONT

Estate of Bruce Stewart Gventer sold property at 1 Tyrell Road, Egremont, to Boris Basora and Michele Therese Girard-Basora, $365,000.

Julia Kreilkamp sold property at 229 Mount Washington Road, Egremont, to Tavia M. Lee-Goldstein and Henk Rossouw, $427,000.

Estate of Alice Lane sold property at 128 Egremont Plain Road, Egremont, to John Migliaccio and Ann Migliaccio, $900,000.

Nellie Bly Langdon sold property at Old Sheffield Road, Egremont, to Donna L. Peck, $50,000.

Richard J. Montone and Erika K. Nelson sold property at 30 Taconic Lane, Egremont, to Jayant Kumar and Tiloma Jayasinghe, $408,000.

FLORIDA

Paul R. Ruzicka sold property at Mohawk Trail, Florida, to Michael G. George, $70,000.

Heidi L. Pellerin sold property at 37 South Church St., Florida, to Brent Wiencek, $275,000.

Rocket Mortgage LLC sold property at 5 Tilda Hill Road, Florida, to Josephine Hart, trustee of the Josephine Hart RVT, $64,799.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Mark A. Taylor II and Emily L. Taylor, trustees of Unbreakable Vow 2020 Revocable Trust, sold property at East Mountain Road, Great Barrington, to Steven Weissman and Melissa Weissman, $150,000.

Nancy D. Olsen and Emily Dunsay sold property at 533C South Main St., Great Barrington, to Abbey E. Jay, $465,000.

Lenox Landings Barrington Brook Holdings LLC sold property at 11 Thrushwood Lane, Great Barrington, to Richard Hirsh and Jane E. Throne, $1,500,000.

Theresa L. Zanetti and Barbara J. Zanetti, co-trustees of Zanetti Family Nominee Realty Trust, sold property at 324 State Road, Great Barrington, to Madalina Ciobanu and Morgan L. Krim, $545,000.

Estate of Joann M. Holm sold property at 261 State Road, Great Barrington, to Blackwater Realty LLC, $360,000.

Robert T. Holm, trustee of State Road

Nominee Realty Trust, sold property at 263 State Road, Great Barrington, to Blackwater Realty LLC, $55,000.

Emily Day sold property at 6 Depot St., Great Barrington, to Christian Community of North America Central Fund Inc., $440,000.

HANCOCK

Elliot W. and Ella Reiss Urdang sold property at 1033 Beaver Pond Meadows, Hancock, to Alexandra L. Scott, $264,900.

William E. and Terry A. Clark sold property at 3095 Hancock Road, Hancock, to Marco Stango and Ursula L. Roessiger, $244,973.

Joseph F. and Catherine S. Pugliese sold property at 1061 Beaver Pond Road, Hancock, to Maria Andrea Laverde Machado and Andres Eugenio Mejia Rodriguez, $252,500.

Brent Truman and Janessa Nicole Banks sold property at 37 Corey Road, Unit 803, Hancock, to Michael G. and Molly L. Dopsovic, $375,000.

HINSDALE

Gregory G. and Paul M. Saulnier sold property at Washington Road, Hinsdale, to Jason Killinger and Jenna Robb, $84,000.

Michael A. and Diane A. Ciaburri sold property at 521 Old Dalton Road, Hinsdale, to ALAMPATA LLC, $475,000.

Michael Martin and Courtney M. Austermehle sold property at 318 George Schnopp Road, Hinsdale, to Emily I. Gorman and Edward F. O’Reilly, $282,000.

LANESBOROUGH

Gabrielle Rosenfeld, trustee of the Zimmerman Family NT, sold property at 112 Silver St., Lanesborough, to Charles E. and Kimberly A. Klepfer Schenck, $520,000.

Sharon Fay sold property at 85 Balance Rock Road, Lanesborough, to Arnold A. and Marilyn Bennett Wegh, $315,200.

Christopher Hoffstedt sold property at 580 South Main St., Unit 9, Building 4, Lanesborough, to Michael F. McNeil, $115,000.

Leo Curry sold property at Rosenberg Road, Lanesborough, to Tyler Allen, $65,000.

Poincelot Family LLC sold property at 16 Bull Hill Road, Lanesborough, to Alexis A. Montgomery and Andrew S. Cheng, $330,000.

LEE

Spring St., Lee, to Michelle Marie Nardin, $135,000.

Dianne Blau sold property at 880 East St., Lee, to Robert P. Silagi and Barbara S. Schiele, $416,000.

Scot A. Weslowski, personal rep. of Estate of Eugene Richard Cuene, sold property at 198 Washington Mountain Road, Lee, to Marines Fatima Dos Reis, $160,000.

Lenox Landings Barrington Brook Holdings LLC sold property at 825 Mallard Lane, Lee, to LSC Berkshires LLC, $1,482,375.

Francis J. Murphy sold property at 190 East Center St., Lee, to Matthew N. and Alyssa K. Farnham, $415,000.

Jennifer M. and David L. Zerbato sold property at 45 Margerie St., Lee, to Jeremy T. Leblanc, $300,000.

Crystal Lynn Curtis sold property at 189 Housatonic St., Lee, to Rebecca Lynn Burcher, $310,000.

Erickson & Pozzi Homes LLC sold property at 360 Spring St., Lee, to Virginia M. Miller, $735,000.

LENOX

Susan Lee Lawrence, personal rep. of Estate of David Peter Pozzetta, sold property at 260 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, to Lennox Heights C7 LLC, $130,000.

Ellen Merritt sold property at 127 Lime Kiln Road, Lenox, to Harry L. Bruner III and Rhobabeh C. Bruner, $825,000.

Richard W. and Terrell F. Poeton, trustees of Richard W. Poeton RVT, and Richard W. and Terrell F. Poeton, trustees of Terrell F. Poeton RVT, sold property at Muirfield Drive, Lenox, to Barbara Menachem Furman, $1,000,000.

10 Richmond Mountain RD YT LLC sold property at 10 Richmond Mountain Road, Lenox, to Eclipse Properties LLC, $2,885,000.

Valerie F. Toomey sold property at 260 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, to Jennifer Daily and Susan Quinn, $238,000.

Donna Fork sold property at 142 New Lenox Road, Lenox, to Keith Chapman and Angelina Morisi, $470,000.

MONTEREY

Christine E. Guerrero sold property at 346 Main Road, Monterey, to Robin D. Wilson, $362,500.

Thomas K. Neville sold property at 30 Norwalk Acres, Monterey, to David Marshall Foster and Gita Hakerem Foster, trustees of Monterey Foster Family Nominee Trust, $565,000.

James Podvesker and Adriana Podvesker sold property at 123 Pixley Road, Monterey, to Jaisa Olasky, $467,500.

John W. Field Jr. and Jennifer Field sold property at 100 River Road, Monterey, to John W. Field Jr., $150,000.

NEW MARLBOROUGH

John W. Field Jr. sold property at 0 Norfolk Road and Campbell Falls Road, New Marlborough, to John Perkins and Hope Dana, $1,350,000.

U.S. Bank Trust NA, trustee for RCF 2 Acquisition Trust, sold property at 205 Lumbert Cross Road, New Marlborough, to Vivian Kimmelman, $128,000.

Thomas Doane sold property at Main Road, New Marlborough, to Kurt Callahan, Erik Callahan and Christopher Callahan, $1,200.

Susanne D. Connell sold property at 2383 Canaan Southfield Road, New Marlborough, to William Kennedy, $400,000.

HLP Realty Holdings LLC sold property at 82 New Marlboro Southfield Road, New Marlborough, to Mark R. Daugherty and Alison G. Daugherty, $620,000.

NORTH ADAMS

Michael P. Caffrey, personal rep. of Mary Santa Caffrey, sold property at 7 Holbrook St., North Adams, to Cynthia D. Schock, $229,700.

Charles E. and Katherine W. Swabey sold property at 55 Arnold Place, North Adams, to Matthew and Alexandra L. Wright, co-trustees of the Wrightway Properties Revocable Joint Trust, $190,000.

Linda L. Kemp sold property at 43 South St., North Adams, to Kevin Kemp, $83,334. Andrew L. Arvedon sold property at 1312 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams, to Michael P. and Julie B. Ross, $137,000.

Simeon D. Stolzberg and Darcy A. Lewis sold property at 303 East Main St., North Adams, to Thomas E. and Taylor B. Linden, $350,000.

David C. Field sold property at 62-64 Charles St., North Adams, to G Randolph LLC, $45,000.

Wayne Santelli sold property at 35 Whitman St., North Adams, to Patrick Gaffey, $345,000.

Paul Edward Markland, Stephen Francis Markland, Frederick David Markland, Elizabeth Anne Cimonetti, and Donna Marie Neville sold property at 263 Walker St., North Adams, to Stacey L. Cantoni, $295,000.

Joshua M. and Amber R. Stedman sold property at 14 Park Ave., North Adams, to Nina Zotcavage, $157,500.

Fannie Mae sold property at 488 East Main St., North Adams, to Joseph and Peter Basile, $165,000.

James J. Sisto sold property at 20 Washington Ave., North Adams, to D&B Real Estate Ventures LLC, $100,000.

Maia Robbins-Zust, trustee of Rex Realty Trust, sold property at 8 Rock St., North Adams, to D&B Real Estate Ventures LLC, $80,000.

Jorge and Claudia Acosta sold property at 215 Houghton St., North Adams, to Kimberly Ann and Theodore Stanley Meczywor II, $223,000.

Shaun P. and Alexander J. Kelleher-Nagorski sold property at 585 State Road, North Adams, to Hendrix Homes LLC, $175,000.

John M. Cellana and Erin M. Scott sold property at 19 Church St., Unit 14, North Adams, to Stephanie D. Shelburne and JoAnne M. Daris, $97,000.

V. Peter and Dawn A. Vadnais sold property at 708 Barbour St., North Adams, to Rodney and Kristin Meissner, $255,000. OTIS

J. Scott Hansen sold property at West Center Road, Otis, to Zachary Edward and Mare Marie King, $28,000.

Shamim Bari sold property at 72 Benton Drive, Otis, to Patricia C. Thorman and John R. Hallowell Jr., $750,000.

Rudolph J. and Lori A. Mazzeo sold property at 7 Reservoir Heights Road, Otis, to Jonathan S. and Jill L. McFadden, $774,900.

Marc H. Fenton and Gail McClelland Fenton, trustees, Gail McClelland Fenton Trust — 2016, sold property at 2040 West Center Road, Otis, to Casey Wilson, $495,000. Vito Covelli and Raymond G. Vuto sold property at 11-82 Church Hill Road, Otis, to Ariana Ott, $100,000.

John D. Jasman sold property at 20 South Main Road, Otis, to George Berka, $92,000.

Jaime M. Viteri and Sarah B. Eddy sold property at 759 North Main Road, Otis, to Patrick L. O’Donnell, $74,000.

PERU

Smitha Piedilato sold property at 95 Middlefield Road, Peru, to Branden Anthony and Nicole Elizabeth Mascolo, $348,000. Daniel, Jessica, Jacob, Elizabeth, and Kathryn Stroke, and Alyson Rodgers sold property at Hickingbotham Road, Peru, to CE & APA Inc., $64,000. BERKSHIRE COUNTY

Peter Hansen and Petra Krauledat sold property at 282 and 284 South County Road, Florida, to Kathryn Carlson and Matthew Bottitta, $1,200,000.

Golden Hill Properties LLC sold property at 50 Erskine Drive, Lee, to Corinne M. Seeh, $135,000.

George H. Fleischner, trustee, George H. Fleischner RVT, sold property at 235

Belvedere Development Co. LLC sold property at 21-23 Hooker St., North Adams, to Francis Street Partners LLC, $694,000.

Daniel J. and Caroline E. Horan sold property at 92 Greylock Ave., North Adams, to Nicholas M. Thayer, $125,000.

Wells Fargo Bank N.A. and Jan Orfe sold property at 397 Elm St., Pittsfield, to TMR Realty LLC, $123,000.

Joseph A. Gilli sold property at 125 Dan Casey Memorial Drive, Pittsfield, to Laurie Kristin Atkinson, $485,000.

Jo Anne Freedman, trustee of Jo Anne Freedman RVT Agreement, sold property at 67 Alpine Trail, Pittsfield, to Joseph C. and Risa E. Sontz, $700,000.

Margaret Gedek, personal rep. of the Estate of Zenon Babis, sold property at 306 Cheshire Road, Pittsfield, to Luciano Rodrigues Robadel, $210,000.

Michael P. Daoust, trustee of Philip and Maureen Daoust RVT, sold property at 19 Walden Lane, Pittsfield, to Stephen G. Daoust, $220,000.

Rosewood Note LLC sold property at 316 & 318-320 Onota St., Pittsfield, to Servicenet Inc., $1,000,000.

Parker Ave. Properties LLC sold property at 39 Circular Ave., Pittsfield, to Ricardo N. Silva, $180,000.

Lorie L. Dixon-Harrington, personal rep. of the Estate of Ardath A. Dixon, sold property at 78-80 Parkside Ave., Pittsfield, to Tylor D. and Stephanie Harrington, $200,000.

Matthew J. Pennell sold property

at 169-173 Peck’s Road, Pittsfield, to Robinson Joachin, $310,000.

Michael Martin and Kimberly Waid sold property at 97 Northumberland Road, Pittsfield, to Emily H. and Otha L. Day, $412,500.

Mikael V. Snikeris, trustee of Mikael V. Snikeris Revocable Living Trust, sold property at 16 Oxford St., Pittsfield, to Elyce Renee Cataldo, $125,000.

Kathleen L. Fabrizio sold property at 387 Columbus Ave., Pittsfield, to Guidewire Inc., $335,000.

Jo Ann Sinopoli, trustee, Jo Ann Sinopoli RVT, sold property at 66 Harding St., Pittsfield, to Carolyn Hebert, $230,000.

David L. DeGiorgis sold property at 121 Howard St., Pittsfield, to Valerie Toomey, $180,000.

U.S. Bank Trust N.A., trustee; Jeanette Fearrington Alston and Gotha L. Swann sold property at 28 McKinley Terrace, Pittsfield, to U.S. Bank Trust N.A., trustee, $128,815.26.

Ray F. Westermann Jr. and Donna M. Westermann sold property at 55 Rose Terrace, Pittsfield, to Ann W. Stevens, $315,000.

Bespoke Capital LLC sold property at 70-72 Bay State Road, Pittsfield, to Vivian A. Cobbold, $327,000.

Gregory and Mary Jo Maichack sold property at 52 Churchill Crest, Pittsfield, to Berkshire Bulldog Realty LLC, $188,000.

Kimberly A. Strattman sold property at 328 Benedict Road, Pittsfield, to Julio Mejia Constanza and

Caridalys Garcia-Rijos, $365,000. Berkshire Cobble Investments LLC sold property at 16-18 Pine St., Pittsfield, to Kyle J. Prue, $268,000.

Roxine L. Caritey sold property at 102 Windsor Ave., Pittsfield, to Tammi Lynn Sherman, $290,000.

Kevin Fadding sold property at 1297 North St., Pittsfield, to Christina Delgado, $244,900.

Krystal L. Castagna, personal rep. of the Estate of Jean M. Boland, sold property at 263 Peck’s Road, Pittsfield, to Michael Thomas and Doris Ann Cowhey, $160,000.

Courtney O. Carlisle sold property at 27 Morgan St., Pittsfield, to Brayton Aubin, $270,000.

Daniel V. Garbowit, trustee, Evelyn Garbowit 2016 Irrevocable Trust, sold property at 34 Ivy Lane, Pittsfield, to Chadwick M. Judge and Mateo Rocco Martello, $272,500.

Asra Webber sold property at 37 Buel St., Pittsfield, to Campbell McGown Stuart and Maria Ann Paleologos, $300,000.

Laura A. Brown and Joseph R. Garcia sold property at 82 Cambridge Ave., Pittsfield, to Michael K. Ferris and Aubrey R. Ticer, $374,900.

Melissa O’Dell sold property at 19 Preston Ave., Pittsfield, to Ellies Holdings LLC, $150,000.

SAVOY

Salvatore Raciti sold property at 67 and 78 Brier Road, Savoy, to Melissa and Jesse Vanek, $350,000.

SHEFFIELD

Benjamin P. Handy sold property at 1609 County Road, Sheffield, to Amy Lisewski, $550,000.

Butternut Basin Inc. sold property at 377 South Main St., Sheffield, to Guenther Stockfisch and Laura Stockfisch, $150,000.

Thomas A. Jobin and Carolyn M. Jobin sold property at 88 Hillside Lane, Sheffield, to Elizabeth Stanyan Hoag, $495,000.

Patricia Blumhagen sold property at 59 Railroad St., Sheffield, to Teresa L. Diaz, $436,000.

STOCKBRIDGE

Mark E., Susan A., and Nicholas J. Faber sold property at 14 Interlaken Road, Stockbridge, to 14 Interlaken Road LLC, $400,000. PHH Mortgage Corp. and Alexandra P. Cobin sold property at 71 Hawthorne St., Stockbridge, to PHH Mortgage Corp., $300,452.35.

Blackwater Realty LLC sold property at 25 Park St., Stockbridge, to Alexandre L. Dias, $227,500.

TYRINGHAM

Jonathan A. Ballan sold property at 309 Main Road, Tyringham, to Brion Kip and Michal Kristen Strawbridge, $420,000.

WASHINGTON

Mary Louise Garry, trustee, Andrew J. Garry RVT 2019, sold property at Summit Hill Road & 788 Summit Hill Road, Washington, to Howard and Pauline Combe-Clark, $280,000.

WEST STOCKBRIDGE

Kevin Patrick Sullivan sold property at 29 Pixley Hill Road, West Stockbridge, to Michael Kapiloff and Max Kapiloff, $130,000.

WILLIAMSTOWN

Tamy A. Raina-Kalinik sold property at 48 Windflower Way, Williamstown, to Elizabeth J. Thompson, trustee of the Elizabeth J. Thompson Declaration of Trust, $525,000.

Linda B. Dragat sold property at 221 South Hemlock Lane, Unit 221, Building 8, Williamstown, to Laurie D. Newmeyer, $340,000.

Michael A. and Lynne M. Soldato sold property at 159 Water St., Williamstown, to Martini Sunday LLC, $360,000.

Jonathan W. Anderson and Vida B. Johnson sold property at 21 Berkshire Drive, Williamstown, to Murad Khan Mumtaz and Alyssa Pheobus, $565,000.

160 Water LLC sold property at 160 Water St., Unit 305, Williamstown, to Michael K. and Inger L. Rosner, $550,000.

FFT — 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.

Local Business Resource Directory

People in the Berkshires

Tracey Babcock, a residential site manager for brain injury services, and the current BCArc Employee of the Year 2024, has been promoted to residential supervisor.

In this new role, she will join a team of supervisors who each oversee a range of residential programs. Tracey has been with BCArc for more than 13 years, spending most of her time working in the Brain Injury Residential Programs, specifically with individuals requiring intensive personal and medical care.

Pittsfield Cooperative Bank has announced the hiring of Zachary Gundler to its commercial lending team as a vice president. He has significant experience in commercial lending, commercial real estate assessment, credit risk analysis, portfolio management, relationship management and business development.

Gundler joins Coop Bank after working for the previous 10 years at Berkshire Bank in its commercial lending

and business banking departments. For the last four and a half years, Gundler has been a vice president, business banking officer, managing customers with annual revenues ranging from $3 million to $25 million and originating loans up to $3 million.

Gundler has a bachelor of science in Business Administration and a Masters of Business Administration from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He currently serves on the Vermont Banking Association Commercial Lending Committee and previously served on the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Alumni Board. He was born and raised in Berkshire County and currently resides in Pittsfield with his family.

The Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants has announced that Julianna Diver of Dalton was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award by the MassCPAs Educational Foundation’s 2024 Scholarship Program.

Diver, a student at Wahconah

Regional High School, was one of 51 students selected to receive a scholarship. The students were to be honored for their awards at MassCPAs’ annual member-wide networking event, Connect 2024, on May 8.

Scholarships are completely funded through donations to the MassCPAs Educational Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to inspire and support the next generation of CPAs in Massachusetts, and since the program’s inception in 2006, the foundation has awarded over 400 scholarships to aspiring CPAs, ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 and totaling more than $1.9 million.

MassCPAs scholarships are available for both undergraduate and graduate accounting students who are attending a college or university in Massachusetts or attending a college or university out-of-state with a permanent residence in Massachusetts. Scholarship funds are issued directly to the students and can be used for tuition, books, interviewing expenses or other needs.

Greylock Federal Credit Union has announced the hiring of Michael A. King, CPA, as senior vice president, chief financial officer. King brings extensive banking and finance experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting and analysis, capital and liquidity management, plus team development and management.

As a member of the senior management team, King is responsible for assisting the overall financial management of the credit union, ensuring financial stability and sound financial strategy balanced with the best interests of the membership. Additionally, King will participate in the formulation and implementation of credit union policies and objectives, as well as long-range planning and forecasting.

King has 15 years of financial services experience. Most recently, he served as senior vice president/head of financial planning and analysis with Berkshire Bank. King holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He lives in Pittsfield with his fiancée, Cheryl and their dog Beau.

Greylock Federal Credit Union has announced the promotion of Nikki Jannicelli to branch manager of its North Adams branch on Ashland Street.

In her role, Jannicelli oversees all activities for the North Adams branch, manages the location’s staff of seven, and plays an active role in business development. Key responsibilities include originating mortgage and home equity loans, overseeing branch compliance, originating and underwriting consumer loans, and maintaining a wide variety of member accounts.

Jannicelli began her career with Greylock as a part-time teller at the North Adams branch and has held various positions over the years, most recently as an assistant branch manager at the North Adams location. She is working toward a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Southern New Hampshire University. She serves as the Treasurer on the Adams/ Cheshire Little League board of directors. A lifelong resident of the Berkshires, Jannicelli resides in Adams with her son Connor.

Babcock Gundler Diver

King

Jannicelli