The B Winter Issue

Life in the Berkshires | Winter 2023

Women of the Berkshires

Eileen and Mikaela Shiffrin The ski stars’ local roots run deep

+ LET IT

SNOW!

Your Guide to Winter Fun

Celebrate Women in Wine WINE • CR AFT BEER • TINNED FISH • BREAD • CHEESE • GIFTS

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from the publisher

I GREW UP WITH SIX MOTHERS.

S I S T E R S P H OTO S : C O U R T E SY O F M I C H E L L E P E T R I C C A ; C A M P A R R O W W O O D : M E G A N H A L E Y

One mother and five older sisters, to be exact, but they were all strong figures to me. They started a high school girl’s crew team in the 1970s (thank you Title IX), ran marathons (when women didn’t do that), became engineers, accountants, and veterinarians—and frankly, because I grew up seeing those powerful examples, I took their achievements for granted. In the best possible way: They didn’t seem unusual to me. That’s the way it should be.

Indeed, if you visit one of our local museums, theaters, or even the state house, it may well be run by a woman. And let’s not forget the legions leading the nonprofits! The B’s Winter issue celebrates Berkshires women, past and present, that inspire and make a positive impact locally and even globally. A common thread in the issue: women winning when they weren’t supposed to win or even allowed to win.

There is no alpine skier that has done more World Cup winning than Mikaela Shiffrin…and that includes the women’s and men’s categories.

It was my quest for a decent tennis forehand that led to The B’s cover story. This summer, I was playing with Bousquet Sport’s director of tennis, JP Barbeau, and he introduced me to Eileen Shiffrin, the Berkshire-grown masters skier and longtime coach (and mom) to Mikaela.They would be catching up with family on Onota Lake followed by a motivating discussion with campers at Camp Arrow Wood.

These women are just two members of a family of gifted Berkshires skiers and we are excited to share their stories about growing up on our local slopes (and Olympian Heidi Voelker’s, as well!).

If you enjoy The B, please be sure to subscribe (it makes a great gift!) or buy a copy from the newsstand at Guido’s, Whole Foods, and other fine establishments.

Cheers!

The team took a moment on the porch of the newly named Shiffrin Lodge. From left, Design Director, Julie Hammill; Editor in Chief, Amy Conway; Eileen; Mikaela; and me.

With my sisters and sisters-in-law on our annual bike trip (I’m second from right).

Women who inspire me: Left: My mother-in-law, Ros Petricca; stepdaughter, Leah; and daughter, Charlotte.

Above: Ruby Bridges, from Norman Rockwell’s “The Problem We All Live With”

SUBSCRIBE TO THE B! MICHELLE THORPE PETRICCA mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com

berkshireeagle.com/theb or scan the QR code.

Winter 2023 • THE B

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from the editor FOR THIS ISSUE, I interviewed well over a

At Pizzeria Boema in Lenox

Scan code to view the digital edition!

dozen women—athletes, restaurateurs, artists, volunteers, entrepreneurs, women running nonprofits, museums, and more. All very different, very impressive, and very inspiring. In other words, a pretty typical mix of Berkshires women!

Their voices were full of passion and insight, and many expressed gratitude for being able to call this area home. The natural beauty, room to breathe, and kind neighbors are indeed things to be thankful for—a fitting sentiment for this time of year.

You’ll read their stories on the following pages, and I’d like to introduce you to several more women here. They are just a few of the many in our region who are working hard to make the Berkshires even better.

Wishing you all peace this season and in the new year.

In conversation with Kristy Edmunds and Alison Pebworth—find out what they’re saying on page 76.

@theb.berkshires AMY CONWAY

1

Gwendolyn VanSant

Founder and CEO of BRIDGE “We are an organization run by and serving communities of color— BRIDGE serves as a catalyst for change, bridging communities and effectively bringing people of different races together. Our work has ripple effects in the entire community. We champion humanity.” multiculturalbridge.org

2

Karen Ryan

Food Director and Resources Coordinator at the Christian Center “At Thanksgiving, we cook dinner— for more than 500 people. All the food comes from community

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THE B • Winter 2023

donations—turkeys, cranberry, stuffing, potatoes. Year-round, the food pantry may serve 1,000 people in a day and we help people find resources for mental health, clothing, and other needs.

Christiancenterpittsfield.org

3

Cass Santos-China

Executive Director, Berkshire Pride “At Berkshire Pride, we’re dedicated to creating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals throughout our community. We believe that by fostering acceptance, understanding, and unity, we’re

making a positive difference in the lives of our LGBTQIA+ community members and contributing to the broader cause of equality and love for all.” berkshirepride.org

4

Tonya Frazier

Lead Community Navigator, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity “Habitat builds affordable housing—and then we work with people to make sure they can maintain [that stability]. We connect people with resources for food, jobs, childcare, and more.” berkshirehabitat.org

5

Maria Encalada

Board Director with Roots, Dreams, and Mustard Seeds “As an immigrant myself, I run a food security program, Mercado De Vida. We have a lot of people coming from the border with nothing, with no access to the system. They may have a family to care for.

I help them with more than food—mattresses, clothing, housing, and jobs.” rootsandmustardseeds.com

A M Y: M E G A N H A L E Y; C O N V E R S AT I O N : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

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Winter 2023

Features

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56

Always Be Faster Than The Boys

56

Olympian Heidi Voelker reveals the origin of Mikaela Shiffrin’s motto.

58

Mikaela In Her Own Words The top alpine skier of all time opens up about success, pressure, and more.

70

76

64

Local Love Eileen Shiffrin has wonderful memories of Berkshire skiing with family.

70

See Her, Be Her supersistersTM trading cards are well worth a comeback!

76

In Conversation Listen in as local leaders talk about topics that matter.

87

Sister Sister

87

Plus!

The B’s HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 50+ presents to pick from.

See page 99

In every issue: The Local Life 13 | Voices & Views 37 | Happenings 113

Pizza and wine—these two siblings offer the classic combination with style.

92

A Home of One’s Own See this Stockbridge architect’s “before” and “after”—from dated to modern.

On the cover: Eileen and Mikaela Shiffrin P H OTO BY M E G A N H A L E Y, H A I R & M A K E U P BY S O N YA H E I M A N N U S I N G J A N E I R E D A L E P R O D U C T E I L E E N ’ S W H I T E S H I R T: F R A N K & E I L E E N , M A C K I M M I E C O. , L E N OX , M A C K I M M I E C O.C O M ; M I K A E L A’ S TO P : AT E L I E R D E L P H I N E S W E AT E R TA N K , F LU F F A L PA C A , G R E AT B A R R I N G TO N , F LU F FA L PA C A .C O M

Winter 2023 • THE B

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VOL. 1, ISSUE 4 Winter 2023 PUBLISHER

EDITOR IN CHIEF

mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com

aconway@berkshireeagle.com

Michelle Thorpe Petricca DESIGN DIRECTOR

Julie Hammill

julie@hammilldesign.com

740 Williams Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 www.bluSalonSpas.com (413) 344-4429 * Hair * Nails * Facial * Massage * Waxing *

COPY EDITOR

Amy Krzanik CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

Alana Chernila Jane Larkworthy Courtney Maum Pops Peterson

Amy Conway

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

William Li

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ben Garver Gillian Jones-Heck Stephanie Zollshan

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Kate Abbott

The B is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc. PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Fredric D. Rutberg | frutberg@berkshireeagle.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kevin Moran | kmoran@berkshireeagle.com CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Gary Lavariere | glavariere@berkshireeagle.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

John Supple | jsupple@berkshireeagle.com OPERATIONS MANAGER

Chuck Danforth | cdanforth@berkshireeagle.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SERVICES

Kate Teutsch | kteutsch@berkshireeagle.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES

Cheryl Gajewski | cmcclusky@berkshireeagle.com REGIONAL MARKET DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Jim Gibbons | jgibbons@berkshireeagle.com SALES SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Alex Richards | arichards@berkshireeagle.com ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR

Sue Raimer | sraimer@berkshireeagle.com MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Jo Duran | jduran@berkshireeagle.com Eileen Marran | emarran@berkshireeagle.com Maggie Mitchell | mmitchell@shoppersguideinc.com Tristany Saldo | tsaldo@berkshireeagle.com Jennifer Storti | jstorti@berkshireeagle.com

For subscription issues, call 800-245-0254

Making dreams come true one customer at a time

MEGAN TADY (“See Her, Be Her”) is the author of the novel Super Bloom, and she runs the writing and editing business Word-lift.

Megan is at work on her second novel about two alpine ski racing champs, slated for winter 2025. megantady.com FRANCESCA OLSEN (“A Home of One’s Own”) is a writer and consultant with more than a decade of experience in marketing and communications, from branding to digital strategy. In addition to her professional work, she is a textile artist and is currently working on a series of quilts about surviving cancer. francescaolsen.com STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN (Photographer) Stephanie is an award-winning photojournalist whose work has been featured around the world. Stephanie is a Boston University graduate and has been with The Berkshire Eagle since 2011.

MEGAN HALEY (Photographer) Megan is a freelance photographer living in Warwick, with her husband and two little sons. She specializes in portraits and lifestyle imagery in her editorial and commercial work, with a special affinity for food and land-related subjects. Megan also works with medium and large format film for her portrait projects and fine art landscapes.

ROBIN TESORO (“Holiday Gift Guide”) is a photo stylist, business owner, and artist.

She has lived in the Berkshires for almost 20 years after working for Martha Stewart Living magazine. She and her husband, Michael, founded Ooma Tesoro’s Marinara Sauce, handcrafted in North Adams. Robin lives in Windsor with her family and is a painter in her free time. robinhtesoro.com

JANE LARKWORTHY (“Clothes Call”) was a beauty editor for more than 30 years, covering the category at various Condé Nast publications, most recently W Magazine. Currently a brand consultant, she also curates beauty and wellness at Scout House in Great Barrington. Originally New Marlborough weekenders, Larkworthy, her husband, and standard poodle have made the Berkshires their full-time home, with no intentions of looking back.

KATE ABBOTT (Writer) Kate explores the Berkshires as a freelance writer, editor, and oral historian. A longtime former editor of Berkshires Week and Shires of Vermont, she now writes for regional publications from the Boston Globe to the Eagle and the Hill Country Observer, and she runs the website By the Way Berkshires, btwberkshires.com.

COURTNEY MAUM (“Chilling Out”) Courtney is the author of five books, including “Before and After the Book Deal” and memoir “The Year of the Horses.” A writing coach, executive director of the nonprofit learning collaborative “The Cabins,” and educator, Courtney’s mission is to help people hold on to the joy of art-making in a culture obsessed with turning artists into brands. CourtneyMaum.com ALANA CHERNILA (“New Traditions”) is the author of three cookbooks and her work has been published in several magazines, including Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Parents, Fine Cooking, and Yankee. Alana lives in Great Barrington, where she serves as the marketing and communications director for Guido’s Fresh Marketplace.

Meet the (All Woman!) Team This outstanding group of women is passionate about serving the unique needs of every client in the Berkshires and beyond. Led by directors Cheryl Gajewski and Kate Teutsch, the dynamic group is passionate about creating successful campaigns and building partnerships with clients that can span years or decades. “It’s so nice to build long lasting relationships that become friendships,” said Gajewski. “Not every day is a win in sales, but knowing we can work with individuals to help them grow is a win in itself.” Clockwise from top left: Tristeny Saldo, Maggie Mitchell, Eileen Marran, Kate Teutsch, Cheryl Gajewski, Jenn Storti. Not pictured: Jo Duran, Alex Richards, Sue Raimer

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M E G A N TA DY: S U M M E R B A R N H A R T; F R A N C E S C A : E R I C KO R E N M A N ; A D S A L E S T E A M : G I L L I A N J O N E S ; C O U R T N E Y: K E N Z I E O D E G A A R D F I E L D S ; R O B I N , A L A N A , K AT E , J A N E , M E G A N H A L E Y: C O U R T E S T Y O F T H E C O N T R I B U TO R S

contributors: The B's Saints & Eccentrics

The

Local Life Exploring Our Towns for the Best of the Berkshires

P H OTO : E L I Z A B E T H G R I F F I N

PieconicNY Chatham, NY

Winter 2023 • THE B

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the local life: Around Town

For the Love of Pie Many of our local bakeries add pie to their offerings during the holidays—but at PieconicNY in Chatham, New York, Christopher Knable rolls out crust all year long.

By Kate Abbott Photographs by Elizabeth Griffin

Knable enjoys experimenting with a range of flavors. For the holidays he’s imagining new combinations—cranberry orange, chocolate coconut pecan, Greek honey ricotta—and some that will feel familiar and comforting, like his Backyard Apple Pie made with fruit from Samascott Apple Orchard in Kinderhook. “Pie is only limited by your imagination,” he said.

“It’s great to play and find something new.”

He has tasted pies and pastries while traveling around the world—from his native Texas to New York, Mexico and South America, Asia and the Middle East—in a wide-ranging career of building and managing luxury hotels, from the Plaza in New York and the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago to properties in the United Arab Emirates.

Along the way, he would bake to relax—he made Thanksgiving desserts for friends in Beijing, quiche in Riyadh. When he decided, in 2016, that he wanted some roots and rest, baking came to him naturally.

The crust edges get hand-crimped.

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THE B • Winter 2023

He had been coming to Hudson Valley for 20 years as a weekender, he said, and had spent time as a teenager in the Berkshires, apprenticing at Williamstown Theatre Festival.

(At 16, Knable was painting sets and creating scenes and costumes while Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Austin Pendleton took the stage, and Kiefer Sutherland rehearsed in his apprentice class.)

So, after decades of travel, Knable returned to his house in Chatham, and took some time to plan his own next stage.

“On a lark I decided to make some pies,” he said. He began selling them from his home—and then Al Roker spoke about his chocolate bourbon pie on The Today Show, and the new venture took off.

Knable finds pleasure in pies’ unlimited variety, he said, and in the search for new ideas and flavors. He finds ideas by talking with people who come into the bakery, from fellow chefs and bakers, and from what local farms have in season.

“We source locally from farms whenever we can,” he said.

Drawing from his own experiences, he also looks to Asian and Middle Eastern palates—he might try chocolate with Thai chili, or honey and fig.

“Pie comes in many shapes and forms,” Knable said. “You can go around the world, and in almost every culture you’ll find something like it. People from across the country and around the globe will share memories of pies from their family table, and the people who bake them.

“Pie is global,” he said, “and pie is love.” B pieconicny.com

Home i Lifestyle i Objets d’Art at The Red Lion Inn @theshop.aroundthecorner

413.298.1623 Ceramics by Local Artist Julia Keenan

Apple Raspberry Tart from Patisserie Lenox

Plenty of Pies

(and Tarts and Cakes and…)

Here are a few stops worth making for something special and sweet.

A-Frame Bakery 1194 Cold Spring Road, Williamstown

As seen on The Today Show “A memoir of power and beauty and pain that moves across the world like the beautiful horses that carry it.”

—LISA TADDEO,

Sharon Sutter traditionally has an extra menu of pies and baked goods around holidays, from cranberry-blueberry to pear almond to chocolate cream, along with rugelach and other holiday favorites. And her fruit-pocket pastries have some of the tenderest crust around.

Lost Lamb Bakery 31 Main St., Stockbridge Pastry Chef Claire Raposo graduated top of her class from Le Cordon Bleu Paris at 19 years old—she’s local, and she came home to open her own place, with seasonal pies and pastries and holiday specials too, including bûche de noël (chocolate Yule log).

Big Y Multiple locations Big Y may be a, well, big store, but they offer pies made the old-fashioned way in their Signature line. They collaborate with a local vendor who incorporates local fruit into their sky-high, overfilled pies.

Patisserie Lenox

bestselling author of Animal

30A Church St., Lenox; 313 Main St., Great Barrington

Available wherever books and ebooks are sold

Jean Yves and Yulia Bougouin make exquisite French pastries, including fruit tarts and galettes.

You may find lemon tart and cheesecake, chocolate swans and eclairs among other delights, and their own bûche de noël.

The Premier Antiques and design destination

in the Berkshires

Call: 413-644-8848 or visit theberkshiregalleries.com @theberkshiregalleries.

Hudson, NY comes alive with the spirit of the holiday season.

Enjoy holiday shopping at over 200 independent retailers, world-class accommodations, and seasonal events— like the ones listed below— that will bring joy to the whole family.

Basilica Farm & Flea

Winter Walk

Beloved holiday market with a diversity of regional makers, craftspeople, and food vendors

A magical evening of family friendly attractions, unique holiday shopping, delicious local food, and fireworks

November 24-26

December 2

Basilica Hudson - 110 S. Front St.

All along Warren St.

A Christmas Memory

Kwanzaa Umoja Celebration

Produced by Tectonic Theater Project, Truman Capote’s classic holiday tale comes to life on-stage

Candle lighting ceremony, music, dance, and Karamu Feast— presented by Operation Unite NY

December 1- 27

December 16

Park Theater Hudson - 723 Warren St.

Hudson Hall - 327 Warren St.

Details on these events and many more online at HudsonForTheHolidays.com Hudson for the Holidays is an initiative of Hudson Business Coalition, Inc. Presented by VisitHudsonNY, with support from Columbia County Tourism. Winter Walk is supported by a grant from Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

the local life: Around Town

The Votes are In!

Hotel Winners

By Kate Abbott

P H OTO : G I L L I A N J O N E S

A wood fire is burning in the grate, and locals and guests are sipping hot buttered rum. On a winter night, The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge can feel as though Nathaniel Hawthorne or Herman Melville might walk in and ask for the wi-fi password.

“Something about the soul of the place is so remarkable that people revel in it,” says Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality. Visitors agree—The Red Lion Inn is on the list of the recently released Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards—along with another Main Street Hospitality property in the Berkshires, Porches, in North Adams.

We caught up with Eustis as she learned the results. “The way we think about designing the hotels is through connection,” she said. “We work hard to create environments that are authentic.”

That feeling can’t just be recreated, Eustis said. The Red Lion Inn, with its history, patina and “collected” feeling, is celebrating its 250th year. Porches, a new classic, reflects its city’s milltown character.

The hotels may evoke the past, she added, but they come equipped with 21st-century technology and imagination—like the communities around them.

She sees a local energy, a creative perspective that draws people to the county.

“People are thinking, ‘I want to be in a place where there’s culture, and there are good people, working people, globally experienced people,’” she said. “The Berkshires offer a way of life. An antidote.”

the local life: Out and About On the Road

Learning Together A group of students and mentors from the Berkshires took a powerful trip together—Roberta McCulloch-Dews shares the experience here.

My eyes were fixed on Carolyn McKinstry as she recounted the phone call that came into the office at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, 60 years ago.

McKinstry was 15 at the time and working as the Sunday School secretary. When she picked up the phone, the voice on the other end said “three minutes” and hung up. Minutes later, a bomb tore through the church’s basement, killing four little girls who were in the bathroom getting ready for service. McKinstry was among the survivors.

She would later join other young people who bravely put their lives on the line to fight for freedom and justice as part of the Civil Rights Movement.

Here I was—privileged to take in her every word. The wonderful reality is that I had plenty of these moments thanks to the Civil Rights Bus Tour, which was held this past summer, and sponsored by the Berkshire

branch of the NAACP and the Rites of Passage and Empowerment Center (R.O.P.E.). Our group included R.O.P.E. scholars, ambassadors, mentors, and members of the NAACP. Over nine days in mid-July, we traveled to Washington, D.C., Greensboro, North Carolina, Atlanta, Alabama (Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham), Louisville, Kentucky, Nashville, and Cincinnati. Our itinerary included a host of museums, visits to historically black colleges and universities such as Howard, North Carolina A&T, and Alabama State, as well as churches, parks, and spaces that played a pivotal role in the movement.

It was fitting that our first stop was the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. Starting from the bottom and going to the top, the museum takes visitors on a journey from

R.O.P.E. at the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina

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the horrors of the Middle Passage to proud achievements and milestones in modern times. The latter were also on full display at the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville.

We know, however, that this ascendancy is one that has never come without struggle.

In Atlanta, we paid homage to the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at The King Center, which became a reality thanks to the vision and steadfastness of his widow, the late Coretta Scott King.

We saw bravery personified when we visited the former Woolworth’s, now the site of the International Civil Rights Museum, in Greensboro, and learned about the four freshmen from North Carolina A&T who pushed back their fears and made a collective resolution to integrate the lunch counter.

That same spirit of courage hung in the air at Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, where bronze statues memorialize the children and adults who, despite the threat of powerful water hoses and snarling police dogs, stood firm in their quest for equal rights. We solemnly walked the grounds of The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, dedicated to remembering and honoring the countless victims of racial lynchings. We crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the site of Bloody Sunday, where protestors including the late John Lewis were beaten and bloodied in 1965.

We know this is not how the story ends. Many gains have been made, but the story is far from complete. The tour was a reminder that there’s a place for each of our contributions.

To learn more about R.O.P.E., see page 80.

P H OTO : R O B E R TA M C C U L LO C H - D E W S

By Roberta McCulloch-Dews

the local life: Reading Story Time

PAGING ALL READERS! Looking for a good book—or a great gift?

We’ve got you covered, with titles that have local ties.

By Kate Abbott

The Spirited Homes of Hunt Slonem

By Brian D. Coleman with photos by John Neitzel and foreward by Whoopi Goldberg; Gibbs Smith

Artist Hunt Slonem invites readers into his homes—including Searles Castle in Great Barrington, a Gilded Age chateau made from blue dolomite.

Quinn: The Life of a Building on River Street

By Nicholas Whitman; The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA

The author traces the history of the Attala Brothers grocery building, a center of the Lebanese community in North Adams.

Our Way Home

By Heide Hendricks and Rafe Churchill; Rizzoli International

After a decade in Brooklyn, the authors—of the architecture and interior design firm Hendricks Churchill—turn a late-19th-century farmhouse in Litchfield County into their home and creative laboratory.

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THE B • Winter 2023

Super Bloom

By Megan Tady; Zibby Books

This funny and tenderhearted debut novel from a local writer features a Vermont-based massage therapist healing from a broken heart.

Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and the Washington Post

By Martin Baron; MacMillan

Martin Baron led The Washington Post through Jeff Bezos’ takeover of the newspaper and Donald Trump’s presidency (and Baron calls the Berkshires home).

Cookie & Poco

By Jane Iredale; Amazon

The author—our local beauty guru—has written a sweet story with some lessons about nature.

Turn It Up!

By Tom Werman, Jawbone Press

Music producer (and Berkshire local) Tom Werman looks back on his time with some of the biggest names in rock and metal.

The Dreamatics

By Michelle Cuevas, Penguin Random House

In the indie bestselling Berkshire author’s new novel, a fantastical theater troupe performs a young girl’s dreams.

The Berkshires— My Vision, My Voice

By Dylan Kubis; DWK Fine Art Photos

Berkshire photographer Dylan Kubis shares images of home; born with Down syndrome, Dylan shares his perspective as he explores with his father, photographer Thad Kubis, catching unique shades of light in all seasons.

What’s On

Art this Season These debut exhibitions explore bright hues, warmth, and new ideas.

Between Worlds: The Art and Design of Leo Lionni

Annie Lionni, the artist’s granddaughter, cocurates the first major American retrospective of the award-winning modernist artist and children’s book author and illustrator.

A central figure in the international design community after World War II, Lionni became known for his imagined worlds and stories of community and striving for a better world. nrm.org

Like Magic MASS MoCA, North Adams | October 29, 2023–September 1, 2025

Welcome to CHP Barrington OB/GYN!

This exhibition brings together artists who turn toward magic for solace and strength in a chaotic world, and to empower their lives and stories. A diverse group of artists experiment with healing earth, witches’ brooms, AI, divination, and more “to imagine carefull and joy-full futures into being.” massmoca.org

50 Years and Forward Clark Art Institute, Williamstown Celebrating the 50th year of the Manton Research Center, companion shows explore recent acquisitions.

November 18, 2023–February 11, 2024 “British Prints and Drawings” will present the work of well-known artists such as J.M.W. Turner and Anna Alma-Tadema collected by The Clark over the last half century.

Yi-Lo Yu, MD, FACOG Obstetrics/Gynecology

Jennifer Rubino MD, FACOG Women’s Health

Compassion. Experience. Excellence.

Andrew Beckwith, MD | Antoine El Khoury, MD Jill Samale, MD

December 16, 2023–March 10, 2024 “Works on Paper” looks further, from Francisco Goya, Édouard Manet, and Mary Cassatt to images of and by Black American artists, and photographs by Berenice Abbott and Doris Ulmann. clarkart.edu

All That Glitters Bennington Museum | November 24–December 31, 2023 For its annual winter show, the museum invited local artists to create work using or inspired by Vermont’s rocks and minerals. The 25 featured artists were asked to explore everything from geologic time to environmental issues. benningtonmuseum.org

chpberkshires.org

C O V E R I L LU S T R AT I O N F O R F R E D E R I C K , 1 9 6 7 ( K N O P F ) , M I X E D M E D I A C O L L A G E , © L E O L I O N N I . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. C O U R T E SY O F T H E L I O N N I FA M I LY

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge November 18, 2023–May 27, 2024

Whitney’s Farm Making Your Holidays Festive and Cheerful Capture the true spirit of the holidays with our homemade decorations, wreaths, ornaments, and a vast menu of holiday edibles and treats.

1775 S. State Rd. - Rt. 8 Cheshire, MA 01225 (413) 442-4749

whitneysfarm.com WE ARE A FULLY INSURED COMPANY

the local life: Around Town

Round of applause!

TAKING THE STAGE No notes. No props. No prompts. Just me on a stage with a mic, knowing a timer was ticking as I shared my very personal story with complete strangers.

By Heather Campbell

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THE B • Winter 2023

Translation” and my story revolved around our Thanksgiving fiasco the first year my extended family would be together after COVID. The audience gasped and laughed in all the right places.

I felt like I was a conductor at Tanglewood! It was a beautiful, pure rush of adrenaline and connection.

I’ve become a huge fan of open mic nights and I’m excited to say that they are alive and well in the Berkshires. I’ve heard heartbreaking poetry, fell in love with a song about being a fancy frog, not in a band, and have been pushed to think critically by complicated stories.

And while stretching my performance muscles has been an enlightening exercise, the best part of jumping up on stage is that the strangers in the audience are no longer strangers. I can’t count how many times I’ve shared a generic hello with someone on the street and then our eyes stayed on each other’s face just a little bit longer, knowing we knew each other, but not sure how. Our smiles then spread as we realized it’s because of an open mic night—either they were performing or I was. It’s great to feel so seen, heard, and celebrated. Would I do it again?

Absofreakinlutely. In fact, I have. B

Use this smart code to see Heather tell her story.

Give It a Try! These venues have open mic nights for music and storytelling; see their websites for dates, times, and details.

Center For Peace Through Culture Housatonic | cpccommunity.org The Barn Egremont | theegremontbarn.com Living in Recovery Pittsfield livinginrecoverypittsfield.org/events The Guthrie Center Great Barrington | guthriecenter.org Route 8 Pub Becket | route8pub.com Sideline Saloon Pittsfield | 413-499-7337

P H OTO S : J O A N I E C I O L F I

What was I doing? I was loving it. I had signed up to do the Storyteller Night at the Center For Peace Through Culture in Housatonic because my friend, Abby Tovell, who owns the nearby T Squared Design Studio, thought it might be my kind of thing.

She had heard me share many stories and could tell I wasn’t exactly shy about doing so. But more important, she knew that I was actively seeking community. Since moving to the area, I had met a lot of people through my kids, but I wanted to be more than just “Shelby and Tatum’s mom.”

I thought, Tell a story—how hard can that be? But when I did a run-through with the host, Moth StorySLAM winner Sheela Clary, my ego crumbled. In the kindest, most supportive way possible she told me, “You’ll have 5-8 minutes on stage. You’re currently at 7½ and I don’t have any idea what your point is.”

Ouch! She was right. What was my point?

Why was I even doing this?

And then I remembered. When I first walked into the Center and saw the late Deb Koffman’s amazing art on the walls encouraging well-being and positive ways to navigate emotions, I thought, “These are my people!” Their open mic night was an invitation to work through my thoughts and feelings and be supported as I shared them. I admit I took a minute (okay, a few minutes) to lick my wounds from Sheela’s constructive criticism before I could absorb her comments (yes, there were more) and dive deeper into what I was going to say.

The theme that night was “Lost in

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NEJAIME’S WINE CELLARS Holidays • Gifts • Entertain

Six Spots to Savor

SPICE THINGS UP! These casual restaurants offer hearty comfort food with big flavor— perfect on a cold day (any day, actually!).

BB’s Hot Spot 302 Columbus Ave., Pittsfield Chef and owner Ronny Brizan brings Caribbean food and barbecue to Pittsfield— this summer you may have seen him at Hancock Shaker Village, as well—that includes savory curries, pork ribs, and jerk chicken, with sides of coconut rice and red beans.

Smokey Divas 239 Onota St., Pittsfield Wine • Liquor • Craft Beer • Specialty Foods • 3 Elm St, Stockbridge • 60 Main St, Lenox Village 413-298-3454 413-637-1701

Lorraine Jones, already well known for her 92nd Sauce, has expanded with a restaurant that features fork-tender pork and chicken, cornbread, coleslaw, and more. For the holidays, The Divas have been known to offer smoked turkeys and sweet potato or pumpkin pie, too.

Open 7 Days nejaimeswine.com

Casita at MASS MoCA 1111 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams

Espetinho Carioca 48B North St., Pittsfield Christiane and Osmar Melo are bringing Brazilian fare to Pittsfield with authentic entrees like picanha (top round of beef) and linguiça (sausage with pork and onion), plus churros and dulce de leche ice cream for dessert.

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Momma Lo’s BBQ 284 Main St., Great Barrington Loretta McClennon has been gathering local crowds for her Southern-style barbecue, fried chicken, mac and cheese, and more since she opened in 2022. She smokes her own ribs and brisket in the mornings.

Placita Latina 41 North St., Pittsfield

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At their friendly marketplace, Vladimir Cruz Romero and his mother, Maria Romero Valdez, offer Salvadorian and Mexican fare: tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, tortas, hot soups, and more. —K.A.

B B ’ S H OT S P OT: B E N G A R V E R ; C A S I TA : C A S I TA B E R K S H I R E S ; M O M M A LO ’ S : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

Justin and Mariah Forstmann, who have earned a local following for their Chingon taco truck, have a more permanent place now. Casita offers dishes Justin learned to cook from people he met on his travels through Mexico.

DECEMBER 7–23

at The Unicorn Theatre The Larr Larryy Vaber aber St Stage

Shop Smart

Refill and Renew If you’re looking to go greener and reduce waste, stop in to one of our local refilleries.

Refill shops make it easier to be a conscious consumer: They sell items like body care and household cleaners by the ounce—so you’re buying the shampoo without the bottle, essentially—as well as items you can re-use, so they’re friendlier to the earth. (You can even get what you need to wrap your holiday gifts!)

American families go through 3.8 million plastic bottles a year just for dish soap, said Jamie McCormack, owner of RefillGB, a new shop in Great Barrington. She opened her refillery out of concern for her daughter’s future.

The more she understood climate change, the more she wanted to act.

She wants to give local people more choices, she said. Her cleaning products are all made from natural ingredients, and not only are they effective—they’re inexpensive. Most of what she carries costs about the same as the equivalent from a supermarket, and some even less.

“I’m from here,” McCormack said. “I grew up here, and I want everyone to have access.” She enjoys watching people walk through the shop and consider what they can do in new ways. “People come in and start thinking differently,” she said. “...Small changes can have big impacts.” —K.A. RefillGB Great Barrington Cleaning and body care items, storage and bags, gift wrap refillgb.com

Rural Center Refillery Pine Plains, New York Food and coffee, as well as cleaning and body care ruralcenterrefillery.com

by Charles Dickens adapted and directed by Eric Hill

DECEMBER 10 • 2PM at The Colonial Theatre

MUTT’S GONE NUTS:

SANTA PAWS

EIGHT WORLD CLASS STUNT DOGS IN A HILARIOUS HOLIDAY SHOW Good Buys Co-ops and some other food markets offer bulk nuts, grains, popcorn, spices, and more—as well as reusable cloth bags and jars for carrying them home. Stop by Berkshire Food Co-op (Great Barrington), Guido’s Fresh Marketplace (Great Barrington and Pittsfield), Pittsfield Health Food Centre, Old Creamery Co-op (Cummington), and Wild Oats Market (Williamstown).

DECEMBER 17 • 2PM at The Colonial Theatre

A Colonial Family Concert

FEATURING COLONIAL THEATRE ALUMNI HOSTED BY THE BTG YOUTH CHORUS

DECEMBER 22 • 7:30PM at The Colonial Theatre

The Plant Connector North Adams Body care, essential oils, and plant care theplantconnector.com

NEW YEAR’S EVE DECEMBER 31 • 8PM at The Colonial Theatre

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circaberkshires.com Rebecca Barnini 413-445-7200

Buying & Selling 436 North Street • Pittsfield, MA 01201 circaberkshires@hotmail.com

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(413) 997-4444 BerkshireTheatreGroup.org 111 South Street • Pittsfield, MA 6 East Street • Stockbridge, MA

the local life: Take it Outside Evergreen Idea

Exploring the Winter Woods Once the leaves have fallen, you can look out across wide views—and look closely at signs of life that may go unnoticed in warmer weather. Here are some seasonal stars to look out for.

Winterberry These bushes lose their leaves in the cold and produce vibrant red fruit around Thanksgiving (birds are fond of these berries). Some local farms grow them: head south from Stockbridge on Route 7 and you’ll see long vivid rows along the road at Windy Hill.

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Spruce and Fir These trees can look similar, but fir have flatter needles and spruce have squarer ones that roll between the fingers.

Both types of trees like the cold. Today the Berkshires has boreal forest—a northern woodland ecosystem home to spruce, fir, and striped maple as well as moose, ravens, snowshoe hare, and other animals—only on the highest ridges. You can find these trees at the summit of Mount Greylock, at some spots on the Appalachian Trail, and at the Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center in Windsor. Tamarack Hollow leads guided walks through their woodlands (tamarackhollow.com).

Hemlock Along the same pathways, you may see trees with short dark-green needles growing flat along the stem and small cones no wider than a fingertip. Hemlock have lived here many thousands of years, though they are struggling today due to an invasive insect. These venerable trees live on the ridge above the Elder Grove Trail in Charlemont, and in Ice Glen in Stockbridge—a short trail to a striking landscape of boulders, mosses, and fronds of ferns called rock polypody, surprisingly green in early winter. You’ll also find them along Hemlock Brook in Williamstown, and on the slopes of Mount Greylock.

Tamarack Also known as hackmatack and larch, the trees that give Tamarack Hollow their name are conifers. They are easy to spot in winter because they are the only conifers that lose their needles—the needles will turn a vivid gold in the late autumn before they fall.

Pine One of our most familiar evergreen trees, white pine have long soft needles (five to a bunch) and long cones. The trees can reach 150 feet or more—you can find old growth along the Elder Grove Trail, off Route 2 in Charlemont, and at the William Cullen Bryant House in Cummington (for a guided walk on December 30 visit thetrustees.org). –K.A.

50 YEARS AND FORWARD In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Manton Research Center building, two exhibitions explore the remarkable additions made to the Clark’s works on paper collection over the last half-century.

BRITISH PRINTS AND DRAWINGS ACQUISITIONS November 18, 2023–February 11, 2024 WORKS ON PAPER ACQUISITIONS December 16, 2023–March 10, 2024

WILLIAMSTOWN MASSACHUSETTS CLARKART.EDU Evelyn de Morgan, Head of a Woman (detail), c. 1875, charcoal on paper. The Clark, 2022.9

Just 18.1% of financial advisors identify as women.

These Berkshire advisors are writing a new story.

The Cerulli Report — U.S. Advisor Metrics 2020 www.cerulli.com/press-releases/parity-is-an-uphill-climb-forwomen-and-bipoc-financial-advisors

Angela Elzner Financial Advisor Before she was a financial advisor, and before she went back to school for business, Angela was a divorced mom of four, struggling to make the right financial decisions.

Today, her mission is to help others facing financial challenges to make the best choices and know that you are not alone – help is available!

Lauren Beckett CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional and Financial Advisor

Financial advising and planning are both notoriously male-dominated fields, which can make the space feel unwelcoming to women and girls considering a career in the industry.

Holly Sime imeone Financial Advissor When she worked orked in banking, first hand the Holly witnessed fir impact financial illiteracy has on people in ourr ccommunity, an experience that set her on the path to becomin oming an advisor.

Lauren is tackling the gender gap head on by earning new designations, participating in professional organizations, and serving as a role model for others who want to do the same.

Holly’s first act aas a licensed financial advisor w to launch sor was Open Officee Hou Hours, an event where everyone, one, re regardless of age or income, ome, ccan receive free and friendly financial advice from her and other mem members of the BMM team. am.

Learn more about Lauren, Angela, Holly, and the rest of the team: retire.berkshiremm.com/18

161 Main St, Dalton | 72 Stockbridge Rd, Great Barrington | (413) 997–2006 | berkshir berkshiremm.com

P H OTO

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Industry examinations, registrations, tions, designations, designa recognitions, or awards should not be construed as an endorsement or a recommendation tion to retain the Adviser by the granting entity or any regulatory regula authority.

Investment in securities, including mutual funds, involves the risk of loss.

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THE B • Winter 2023

Glow for It

Light a Local Candle

By Kate Abbott When the sun sets early, the flicker of flame is especially welcome— and you can support small businesses with Berkshire-made candles.

Berkshire Wildflower Honey

Jan Johnson has a really local source for her 100% beeswax candles: She keeps bees at her family farm in Mill River. Her candles come molded or rolled and burn with a gentle sweet scent. You can find them at the Mill River General Store. berkshirehoney.com

Salt and Honey Candle Co.

Kara and Tom Burke blend soy and beeswax from local bees and hand-pour their candles into glass, with wood or hemp wicks for an eco-friendly slow burn. Some carry a natural scent, like The Shire, a boreal blend of pine, spruce, and bayberry. Look for them at Greylock WORKS’ Festive Holiday Market on November 18. saltandhoneycandles.com

Soma’s Aromas

Soma Dinicola has expanded her home business into a storefront in downtown Pittsfield, and she infuses her soy candles with essential oils. Stop by for a scent of Fraser Fir, Cranberry Spice, Amber Noir, or Frankincense and Myrrh. somasaromas. com

Berkshire Candle

Victoria Braim creates her own soy candles by hand in small batches, and her scents are downright delicious: apple cider, black current, pumpkin spice, and buttercream. berkshirecandleshop.com

Wild Soul River

Co-owners Rebecca Guanzon and Justin Adkins hand-pour soy candles in glass jars, and blend their own natural scents.

They have a wide range of aromatics to choose from, some locally and responsibly foraged, and a carefully cultivated local knowledge. wildsoulriver.com

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the local life: style

Cast With Care TD Bank’s Corrine ‘Corky’ Sysun helps businesses grow

By Kimberly Kirchner

Fly fishing is no hobby for the short of attention span. For the people who love the sport, though, the long stretches of silent stillness are kind of the point.

“In the Berkshires, in the natural beauty of the landscape, it’s very soothing,” explained Corrine ‘Corky’ Sysun, a western Massachusetts native and avid fly fisher.

“It’s you against the fish, but you’re in a beautiful place.”

It’s not a quick craft to master, either.

“It’s quite a skill, and an art,” Sysun said.

“I’m still learning. I don’t know if I’ll ever be proficient at it, but I enjoy it.”

In that sense, fly fishing mirrors Sysun’s other passion: growing businesses. As vice president of commercial lending at TD Bank, she favors a long-term perspective on business development. To her, the ideal borrower approaches building their business with the same care and devotion as a fly fisher lashing feathers to a hook.

The Berkshires, she noted, seem to have a particular concentration of these hardworking entrepreneurs.

“People that live in the Berkshires, it really comes across how dedicated they are to what they are doing. And they believe in what they’re doing. They’re hiring local people, being involved in the community.

It’s just very ingrained,” she said. “This is great, because when we’re looking at the borrower, we want to know how committed they are to their endeavor.”

Sysun’s commitment to her customers goes well beyond that initial lending agreement, as well. She credits her time as a branch manager for her customerfocused approach. “You’re their one stop, go-to person,” she said. “You’re who they bounce ideas off, whether it’s their residential mortgage, their business loan, their children’s savings account, if

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THE B • Winter 2023

“You need to be not just an advisor but a trusted source. So they’ll know, ‘She’s gonna help me get in the right direction.’” they experienced fraud or some kind of hardship. You need to be not just an advisor but a trusted source. So they’ll know, ‘She’s gonna help me get in the right direction.’”

TD Bank’s size and reach help make accessing those services convenient even when life takes customers out of the Berkshires. “If you open an account at 99 West Street in Pittsfield, you can make a deposit in South Carolina, North Carolina or Florida, and it’s like walking into West Street,” Sysun said.

Additionally, TD combines the depth of services of a multi-state operation with the localized service of a much smaller company. “We’re big when we need to be big, and small when we need to be small,” Sysun said. She pointed out that

every branch, regardless of location, was staffed with local employees who were uniquely suited to serving the needs of their individual communities.

Sysun has been with TD Bank for 30 years now, and enjoyed watching many of the businesses she works with expand and pass down to the next generation, moving steadily forward like a calm Berkshire stream. “It’s fun to see a business grow, over the years,” she said. “To have that business owner bring their children into the business and see those children flourish into a family owned business. Those are great to see.”

Corky Sysun can be contacted at Corrine.Sysun@td.com

MASS MoCA, North Adams

THE GIFT OF EXPERIENCE Imagine giving someone an afternoon to ride on a wooden roller coaster and launch a virtual reality moonshot, a step back in time, or a first look at an artist’s work.

Annual memberships to museums, historic sites, and other cultural institutions offer all that—and they support the organizations as well. (The coaster and moonshot are at MASS MoCA, in case you’re wondering.)

Memberships often run about $50 to $60, and may include admission, early access and discounts to events, and other perks.

Learn Something New

Glass Act

M A S S M O C A : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N ; S TA I N E D G L A S S : L I S A M E N D E L

Growing up near historic churches in Adams, Lisa Mendel remembers watching the glow of light falling through the colored panes—and now she can teach you how to make your own stainedglass decoration to put in a window to catch the winter sun.

“The colors draw me in,” she said in her new glass studio in Adams. She has just retired from 26 years of teaching art and business at Mount Greylock High School, and is now expanding her studio with single-session and multi-week classes. This winter you can make stainedglass ornaments, and she has added a new kiln for glass fusing—melting colored glass together to form fir trees and snowmen or swirling beads and wide bowls. mendelstainedglass.com

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Plan Your Stay

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Voices & Views These Stories Can Only Come from the Berkshires

Springside Park Pittsfield P H OTO : W I L L I A M TA G U E

December 1963

Winter 2023 • THE B

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voices & views: Backyard Magic

The Warmth of a Backyard Rink This labor of love is more than a sheet of ice. It’s a lifetime of memories.

By Julie Hammill

With each Berkshire winter, my husband John and I puzzle together the boards that frame our backyard rink and anxiously await a forecast of frigid temps. The anticipation of ice and a winter of skating is just days away.

A backyard ice rink is not unusual to me.

Growing up on the Canadian border, I had one in my backyard. John had one, too.

It’s where the neighborhood kids would congregate for pickup hockey games. Where your parents taught you to skate. Where you imagined yourself scoring the overtime goal to win the Stanley Cup. When our son Andrew, now 15, was about three years old, we embarked on what was soon to become an annual tradition.

John shoveled a modest-size rink in our snowy backyard and days later, Andrew was skating—pushing around milk crates for balance. Our primitive rink was based on our childhood memory: just pack the snow, mist with water, and let nature do its thing.

Hockey practices at our local rink occupied

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THE B • Winter 2023

most evenings, yet pre-bedtime skates happened most winter nights, too. Our daughter Nora, now 12, learned to skate in the backyard wearing a tutu over her snowsuit, the “Grease” soundtrack providing her soundtrack. In no time, she was headed to hockey practice, too!

As our children grew, so did the rink, both in size and sophistication. We added taller and sturdier boards, netting to protect our house (and the neighbors’), and Plexiglass to shield the garage windows from pucks. Flood lights and under-ice red and blue lines made from LED string lights made it hockey official. Driving through our quaint Pittsfield neighborhood on a dark winter’s night, one might be surprised to see the glow of ice rink happiness emitting from behind our home.

Our rink has taught us the trick to enjoying a long winter. Impromptu skating parties with bonfires and hot chocolate are the recipe for a perfect winter weekend.

Skating play-dates, hockey team parties,

Build your own!

Here are some resources that can help you on your journey to great ice!

Buy a DIY rink kit: nicerink.com | ezicerinks.com

Join an online community: Facebook has countless groups to join, including @backyardicehockeyrinks, which we follow for inspiration!

P H OTO : J U L I E H A M M I L L

Nora, age 5, skating on the homemade rink her dad built.

and family skates make the cold, dark months of winter fun!

The key to a great ice rink is a good base.

In our early days of ice-making, this would be accomplished by laying multiple coats of ice over the course of several hours, often in the middle of the night. A sleepless night?

Yes. But we’d have great ice in the morning.

Fast forward 10 years, and the process has become a bit simpler. When the forecast promises a few days of subfreezing temps, we fill the rink like a swimming pool, and wait for the magic to happen.

The countless hours spent shoveling, filling cracks, melting ice bumps, and standing in the backyard with a garden hose, is easily rewarded with the joy of sharing our “rink of dreams” with others.

And, as odd as it sounds, we have several friends with homemade rinks (rinkbuilding is contagious!). Pickup hockey games are now both home and away!

I know our children will remember these moments for a lifetime: skating in their pajamas, shootouts with their dad, and snow-day hockey matches. If our rink has built memories for all who have experienced it, then this labor of love has been time well spent. B

voices & views: Neighbor to Neighbor

Chilling Out After the festivities of the holidays comes winter’s second act—and it’s a long one.

Here are some creative, cozy ways to make the most of it.

Our log cabin in Sandisfield sat at the foot of a hill so steep it was probably a mountain, geographically speaking. The infamous grade of Tolland Road was the cause of many a car accident: during the eight years that we lived there, the general store at the hill’s bottom was taken out three times. But long before vehicles went skidding down that section of Route 57, Herman Melville and Edith Wharton used it for parties that started on a Garton Silver Streak sled and ended at the tavern kitty-corner to our house.

This star-studded sledding anecdote was first shared by our realtor, and its veracity mattered not one iota when I was a baby writer enjoying my first winter in the Berkshires. The snow that year was legion, and while we couldn’t take the same sledding routes as Melville and Wharton because we risked colliding with

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THE B • Winter 2023

a Mack truck, opportunities for winter fun weren’t in short supply. My husband and I nabbed two pairs of snow blades that we used endlessly at Butternut, taking a break from Upper Applejack to feast on hot French fries. We made friends with ice fishermen (and women) who let us tag along while they erected fishing huts and built actual fires atop the frozen lake. We tried snowshoeing, which was tiring. And in the tradition of our literary ancestors, we sledded our hearts out until my husband’s coccyx had a run-in with a boulder.

In November and December, there seemed no shortage of things to do and people to break bread with. So many of the great estates (The Mount, Naumkeag, Ventfort Hall) were decked out for the holidays with seasonal light displays and candlelit choral concerts, while culinary hotspots like Guido’s and The Chef’s Shop

had cooking classes to keep us deep in recipes for hearty winter stews. Even in the post-party lull of the new year, it felt like the magic and romance of winter would never end.

And then it ended. It turns out that winter in the Berkshires is a season with two acts. The first one is seduction, lasting roughly from November to mid-January, and the second is dismay, which runs through April if you live at elevation like we do. (We get more of everything: more ice and more cold.) It takes a special person to get excited about outdoor activities in melted snow and slush. If braving an icy driveway is the extent of your intrepidness, here are some indoor activities that helped me and my family make it through the gray season.

I L LU S T R AT I O N : I A N E V E R H A R T

By Courtney Maum

Inside Scoops Knitting clubs: One of the top knitting clubs in our region has been meeting at the Norfolk Library since yarn became commercially available, and I’ve always wanted to count myself among its wooly ranks. Sadly, I am an unskilled and impatient knitter whose cat destroys everything I try to make. If you have more patience than I do (or are already an accomplished knitter), check your local library, church and/or town hall for information on clubs open to new members. Online neighborhood forums are also a great place to either join an existing club or start your own.

Potlucking: Back in the day, we were part of a social club that met religiously every Tuesday night in sleet, in hail, in snow. As someone working from home in a rural area, those potluck dinners (which rotated hosts and themes) were the bright spot in my work week.

Because the club fell on my writing day, when I was short on time and groceries, I brought the same easy thing—deviled eggs—to nearly all the gatherings. Which was fine, really, because potlucking in February is more about the soulrestoring company than it is the food.

Become a bookworm: The public library system is one of the best things America has going for it, and if you haven’t been to one in a while, you might be astonished by its bounty.

In addition to books of all stripes and DVDs, our library loans out paddle tennis racquets, Wi-Fi hotspots, and ukuleles, making it easy (and inventive) to treat myself to a staycation in winter’s second half.

Literary events: Some things might shutter in the dead of winter, but publishing isn’t one of them. In America, new books come out each Tuesday, so there is always something literary going on somewhere. Sign up for newsletters from Oblong Books, The Book Loft, The Bookstore in Lenox, and other local bookstores to stay in the know about author happenings in your area. Consider leaving the beaten path when it comes to these events: if you don’t usually read sci-fi, try hitting up a genre book event, or go to a poetry reading even if poetry’s not your thing. Straying out of our comfort zones is one of the best ways to extend winter’s many charms. B

Years of therapy have to start somewhere.

SM

Where’d You Get That!?

Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm 100 Spring Street, Williamstown, MA 413.458.2206 • wygt.com

a Lively, costumed reading

christm mas m at pemberley emberley

by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon a companion to miss bennet and the wickhams in the world of pride and prejudice

DECEMBER 15 – 17 Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre

Based on the characters of Jane Austen

Tickets Available at 413.637.3353

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voices & views: Pops’ Corner

Westside Legends When some former Pittsfield residents saw that their old neighborhood needed help, they lent their expertise, effort, and more. Legendary, indeed.

By Pops Peterson

P H OTO : P O P S P E T E R S O N

When my solo exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum became the longestrunning solo show in the museum’s history, I was riding a career high. But with nothing else on my calendar, I was soon left to wonder, “Am I washed up?” I was struggling to hold onto my faith when the phone rang.

It was Kamaar Taliaferro, from a group called the Westside Legends, letting me know my design had won the competition to become a mural on the west side of Pittsfield. This really surprised me because I had never even submitted an entry! “We love what you did with Rockwell’s image of Ruby Bridges integrating the elementary school,” he explained. “Could you make that a mural?”

I’d never done a mural before, so a whole new medium was opening up for me.

I was excited that it would be about 10 feet high and on view to the public at all times. Yet, as unexpected and rewarding as this artistic challenge turned out to be, there was nothing more gratifying than getting to know the group’s founders, Tony Jackson and Beverly K. Bolden, and working on their team. They were the ones who originally dreamed of a mural of Ruby Bridges, an icon to inspire and stimulate growth in the neighborhood, and they had sought me out to make it come true.

I would soon witness many more of their dreams for the community becoming a reality, making momentous improvements in the lives of local families.

I was so curious about their non-profit group, which seemed to exist primarily on Facebook, yet had raised thousands of dollars for a mural. Aside from having block parties, soap box derbies, and making space for art, performance, and contemplation,

Tony Jackson, Beverly Bolden, and Pops Peterson

they have also grown into a financial resource. Through training programs, mentorship, and connections, Westside Legends has helped 30 families become first-time homeowners in West Pittsfield, with more than $5 million in mortgages placed. All this has come about because these altruistic friends who saw their neighborhood falling apart committed themselves to making a change, and they are doing it together.

Ironically, as devoted as they are to the West Side, the hometown that raised them, both Tony and Beverly now live hundreds of miles away—Tony in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Beverly in Manassas Park, Virginia, although she still maintains the West Side home she purchased from her late parents. Another co-founder and

treasurer, Marvin Purry, is an accountant residing in Jackson, New Jersey. And Von Cuyler, a DEA agent, also lives in Virginia. Yet the distance has not dimmed their passion for saving their childhood home.

On their last visit, I met them at their biggest block party yet, Let It Shine, where Pittsfield’s new murals were celebrated, and several more murals unveiled, in Riverside Sitting Park, a small, contemplative space they maintain and are seeking to purchase from the city.

A large crowd of neighbors and reporters gathered in the park to view the new murals, including two of my own design, “Wings” and “Two Colors of Water,” and to meet the artists and the people behind the scenes.

Beverly took the bullhorn to encourage those gathered to come to her for help applying for mortgages, finding inspectors and

Winter 2023 • THE B

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Tapas & Fine Dining Tony Jackson and Pops Peterson

“I can’t complain about something unless I’m trying to do something about it. So I decided I would.”

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contractors, and dealing with their credit—all the ins and outs of first-time home ownership. When my murals were presented, I spoke about my gratitude for being embraced by such dedicated friends who are working so relentlessly just for the love of their community.

This love was first seeded in talks between Tony, an operations manager for a big box chain, and a younger friend, Von, about the local sports legends of Pittsfield, especially those of Taconic High where Tony, Beverly, and Von all went to school. Tony didn’t want the sports history of his youth to vanish behind the thin veil of memory. So they launched the official Westside Legends Facebook group to post these stories.

The page continued to grow as the friends started holding community events and now claims more than 2,500 members.

The name Westside Legends, originally meant for sports legends, has grown to mean so much more, and members can now consider themselves the legends.

It was Tony who first made the commitment to try to improve the West Side. More than 20 years after moving away to pursue his career and raise his four daughters, he continued coming home to visit friends and family. The trips became sadder and sadder.

“Every time I would come home, I’d see more vacant lots and houses with red X’s,” Tony recalled. “At one point there were 34 condemned homes. It’s easy when you don’t live there anymore just to turn a blind eye. But I was like, you know I can’t complain about something unless I’m trying to do something about it. So, I decided I would.”

Thus began a magical dance between service and philanthropy. For the first two years, Tony and friends focused on block parties and other community events, like

P H OTO : P O P S P E T E R S O N

—TONY JACKSON

the soap box derby that he had enjoyed as a kid, financing them with $50 contributions from friends and family for their $400 hot dog and refreshment budget. These growing events attracted the attention of Greylock Federal Credit Union, which soon financed more events and connected them with local leaders. When the idea came for a mural, these underwriters—including Greylock, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Mill Town Capital, Berkshire Bank, and others—came through with grants totaling $10,000. I was introduced to architect Tessa Kelly (cover star of the Fall 2023 edition of The B) who planned and taught me all the technical aspects of such a large project. Working together we realized we had the budget to make the mural more than four times its original projected size, incorporating the landscape to make it appear even more expansive and lifelike. It was going to be monumental! The installation of the “Walk with Her” mural made headlines and quickly became a beloved landmark.

The success of the mural, affectionately nicknamed “Rainbow Ruby,” impressed even more members of the government and financial communities, and the group kept seeing more potential for their volunteer efforts. Beverly, who brought her more than 40 years of banking experience to the table, was able to give the group an even higher trajectory.

Having graduated from Taconic and earned an associate degree at Berkshire Community College, she is currently the lead mortgage underwriter at the biggest credit union in the world, the Navy Federal Credit Union. Just like Tony, she schedules Zoom meetings back home over each of her lunch breaks to make her financial wizardry happen, mentoring applicants and leading online classes.

Why was this so important?

When the mural was being planned three years ago, Tony and Beverly learned from their funders that a very low number of mortgages in the Berkshires were held by Black families. There was a need to inform and build trust in communities of color

to achieve greater homeownership, and Beverly saw how, through this blossoming group, she could make a major impact.

“As a mortgage underwriter, I have seen numerous non-black families obtain mortgages with little effort,” said Beverly.

It has always been a passion of mine to use my experience in the mortgage industry to help people in our community obtain that American Dream of homeownership and provide for generational wealth for their families.” In her speech at the unveiling, Beverly emphasized that they do not discriminate, and all neighbors are welcome for assistance and training.

The group has official 501(c)(3)nonprofit status, but no brick and mortar presence. Nor do they have any paid employees, yet. If they continue on their current track, however, these dreams will also certainly come to fruition. In their sights are more educational and cultural programs, and even an initiative to remake “Rainbow Ruby” as a permanent mosaic in tiles that would last as long as the wall itself. They know that, as much as they’ve accomplished, so much more is possible, as long as they continue to dream and do the work.

“It’s been divine intervention for our group,” said Tony. “From our very first block parties, where we each scraped together our change, to the grants for the mural, and now financing homes. It makes you believe in your own power. It makes you believe in miracles.”

Divine intervention. That was my notion when Kamaar told me I’d won a contest I hadn’t even entered. It was my notion when a mural I thought would be 10 feet high turned out to be 30 feet high and 125 feet wide. It’s how I feel to have been brought together with these wonderful people whose faith, hope, and charity are rebuilding a neighborhood. B Pops Peterson is the owner of SEVEN salon. spa in Stockbridge. With artworks featured at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Henry Ford Museum, and numerous other museums and galleries, Pops has become one of the leading artistic voices of New England.

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voices & views: Holidays

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Our food writer discovers there’s more than one way to spend a meaningful Thanksgiving with her family.

By Alana Chernila

When I became an adult, I embraced Thanksgiving with every holiday-loving bone in my body. My husband and I had both come from holiday-averse families, and we rebelled by hosting every year, pulling out every folding chair from the basement and cobbling together card tables under a tablecloth I only used on that one day. I developed standards: the cornbread, chorizo, and cherry stuffing from Bon Appetit (substitute golden raisins), my very own pumpkin pie recipe made with créme fraiche and extra ginger, my grandmother’s tangy cranberry sauce with canned mandarins to replace her canned pineapple, and a thick, moist gingerbread topped with a pale star of sliced pears. We had a gratitude box on the sideboard, a beat up old tea box someone had brought back from Paris years ago, illustrated with crayon by my oldest child, who was then three or four. Each year our guests would add to it by writing their blessings on tiny slips of colored paper. We’d read them aloud before the meal: family, my cat, a home, pie. Without strong traditions from our own childhoods, my husband and I created them from scratch.

Thanksgiving was a perfect one for us—a whole day centered

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around food, community, and gratitude.

We were so good at all three!

Last year, our children asked if we could take a break from Thanksgiving. They were 17 and 19, and beginning to find their own way through holidays. They’d both come to question the meaning behind the seemingly all-good-and-filled-withgratitude feast, and they wanted to center the quiet, darker Thanksgiving history that we had always quietly acknowledged, but never focused on—a history of violence, stolen land, and genocide.

I was resistant. I knew why we would make this change, but this was the one holiday that always felt truly mine, and I looked forward to it all year. But I am always grateful to my children when they help me grow and change, and after much discussion, we made a new plan.

Last Thanksgiving, we all slept in and convened at the table together for breakfast. It was a bright, warm day—the kind where sweaters and hats are enough.

We packed up the dog and a big thermos of tea and headed to Stockbridge.

Ice Glen is one of our favorite family walks. Depending on the time of year it can be punishing (swarms of summer mosquitoes in July, thick layers of ice on the rocks in February), but this day was the glen at its most idyllic. We hopped from rock

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to rock, the dog leading the way, our hands outstretched to feel every variety of moss that thrived on the ancient rocks. We stopped for a tea break, and then pulled out a phone to start the self-guided Mohican history walking tour of Stockbridge, a free resource created through a partnership between Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area and the Stockbridge-Munsee community.

We started at the town offices, where you can find a bust of the famous Mohican sachem Konkapot above the door. My family knows this building as the town offices and, further back, as the place where there are public bathrooms right next to our favorite playground. I know it as the school where I went to sixth grade, as the site of my first broken bone, and where I learned to love civics from Mr. Pasetto. As we progressed through the steps on the tour, from the library to The Red Lion Inn to the town cemetery, each bit of information created a new screen superimposed over our own memories of the place, simultaneously reshaping those memories to include the rich history of the rightful inhabitants of the stolen land we also call home.

Before we headed back to the car we sat together at the final stop of the tour, the burial ground that overlooks Wnahktukook, which we learned means “Great Meadow” or “bend in the river.” Now we know it as

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the Stockbridge golf course. The sun was starting to set and we settled on a bench that had been oriented towards the view, an ideal place to watch the world grow golden, the long November shadows falling around us and through our eyelashes. We would have typically been sitting down to our feast just then, reading through the gratitudes from the box. But I felt full in a different way, grateful for the day and all it had held. We packed up our thermos and made our way back to the car, hungry for the regular Thursday night dinner ahead of us.

And then, because I’m a creature of habit or tradition, or maybe because different Thanksgivings can exist together with all their complexities, I made a pie. B Mohican History Walking Tour of Stockbridge Town Offices 1 Chief Konkapot’s Property 2 Library and Archives 3 Captain Naunauphtaunk Home 4 The Red Lion Inn 5 Jonas Etowaukaum Home 6 Umpachenee’s Wigwam 7 The Mission House 8 Town Cemetary 9 Meeting House 10 Burying Ground and Wnahktukook 11

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voices & views: On a Lark

Clothes Call Invite friends for a clothing swap, our writer suggests. At this feel-good gathering, you’ll be happy to pass along items from your closet—and go home with some stylish finds.

The scene was not unlike the finale in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The kitchen door might as well have been a revolving one, as guests continued walking through, arms loaded down with large totes and shopping bags overflowing with clothes. And yes, I did feel very much like George Bailey, despite the fact that the clothes were not for me—well, let’s say not just for me. I was hosting my first clothing swap.

Its concept is pretty much as straightforward as its name implies: bring clothing, take someone else’s clothing. And while guidelines vary with each, it is exciting to be invited to one. But many questions! How much do I bring? Must that number correlate with the number of pieces I leave with? And (if you’re either feeling feisty or just really being honest), uh, who else will be there? No, you can’t ask; that is impolite. But it is human nature to wonder if a mutual friend of the host whose fantastic style you’ve been coveting might even bring something to inspire said covetousness. Then again, you might be the object of another guest’s fashion affection (affashion, fashection???). And remember that the crazy loud caftan with the overly puffy sleeves that makes you feel like Mrs. Roper (Google it) may just channel someone else’s Talitha Getty.

I attended my first clothing swap in the early Aughts.

My friend Christine had begun adding a swap element to the holiday tea she hosts. Every December, old friends and new ones arrive at her apartment with scones or cookies as well as a bag or two stuffed with mentally discarded pieces.

We all know this feeling; not every item in our closet can be the favorite. Sure, favorites shift, but you know how some pieces just keep getting relegated further toward the back, until they join the other forgottens in this cedar-scented purgatory? And as virtuous as a Marie Kondo cleanse is, are we really that organized, much less that virtuous? What if I told you there’s an easier way?

Click on Paperless Post and let’s get started.

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THE B • Winter 2023

P H OTO S : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

By Jane Larkworthy

Is planning your WEDDING OR EVENT causing you stress?

Are you looking for the PERFECT GIFT for yourself or someone else?

TIPS OF THE TRADE

1 Going into a swap, a few rules should be implemented, the most important being altruism. The hunt and discovery may be wonderful but, trust me that it’s an even better feeling when you’ve found a new forever home for one of your back-closet discards. We all have our default uniform, and we all have a list of Never Wears (that would be blazers for me), but when you’re in a home full of friends, is there a safer space to try on what you might normally never? (I now own a swap-found blazer.)

Last fall, I decided to host a clothing swap at our home in New Marlborough.

The invitations informed guests that this was a charity event: proceeds for the $20 entry fee would go to Vocalis Youth Choir (of which I am a board member) and any left-behind pieces would be delivered to a local charity or clothing drop.

About 20 guests came and, despite the six-degrees of Berkshire denizens vibe we often feel, new connections were made.

They all seemed thrilled to be there. Sarah Eustis, who left with a beloved cape of mine, texted me a photo of herself wearing it on Christmas Eve. She had brought a linen-silk striped dress that Julie Rubiner is thrilled to now own and, thanks to Julie, I have replenished my sweater collection with a gorgeous gray-blue alpaca Eileen Fisher funnel neck that she was ready to part with.

When it was over, slews of clothes remained, so I delivered about five leaf bags worth of stuff to Catwalk, a thrift shop whose proceeds go to the Berkshire Humane Society. Another win. B

Stop counting:

If you show up with the “I brought five pieces, so I should leave with at least five pieces!” mindset, you will likely become frustrated, if not competitive. That being said, if you showed up with one shirt, it’s kind of bad form to leave with 20.

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Don’t bring drek:

The swap is no place for unwearable clothing (choose your description for “unwearable.” Might I suggest “ratty…”?). Bring things you can imagine a friend wanting and wearing.

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Keep it seasonal:

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Choose a charity:

Suggesting “fall/winter” is an easy way to edit everyone’s offerings.

Plus, that way you can plan another one for next season.

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No need to do this, but it is a nice idea, and if guests are excited about the clothes, they’re likely apt to feel charitable and make a donation.

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voices & views: The Whole Story

Sky-High Tales We got the lowdown behind this multi-level treehouse: “The top three floors would sway in the wind.”

By Amy Krzanik

P H OTO : R A N DY T R A B O L D

The B’s Spring 2023 issue featured this flashback photo from The Berkshire Eagle archives. Brad Mitchell, one of the builders of the treehouse—although not there September 2, 1972, when photojournalist Randy Trabold of The Transcript took the shot—emailed to tell us he remembers the treehouse, on Crandall Street in Adams, well.

This was a treehouse that we built in Skip Daniels’ woods across the driveway from his house,” wrote Mitchell. “Skip is pictured in the upper level on the left—and yes, the pants were purple-red and white stripes! We were told the picture went around the world, I believe via AP. Skip’s parents owned and operated LL Brown Paper company, where McDonald’s is currently located in Adams. There was a ton of lumber around that was one of the raw materials for the paper. We used to go down and get supplies as the treehouse continued to grow. In the beginning, the construction was pretty modest on the lower levels, becoming more sophisticated as it went up. In the end, the treehouse was seven stories high. I can remember hanging way out over nothing, building the seventh story, which had an approximately six-foot cantilever sticking out the front side.

Skip gave me a call yesterday and we both laughed that this picture turned up now, 50-plus years later.

He shared that, one day while painting on the third story, he grabbed a painted section and fell off onto a small hemlock tree, then bounced into the large leaf pile underneath. He then went back to painting.

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The exhibition brings together 10 artists who employ technologies of magic to resist systems that attempt to surveil and control people’s lives and stories.

EXHIBITION

LIKE MAGIC On view now

In a follow up call with The B, Daniels confirmed the details of the treehouse he began building when he was about 11 years old.

At the very base of the tree, I built the first little room and said: This is such a sturdy, flat ceiling…I need to build a second floor. I built most of it myself, but once it became a landmark my buddies from down the street would help.

After we built the third floor, my dad said, “Please don’t go any higher.” It was a big hemlock tree with three leaders— shaped like a vase—and we built between them. When the wind blew, the top three floors would sway in the wind.

The younger kids from the street were really bugging me to let them come up and hang out in the cabin, but I was worried they would fall. Eventually, I let a few of them up there, and then everyone was going up. Randy Trabold had heard about the treehouse and was looking for it. On the day he showed up, there was a lot of painting to be done and I’d made use of all the younger kids.

When I was 18 or so, I took the treehouse down, but the tree is still there.

Crandall Street was a great place to grow up. We had a lot of fun. B

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Top row, left to right: Skip Daniels, owns and operates Adams Stone Company at Specialty Minerals in Adams; Mitchell Bury; Pete DiLego Middle row: Keith Hayden, owned and operated Hoosac Valley Coal and Grain and is now the general manager of Forest Park Country Club in Adams; Rick Sanderson, owns a construction company in Victor, Idaho; Dan Hayden, principal in an architectural design company in Denmark Bottom row: Daniel Trzpis; Bruce DiLego is a realtor in Florida

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Winter 2023 • THE B

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ALWAYS BE FASTER THAN THE BOYS

By HEIDI VOELKER

Mikaela’s helmet is inscribed with meaningful messages.

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THE B • Winter 2023

A native of Pittsfield, Heidi Voelker joined the U.S. Ski Team at 15 and competed in the 1988, 1992, and 1994 Olympics. After 27 years as a ski ambassador for Deer Valley, she’s still in Park City, Utah, with her family, and is now the western region manager for the U.S. Ski team.

Voelker also played a pivotal role in Mikaela Shiffrin’s story—and she shares it here.

OPPOSTIE PAGE: PHOTO: MIKE DAWSON – STIFEL U.S. SKI TEAM; FAMILY P HOTOS : C OURTESY OF H EI DI VOELKER; OLYMPI CS : BERKSH IRE EAGLE ARCHI VES

WHEN I MET MIKAELA, she was this adorable little girl, about six years old. I was signing posters at an event and I had been introduced to her parents because I was from Pittsfield and her mom, Eileen, was from Lanesborough. Eileen was a masters racer and I had been on the U.S. Ski Team. That was the connection. No one knew then that Mikaela would be the phenomenon that she is.

I’m the youngest of four. My sister is almost 10 years older than I am and then there are two boys; I’m seven years younger than the second one, so it’s a pretty big gap.

We grew up at Bousquet. It was kind of our babysitter. My dad was a skier, and taught at the ski school under Court McDermott, who was a fixture at Bousquet for decades.

I got into skiing because it was either stay at home or go along and keep up. So I kept up, or I’d entertain myself at the finish area. My sister tells a story from when I was about seven. Our parents dropped us off at Bousquet. My siblings were going to ski club, and there was also a race. My mom said to me, “Absolutely do not enter that race”—back then, you didn’t need waivers or to have anything signed. At the end of the day, we were all meeting back up at the car, and I was acting weird. And everyone’s like, “Heidi, what’s going on?” I had the trophy stuffed up my coat. I had gone to the race and won.

I went to Stratton Mountain School for four years—going away to school to ski was just what my family did. I really didn’t have the dream of being the best skier, until when I was around 15 and I made the U.S. Ski Team. I realized, “Wow, I guess I’m a little bit better than I thought.”

When I was at Stratton, there were far more males than females.

I figured that if I could keep up with the boys, and also with my brothers, I was doing okay.

So that day when I met Mikaela more than 20 years ago, I looked down at her big eyes, and I said, “Do you like to ski?”

She said yes, and I said to her, “Always be faster than the boys, and you’ll be fine.” And I wrote it on her poster. And by damn, she took it to heart.

Above: The Voelkers in 1974: Craig; parents Alison and Larry; Gayle; and Eric. Heidi is in front of her mom. Right: Voelker was cheered on by thousands at a 1988 parade in Pittsfield.

You always be faster than the boys, and you’ll be fine, I wrote on her poster. And by damn, she took it to heart.”

ABFTTB is written on the back of her Atomic racing helmet, and people all over the world associate that phrase with Mikaela. It’s an inspiration for girls everywhere, which is fitting because Mikaela just keeps achieving things that seem impossible. I’m in awe of her.

The siblings—Gayle, Eric, Heidi, and Craig— hiked up Bousquet in their father’s memory on the day of his memorial service in 2015; their mother passed away in 2008.

Winter 2023 • THE B

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PH OTO: MEGAN HALEY

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THE B • Winter 2023

mikaela in her own words

Mikaela Shiffrin is a legend at age 28, the best ski racer of all time. Last season, she broke Lindsey Vonn’s women’s record of 82 World Cup wins, then went on to speed past Ingemar Stenmark’s record 86, which had stood for 34 years. Shiffrin makes it look easy—but she’s also the first to admit that it’s anything but. She has opened up about grieving the sudden loss of her father, Jeff, before a disappointing performance at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the pressure of expectations, and facing her fear of failure. She shared about all of that, and more, with The B—and we think her honesty makes her even more inspiring.

On Her Roots in the Berkshires

PHOTO: COURTESY OF EILEEN SHI FF RI N

My entire life, I’ve felt like the Berkshires was one of my happy places. Growing up, we would visit my Nana and Papa, and the whole family would come because my mom, her sisters, and her brother all grew up in Lanesborough. So, throughout my life, it was always the reunion spot. We’d often go at Thanksgiving or during the summer, and everybody would plan their trip around visiting Nana and Papa—all the cousins would come.

I have so many incredible memories, and I really love to come back here. I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, especially in the summertime and fall when the leaves start to change. We would go to Williams football games and for hikes. There’s so many amazing things about the area, including the skiing—all these smaller ski resorts as well as Jiminy and Bousquet—I do truly love it here.

Mikaela and her Nana, Polly Condron, at her home in Lanesborough; Polly, who passed away in 2019, was one of Mikaela’s biggest fans.

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There’s nothing else in the world like sports—they combine so many qualities and life skills into one thing that you can really enjoy.”

On the Power of Sports One of the most important and most beautiful things that sports brings into our lives is the development of work ethic and discipline. Which is funny, because sometimes people don’t love to hear about working really hard and being really disciplined and motivated. Sometimes people just want to talk about having fun.

Sports is a really unique thing because it combines fun with discipline—with work ethic, with drive and motivation—as well as the social aspect of being around your friends. It helps feed your competitive side, but hopefully also guides you in a way that can be supportive of your teammates or even your competitors at times.

There’s nothing else in the world that combines all of those different qualities and life skills into one thing that you can really enjoy. For the young kids out there, maybe you want to pursue sports and get to a professional level, or you want to do it in college or high school.

Maybe you haven’t started until after college, when you’re well into your professional career, and you’re just starting to think of joining a soccer league or starting master ski racing.

There’s literally no limit and I absolutely love that about sports. It’s never too late and it’s always worth trying, because it’s healthy for your body, for your mind. It’s such a great way to exercise and to meet people and develop friends for life.

My workout routine is a combination of things. I do strength sessions three to four times a week, and then I’ll do cardio and interval training and a lot of core training. I do Pilates often, as well, to help my core and keep my back in good shape. I play quite a lot of tennis, so Bousquet Sport is amazing because there are great tennis courts there.

One of my favorite—and also least favorite— exercises is pull-ups. When I was younger, I couldn’t do a single pull-up. So I made it my life’s mission to get strong enough that I could do them. And now I can. It’s still one of my least favorite things to do, but I always feel so accomplished when I can do a few.

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PH OTO: MI KE DAWSON – STI FEL U.S . S KI TEAM.

On Working Out

Happy Campers This past summer, Eileen and Mikaela visited Pittsfield’s Camp Arrow Wood (CAW), where Mikaela was having a lodge dedicated to her. It was a special experience for the Shiffrins and the campers. The kids gathered around the flagpole at the edge of Richmond Pond, and Mikaela shared with them what it’s like for people to put so much pressure on her and almost want to see her fail. She and Eileen also answered questions—lots of questions! Camp Arrow Wood has an emphasis on sports, so the young athletes were eager to take in as much as they could.

“We feel like the area—and specifically Camp Arrow Wood, with its gorgeous location in the woods on Richmond Pond, and its updated buildings and sports arenas—is a hidden gem and a magical place where all youth would be lucky to spend time,” said Eileen. “Camp Arrow Wood represents the essence of our family‘s values—some sport, some culture, living the outdoor life, competition with compassion, and learning to be good humans, partially through experiencing the environment so unique to Berkshire life. Becoming an ambassador for CAW seemed like a very natural course given Mikaela‘s appreciation for the area and the core values of CAW, so having a lodge named for her is meaningful to her.” camparrowwood.com SHIF FRI N CABI N: MEGAN HALEY; CAMP ARROW WOOD PH OTOS: QU ENTIN GITTENS

Mikaela took a moment on the porch of the lodge named for her. Left: Her boyfriend, Norwegian Olympic medalist and World Cup Alpine ski racer Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, joined her in the Berkshires and for the visit at Camp Arrow Wood; here they are with Mill Town’s Dave Mixer and a camper. Below: Mikaela lingered with the kids, taking selfies and signing autographs.

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On Facing Challenges I’ve learned that everybody faces challenges and struggles, and everybody on some level deals with anxiety. There’s always something we care about enough that the fear of not doing it well enough or having people judge us or not improving or excelling at it—whatever it might be—brings on some level of anxiety. That’s something that everybody can relate to.

For a long time in my career, a couple years at least, I felt like I was alone in feeling nervous and anxious and fearing what the media would say, even what my friends might say. Or disappointing family or feeling like the expectations were so high that I just couldn’t possibly reach them.

And there was a period of time where I felt like, even if I won races, I was still destined to fail. It was a really strange place to be when I was 20, 22,

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Mikaela grew up with her parents, Eileen and Jeff Shiffrin, as her biggest supporters; her father passed away in February 2020 after a household accident. Mikaela has said he taught her to “be nice, think first, have fun.”

24 years old, just getting to this point in life where most of my peers are celebrating, turning 21, and life is really just beginning and the world feels like your oyster. I was at a point where I felt destined to fail in this sport because I’ve had such great success. On the one hand, that’s amazing.

On the other hand, I’m just setting myself up to literally disappoint people from here on out because I can’t possibly meet these expectations that people have set. I didn’t know how to keep getting better.

It was a really confusing and complicated thing to go through, mentally and

emotionally. Over time I realized that life is not a linear climb. If you feel like you’ve reached the top of a mountain, it doesn’t mean it’s all downhill from there for the rest of your life. It just means you reached that summit and it might be downhill for a bit, and then you’ll climb again. You’ll reach different summits, you’ll figure out other things you love to do, or you’ll stick with the same thing, and it’s just going to be peaks and valleys. You’ll get to experience the joy of it more than once in your life. Even in your lowest moments, you can always look forward to things picking back up as long as you’re passionate about it and you’re willing to work to improve.

At that time I thought it was going to be people endlessly picking me apart for not exceeding their expectations.

And then, over the next few years, I realized that people reset their expectations that maybe I wasn’t going to win every race by two seconds, but I might still be a contender to win races. The competition was picking up again. And

people just sort of roll with the punches in life.

When you think, “the expectations are too high and you’re never going to meet them, so why is it worth trying?” you’ll find that it might be in a couple weeks, it might be in a couple months, it might be in a couple years, but people adjust—and you adjust. As humans, we don’t love to experience change, but we are born to adjust and adapt to our environment.

That’s something that I really hold onto now. Because every time I have a great season, I wonder: “Am I setting the expectations too high?” For instance, this season, after getting 88 wins and resetting this all-time record, now I’m a little bit fearful that people are going to be thinking I’ll break 100 this year. I want to scream from the rooftop: “Could everybody just slow down and reset your expectations because this is just too much pressure!”

But then I realize they’ll get there on their own time and, in a way, it doesn’t matter as long as I’m enjoying it.

P HOTO: MIKE DAWSON – STIF EL U.S. SK I TEAM.

Most of the time, the reason we succeed is because we’ve learned from failures.”

On Success and Failure

ESPY: PHOTO: MIKE DAWSON – STIFEL U.S. SKI TEAM.; DI NI COLA: GILLIAN JONES ; SC HMIDI NGER: C OU RTESY OF K RISTA SCH MI DINGER

We will fail in life and we’ll succeed in life. Most of the time, the reason we succeed is because we’ve learned from failures. And the reason we appreciate succeeding is because we’ve failed before. And that makes the success sweeter. No matter what people say about you, and no matter how many times you fail, you can’t truly be a failure in life. There’s literally nobody out there who is.

I’ve been a failure at moments, and those moments have inspired me to try harder or be kinder.

It’s not just at the Olympics, not winning a medal in Beijing. It’s small moments, in ways that I react in situations with family and people I love. It’s simply not feeling motivated enough to do the work that I have to do, and in that moment I feel like I’ve failed. All of those moments, whether they’re big or small, public or private, they’re really important in order to help you figure out what your next steps are to do what you really want to do.

And that thinking and that mindset automatically means you could never be a true failure. B

Mikaela won the ESPY for Best Athlete in Women’s Sports in July 2023.

Going for Greatness Meet more of our cold-weather sports stars.

By Neil Turitz

Berkshire winters have an upside: They produce some pretty spectacular athletes.

Take Pittsfield’s Mary Lou DiNicola, whose speed skating prowess is legendary enough that in The Berkshire Eagle’s series listing the top 50 Berkshire County athletes of the 20th century, she was number seven.

She took up the sport in 1950 at the age of 10, retired at the age of 18, then returned to it 27 years later after working locally as a coach. Starting in 1985, she began entering competitions and was wildly successful, winning several national and world championships in her age group. Still, it wasn’t winning that interested her, it was the rush of being in the race.

“I love competition,” she said. “If I won, that was a plus. If I didn’t, I wanted to make the winner work for it. Like my husband says, I’m just competitive. At everything I do. I think you’re born with it.”

Now 84 and still living in Pittsfield, her competing days appear to be over. “There are not that many competitions for my age group. I still skate, but my last competition was in Lake Placid in Mary Lou DiNicola 2020. I think you could probably call me retired now. At this stage of my life,” she said with a laugh, “I think this is it.”

One of Heidi Voelker’s teammates on the ’92 and ’94 Olympic teams was Krista Schmidinger, who was a local legend alongside twin sister, Kim. Their father taught them to ski in their backyard in Lee and at Eastover Resort, where he was a ski instructor and lifeguard. Krista describes growing up skiing all the local mountains and racing for Bousquet as “escaping with my twin sister into a world of fun

Twins Krista and Kim Schmidinger at Bousquet in the 1970s

and freedom and snow and glitter and french fries and hot chocolate with whipped cream.”

Now she lives in Washington, Krista Schmidinger, 1996 D.C., where her daughter is in high school and she is an entrepreneur developing a high-performing and safer ski.

More recently, Lenox Memorial Middle and High School alum Laura Spector competed in the biathlon—a combination of cross country skiing and riflery—in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

“My mom suggested I try it,” she says. “She said it was a no-strings-attached situation.

It was, if you don’t like it, you can quit, but give it a try first. I had some friends who were on the team, and we just had a great time. Because when you’re starting and you’re young, skiing should just be fun.”

Spector is now a scientist living in Los Alamos, New Mexico, with her husband and newborn son. “There was a lot of support from the athletes and from the coaches, and we had the legacy of [two-time Olympian and Berkshires native] Patrick Weaver when I was growing up,” she says. “If you’ve been to Kennedy Park, there’s a trail named after him. So I used to run that trail all the time, and it was pretty inspiring.”

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LOCALLOVE Eileen Shiffrin—herself a masters ski racer, not to mention the celebrated longtime coach of her daughter, Mikaela—developed her passion for the sport and outdoor adventure right here in the Berkshires.

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PHOTO: MEGAN HALEY

By EILEEN SHIFFRIN

Berkshire Beginnings

PHOTO: COURTESY OF EILEEN SHI FF RI N

Growing up and learning to ski here was a unique and formative experience. All of our outdoor sports existed in the most beautiful setting, with the Berkshire hills as the backdrop and a peacefulness that was hard to match but easy to take for granted as kids. The winters could be magical and exciting, but also brought challenges.

Back then we had storms that would heap snow to the top of our wood-sided station wagon.

I don’t remember it raining as much back then in the winter, but it did sometimes. We defied the fickleness of the weather by piling on our layers and heading out to ski anyway. We didn‘t have the high-tech waterproof fabrics that we have now, so our day or evening would come to an end when we were drenched through to our skin and freezing to death.

In the fall, soon after Halloween, when the worldrenowned autumn foliage would be nearing its end, my parents would start our skiing craze by bringing us down to the BesseClarke Sporting Goods store on North Street, usually on a dark and chilly fall evening, to get new ski gear and clothing if we had outgrown old gear. Soon thereafter, the local ski areas would start making snow during the cold nights and the season would begin.

My earliest memory of skiing was when I was maybe about 5 years old, traipsing after my brother, P.J., through quite deep snow in the cow pasture across the street from our house, to a short, steep hill where my brother (always the adventurer), neighborhood friends, and I (not

much help), would pack down the hill with our skis. We would ski down, hiking back up for the thrill of even 5 seconds of descending again. That‘s how much everyone loved skiing.

Lanesborough had four different small ski areas within about a 20-mile radius from our house. We skied most evenings after school and every weekend all winter long. We could be dropped off, by the bus, on the way home from school. But If we didn’t alpine ski after school then we were probably nordic skiing, on the cross-country trail at Mt. Greylock High School, preparing for our Nordic races. We had enough snow back then to easily host Nordic races at multiple venues within Berkshire County. One way or the other, we skied a lot.

The mercurial weather in the fall/winter created a naturally water-injected, hard surface at the ski areas, which we kind of hated but was good for us, it turns out—and it’s impossible to replicate in the more chic, sunny ski resorts of the world. That is how we all learned to carve turns on “blue ice.” Any other surface, anywhere in the world after that seemed like butter to us. In fact, most of the ski areas Mikaela races at (unless it’s Killington), have to literally put water into the surface in order to create the hard snow we grew up learning to ski on. That challenge instilled a type of grit in all of us that is impossible to teach kids other than experientially.

The atmosphere and environment we grew up in, with its beauty and challenges,

left an indelible mark on all of us. The good days were great, so inviting and bewitching that they more than offset the cranky weather days. We grew to appreciate the small things in life, like going home to a nice hot shower, dry clothes, a pot roast dinner, and the “Wide World of Sports” on TV. Something that is hard to explain or describe is the deep passion for the whole alpine/ Nordic lifestyle that seeded itself in us, in the Berkshires, at young ages. P.J. and my older sister, Annie, participated in a more formal ski program than I did, and they began their dryland program every fall by hiking up Mount Greylock with their team on the weekends. As I approached middle school, Annie would urge me to join the hikes, which I found

The family gathered at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. Standing: Jimmy Ryan, Cara Herrick, Joe Condron, Mikaela, Polly Condron, P.J. Condron, Taylor Shiffrin, Jeff Shiffrin, Katie Condron.

Kneeling: Annie Herrick, Eileen Shiffrin, Caroline Ryan

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...I was always her mom, first and last.”

intimidating (and which she always won). But I did the hikes enough times to remember the pain and also the gratifying sense of accomplishment when we got to the summit.

We moved our family from Colorado to New Hampshire when Mikaela and her brother Taylor were young, for my husband’s work. During the six years we lived there, our family had much easier access to the Berkshires. Mikaela and Taylor spent enough time in Lanesborough—at the home I grew up in with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—to develop the same appreciation for the lifestyle.

I love to be active when we come to the Berkshires.

Luckily, my siblings are of like mind. In the summer we like to play golf, tennis, boat on the lakes, hike the many trails in the area, sit on the lawn at Tanglewood, of course, bike the gorgeous Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, and visit the Clark

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Art Institute or the summer theater in Williamstown. With Mikaela having to work out every day, when we are visiting the Berkshires together, we often find ourselves at Bousquet Sport for tennis or the amazing gym. Then we might go have a bite at Bousquet Lodge, where the atmosphere—with a view of the ski hill—and food are great.

There might be music, as well.

Another favorite is the restaurant at the top of Mount Greylock, Bascom Lodge. The food is always delicious and the views are spectacular. There’s a plethora of fun things to do in the Berkshires, rain or shine. The only problem is choosing how to spend the time we have there!

Raising a Champion My husband Jeff and I were never parents who jumped the gun. We knew that, with all sports, kids remain big fish in small ponds usually forever, but the process is still key and fun.

By the time Mikaela had fairly

will to work tirelessly toward an end goal. Mikaela has tended to always be patient with the process, and never wanted to dilly dally or waste time. I believe anyone who has ever worked with Mikaela would say she is extremely methodical and efficient with learning in order to achieve results in the most streamlined way.

Why Sports Matter I believe sports, including body movement or physical challenge of any sort, is important for humans. We all need to care for our minds and bodies. They work together for us and neither should be neglected. My family growing up, and my husband and our kids, have always naturally struck a balance between the two. Sports help kids move, get blood flowing to the brain, help to relieve mental stress, and help increase endorphins, which can help calm and center a person.

Physical fitness is empowering, and helps with self-esteem.

When I was growing up, many sports were available only to boys (Little League baseball, for example). With the passing of Title IX in 1972, however, that imbalance quickly changed and girls now have equal opportunity and access to all sports—so girls, go out there, see which one suits you, and have at it! For boys as well as girls, a sport’s biggest gift initially is just the movement involved, helping kids to take care of body and mind. Then see where it goes from there. B

P HOTO: C OU RTESY OF EI LEEN SHI FF RIN

Mikaela and Eileen at Killington

dramatic results in her first real international race in Italy, we started thinking she might be competitive on a more global scale someday, if each of those kids predicted their nation‘s future results. But even then we kept things in perspective and understood it was a junior race. So many things can change between those young ages and the real top level of World Cup Skiing, so we put the encouraging results in their proper place and got back to work with the skiing. I tended to focus more on technique that she might need to improve while Jeff did the data analysis and came up with a pretty positive picture of what Mikaela‘s career could look like as a result of the Topolino races. He was quite accurate, I must say.

Raising and coaching Mikaela was the easiest thing because she was always agreeable, about everything, enjoying life all the time, and absolutely craving instruction and feedback. Her interest in learning, improving, and excelling was like no other.

She was like a sponge—and demonstrated exactly what we would tell her to do. She had no issue skiing to repeat the same thing over and over: the ideal student. But I was always her mom, first and last.

I believe one of Mikaela‘s strongest qualities is that she is bright, astute, AND she likes to do things well. No matter what it is. Mikaela is exceptionally mindful and present at all times.

She was born that way, with a

ALL IN THE

FAMILY Like her sister Eileen, Annie Herrick has warm memories of cold Berkshire winters and growing up with siblings that loved to ski.

P HOTOS : C OU RTESY OF ANNI E CONDRON

ANNIE IS THE OLDEST of four siblings, with Eileen; Patrick, known as P.J.; and Caroline behind her. She describes their parents, Joseph and Pauline “Polly” Condron, as athletes, their father being the one who started them skiing at very young ages—mostly “to get us out of the house,” she said.

Annie recalls their family being on a waitlist of about 250 people to join the small, rustic Mount Greylock Ski Club in South Williamstown in the 1960s (the club opened in 1937 and remains open, with P.J. still being involved). Once they were finally admitted to the club, the Condrons would often set off for the day and return home so tired that Polly could barely keep the kids awake for the spaghetti dinner she had prepared.

The Condron kids skied, trained, and raced at Mount Greylock Ski Club under Gerard “Vince” Conway and Jack O’Brien. And off season, they didn’t take much of a break. “Right after Labor Day,” Annie said, “we would hike up and clear the Thunderbolt Trail so we could do dryland training there.”

The hard work particularly paid off in February, 1973, when Annie, a senior in high school, competed in the Berkshire Interscholastic Ski Races, a multidiscipline event that combines

alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and jumps. The winner is crowned Skimeister, and it had never been a girl—in fact, it couldn’t be a girl because girls were not allowed to ski jump in the competition.

In 1973, however, inclement weather made it too dangerous for the jumping to take place. And no jumps meant that “it was the first year that there was a level playing field for all the male and female competitors,” said Annie.

And she won.

Above: Annie (second from left) with mom and siblings. Right: Annie’s parents at Brodie, 1972

After the competition, “everybody was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it looks like a woman has won this race with the overall points,’” recalled Annie. “It was kind of a panic situation. Nobody knew what to do.”

What they did was create the title “Skimeisterin” for Annie (as in, a feminine form of “Skimeister.”) And though previous years had not seen two people honored, that year did. A young man, Bill Lyon*—who came in second place overall—was dubbed the “Skimeister.” *Bill Lyon, incidentally, still lives locally and skis often. He runs William Lyon and Son Carpentry (and happens to be the father of Mary Daire and Molly Lyon-Joseph, from our story on page 87)

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Visser for the Win Broadcaster and journalist Lesley Visser crossed many roads on her way from Western Massachusetts to a Hall of Fame career.

By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli

When she was 10 years old, Lesley Visser proclaimed to her mother that she wanted to be a sportswriter. She may as well have said she wanted to go to Mars. In 1965 that job did not exist for women.

But her mother, Mary, did not dampen that dream—she fueled it. As Visser recalled, “Instead of saying, ‘Girls don’t do that and your choices, though noble, are teacher, nurse, secretary, domestic, housewife,’ she famously said, ‘That’s great! Sometimes you have to cross when it says Don’t Walk.’” The response changed Visser’s life and stays with her to this day.

Shortly after, having moved to the small, bucolic town of South Hadley, Visser started to chart her path of walking when the signs said “don’t.”

Through sheer determination, perseverance, passion, and will, Lesley Visser would become the most highly acclaimed female sportscaster of all time, with years at The Boston Globe and decades on television with CBS Sports, ABC Sports, and ESPN. Visser was the first woman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has been inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and was the first female sportscaster to carry the Olympic Torch.

The list goes on.

The B visited with the legendary journalist—and author of the memoir

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Left: Visser holds the Lombardi Trophy. Below: Visser interviewing former UMass coach John Calipari

“Sometimes You Have to Cross When It Says Don’t Walk”—to talk about her background in the Pioneer Valley and the Berkshires, and what it means to her today.

In your memoir, you discuss your upbringing and where you’ve lived. With the wit of the Hall of Fame writer that you are, you said, “baggage claim.” But you have deep roots in New England.

In New England we care about three things: sports, politics and talking about sports, and politics. To be born in Massachusetts was a real blessing,

especially to grow up with the Celtics, whom I believe didn’t lose an NBA title until I was in high school. You grew up with the idea of teamwork because that’s what they [Celtics] were. You know, Russell wasn’t the flashiest or the loudest. He was just the best.

My mom was a teacher in a school system out near the Berkshires, and she would rent a Greyhound bus to take an historical trip to Fenway Park—not a museum or archeological dig—she took her kids to Fenway.

Tell us about your time in South Hadley. Where were some of the places you enjoyed in the Berkshires and surrounding areas?

I think I was in 8th grade when we moved to South Hadley and it was so great. I never take for granted that half the world goes to the Berkshires to see the leaves and we were kicking them on the way to school. It was really a profound time.

We would go skiing at Mt. Tom. The high school would go on ski trips to Sugarloaf and Wildcat. We would flood the back yard and play hockey. There would be trips to Tanglewood. I was in high school seeing Janis Joplin, James Taylor, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the Shed at Tanglewood. I would go up to UMass and see “Sly and the Family Stone.” It was jam packed with learning and excitement and vision.

Every season gave you something.

Visser was the first woman sportscaster to carry the Olympic Torch.

teams. We had a great field hockey teacher, Peg Leavitt [Leavitt was a well-known champion of sports for girls even before Title IX]. I remember she so believed in me that she actually got me a real field hockey stick. She was instrumental. There was a group of teachers that gave me a love of learning. It was really a perfect time and place.

Anything else meaningful you want to tell us about that era and area?

I was a child of the ‘60s. Because of all the great colleges—Amherst, UMass, Smith, and Mount Holyoke—they would let us off for peace marches. You were involved in that part of the country. You were expected to be active and involved, and care about things outside yourself.

It’s just been a privilege for me, and a blessing, to have come of age in that part of the country.

PHOTOS : COURTESY OF LES LEY V ISS ER

What part has your experience growing up in Western Massachusetts played in your career trajectory?

I grew up playing sports. It was very important to me to be an athlete and teammate. I was the captain of a couple of

Having lived in “baggage claim,” traveling around the world as a pioneer broadcaster, what brings you back to the Berkshires and why is it important for you to return?

I find a great strength and peace in going back. It’s stimulating and familiar to me.

I still have friends from high school. It’s important to me. B

“You were expected to be active and involved, and care about things outside yourself.”

Tom and Jerry Caraccioli are identical twin brothers and authors of Olympic- and political-themed books “BOYCOTT: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” and regional bestseller “STRIKING SILVER: The Untold Story of America’s Forgotten Hockey Team.” They also write a monthly column for USA HOCKEY Magazines.

Visser’s list of firsts in the industry is long and distinguished: Voted the No. 1 Female Sportscaster of All Time by the American Sportscasters Association First woman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame First woman honored with a Lifetime Sports Emmy Award First woman on the network broadcasts of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four, Super Bowl, and NBA Finals First and only woman to win the Billie Jean King Award for Outstanding Journalist First woman on Monday Night Football, while also covering the World Series, World Figure Skating, World Skiing Championships, and the Olympic Winter Games The first female sportscaster to carry the Olympic Torch The only woman to have presented the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl

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See Her, Be Her supersisters™, the first trading cards featuring women of achievement, has Berkshire ties.

BY M EGAN TADY Right: Poster proof of the first edition supersistersTM cards

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IMAGES DI GITIZED THROUGH A PARTNERSH IP B ETWEEN SU PERSISTERS™ AND THE FEMINIST INSTITUTE, 2022

Suzy Chaffee is card number one in the original supersistersTM trading card set which aimed to empower women and girls by highlighting accomplished women in a wide variety of fields.

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Eight-year-old Melissa Rich was fed up. The year was 1978, and to play Little League she had to join the all-boys team. Only men, she noticed, were on the baseball cards that kids were trading and sticking into their bike spokes, creating the sound of revved-up motorcycles. To watch women compete athletically, she had to wait for the Olympics. Every four years.

Confused and frustrated, Melissa asked her mother, Lois Rich, a question that would change their family’s trajectory: “Mom, why aren’t there any girls on baseball cards? That isn’t fair.”

Lois and her sister, Barbara Egerman, realized she was right, and they decided to act. If the world didn’t offer Melissa and her female friends trading cards featuring women, then they would. Their cards, dubbed supersisters™, would include women of achievement in a variety of fields: politics, arts, entertainment, science, engineering, sports, and more.

Lois was based in Irvington, New York, and Barbara in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and their family owned a summer cottage in Stockbridge. Together they scoured local libraries, curating a list of 500 women to contact via snail mail. A crash course in printing taught them that only 72 cards could fit on a poster for cutting and collating.

Whoever responded first would be included.

“There was no such thing as the internet back then,” Lois recalled. “We would call the operator and say, ‘Do you have an address for Gloria Steinem?’” Turns out, they did. Journalist and activist Steinem attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and co-founded New York magazine and Ms. Magazine. She said yes to Lois and Barbara’s invitation to be on a supersisters™ card—as did anthropologist Margaret Mead, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, actor Ruby Dee, and U.S. lawmaker Shirley Chisolm, who was the first African American woman to serve in Congress.

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Journalist Lynne Baranski wrote this article about supersistersTM for People Magazine.

Left and below: Two cards featuring pioneering women with ties to the Berkshires.

The esteemed list included two pioneering women with Berkshire ties: Ms. Magazine co-founder Letty Cottin Pogrebin, who worked for the publication for 17 years, and flutist Doriot Anthony Dwyer, the first woman to be named principal chair in a major U.S. orchestra.

By 1979, when the supersisters™ cards were published, Pogrebin was writing a column for Ladies’ Home Journal called “The Working Woman,” and she’d co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus with Steinem. A renowned speaker and social justice activist, she went on to publish two novels and 10 works of nonfiction, and she was a 2018 inductee in the Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame. The Berkshires have been on Pogrebin’s radar since 1959 thanks to a concert at Tanglewood in Lenox. She now divides her time between New York City and Stockbridge, where she purchased a home in 2009.

Dwyer was also introduced to the Berkshires via Tanglewood. In 1952, she auditioned for the position of principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) at Tanglewood, BSO’s summer venue. She broke gender barriers by earning the position, which she held for nearly four decades.

“Forty-five years ago, this information about women was largely missing from marketing, media, toys, and textbooks,” Melissa said. “There was nothing. Boys had baseball cards. Boys could see themselves growing up to be professional baseball players. Most of them never would, but all of them thought they could.”

At first, Lois and Barbara planned to distribute the cards in local schools as an educational tool, but a 1980 New York Times article about supersisters™, including photos of Steinem’s and Dwyer’s cards, spurred national media attention and a wave of mail orders. “Suddenly, we got publicity from all over the country, and even all over the world,” Lois said.

“We had a business.”

A business that rapidly took over Lois’s household, with the master bedroom becoming supersisters™ headquarters, boxes of correspondence piling high, while the ping pong table in the basement served as the collating station. “Nothing was digital then,” Lois said. “We had boxes of permissions from each of the women, and the pictures that they sent. If they didn’t have pictures, my sister-in-law would take them.

Most of these women didn’t have agents then, which would not be the case now.”

Jane Pauley, co-host of NBC’s “Today,” was featured on a supersisters™ card, prompting her to send journalist Tony Guida to interview the sisters at Lois’s house and film Melissa and her friends playing with the cards. Adding to the chaos on that particular day: a hamster got loose, and the family had to chase it around the house amidst the film crew.

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To learn more, visit supersisterscards.com To see more from the archive, visit thefeministinstitute.org

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The original permission forms from Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, and Judy Blume—Angelou and Blume would have been in the second supersisters series, but it was never published.

IMAGES DI GITIZED THROUGH A PARTNERSH IP B ETWEEN SU PERSISTERS™ AND THE FEMINIST INSTITUTE, 2022

“It was truly homegrown,” Melissa said.

“There weren’t a lot of women starting businesses at that time. What Lois and Barbara achieved from this one little spark of an idea was truly amazing. They didn’t invent a cure for cancer. They didn’t even invent baseball cards. But they made sure that women were included in that phenomenon.”

Not everyone, however, was pleased— especially as Lois and Barbara applied for and won a grant from the New York State Department of Education. “The backlash was strong because people considered these cards ‘feminist,’ and we had a fight on our hands,” Lois said.

Lois and Barbara worked on the supersisters™ from 1978 to 1984, intending to produce a second set of cards, even getting responses from children’s book author Judy Blume and the memoirist and poet Maya Angelou. Life, however, had other plans, and the sisters put the project on hold while they diverted their attention to other careers.

Lois used the Stockbridge cottage to store the boxes of correspondence.

Recently, the project has garnered new attention and interest. The Feminist Institute, an organization documenting feminist contributions to society, digitized and archived the supersisters™ materials.

In online programming, The Metropolitan Museum of Art showcased two supersisters™ cards, Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee and Shirley Chisholm.

Melissa has plans to continue to relaunch the project, knowing that gender equity still has a long way to go. “I was looking through the boxes, and I found a letter from another 8-year-old girl. It was written in bubble letters. It said, ‘I saved up my money for a deck of supersisters™ cards. I want to be president someday.’ We came close, and maybe we still will. But the legacy of these cards is showing girls they can be anything they want to be. If they can see her, they can be her.” B

Making History Close to Home The originals. The firsts. The groundbreakers.

By Kate Abbott Clockwise from top left: Stephanie Wilson, Amy Bess Miller, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Maud Mandel

LUCE BIJAH 1732-1821 | (Also Lucy Terry Prince) Considered by some the first published Black American poet. She held readings and musical evenings in her home and is said to have debated with Williams College trustees, who at the time would not accept Black students.

ELIZABETH FREEMAN 1742–1829 | Made slavery officially illegal in the commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1781 by successfully suing for her freedom under the new state constitution.

MILLAY, WILSON: WIKIPEDIA COMMONS, PUB LIC DOMAI N; MI LLER: WI LLI AM TAGUE; MANDEL: STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

ELECTA QUINNEY 1798–1885 | Born to the Mohican people soon after their forced removal from their land in Wnahktukuk, now Stockbridge, she would found one of the first schools in what would become Wisconsin.

FANNY KEMBLE 1809–1893 | Nationally touring Shakespearean actor and abolitionist, she became a bestselling writer for her antislavery “Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation” … and she lived in Lenox.

SUSAN B. ANTHONY 1820–1906 | Legendary crusader for the women’s suffrage movement, she was born in Adams.

HARRIET BEECHER STOWE 1811–1896 | Novelist and abolitionist who influenced national debates on slavery and the Civil War. Born in Litchfield, Connecticut. (Her brother, Henry Ward Beecher, also lived in Lenox.)

EDITH WHARTON 1862–1973 | First woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in fiction, she wrote bestsellers including “The Age of Innocence,” “Ethan Frome,” and “The House of Mirth,” many while living at The Mount in Lenox.

JENNIE VAN DER ZEE 1885–1956 | A filmmaker and artist, she was one of the earliest BIPOC women to experiment with silent film. She and her brother, Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee, were both born in Lenox.

EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY 1892–1950 | The first woman to win the Pulitzer prize in poetry, she was nationally known for her readings and her progressive politics. Known as a liberated voice from Greenwich Village, she lived her later years in Austerlitz, New York.

PHOEBE JORDAN In 1920 she became the first woman in the country to have her vote counted in a national election, when she voted in New Ashford.

AMY BESS MILLER 1912–2003 | A Shaker scholar, she saved Hancock Shaker Village, led the charge to create the living history museum, and served as the museum’s first president (and her family owned The Berkshire Eagle).

STEPHANIE WILSON b.1966 | A veteran astronaut—with three space flights and more than 42 hours in space—she was born in Boston and attended high school in Pittsfield.

MAUD MANDEL b.1967 | Since 2018, she has served as the first female president of Williams College, leading the college through the pandemic.

Before her time here, she served as a professor of history and Judaic studies, and dean of the college at Brown University.

JANE SWIFT b.1965 | Born in North Adams, she served as the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2003 and acting governor from April 2001 to January 2003—the first female acting governor of Massachusetts and, at the time, the youngest female governor in U.S. history.

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Listen in as these eight women talk about things that matter— you’ll want to hear what they have to say.

in conver sation

BY A MY CO N WAY

PH OTO G R A PH S BY

S TEPH A N I E ZO LL S H A N

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in conversation

THIS MoCA MOMENT Kristy Edmunds, Director, MASS MoCA & Alison Pebworth, Artist

Artist Alison Pebworth has lived in a rambling, grand old Victorian in North Adams for about a year, and has a storefront studio on Eagle Street where passers-by can watch her work and come in to talk art on First Fridays. She’s getting to know the community—and that’s exactly the point. When Kristy Edmunds brought Pebworth in as the first long-term artist-in-residence at MASS MoCA, the initiative supported what Edmunds describes as the organization’s dual role: To help artists build, develop, and share their ideas, and to have a positive and lasting impact on the area. Having been in the top spot for two years now, Edmunds has additional ambitious projects and plans for our own local, world-class center for visual and performing arts. She sat down with Pebworth and The B—in that rambling Victorian—to talk art, community, and MASS MoCA’s 25th anniversary.

The B: How did this collaboration come about?

Kristy Edmunds: We met at a dinner, and immediately I realized, this is one of those artists that is 360 degrees all the time, thinking and making. I was pretty new to being in the director seat at MASS MoCA, but I’d been talking with curators, with the staff, and with people in the community.

I really wanted to see if we could create a program where an artist could live and work amongst us all for a long period of time. Because then, you start to actually know people in the community. I felt like that was a really important thing for MASS MoCA to do.

Hey, Alison, what do you think?

Pebworth is the first artist-in-residence to stay in this home, which was donated to the museum.

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Alison Pebworth: For me, it was a miracle.

I’ve been following one vision my whole life that has been steadily morphing and defining how I want to be and engage with the world, where art, work, and play become indistinguishable. When I met Kristy, the project had hit a wall and was dormant— there are always other projects that keep my hands busy when the big ideas are waiting for fertile ground to germinate. My invitation to be an artist-in-residence at MASS MoCA was the fertile ground I needed to fully immerse myself in the Cultural Apothecary.

KE: I loved the idea that she was working on, the Cultural Apothecary.

AP: As Kristy recognized, I would be half in residence with the museum and half in residence with the town of North Adams.

I’m naturally a hermit—my mom used to say I was morbidly shy. Having a storefront studio is going from the hermit to being in the fishbowl. It felt really important to me and not something I was ever comfortable with. It has allowed me to re-engage with a social practice and community building from the ground up, while also formulating how to bring this process into the museum on a much larger scale. This stage was really about data collecting, about inviting the public to be part of the process.

KE: When it comes to Alison, this is somebody who’s asking open-ended questions in dialogue with many different people, and new forms get found. You’re sort of interdependent. That is really beautiful.

It’s one of the things that I can’t stress enough. At the end of the day, artists trust this organization to be a creative home for their ideas that do not have absolute certain outcomes. We lean into what could be made possible if we work together.

AP: And I want to bring forward how important the curators are in the process.

KE: Totally—in the performing arts, creative producers and the technical team become the backing band for the ideas. And in the visual practices of artists,

you have the curatorial team and the curators. These three women are the fulltime curators of 300,000 square feet of space. I mean, think about that.

The B: Can you share some of your plans for MASS MoCA? KE: One of the biggest things is that we’re at a transition point—we’re moving from being kind of a startup organization.

This region depends on our existence for the investments that they’re making throughout North Adams, throughout the Berkshires. Things that are going to be here, durably, generationally long term, those investments are very directly connected to MASS MoCA. So, being able to be very creative about how we make long-term promises, how we work on a strategic plan, how we invest in the region with artists bringing our network to bear, [that’s important].

The B: And how do you do that?

KE: We are obviously going to continue with the exhibitions. And we have a major commitment to our most ephemeral forms, which are the performing arts.

[The inside of] MASS MoCA, is profoundly welcoming and quite liberating. But when you look at it from the outside, it can look like a fortress. There’s a lot that we can do on the exterior that is welcoming.

The environment’s going to be a big one.

A huge challenge. This was an industrial factory site. Right now, this is kind of a factory of creativity. And in that regard, to me, what’s very interesting is working with artists to help us think creatively with the community on how we can

eventually green that space. Make that a sustainable space and help it heal the land that it stands on.

That’s a huge, long arc. But it’s like anything, you can either keep kicking things under the asphalt or you can start to say, how do we work over this upcoming three, five, seven, 10 years, and truly improve the conditions for the future, which will only otherwise get harder.

AP: Also, thinking about indigenous people, bringing them in. They could be stewards of the land and thinking about what the land was before.

KE: Absolutely. We’re working with different native communities, thinking through different kinds of artistic strategies. There are so many different things that we’re doing.

But ultimately, we work in the world of aesthetics And so it’s very much about how do we create the conditions in which artists can feel liberated to pursue the big ideas that they care the most about in the most authentic ways, and match those to localized wisdoms and global wisdoms.

The B: Well said. And I understand there’s an anniversary coming up.

KE: Clear your calendars for Memorial Day Weekend 2024! It’s going to be a weekend, a gala, a variety of things. Right here at MASS MoCA. The B: Can you tell us anything more about it?

KE: Just mark your calendars. We’re going to pull out all the stops.

The Cultural Apothecary Pebworth’s exhibition will open in fall 2024. It represents the culmination of her different works and traveling exhibitions with overlapping, evolving themes. She often works with paint, installations, and social interactions, and explores the idea of what it means to be an American. The idea of a cultural apothecary references a place where people from all walks of life can come together to talk about what ails them, sharing remedies, knowledge, and understanding.

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in conversation

“YOU TOO CAN DO” Shirley Edgerton, Activist; Founder and Director, Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program (R.O.P.E.) & Roberta McCulloch-Dews, VP of Marketing, Greylock Federal Credit Union; mentor with R.O.P.E.

You can see Edgerton’s title above—but it hardly captures everything that she does for her community. She has founded a powerful mentoring program that helps young people of the Berkshires believe they can achieve things they might not ever have thought possible. As a leader sharing her knowledge, her time, and her talents, Edgerton may just be the ultimate mentor. She sat down recently at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, in Pittsfield, with McCullochDews (herself an inspiring mentor), who interviewed her about the life experiences that led her to the path she is on, and the impact she has had. “You are the recipient of so many accolades, so many honors,” said McCulloch-Dews.

And she’s sure not done yet.

Roberta McCulloch-Dews: Shirley, it’s a pleasure to have this conversation with you. We go way back. You’re a transplant to the Berkshires—because as we know, unless you were born and raised in the Berkshires, you are always a transplant.

Shirley Edgerton: I was born in South Carolina. My grandmother raised me, and decided when I was nine or 10 years of age that we would relocate to Mount Vernon, New York. From my grandmother, I learned about working hard, operating with integrity, and having a sense of pride in who I am. In a lot of ways, I felt like she was before her time.

My pastor’s wife became one of my major mentors. And she started planting this seed, that I should marry a pastor. I’m like, “I’m not even dating yet!” But it just so happened I started dating a young man [Jerome Edgerton] who was in the ministry and we did marry. He accepted the call from the Second Congregational Church [in Pittsfield, in the early nineties].

So that’s how we ended up moving here.

RMD: So, you were a pastor’s wife.

SE: Yes, I was [he passed away in 2020].

That’s why I understand a lot of things that I see around me. <laughs>.

RMD: What was your stimulus for mentorship?

SE: Number one, the mentorship that I had received and treasured.

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that the mentors get as much out of the mentorship as the mentees.

RMD: I’m thinking about the cycle of service—what is that phrase?

SE: To whom much is given, much is required. When you have been helped, you can’t just turn around and close that door.

RMD: You are the recipient of so many accolades, so many achievements, so many honors and distinctions. You do so much.

How do you decide where you’re going to devote your time?

And my husband and I made a conscious decision that we wanted our three children to be involved in the community. I had a strong sense of history and an appreciation for my culture. I didn’t see that in a lot of the young people. And when I started working for state government, as a professional of color, I didn’t see a lot of folks that looked like us. Research shows in terms of that mirror and that reflection, you need to understand, “You too can do, you too can be.”

RMD: How did you turn those thoughts into action?

SE: My oldest daughter was involved in dance, so she and some buddies and siblings decided to choreograph a step [a percussive style of dance], and to participate in an afternoon program at the church. Then they wanted to participate in The Gather-In [the oldest African American gathering in Berkshire County, hosted by the Berkshire County branch of the NAACP], which was coming up. They performed in the Gather-In and people started coming up to us, like, I want to be a part of this, or my child wants to be a part.

I’m like, part of what? <laughs> This is not a group, this is just a few youths in the church.

But then it hit me. Maybe there’s something there. Maybe there’s a need here that we can fulfill with this, so we started the step team that would become Youth

Alive performing arts group. With my social work background, I saw it as an opportunity to do trainings. And that’s when I started following Jacob’s Pillow around to their community events.

And one day at an event, “J.R.” Glover [cofounder of Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion program], comes over to me and she says, “Who are you? I see you everywhere.”

So I started laughing, and introduced myself.

And so that’s how we began our relationship with Jacob’s Pillow. And then “J.R.” Glover introduced me to [Lipp Family Director of Dance] Sandra Burton at Williams College.

And then the relationships just spiraled.

RMD: When was R.O.P.E. born?

SE: It was 12 years ago. What I saw happening was that the girls didn’t have that strong sense of themselves the way the boys did. The girls didn’t have confidence. They didn’t see their value. I’m like, ladies, you are important.

RMD: Over a 12 year span, your leadership has helped young women who have now gone on to college and to great careers. Some have come back to be mentors in R.O.P.E. What are the levels of fulfillment that come from being a mentor?

SE: If you have a conversation with any of the mentors, they talk about their humble beginnings. It’s about making that connection with young people who can relate to their experiences. I know

SE: I’ve learned to say no. And we are at a point in time where I think we have to dig in deep and be aware and intentional about the work that we’re doing. I really do think that given the national climate, we could be pulled back to places we don’t want to be.

RMD: So in terms of that awareness, what are some things that people can do?

SE: In the Berkshires and across the country, there are national, state, and local organizations that people can join. Be aware of the history. There are conversations going on in our community—all kinds of conversations that people can engage in. I think people have to decide for themselves where they want to be.

RMD: Tell me a little bit more about what you see the young women today needing and what they’re getting from your program.

SE: Given the issues of sexism, the challenges of being women of color, we help them develop relationships with women who’ve been through some of what they’re going to experience. We also show them there are opportunities—you can go to college, you can travel internationally [R.O.P.E. plans learning and cultural trips, both domestic and to Africa].

Sometimes it’s just important to have a woman to stand next to them and say, “you can be whatever you want to be.”

To learn more about R.O.P.E.’s Civil Rights Bus Tour that the group took this past summer, see page 20.

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in conversation

CREATIVITY RUNS IN THE FAMILY Kate Maguire, Artistic Director, CEO, Berkshire Theatre Group & Isadora Wolfe, dance performer and teacher, movement director

Kate Maguire and her school-age twin daughters, Isadora and Emma Wolfe, missed the Berkshires. It was the mid-nineties and Maguire—who had previously been at Shakespeare & Company, working as a single mom—had taken a job at a theater in Springfield. But the Berkshires still felt like home. In fact, she and her new husband, theater director Eric Hill, were visiting the area one weekend when they ran into Fred Rutberg at The Red Lion Inn; he asked, “Do you ever think about coming back?” Yes, she sure did. (At the time, Rutberg was a lawyer and board member of Berkshire Theatre Festival; he is currently publisher of The Berkshire Eagle.)

Following that chance meeting, Maguire returned with her family—which by that time included baby Alexander—to work for the famed Berkshire Theatre Festival. She has been with the organization, now known as Berkshire Theatre Group, ever since; she became artistic director in 1998 and is lauded as a visionary in her field. After years in New York City, Isadora is now living and working in the Berkshires with her own family— in fact, she was movement director for “Copenhagen” at the Unicorn Theatre this fall (Hill was director).

Just a few hours before curtain on opening night, the motherand-daughter duo took time out to talk about finding your passion, parenting, and life in the arts.

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Kate Maguire: Being in the Berkshires, there are a lot of women leaders. When I came to Berkshire Theatre Festival, Jane Fitzpatrick, who was president of the board and the owner of The Red Lion Inn and Country Curtains, was my first mentor. And then there was Bobbie Hallig who essentially led the campaign for the Unicorn Theatre to be built. So two great women taught me a lot about business and about community.

The theater itself was founded on the inspiration of the great actress Eva Le Gallienne, who believed that theater should be in every part of the country.

The Berkshire Theatre Festival is almost a hundred years old. She was the first actress on our stage.

I think the natural surroundings and the poetry of theater and the arts balance each other and feel incredibly motherly to me.

Running a theater is a lot like taking care of a large family and watching out for people, respecting each other.

still sit in a rehearsal room all day long. It’s my favorite place to be. And I think that for a lot of people, the theater ends up becoming a kind of a home.

KM: [Speaking of home], getting to the heart of a production is a lot of the conversation that goes on at our dinner table. With Isadora and Eric, yes, but Alexander [who is an editor in New York City] will enter the discussions in a unique way, as well. And Emma [who went into politics and is a VP of government and community relations at Dartmouth] just studies people all the time because of her job. So there’s an integration of spirit amongst us.

IW: The common thread is that we don’t clock in, clock out. And that’s really from you. It was a way of life. We say that’s an artist’s way, but my hope for my kids is that that’s just, everyone’s way. That there’s not a work-hard, play-hard binary.

KM: I encouraged each one of my kids to have a passion.

Isadora, you get that because you’re a mother now. When you look at the organization, can you tell it’s run by a woman?

Isadora Wolfe: I’ve only been around arts organizations my whole life, so I don’t think I have a typical understanding of everyday work culture. Some people are just lifers in the business. It was a really comfortable place when we were first plopped down at Shakespeare & Company night after night.

Was it “Midsummer” or “Tempest” that first summer? You had to work and so we saw these shows so many times. And then being able to also see the process…I could

IW: It’s awesome to see your parents passionate and loving their work, especially your mom. And because of that, I felt this full permission to do what I wanted to do in my life.

I had someone recently ask me what I was up to workwise. I told him the different things I’m involved in right now. And he said, “So who’s raising your kids?” It stayed with me. It did touch some nerve that is so sensitive because there aren’t very many women who are moms who stay in [the dance world]. It’s very, very difficult because there’s not support in our systems, in our structures.

KM: So how do you create the environment for people that are passionate? To make sure that they get up in the morning and they know they feel safe, too. I look at some of the kids that are with us [BTG has a robust education program], and the theater really is where they find comfort.

IW: I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.

It’s about feeling safe and feeling like you matter. They’re quite symbiotic, those things.

KM: The natural environment here contributes in such a strong way to the safety net. There’s room to breathe here, which makes a huge difference. When I came here, I thought, wow, I can work in the arts and bring up my daughters in this beautiful atmosphere.There’s poetry by just looking up at the sky and the trees. And that’s the benefit of being here.

IW: Right now, 2023, to be able to live in an environment where you can appreciate and teach your kids that the earth is precious is huge. In the first year of COVID, there was a lot of talk amongst artists: What’s it like being out of the city? It’s taken me a few years to understand that the environment itself is so nourishing. It allows you to be able to have a family.

KM: COVID really did a number on all of us. We were lucky, most of our shows this summer were sold out. But the entire world is in a strange place. And so theater and the arts are more important because we are reflecting what that strangeness looks like. My job is to make sure everyone knows we are essential to the human spirit and a thriving democracy.

This theater has gone on for almost a hundred years. When I retire, I’d like to be able to say we left a theater with a good legacy that someone can lead for the next hundred years. But I’m also half Greek and so the theater goes back a long way in my world.

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in conversation

THE FOUNDERS Jane Iredale, founder, Iredale Cosmetics & Tina Packer, founding artistic director, Shakespeare & Company

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Both from England but longtime Berkshire residents, these two women have been friends for decades—and it shows. They chatted recently at Jane’s modern, bright new home (with Jane’s dog, Cookie, in attendance as well). Their conversation is easy and peppered with laughter; their admiration for each other is evident.

And indeed, there’s a lot to admire in what they have accomplished. Packer is one of the world’s foremost experts on Shakespeare; she’s been drawing top talent and passionate audiences to the Berkshires since 1978.

Iredale started her career in the entertainment field as well, but pivoted to launch her game-changing clean cosmetics brand almost 30 years ago—long before “clean” was a beauty buzzword. They talked with us about building their businesses—and what’s next.

The B: Tina, how did Shakespeare & Company come to be based in the Berkshires?

Tina Packer: Mitch Berenson [a New York real estate developer] said, “I’ll help you set up that theater company and we’ll do it in the Berkshires. There’s classical music with the Boston Symphony. There’s classical dance. We’ll stick a classical theater in the middle. It’ll work.” I’d never been here but I came, and I went past Edith Wharton’s house and I had a visceral reaction of, “Oh, that’s where we should be.” [Shakespeare & Company operated at The Mount from 1978 to 2000, when it moved to its current Kemble Street campus.]

Jane Iredale: I bought my house up here in Austerlitz in ’74, and every time I came up or I had visitors, I would always go and see what was going on with Tina. Anybody that was interested in theater of any kind went [to Shakespeare & Company], you saw everybody you knew there. And then eventually I went on the board, but not until she knew I had enough money to go on the board. <laughs> TP: Well, if she was going to go from being, you know, in the midst of the creative struggle, to making a [product]…<laughs> But [the product] was really useful because stage makeup’s really heavy, right? So she was doing something that was needed. [Her products] suited me far better than anything else. I’ve never used anything else since.

JI: I worked with a lot of actors and models.

And they were all having trouble keeping their skin healthy. I would watch actors come off the set, and they’d say, “get this stuff off of me so I can go home.” And that’s when I thought, why does it have to be like that? I was driven by a desire to enhance the lives of women. That has been my guiding force. I often get asked about the hurdles.

Well, money is always an issue when you’re starting. But I didn’t have, and I don’t think you ever had, this feeling that you were trying to break through a glass ceiling.

Because our worlds were very nurturing, which is not what I found when I was in the entertainment business, the television side.

TP: One of the reasons why I wanted to start a theater company was because I’d been in television back in England. I’d done quite well as an actor—I wasn’t famous famous, but I was famous enough and I found it completely toxic. And I was interested in what the function of theater was.

my information. I think I can transform the Shakespeare community in one fell swoop so we get out of the “he’s a dead white male” arguments about whether he should be in the curriculum or not. I need a foundation to give me a huge hunk of money because I want the women to be paid while they’re doing it.

JI: I think you probably wanted to enhance the world with Shakespeare.

The B: And you, Jane?

TP: I did. And I wanted to enhance the world of actors. And actually give them the tools that I felt were important for actors to have in order to really do their job.

JI: The other thing I think that’s important to know about your work is that it’s really about the training. You can have a great career [in the U.S.] and not have one acting lesson.

TP: It’s sort of a badge of honor. I remember a very famous actress proudly telling me that she’d never had an acting lesson. And I thought to myself, I can tell. <laughs> I have a feeling that part of the reason I was successful is because it’s not like England.

[The Arden Shakespeare, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing] is doing a book, a series of 10 directors and their Shakespeare productions. There’s one woman in this series. Me. And there’s one person that works in American theater, and it’s me. So when you take what the establishment of Shakespeare thinks, it’s British and it’s male. I’ve found a freedom here that I don’t know that I would’ve found in England.

JI: My latest passion is farming. We’re surrounded by organic farms and young people who are really nurturing the earth and trying to make professional careers out of feeding people in a fresh, healthy way. I am really, really interested in maintaining and preserving as many farms as we can in Berkshire County.

It’s very important to me. We brought the Great Barrington Farmer’s Market to the parking lot right next to my house, and I’ve watched that grow and prosper. I’ve watched how much it means to the community, not just from a food aspect, but the coming together of people. I walk out there in the morning and I feel absolutely exhilarated.

I’ve just written a children’s book, and what I’m trying to do is tell a compelling story but give nature lessons along the way. And I did buy a farm, so we saved that land. I would like that to be my legacy, that I’ve been able to inspire people to look at how they can help these farmers who work so hard.

The B: What’s next for you?

TP: There’s a couple of things. I want to raise enough money [to pay off the remaining debt on the property and have a healthy cash reserve]. And I want to do a workshop, a year-long workshop for 15 [people], mostly women, mostly women of color, directing Shakespeare plays so I can download all

Cookie stars in Jane’s new book—see page 22.

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Your trusted real estate partner.

Kim Murphy Burnham Owner/Broker

Becky Gold Cellana

Owner/Broker Associate

“We have worked with Becky for the past 15+ years,

buying, selling, and renting multiple homes in and around Williamstown. Her deep knowledge of the area and the industry make her an invaluable partner in the process — and her positivity and friendliness make everything that much more fun. At times, over the years, we have had the chance to work with several members of the Burnham Gold team and have found that every one of them exhibits the same positivity and understanding as Becky.”

— Ann G, Albert N and family

“Kim, Becky and the team at Burnham Gold are fantastic

to work with. They stay on point throughout the entire process with no detail left unattended.”

— J. Smith

“Of all the real estate outfits in the region, Burnham Gold seem to have their noses in all of the right places.

Because of our relationship with them, we always feel like we’re in the know on opportunities. And when we find one, they are pros at getting deals done that are good for both sides.”

— From your friends at Mezze Hospitality Group

Our locally rooted real estate team in The Berkshires specializes in helping clients find their dream home in this beautiful region. We offer personalized service, expert knowledge, and a passion for the community.

Erin M. Scott Agent

Jane S. Miller

Broker Associate

Lisa Mendel

Suzette M. Lyons

Mackenzie Haig Tatro

Agent

Agent

Agent

1 9 1 WAT ER S TR EET • WI LL I AMS TOWN , M A 0 1 2 6 7 • W W W .BU RN H AM G OL D.COM • 413. 458. 0093

SisterSister

BY AMY CONWAY PHOTOGRAPHS

BY MEGAN HALEY

Molly Lyon-Joseph and Mary Daire in the dining barn at Pizzeria Boema.

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Mary Daire walks around the corner from her shop, Dare Bottleshop, to her sister’s restaurant, Pizzeria Boema

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right and approachable, with an appealing effervescence—these words could grace one of the labels that Mary Daire handwrites to describe the wines in Dare Bottleshop, the store in Lenox that she owns with her husband, Ben Daire. But they also describe Mary herself and her sister, Molly Lyon-Joseph, who owns two welcoming restaurants right around the corner, Pizzeria Boema and Frankie’s.

In fact, their story has so much charm that it almost sounds made up: Two sisters grow up in the beautiful Berkshires in a family that appreciates good food. They each leave, one going across the country, the other around the world—there are Frenchmen and wine and love and lots of learning—before finding their way back home to be near family again, to raise their children and to start careers that get them deeply involved in the community where it all began.

It may sound romantic, but it’s also real hard work. Molly, whose children are 12 and 15, had been running Frankie’s, a cozy Italian-American restaurant, for several years; customers kept requesting pizza, so she and her husband David Joseph and executive chef Roman Grosu decided to open a second place, right next door. They were working on Boema when the world shut down; they fast-tracked the barn renovation out back for outdoor seating where people could enjoy the Neapolitanstyle pizza—thin in the middle with a bubbly, chewy crust—coming out of the custom-tiled, 900-degree pizza oven in the open kitchen inside.

Meanwhile, Mary and Ben, whose kids are eight and 11, were making some changes of their own. Ben, who was born, raised, and trained in France, was the chef at Alta Wine Bar in Lenox, but the schedule was tough on family life. Mary had become fluent in the language while living in France with Ben, and became a French teacher in Pittsfield High School seven years ago. She loves teaching, “but wine is my passion,” she said.

They asked themselves, how can we combine our love of food and wine and the experience of bringing people together? And they decided on their shop.

“There’s a thriving, vibrant scene in Berkshire County for food and beverage. We saw that there was a lack of representation of small producers, those that make wines in small scale, organic, biodynamic, and hands-off methods.

We’ve found our niche championing these brands,” said Mary.

“That’s the core of what we do. We love it when people come in and say, ‘we’ve never seen any of these labels before.’”

The community has embraced the shop, with its carefully curated selection of wines, specialty food (including lots of tinned fish), and items for the kitchen and home—not to mention friendly service and events that take the mystery out of buying wine and make it fun.

Speaking of events: It only made sense for Mary and Molly to collaborate. From fall through spring, they host monthly themed wine dinners, with a special set menu and wine pairings. As one customer said, delightedly, at a recent one: “You don’t even have to order! You just sit down and they bring good food and wine!” Indeed, what could be better than that? B Head pizzaiolo Rudy Cruz preps for the wine supper; the Neapolitan-style pizzas go into the oven for just 90 seconds.

Boema’s Eggplant Caviar This classic spread doesn’t contain caviar—but it is delicious topped with tinned fish. Serve it with bread or crackers and sliced veggies for dipping. 6–8 servings 2-3 medium eggplants or 2 large 5-6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as desired 1 red pepper or 3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 garlic cloves 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar ½ cup chopped fresh basil ½ cup chopped fresh parsley Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Halve the eggplants, and make an X on skin sides.

Place eggplant skin side down on the baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Let stand for at least 30 minutes until eggplants start to “sweat.”

Meanwhile, core and cut the red pepper into quarters and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add to baking sheet.

Roast for 25-35 minutes until eggplants are very soft and red peppers are blistered, adding more time if needed.

Remove skin from peppers.

Process eggplant, garlic cloves, and roasted red pepper in food processor (working in batches if needed); blend in fresh herbs, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add more olive oil and pulse to reach desired consistency.

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Seasonal Sips 1

Girost Champagne Brut Reserve (France)

Sebastien Girost’s Brut Reserve is Grower Champagne with character! It’s silky and luxurious with a rich, persistent mousse. This bottle of bubbles will shine extra bright when paired with a platter of oysters and shellfish, or be like the French and pop a bottle with dessert! $45/bottle

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Marcel Cabelier Crémant du Jura Rosé (France)

‘Crémant’ is sparkling wine made outside of the Champagne region in France. This bottle of pink bubbles (100% Pinot Noir) is the next best thing for savvy drinkers who want quality

Ask for The B’s Holiday Case!

Dare has prepared a special case for our readers! Get two bottles each of wines number 2 to 7 (does not include Girost Champagne), with a 12% discount—saving over $30!

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Be prepared with wine for all manner of food and festivities— the Daires suggest seven bottles that will have you set for the season. sparkling wine to accompany their celebrations or dinner party. Perfect to pop for the apéritif with a variety of soft and hard cheeses; our favorite pairing is the Nimbus Triple Cream* from Chaseholm Farm Creamery (NY State). $25/bottle

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Menade Verdejo (Spain)

Brimming with bright, exuberant, and mineral aromas, this crisp white exudes juicy fruit notes and attractive herbaceous elements such as laurel, thyme, and fennel. It’s what we want to sip when presented with an aperitivo spread like the eggplant caviar with tinned fish. $20/bottle

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Fleur de California Chardonnay (USA)

Aromas of apricots, honeysuckle, and Comice pear draw you in, and a creamy, soft texture leaves your palate cleansed and refreshed. We love this Chardonnay with rich seafood and pasta dishes. Chef Ben’s ideal pairing: oven-roasted salmon with Matiz Romesco sauce* and sweet potato purée. $20/bottle

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Eric Kent Appellation Series Rosé (USA)

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Meinklang Burgenland Red (Austria)

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Maître de Chai Red Blend (USA)

If you enjoy cooking with a glass of wine in hand, this pink is for you! It’s a lighter, brighter, and more delicate counterpart to this cult-winemaker’s robust range of wines.

Perfect pair: Frisée salad with blue cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, and Berkshire Mountain Maple Mustard.* $20/bottle

Austrian Beaujolais? Sure tastes like it.

Bright and juicy and great with a slight chill, yet completely dry. Delicious on its own or just about anything! One of our favorite pairings: Jacuterie French Garlic Sausages,* creamy polenta, and roasted Brussels sprouts. $20/bottle

This wine really takes advantage of California’s terroir—a nice addition to any holiday table. Sings when paired with turkey, homemade gravy, and all the Thanksgiving fixings. $27/bottle —Mary Daire *Denotes specialty food items sold at Dare!

LENNOX JEWELERS Diamonds “A Selection of Diamonds, Fine Jewelry and Watches Like No Other” 165 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230 | Tel. 413.717.4239 | Fax: 413.717.4251 mail@lennoxjewelers.com | www.lennoxjewelers.com | Open M-F 10am - 5:30pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm

Amy Zabian Owner/Cosmetologist

Located in the heart of Lenox, we are a personalized boutique salon offering full service hair, nails and waxing Lenox Village Center 68 Main Street Lenox, MA 01240 413.551.7388

Stockbridge-based architect Pamela Sandler created her dream house with a team of all-woman pros.

A HOME OF ONE’S OWN

BY F R A N C E S C A O L S E N

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PH OTO: STEPH ANIE ZOLLS HAN

Y

ou might think it’s easy for an architect to design for herself—but Pam Sandler, who has been creating for clients in the Berkshires for more than 40 years, felt challenged by the process.

In her work, she looks deeply into people’s lives, exploring their homes and striving to understand their routines and priorities in order to create a design that’s harmonious with their lifestyle. But for her own project, “I couldn’t be objective,” she said. “It’s difficult to look at your own life.”

The effort she put in paid off. “I could feel the ‘inner Pam’ coming out. I was changing emotionally,” she said. “This house is a bold design. It felt great that I could put myself out there.”

Once a dated but charming mid-century house, Sandler’s Great Barrington home base is now a peaceful, airy space that retains the original aesthetic.

Sandler originally bought the little house with the intention to quickly remodel and sell it, but the 2008 recession changed her plans. She committed to the house and, eventually, to a full redesign and worked through renovations during the pandemic (which, of course, slowed down the process).

Stairs are one of Sandler’s favorite parts of a home— beautiful staircases set the scene for what visitors see next.

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Above: Architect Pamela Sandler in her completed living room, now part of an open-concept space that flows with the kitchen and dining areas. Formerly, the house was more closed off; now, the space is bathed in Berkshire light. Right: Some of Sandler’s wind-up toy collection.

Before and after: Sandler purchased a dated midcentury home (above) with the intention to renovate and sell, but the space instead became a long-term abode (right) that retains the original charm while adding light, whimsy, and modern amenities.

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PHOTOS: STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

The renovated house is 1,700 square feet, up from the original 960 square feet.

Sandler added large, expansive windows and opened up the floor plan, giving more light and flow to the space—the kitchen and dining areas are together, making for easy entertaining. She built in spaces to offer herself whimsy and delight throughout the day, like a special shelf in the kitchen for her collection of wind-up toys and a blue 1960s-style formica buffet from her childhood home.

“I wanted to bring it to another level of design,” Sandler said. “The original house had the classic midcentury qualities— beams, large overhangs, a low-pitched roof…I tried to complement what was there, but make it a much brighter, more inviting place.”

P HOTOS: JOHN GRU EN

Sandler worked with interior designer Elena Letteron of Germain Interiors to create a happy central space for eating and relaxing. The mix of textures with wood tones—in the furniture and echoed in the room’s wood ceiling beam—creates a clear callback to midcentury style, with cozy updates that evoke modern farmhouse living.

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Above: Elena Letteron, Melissa O’Leary, Pam Sandler, and Susan Korte.

About 77 percent of architects in the U.S. are male. Sandler is one of just a few architects heading her own company in the Berkshires.

“Women have a different take on design, and I’m told I work differently than other architects,” she said. She didn’t purposefully set out to put together an all-woman team—but when she enlisted the talents of people she wanted to collaborate with on her house, it just happened to turn out that way, for a beautiful result.

MEET THE TEAM

Sandler’s light-filled sunroom. She also added a three-season porch and expansive deck so there are lots of opportunities to take in the views of nearby McAllister Wildlife Refuge.

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Sandler also added a new primary bedroom, second bathroom, and laundry room; updated all the plumbing; and added a screened-in porch and a massive deck with a view of McAllister Wildlife Refuge. An early champion of green building techniques, she also added solar panels and an allergy-proof ventilation system, along with central air conditioning and heating efficiency upgrades.

“The house always had this amazing energy,” Sandler said.

“But now, when people walk in, they’re like, ‘can I just sit down? I feel so relaxed!’ Getting home at night is like going on vacation. It’s a total escape from the world.” B

Elena Letteron, Germain Interiors Interior Designer Great Barrington | germaininteriors.com Melissa O’Leary Proper and O’Leary Engineering Structural Engineer Troy, NY | properoleary.com Susan Korte, Susan Korte Construction Contractor Dalton | susankorteconstruction.com

GROUP : STEPHANI E ZOLLS HAN; ROOM: JOHN GRUEN

Pamela Sandler, Pamela Sandler Architect LLC Homeowner, Architect Marcel Alvarez, Architectural Designer Stockbridge | sandleraia.com

Simply Spectacular Skye Breault

Food & Beverage Manager @ KJ NOSH With an extensive background as a Food & Beverage leader, Skye joined Chef MIke and opened KJ NOSH in March of 2017.

Versatile in F&B Management, Event Planning, and Marketing, Skye has become one of the top Event Planners in the area, planning and executing more than fifty weddings and hundreds of social events every year at KJ NOSH. On top of her event planning responsibilities, Skye serves as the General Manager at all KJ NOSH locations. Including Berkshire Hills Country Club, Greenock Country Club, and their store on Tyler Street in Pittsfield. Maintaining healthy relationships with our local community leaders, organizers, and vendor partners is a huge asset for KJ NOSH.

Kylee Lillie

Office Manager @ KJ NOSH

Kylee has been with KJ NOSH since 2021. Kylee helps oversee all office responsibilities, and organizes the day to day operations at KJ NOSH. Kylee is the friendly face behind the counter or the phone on Tyler Street. Kylee is thorough with her knowledge, guidance and clarification while interacting with customers. She prepares the accounting team with necessary reports, bank reconciliations, invoicing. Maintaining relations with KJ NOSH vendors has been a huge asset as well.

CATERING BY CHEF MIKE MONGEON

Mike Mongeon (Chef/Owner) operates three restaurants: 339 Tyler Street, Pittsfield, MA • 413-464-9582 Greenock Country Club 220 West Park Street, Lee, MA • 413-243-9719 Berkshire Hills Country Club 500 Benedict Road, Pittsfield, MA • 413-447-9429

www.kjnosh.com

Residences at 89 South Time to make life more care-free!

We offer stunning one and two-bedroom apartments with all-inclusive amenities nestled in Pittsfield’s Cultural Arts District in the heart of the Berkshires.

Call 413.445.4056 ext. 180 or visit berkshireplace.com to schedule a tour today.

89 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201

Serendipity Kid’s Raglan Sweater Fluff Alpaca, Great Barrington, $118, fluffalpaca.com

Shop local this season.

With the Berkshires’ many makers and stylish stores—and our curated guide— it’s a cinch to find something special for everyone on your list.

Setago JH27 Portable Table Lamp by Jaime Hayon Finch Hudson, Hudson, NY, $225, finchhudson.com

THE B’s 2023

HOLIDAY

Retro Disposable Camera Olana State Historic Site Museum Store, Hudson, NY, $25, shop.olana.org

Wallace Sewell Blankets MacKimmie, Lenox, $370-$900, mackimmieco.com

GIFT GUIDE PRODUCED BY ROBIN TESORO

Hex Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses Artsee Hudson, Hudson, NY, $420, artseehudson.com

Peregrine Cotham Olive Gilet Vest Clove & Creek, Hudson, NY, $293, cloveandcreek.com

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1 TISSOT Heritage 1938 Automatic Watch Zabian’s Jewelry, Lee, $825, zabiansfinejewelers.com; 2 Ceylon Sapphire Stud Earrings RJ Stohr Jewelry, Pittsfield, $250 (starting at), rjstohr.com; 3 Scottish Cashmere Scarves, R. Derwin, Litchfield, CT, $199-$250, rderwinlitchfield.com; 4 F/X Fusion Plaid Shirt, Zabian’s Clothing, Lee, $50; 5 No.6 Shearling Clog Boots, Twigs, Great Barrington, $420, twigsclothes.com; 6 Paperclip Chain in 14k Gold Lennox Jewelers, Great Barrington, from $299, lennoxjewelers.com; 7 Jane Iredale Holiday Lip Gloss Minis, Blu Salon & Spa, Pittsfield, $28, blusalonspas.com; 8 Olive & Loom Spa Robe, demitasse., Millerton, NY, $98, demitasseny.com; 9 St. Etienne Wine Hat, Lanesborough Local, Lanesborough, $65, @lanesboroughlocal

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FOOD & DRINK

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1 Ooma Tesoro’s Pizza Kit Ooma Tesoro’s, North Adams, $59 (online), oomatesoros.com; 2 Jose Gourmet Conservas Sardine Holder Dare Bottle Shop, Lenox, $18, darebottleshop.com; 3 Berkshire Cider Project Cider Club Berkshire Cider Project, North Adams, $90 (starting at), berkshire-cider.com; 4 “Let’s Eat” cookbook by Dan Pelosi Guido’s, Pittsfield & Great Barrington, $25, guidosfreshmarketplace.com; 5 BMD Ethereal Gin, Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Sheffield, $35-40, berkshiremountaindistillers.com; 6 Olive Oil Set six-month subscription, Bizalion’s, Great Barrington, $179, bizalions.com; 7 Handcrafted Chocolate 20-piece box, Chocolate Springs, Lenox, $47, chocolatesprings.com; 8 Cheese and Gourmet Gifts Basket, Provisions Williamstown, Williamstown, $50-$200 (depending on choices), provisionswilliamstown.com; 9 Holiday Tea Tin, Harney & Sons, Millerton, NY, $16.95 (30 sachets), harney.com

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FOR THE HOME

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1 Berkshires Crochet Pillow, Bella Flora, Pittsfield, $45, bellafloraberkshires.com; 2 Vintage Tennis Glass Set, Robert Lloyd Gallery, Great Barrington, starting at $275, @robertlloydart; 3 Smoky Blue Thumbprint Vase, Privet House, New Preston, CT, $195, privethouse.com; 4 Flikr Indoor Tabletop Fire Pit, Flourish Market, West Stockbridge, $99, flourishmarket.com; 5 Magnetic License Plate, Museum Outlets, Pittsfield, Boards start at $10, Letters $3 each, museumoutlets.com; 6 53rd Edition Silkscreen Hand-pulled 2024 Calendar, The Dolphin Studio, Stockbridge, $83, thedolphinstudio.com; 7 Andrew Molleur Matcha Marbled Bowl, Sett, Great Barrington, $80, sett.onemercantile.com; 8 JK Boards made in Great Barrington, Dory & Ginger, Pittsfield, $25-100, doryandginger.com; 9 James Coviello No. 1846 Candle from the Hudson Valley, Hammertown Barn, Great Barrington, Pine Plains & Rhinebeck, NY, $56, shop.hammertown.com

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KIDS & PETS

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1 Grimm’s Large Stepped Pyramid, Matrushka, Great Barrington, $200, berkshiretoys.com; 2 Smiley Face Slippers, Home Love, Great Barrington, $32, @homeloveberkshires; 3 Ms. Food Face, The Attic, Great Barrington, $20, theattic.coop; 4 Air Toobz, Where’d You GetThat!?, Williamstown, $140, wygt.com; Annie Selke Dog Bed, Annie Selke, Lenox, $238, annieselke.com; 6 Bruder Crane Truck, Tom’s Toys, Great Barrington, $137, tomstoys.com; 7 Jellycat Amuseables Sandwich, The Shop Around the Corner, Stockbridge, $30, @theshop.aroundthecorner; 8 Strawberry Coconut Cookie Dog Biscuits, Roxies Barkery, North Adams, $12.50/9 oz. bag, roxiesbarkery.net; 9 So Handmade Crayon Holder, Railroad Street Collective, North Adams & Great Barrington, $28, railroadstcollective.com

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1 The Gozney Roccbox pizza oven, Carr Hardware, Lenox, Great Barrington (more locations), $499, carrhardware.com; 2 Gift Card, Miraval, Lenox, miravalresorts.com; 3 Pickleball Paddle + Lessons, Bousquet Sport, Pittsfield, paddles starting at $190, lessons $60 private/$35 semi-private, bousquetsport.com; 4 Kripalu Canvas Yoga Bag, Kripalu, Lenox, $45, kripalu.org; 5 Tubbs Snowshoes, Arcadian Shop, Lenox, starting at $179, arcadian.com; 6 Rossignol Unisex Nordic Skis EVO XC 65 R-SKIN, Berkshire Outfitters, Adams, $340, berkshireoutfitters.com; 7 Specialized Electric Bike Como 3.0, Berkshire Bike & Board, Pittsfield & Great Barrington, $2,500 (starting price), berkshirebikeandboard.com; 8 Canyon Ranch Spa Day, Canyon Ranch, Lenox, $350, canyonranch.com; 9 Dalbello Veloce 105 W GW Ski Boot, Ski Fanatics, Lanesborough, $699, skifanatics.com

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WOMEN OF INSPIRATION: LOCAL LEADERS

ALSOUL CLOTHING CO. alsoulclothing.com A good piece of clothing can do more than make you feel good about how you look–it can be an investment in ethical and sustainable practices where so much of the fashion industry falls short. When Sue Allegrone-Zaniboni founded ALSOUL Clothing Co. with her husband, Tony Zaniboni, they found the time to responsibly source and design new fashions all while keeping track of four young children.

What does ALSOUL Clothing Co. do?

Our company is a movement towards conscious and sustainable clothing and, through the use of our spiral symbol, represents growth, expansion,

and connection. We strive to create stylish, athleisure clothing, which is a hybrid style centered on an athletic and comfortable fit. But the style of our clothing is only half of our focus. A huge priority of ours is sourcing our

materials responsibly, which means that any manufacturer that we partner with must possess a strong social responsibility policy, which includes no use of child or forced labor, no discrimination among their employees, healthy working conditions, and payment of a living wage, etc. You’ll also find that a large portion of our clothing is made with organic cotton or other recycled materials.

What do you enjoy most about what you do for a living?

The part of the business that is the most fulfilling for me is the freedom I have to create and design. Since as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for both fashion and design.

This business has allowed that to essentially come full circle for me. I love sourcing our material, feeling the fabrics and choosing the styles and then letting myself get lost within the colors, placement and graphics for each individual piece.

Tell us about your favorite project that you’ve been involved in so far.

My favorite project so far is one that I’m working on currently, which is designing one of our pieces from start to finish. That has been a huge goal of mine, and is something we have just started venturing into now, which is really exciting. A few months ago, we found a great company in the US that allows for smaller, high-end brands to create and design their own

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How do you define a successful day’s work?

My idea of a successful day’s work, at this point in my life, is probably different than most—it’s being able to feel balanced on a daily basis between my family and work. This business allows me to prioritize my family first and that’s always the most important part for me. Being on the design end gives me the ability to work from anywhere at any time. Tony and I both have very different strengths and roles, which creates a solid balance between the two of us and allows for our business to operate at a seamless level while it continues to grow.

What are some of your favorite Berkshire activities?

When we have some down time, we all love being on the lake with our family; boating, swimming, tubing and fishing when our schedules allow. Tony and our kids love to snowboard at Jiminy Peak. We love living in the Berkshires and have grown to appreciate it more as we’ve gotten older. Life in the Berkshires is a huge part of the inspiration around a lot of our designs.

P HOTO: GILLIAN JONES

Sue Allegrone-Zaniboni

styles and purchase in lower quantities. So instead of only sourcing clothing that is already made, I can design my own from the very beginning—dictating style, fit, material, etc. This is something I have always dreamed about doing—being able to bring my own concepts to life.

The company we are working with is unique in that, in addition to catering to smaller clothing brands, they also focus on being very transparent and ethical in terms of where they source their material from, so our own brand aligns really well with them.

WOMEN OF INSPIRATION: LOCAL LEADERS

Dr. Lauren Ballinger GOOD TO GROW AIRWAY PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & FRENECTOMY CENTER goodtogrowdentistry.com Dr. Lauren Ballinger knows how difficult it can be to get a child to sleep through the night. When that child is on the path to developing certain sleep-related breathing disorders, that equation can be even more challenging. Dr. Ballinger has dedicated her career to helping children develop healthy airways through her practice at Good to Grow. Her niche in airway-focused dentistry has made Ballinger a leader of change within her field, leading multi-day professional and educational seminars and earning national acclaim in the world of pediatric dentistry.

What does your practice do?

I am a board-certified pediatric dentist and a certified specialist in orofacial myology. My practice focus has evolved from fixing the symptoms of preventable childhood diseases such as cavities and malocclusions (bad bites and crooked teeth) to addressing the root causes underlying not only dental issues, but many health ones as well. Working with my amazing and talented team of co-workers, Good to Grow offers the most advanced and comprehensive pediatric dental and early orthodontic approaches in the Northeast.

PHOTO: GILLIAN JONES

What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced in developing your career?

Deciding to follow my heart and leave a reliable source of income working in a successful pediatric dental practice with my father and uncle was incredibly difficult, probably one of the hardest times in my life. I knew that reinventing

myself professionally at an age when many of my peers began to focus on future retirement plans was gutsy. What I did not expect was that, while in the actual process of doing so, I would be hit head-on in a motor vehicle accident in March 2020. Two weeks later while bedridden and recovering from my injuries, the world as we knew it would shut-down from Covid. My husband is also a dentist and like so many others, suddenly we were both essentially out of work and unsure of what the future held. There could not have

“The ability to make a positive impact in a child’s life is an extraordinary privilege.”

been a more unpredictable and scary time to make such a huge change and start a business. How did I do it? I believed so much in the importance of what I was doing and relied on my intuition, values, beliefs and goals. I focused on manifesting my destiny.

What do you enjoy most about what you do for a living?

I love working with children because they are honest and authentic! Children have so much potential for change because they aren’t as attached to preconceived notions and are more open and curious.

How do you define a successful day’s work?

A day does not go by at work without hearing about how much better a child’s life has become. Hearing that a child stopped snoring, sleeps calmly without thrashing and kicking, now breathes through their nose and wakes up feeling

rested, has graduated from speech therapy or can eat more food choices is so exciting and satisfying! Seeing children growing into their best health potential with beautiful smiles and well-developed faces that represent healthier airways is almost as special as the heartfelt “thank-you” that I receive from parents. There are always lots of happy tears in a day.

What personal goals are you still working towards?

In the fifth decade of my life, it is important to let my truest self lead me with authenticity.

I am working on being loving and giving while maintaining my boundaries. I am working on asking for, and accepting, help more often and learning that I do not have to do it all by myself.

I am learning to complain more, say “no,” and suffer in silence less. I am giving myself more credit. I want to model this all for my teenage children.

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WOMEN OF INSPIRATION: LOCAL LEADERS

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER instagram.com/ theshop.aroundthecorner

“I get to learn first hand what my customers are looking for, what’s working and what’s not.”

A strong eye for design is in Julia Keenan’s blood. Her mother, Janis Monachina, managed the Stockbridge gift shop The Pink Kitty for many years, and a charmingly decorated bed & breakfast called Crabtree Cottage for nearly two decades after that. When Janis came to Julia with a pitch to open a joint venture, the upscale boutique The Shop Around The Corner, she knew it was time to come home and let the Berkshires inspire the next chapter in her artistic career.

What was the journey that led to the two of you opening this shop?

When my mother managed The Pink Kitty years ago, that inspired a dream of her own to open a store. She then ran Crabtree Cottage out of our home for 19 years. She and my dad did extensive renovations on the house and she handled all of the decorating. She has an amazing eye and ended up doing freelance

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home-styling and garden design in addition to running the bed & breakfast.

I lived in California for a few years after college, and any time I was thinking of moving home, she would tempt me with the offer of running a shop together. I studied fine art in college with a concentration in ceramics. While living in California, I worked as Director of Operations at Madison

Gallery, a Top 500 art gallery in San Diego. When I moved home, I worked as an artist assistant for renowned sculptor (& my favorite artist!) Francesca DiMattio.

I love making art, but finding the time is always difficult.

My mom has always been so supportive of my creative endeavors, and working together is no exception to that. I feel so lucky to be able to work in the store itself, and have creative freedom when it comes to merchandising, buying, decorating, etc., and to have the opportunity to create ceramics to sell at the store. It’s such a valuable and rare position that I’m in. I get to learn first hand what my customers are looking for, what’s working and what’s not.

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What do you enjoy most about what you do for a living?

I think the shop has given us both the chance to explore our passions and talents in a multitude of exciting ways. Plus, it’s really an amazing thing to work with family. My dad is a carpenter and does a lot of behind the scenes work at the store, my aunt has been with us from the beginning, and my cousin just moved back from Colorado to join our team.

It’s such a privilege to work alongside these people I love, and it truly doesn’t feel like “work”, it feels like hanging out with friends and family.

We’re so beyond lucky to be located at The Red Lion Inn and have such an amazing clientele.

We meet people from all over.

Splitting time between working in the shop and working in my studio has also been really beneficial for my own creative process. Creating in my studio by myself all the time, things can start to feel stagnant, so having more than one creative outlet by way of the shop feels energizing and inspiring.

What advice would you give to any woman who hopes to be successful in your field?

Don’t be paralyzed by perfection. My mom and I are both perfectionists, and she’s better than I am at the whole idea of “done is better than perfect.” Take the step before you’re ready, try and fail and try again, and again, put yourself out there even when you don’t feel qualified—that’s where the magic happens.

PH OTOS: STEP HANIE ZOLLSHAN

Julia Keenan

WOMEN OF INSPIRATION: LOCAL LEADERS

Abigail Fenton ABIGAIL FENTON PHOTOGRAPHY abigailfenton.com Abigail Fenton knows how important it is to capture the moment in front of her. As a photographer who specializes in weddings, events and families, she’s turned a childhood passion into a career of recording memories for the years to come. Fenton’s pursuit of her passion has taken her from her home in Lenox to Savannah, New York City, Washington D.C. and even a short stint at sea in the South Pacific. Now, she’s back in the Berkshires as her own boss.

When did you get started in this line of work?

My parents bought me my first “real” camera in middle school. I remember always planning silly photo shoots with my friends. My first formal photography class was in high school, Black and White Film. That was instant love. I skipped every study hall, lunch, and class I could just to be in the darkroom. I’ve pretty much had a camera in my hand ever since. It’s what I studied in college and I’ve tried to incorporate it in every job I’ve had since.

My first wedding was in 2018 when a few family friends asked me. I remember being so nervous and excited. I couldn’t believe they wanted me to do it. Capturing people’s love stories, and peeking into their most intimate moments is the ultimate gift.

PH OTO: GI LLI AN JONES

What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced along your journey?

My biggest challenge has been self-confidence. Learning to trust myself, therapy and connecting with colleagues has been a major help to me in my career journey.

I’ve had the privilege of learning

from many incredible artists, and business people, and still continue to learn.

What do you enjoy most about what you do for a living?

Photography allows me to connect with all kinds of people.

Giving me glimpses into their most precious moments. I love that together, we get to create their family heirlooms. Freezing the present moments that the generations to come will cherish.

that has really stuck with me was photographing the “Jane Iredale, At Home with Jane” event. It was the first brand trip I had photographed and it felt uniquely special to have it be in the Berkshires. Learning even more about the Jane Iredale brand and getting to show creators the incredible place we are from.

And getting to experience the Berkshires through new eyes is always exciting.

How do you define a successful day’s work?

This is interesting. Each day looks very different. When my work day is at an event, it feels successful when I feel like I’ve captured the emotion of the day, and really feel like I was able to connect with the couple

and their people. On an average office day, it brings me so much joy and success when I get messages from happy clients or vendors about their photos, or feel like I had time in the day for both my business and myself.

What personal goals are you still working towards?

Travel is my other love. I hope to be able to travel more during the winter months and off-wedding season—to warmer places of course. I was not built for the New England winters, ha! Since business feels very personal to me, I have a few goals I’m working towards as well. As I travel, I hope to meet couples, families and brands to work with along the way. Bring on the destination engagements, weddings, and brand trips!

Tell us about your favorite project that you’ve been involved in so far.

Oh there are so many, it is really hard to choose! Every love story and family is different and they each impact me in different ways. This year, one event

“Capturing people’s love stories, and peeking into their most intimate moments is the ultimate gift.”

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WOMEN OF INSPIRATION: LOCAL LEADERS

Beth Pearson PEARSON WALLACE INSURANCE, LLC pearsonwallace.com Whether it’s a new business venture or the finish line of a half marathon, Beth Pearson knows that grit and determination are the keys to success. After more than two decades of living in the Berkshires, she took a chance with her years of experience in the insurance industry and opened a woman-owned independent insurance agency, one of the few in Berkshire County and in the Commonwealth. They have assisted countless businesses and individuals find the coverage they need.

How and why did you get started in your line of work?

My dream has remained the same since I was a small girl, I enjoy helping others to achieve success.

I learned after 12 years working in the insurance industry that I could continue to pursue my dream by starting an independent insurance agency. In 2018 the insurance industry was viewed as a boring commodity driven business and certainly not a cool, trendy, start-up business like that of tech, but I did it anyway! I spent

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12 years learning the industry, worked with agency principles and developed strong client relationships. I believed that with a strong financial plan, carrier partners and a smart, hardworking team of knowledgeable insurance professionals, we had a good chance of being successful.

Though many of my industry friends told me it was impossible, I did not listen!

The first year was tough; convincing clients, friends and my husband that we could be successful. I was fortunate enough to have my own financial resources and a very supportive husband, Dad and family who encouraged me to open the agency in December 2018. I hired a part-time employee from UMASS Isenberg School of business, and we were on our way! Currently, we have five employees and are planning to scale our agency operation to other geographic areas.

What do you enjoy most about what you do for a living?

I love helping people to achieve their dreams of opening or growing an existing business, helping a first or second home buyer, or

assisting a buyer of their first or fourth auto. I enjoy creatively solving clients’ problems through analysis of insurance products, identifying gaps and creating a tailored insurance product.

Tell us about some impactful initiatives you’ve been involved in so far.

I am fortunate to have two successful and impactful enterprises. After a long career at GE Plastics, I developed newly built affordable/ workforce housing units in downtown Pittsfield, the first in 30 years! This became 80 beautiful apartments, called New Amsterdam Apartments. The second enterprise was opening a woman owned insurance agency, Pearson Wallace Insurance.

This endeavor is very special, as I hoped I could employ some of my family members. My son joined me in 2020 as our VP of Business Development.

SPONSORED CONTENT THE B • Winter 2023

What does a successful day of work look like?

I start (almost) every day with a run or a weight workout. Every morning I review our client testimonials, respond to them and thank clients for feedback.

To date we have 90 client reviews with 5 stars. I head into the office for a team check-in and out to meetings with clients.

Client meetings are the highlight of the day! You can also find me working on the event committee with the Berkshire Museum, participating in the Festival of Trees, volunteering to help a client from the Elizabeth Freeman center or working with the Great Barrington Triplex Theater.

What advice would you give to any woman who hopes to be successful in your field?

Pursue your dreams, believe in yourself, do not let the naysayers discourage you. Garner support from family and friends or mentors and then plan to work harder than you have ever worked before!

PHOTO: TRIC IA MCC ORMACK PH OTOGRAP HY

What does your business do?

We have the unique opportunity to provide personal and business insurance products in all New England states including New York and New Jersey. Personal insurance products include home, auto, boats and jewelery/art collections. For business clients, we provide commercial packages, business automotive coverage, workers’ compensation, cyber–to mention only a few. Pearson Wallace Insurance provides tailored insurance solutions while optimizing affordable premiums and coverages.

WOMEN OF INSPIRATION: LOCAL LEADERS

Xtina Parks ROAM GALLERY roamgallery.photo Xtina Parks has worn many different hats when promoting and preserving the beauty of Africa–conservationist, filmmaker, business owner–but highlighting it all in ROAM Gallery is an adventure all its own. Within ROAM, Parks shares the stories of your new favorite artist from overseas.

What does your business do, and when did you get started in this line of work?

ROAM gallery supports African craftspeople and artists by selling their works at our Fair-Trade gallery in the Berkshires. We inaugurated our gallery in 2018 on the Mass MoCA campus and have since relocated to a historic building in Williamstown. We’re currently remodeling it to restore its original architectural essence.

What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced along the journey to open ROAM? Having never owned or operated a retail space and recognizing I have no experience at this, I’ve had to rely on all the skills I’ve learned throughout all my careers.

I’ve gained invaluable lessons by balancing my conservation work in Africa, African wildlife photography, producing documentary films,

launching a book detailing my African adventures, and owning a hotel in Tribeca—Fouquet’s.

Another challenge is that tourism has dropped at least 25% in the Northern Berkshires, and that all our local businesses including ROAM have suffered since the pandemic. We love our local community support and are greatly appreciative of shopping local! But collectively, we have seen drops in our businesses with less tourism.

What do you enjoy most about what you do for a living?

I cherish the impact I make on lives across the African continent and introducing the Berkshires to Africa’s exemplary talent and craftsmanship. I’m fortunate to have a dedicated team at ROAM, some of whom travel to Africa for collaborative projects. Our 2024 exhibition, showcasing block prints by South African children, embodies moments that transcend financial gains.

Our goal remains to support and inspire budding artists, as well as community efforts in Africa that bring children together with learning opportunities and mentors. Art sometimes is the gateway to greater things for these young people.

P HOTO: GILLIAN JONES

Tell us about a notable initiative that you’ve been involved with at ROAM. My team of researchers and staff at ROAM, while leading an expedition to provide camera trap surveys of carnivores in Ethiopia to help their Wildlife Conservation Authority further protect the national park, were able to bring water to a village of

over 1200 people who lived within the mountain ranges. They live very remotely and survive by growing wild coffee in a high-altitude cloud forest and all without running water, electricity, or any services of any kind. These are my friends and now my extended family members.

We stopped working on our survey for three months and dedicated our efforts to figuring out how we can get over 300 meters of pipes to buy for them, run them through a rainforest, and get approved by the local government to set up water into their village. We succeeded at a snail’s pace with blood, sweat, and tears, but we did it. The villagers now have clean mountain spring water straight into their village.

How do you define a successful day’s work?

Every day that I can keep ROAM open through our sales, we are directly supporting people in Africa who rely on our orders. Many of our artists worked on the sides of roads or sold one object maybe once or twice a year—some have never sold a thing. We have turned their lives around and seen people, like our bead artist, Wilbur, who went from side of the road sales to creating a business with several staff whom he employs: refugees to South Africa from Zimbabwe.

He’s gone from homeless to owning property and a home, and to sending his children to school full time due to ROAM’s purchasing of his beaded animals. A good day’s work is continuing to call Wilbur and to order from him and his company—and then getting to visit him and share a meal with his family makes my days even better.

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ROAM is a lifestyle brand built upon the ethos of conservation, support, and preservation of African Culture and Wildlife Habitats.

Nestled within the lush green mountains of Williamstown, MA, in the iconic Berkshires, ROAM proudly presents a meticulously curated African Fair-Trade gallery.

Delve into exceptional African fine arts and crafts - where art, culture, and ethical craftsmanship converge.

Visit our new location 16 Water St., Williamstown, MA 413.663.8000

www.roamgallery.photo

@roamphotogallery

Happenings Preview All That Winter Has to Offer

Salisbury Jumpfest February 2–4, 2024 Salisbury, CT

P H OTO : S AVA G E F R I E Z E

Skiers leave the snow—and gravity—behind at the Salisbury Ski Jumps, now heading into its 98th year. After a near-vertical start down Satre Hill, competitors leap off the ramp at up to 50 miles per hour, flying up to 200 feet as cowbells clang and crowds cheer. jumpfest.org

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happenings: Winter Fun

Ready, Set, Snow!

The Berkshire mountains buzz with a new kind of life at this time of year—from the holidays through the rest of the season. Here are just some things to explore.

By Kimberly Kirchner

Ski Butternut Great Barrington | skibutternut.com Ski Butternut boasts 100 acres of skiable terrain, with 22 trails, two terrain parks, and the ever-popular tubing hill. Should the weather prove uncooperative, all of Ski Butternut’s trails are equipped with snowmaking equipment.

After a day in the snow, visitors can fuel up with snacks, drinks, and hot food at either of the two lodges, plus beer and wine for the grown-ups, and mixed drinks at The Chute in the Upper Lodge.

Otis Ridge Otis | otisridge.com Billed as “The Friendly Family Ski Area,” Otis Ridge first opened for business in 1946 with two portable rope tows and a single trail. Today, the Ridge has expanded to over a dozen trails, many of which are lit for night skiing. The Grouse House, located at the bottom of the slope, serves up casual dining and drinks in a historic country inn setting.

Bousquet Mountain Pittsfield | bousquetmountain.com Pittsfield’s Bousquet Mountain was the first ski area in the U.S. to offer skiing after dark, courtesy of a then-innovative lighting solution provided by

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General Electric. The ski area has continued to offer new guest experiences—with 90% snowmaking coverage, 22 trails, two ski lifts, two “magic carpet” surface lifts, a snow tubing area, and a terrain park. (Bousquet’s on-site restaurant is closed for updating, and is set to reopen in early December.) Winter skiing kicks off December 15, and there’s a special event with food, drink, and entertainment—called Winter Starts Here @ Bousquet Mountain—on December 16.

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort Hancock | jiminypeak.com One of the largest ski areas in the region, Jiminy offers on-site lodging, dining, and shopping, so you can easily fill an entire vacation and never leave the resort. Jiminy has 45 trails, from easy to extremely difficult, plus walking and snowshoeing trails, and three terrain parks. When it’s time to come in from the cold, Jiminy provides multiple lodging options on the resort grounds, many with a full kitchen. Pick up groceries at The Corner Store, or skip the cooking and dine at one of the many food options on the grounds, including sit-down restaurants, a food court, snack spots, and a coffee shop.

Berkshire East Mountain Resort Charlemont | berkshireeast.com First opened in 1953 as Thunder Mountain, Berkshire East has since made a name for itself as an industry innovator, becoming the first ski resort in the world to generate 100 percent of its electricity using on-site renewable energy sources. The resort’s 45 trails have complete snowmaking coverage, and snow tubing and a terrain park round out the outdoor activity options. Food and a full bar are available at The Crazy Horse Bar & Grill, located upstairs in the Main Lodge.

Catamount Mountain Resort Egremont and Hillsdale, New York catamountski.com Catamount Mountain Resort’s 44 trails (and snow tubing hill) straddle the New York/ Massachusetts border; 22 of them are lit for night skiing, so the fun doesn’t have to end at

sundown. Hungry skiers have their choice of five different food and drink venues: Campfire Bar & BBQ, Fat Cat Tacos & Tequila, Stateline Grill, Slopeside Snacks and Jacked Up Coffee. If the mountain views are too good to leave, Catamount offers lodging in their two guest houses, both within walking distance of the base lodge. (Little Cat Lodge, littlecatlodge.com, with a highend restaurant and chic lodging, is also walking distance—right across the parking lot.)

Mohawk Mountain Cornwall, Connecticut mohawkmtn.com Mohawk Mountain was opened in 1947 by Walt Schoenknecht, an innovator in artificial snow production, and is still owned by his family, with daughter Carol Lugar serving as co-owner and president. Naturally, 100 percent of the resort’s 26 trails

Catamount Mountainside Resort, Egremont

TUBI NG: CAROLINE BONNIV IER SNYDER; CATAMOUNT: CATAMOUNT MOUNTAINSID E RESORT

On the Slopes

have snowmaking coverage. Snow tubing and night skiing are also popular offerings.

The Main Lodge serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with online ordering for convenience, while the deck-side Wafflehouse features cafe beverages and, of course, waffles. Pine Lodge, located midway up the mountain, was originally the Schoenknecht family home, but now operates as a ski-in, ski-out restaurant and event space.

Stifel Killington Cup November 25–26 Killington Resort, Killington, VT Mikaela Shiffrin and other worldclass athletes compete as part of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup Circuit.

Nearly 40,000 ski fans are expected to gather to watch the world’s fastest female alpine skiers tackle the mountain, making it the most attended women’s event on the circuit. killington.com

Explore...

PLAY DINE HIKE SKI CREATE SHOP STAY

COLUMBIACOUNTYTOURISM.ORG

Festive Decorations and Events NightWood at The Mount November 17-January 6 The Mount, Lenox | edithwharton.org This immersive, otherworldly sound and light experience is set against the backdrop of Edith Wharton’s historic home.

P HOTO: KI LLI NGTON RES ORT

Winterlights at Naumkeag November 24-January 6 Naumkeag, Stockbridge thetrustees.org/naumkeag Naumkeag’s wildly popular Winterlights transforms the historic home’s expansive gardens into a twinkling fantasyland aglow with thousands of holiday lights.

Creative Landscape Design Driveway Install & Repair Drainage and Water Mitigation Services Site Preparation & Land Clearing Providing comprehensive excavation services for residential and commercial properties.

413-717-7159 rockyridgeexcavation@gmail.com www.rockyridge413.com

EAST COAST REFINISHING

Berkshire Museum Festival of Trees November 18-January 7 The Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield berkshiremuseum.org

Cable rails Custom driveway gates Wrought iron railings Ornamental iron gates Custom metal canopies Ornamental iron restoration Structural steel fabrication 4 Industrial Drive, Pittsfield

413-445-7878

eastcoast-refinishing.com

Local Family Favorite Campsite!

You don't have to go far to enjoy the Berkshires: Located at the base of Mount Greylock... close to all the Berkshires has to offer Call for group reservations. Heated pool, playground, live music

www.mtgreylockcampsitepark.com info@mtgreylockcampsitepark.com 413-447-9419 • Open May through October

2024 Reservations Available Online beginning 11/15/2023.

Hancock Holiday Nights December 15-January 30 Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield hancockshakervillage.org For a mix of rustic history and electrified holiday wonder, stop by Hancock Shaker Village’s afterdark display to take a stroll through the lanternlit village, visit the resident animals, try some Shaker crafts, and enjoy artistic light projections at the iconic Round Stone Barn.

Berkshire Scenic Railway Holiday Train Rides November 24-December 17 Adams Station, Adams | berkshiretrains.org The fun just keeps rolling aboard the historic Hoosac Valley Train Ride, which offers two special holiday trips: the Tinseliner, a family-friendly outing with Christmas carols and a visit from Santa; and the Mistletoe & Martinis Cabaret Train, a BYOB outing with live music from Sam & Ron. Community Chanukah Shabbat Dinner December 8 Knesset Israel, Pittsfield | knessetisrael.org Join friends at Knesset Israel for an energizing, musical Friday evening service, then stay for a delicious kosher shabbat dinner—you will need to save your space in advance, so the cooks can prepare.

HANC OCK HOLI DAY NI GHTS: VI CTORI A STANDRING

Specializing in:

The Berkshire Museum’s beloved tradition returns this year with a fitting theme: Nostalgia.

As in seasons past, 2023’s Festival will feature trees decked out to fit the theme by businesses and community organizations from around Berkshire County.

YourVision, Kitchens  Bathrooms  Additions Windows  Siding  Roofing  Decks Above: NightWood at The Mount, Lenox; Left: Hancock Holiday Nights, Pittsfield

Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas December 1-3 Stockbridge | stockbridgechamber.org Each year, the picturesque Berkshire town of Stockbridge pays tribute to illustrator Norman Rockwell with a recreation of his painting, “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas,” down to the vintage cars parked in front of The Red Lion Inn. Live music, holiday shops, and festive decor bring the scene to life.

Williamstown Holiday Walk December 1 Williamstown | destinationwilliamstown.org Williamstown rings in the holiday season with a night of caroling, carriage rides, a ceremonial tree lighting, an appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the annual ReinDog Parade.

Hudson Hall Winter Walk December 2 Warren Street, Hudson, New York winterwalkhudson.org Presented by Hudson Hall, this annual Hudson tradition transforms a mile-long stretch of historic Warren Street into a festive wonderland, featuring performers of all kinds on the streets and in store fronts, art installations, holiday shopping, kids’ entertainment, food and drink, fireworks, and a visit from Santa.

Committed to quality craftsmanship and

outstanding customer service for over 30 years.

Stop by our new showroom & design center 25 Pittsfield Rd. Lenox, Ma. 01240

(413) 442-3001

www.morrisonshomeimprovement.com

NIGHTWOOD: STEPHANI E ZOLLS HAN

• Boundary Surveys • Small Subdivision Surveys (ANRs) • Site Plans • Wetland Location Surveys & Land Consulting

Kwanzaa Celebration December 16 Hudson, New York | hudsonhall.org Operation Unite NY welcomes Kwanzaa with a free Umoja Community Celebration, open to all—an afternoon of arts and crafts for children, dancing, drumming, a candle-lighting ceremony, and the sharing of Nguzo Saba, the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Our small 2 person operation results in a very streamlined and efficient survey, from field to finish. Our use of the most modern surveying instruments available today results in a very small footprint on your land in the process.

Email rich@hilltownlandsurveys.com (Owner) or tim@hilltownlandsurveys.com (Apprentice)

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r u o y w e Renitment to You comm

at Jiminy Peak • Includes 7 visits for weekly skiing and riding on eitherTuesdays orWednesdays • BONUS: 8th week of free skiing or riding • Relax, polish your skills, learn new techniques, enjoy fun, food, drink, and comradery • 90 minute group lessons included • Half day and full day sessions available • Access to the Country Inn Health Club

Book your Escape at jiminypeak.com

Holiday Shindy, Pittsfield

Holiday Markets Festive Holiday Market @ Greylock WORKS November 18 Greylock WORKS, North Adams greylockworks.com Explore 30,000 square feet of handcrafted goods, ranging from fine art to organic treats, from around the Berkshires in a converted textile mill.

Handmade Holiday Festival November 25-26 The Stationery Factory, Dalton rootsrising.org Over 50 local makers, artisans, and food producers present their best wares for sale at this annual holiday market, with proceeds benefiting Roots Rising, a nonprofit that empowers young people through farming. Live music, food, and children’s activities add to the festive atmosphere.

Berkshire Botanical Garden Holiday Marketplace December 8-10 Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge berkshirebotanical.org The Gallery of Wreaths is the centerpiece of this annual market, but shoppers can also find seasonal plants, decorative containers, terrariums, and crafts from regional artisans. Round out the evening with s’mores around the traditional campfire.

Holiday Shindy December 9 Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsfield holidayshindy.com The Holiday Shindy spotlights local artisans with a commitment to both quality and sustainability, making this a great destination for shoppers who love to support eco-friendly small businesses.

Discover the magic.

AT N A U M K E A G WEDNESDAYS – SUNDAYS NOVEMBER 24, 2023 – JANUARY 6, 2024 Stockbridge, Massachusetts | Tickets: thetrustees.org/naumkeag

last look: From the Archives

At the turn of the last century, many Central Europeans joined the Hancock Shaker community. Among them was Sister Anna Delcheff, pictured here, from Bulgaria.

The sunglasses were not a common look! However, glasses were sometimes worn— the Shakers welcomed modern medical care.

Looking ahead: Next year will be the 250th anniversary of Mother Ann Lee’s arrival in America, so Hancock Shaker Village will be celebrating “The Year of the Woman”— they’re planning special events and exhibits to pay tribute to Mother Ann, Shaker Sisters, and all the women who have made the Shaker story come to life.

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P H OTO : C O U R T E SY O F H A N C O C K S H A K E R V I L L A G E

Field Day

Every dollar you deposit in Berkshire Bank is an investment. Your money may grow, and your entire community grows as well. It helps neighbors buy homes and enables volunteers to make a difference. And it funds new businesses and greener technologies.

At Berkshire Bank, your dollar does a lot more for you, your community and lifelong careers here at home.

Start making a difference today at any of our 100 financial centers or at berkshirebank.com.

To learn more about the services Berkshire offers, scan the code or visit berkshirebank.com/ berkshirebiz

Banking products are provided by Berkshire Bank: Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Berkshire Bank is a Massachusetts chartered bank.

Rev. 4/23

‘ TIS THE SEASON OF SELF-CARE Give the gift of rest and relaxation this holiday season. From lavish spa treatments to holistic wellness services, enjoy Canyon Ranch Lenox in the heart of the Berkshires. give.canyonranch.com | 866-284-4848