Bousquet prepares to open season with improved, expanded, and new amenities
PITTSFIELD — Bousquet Mountain recently announced a host of new features for the upcoming ski season, including a brand-new base lodge, improved snowmaking, new trails, additional terrain park features, a new line of Snowsports lessons and programs, and full-season racing.
Bousquet has operated since the 1930s and now offers an improved experience for guests with the large-scale investment made by Mill Town, the owners of the Mountain since May 2020.
A new 15,000-square-foot lodge will be the anchor of the Bousquet base area. The lodge features a multi-purpose space for gatherings and events, several food and beverage options, a full bar, and an outdoor deck and patio space for après ski and off-season enjoyment. There is also improved and expanded parking, as well as heated walkways. The lodge was designed and built by Allegrone Companies, a Berkshires-based firm.
Beginning in the summer of 2020, Mill Town invested in a complete overhaul of the snowmaking system, with phase one completed and phase two scheduled for completion in November. Thirty-eight new snowmaking guns and 42 new fan guns were installed, resulting in nearly full mountain snowmaking coverage. Of the 80 new snow guns installed, 19 are designed for full automation, and over 14,000 feet of new snowmaking pipe has also been installed. The snow-making pump house received a complete overhaul with the addition of two 1,250-gallon-per-minute pumps and a state-of-the-art control system. The snowmaking system was converted to all electric power, requiring less energy and increasing the terrain available during marginal temperatures. The new system will be able to provide over 45 acres of coverage for the upcoming season.
“The snowmaking investment should increase the length of the season for Bousquet, while upgrading the consistency and reliability of the snow,” said Kevin McMillan, Bousquet’s general manager.
The triple chair lift, installed over the course of last season, will be open for its first full season, and visitors will have newly cleared trails to experience along with modifications to several older trails. The Mountain’s Tube Town tubing area will feature expanded lanes, from four to eight, and terrain improvements increasing the length of the runs. Cabanas, firepits, holiday lights, and picnic tables have also been added.
Bousquet offers ski and snowboard lesson options for both children and adults. Private lessons are offered to skiers and snowboarders as young as two years old, and group lessons are offered for ages five and up. Additional beginner terrain has been added to the Mountain, as well as a new inventory of state-of-the-art rentals from Volkl and Arbor.
Bousquet plans to open as early in the season as possible. Check the website for announcements. Season passes are currently available online.
—A.K.
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USDA awards Berkshire Agricultural Ventures $500K for rural agribusiness in the region
GREAT BARRINGTON — The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV) $500,000 to support rural small businesses under the USDA Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). The RMAP award is BAV’s first award from the USDA. These funds will be distributed to eligible farms and local food businesses within BAV’s service area in the Berkshire-Taconic Region of Berkshire County, Massachusetts; Litchfield County, Connecticut; and Dutchess and Columbia Counties in New York.
The USDA Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) is part of the USDA’s Rural Development Department, which is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Specifically, RMAP provides revolving loan funds and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) — in this case, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures — which then originate and fund individual loans and provide technical assistance to eligible small agribusinesses.
BAV began functioning as a Microenterprise Development Organization in late October 2021 and will remain as one until October 2024 or until all funds have been distributed. If BAV is successful in distributing the award total within the first year, it can apply for additional RMAP funding.
Businesses eligible to receive funding through BAV’s RMAP can apply for loans up to $50,000. The applicant must have 10 or fewer full-time employees and the applicant or project must be located in a USDA-designated rural area.
BAV will host a virtual information session on Wednesday, Nov. 17 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. This event is open to all. More detailed information about RMAP and clear steps for interested small businesses will be provided. Those interested in attending can register by emailing info@berkshireagventures.org.
—A.K.
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Price Chopper/Market 32 announce November campaign to support disabled veterans
ALBANY, N.Y. — Price Chopper/Market 32 has launched its November campaign to help raise funds for the nonprofit organization Disabled American Veterans (DAV). From November 1–30, Price Chopper/Market 32 customers will be given the opportunity to round up their change at checkout, with 100 percent of funds going directly to DAV. Price Chopper/Market 32 has kickstarted the fundraising with a $5,000 donation.
DAV is a nonprofit charity that provides cost-free lifetime support to more than a million veterans of all generations and their families each year. In addition to having extended nearly 250,000 free rides to medical appointments and assisted with 137,000 benefit claims last year, DAV worked to connect veterans with meaningful employment opportunities by hosting traditional and virtual career fairs that attract more than 32,000 attendees. During the pandemic, they were also able to provide nearly $2 million in COVID-19 unemployment relief nationwide to veterans in need.
DAV’s goal is to empower veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. This is accomplished by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of injured veterans on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
—A.K.
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Berkshire Theatre Group announces new board of trustees members
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) recently announces six new additions to its Board of Trustees.
Madelaine R. Berg, who graduated from Brooklyn College with an MFA in theater, followed that up by earning a degree from Brooklyn Law School. She has spent her legal career focusing on environmental litigation, and is currently a consulting attorney with Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP in New York City. Berg was previously in private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Casting Director Alan Filderman has been casting for BTG for 28 seasons, and directed BTG’s “Godspell” — the first musical to earn approval from Actor’s Equity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic — as well as “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” His casting credits include numerous Broadway shows, films, and television work.
Marvin Krislov, president of Pace University, is committed to providing all students, regardless of economic background, access to the transformative power of education. He was previously president of Oberlin College and, prior to that, vice president and general counsel at the University of Michigan, where he led the legal defense of the University’s admission policies that resulted in the 2003 Supreme Court decision recognizing the importance of student body diversity. Before his career in education, he worked in the Office of Counsel to the President and in the U.S. Department of Labor under President Clinton. He has acted in community theater and served on boards of the Studio Players in Lexington, Kentucky, the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Gerry McIntyre is an actor, choreographer, and director whose BTG credits include this summer’s “Nina Simone: Four Women” (director and choreographer) and last summer’s “Godspell” (choreographer). He is the choreographer of the hit off Broadway show “Spamilton.” Other credits include “Hallelujah Baby” (York Theatre); “Kinky Boots” (The Hangar Theatre); “Once On This Island” (Martin Beck Theatre, Virginia Stage, Pioneer Theatre, Actors’ Theatre Of Louisville, La Mirada Theatre, Robby Award for Best Director, Ovation nomination for Best Choreography and Best Musical); The National Tour of Dreamgirls, and many others. As a choreographer: “Side by Side,” “Tommy,” “My Fair Lady,” and more for Berkshire Theatre Festival; “Laura Comstock’s Bag-Punching Dog” (LA Weekly nomination Best Choreography); “After The Storm” documentary, and many others.
Audrey S. Weiner holds a master’s degree from the Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and a doctoral degree from the Graduate Center of City College of New York. Recently retired, she spent her career working in and leading long-term care programs and facilities. She has been appointed to numerous government and advisory positions, including an appointment as the co-chair of the Age Friendly NYC Commission. Weiner serves on the board of the Miami Dade Funding Arts Network, as well as other non-profit organizations focused on improving the lives of girls and women. She volunteers at the Pittsfield South Congregational Church food pantry and the South Florida Jewish Community Services Food Bank.
Tara L. Wilson Noth is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and furthered her studies in playwriting at UCLA under the tutelage of award-winning playwright Simon Levy. She has several scripts in development, including “Riders of the Storm,” based on the book “Requiem,” about photojournalists during the Vietnam War; and “Storyville,” based on the first American Red Light District in turn-of-the-century New Orleans. Tara workshopped her play “B.R.O.K.E.N. code B.I.R.D. switching” at BTG before it continued to Los Angeles. The play will return to BTG for its world premiere.
—A.K.
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Salisbury Bank promotes Ryan Diamond, announces Community Shred Days success
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Salisbury Bank recently announced that Ryan Diamond has been promoted to Vice President, Commercial Credit Manager. Diamond started with the Bank in June 2010 as a seasonal teller, and moved to the Commercial Credit Department in 2011. He became a Team Leader in April 2015, and in 2016 was made a Commercial Credit Manager. He was promoted to an Assistant Vice President in 2019.
Diamond has worked diligently in developing the team of Commercial Credit Analysts and building relationships with the Bank’s lending and support departments. In addition to his management responsibilities, he has been instrumental in the Bank’s lending operations, including administrating a complex financial database and took part in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) initiative.
Salisbury Bank also recently announced its 13th annual Community Shred Days season to be a success.
Community Shred “Drive-thru” Days took place from May through October at select branches in the tri-state area. The free shred service is part of the Bank’s commitment to help fight identity theft. The events also included a food drive to support local pantries.
In total, approximately 49,880 pounds of paper were shredded and recycled (saving roughly 430 trees and 77 cubic yards of landfill). Bank volunteers also collected 1,224 non-perishable food and household items, which were donated to food pantries in the communities Salisbury Bank serves.
The Bank will resume hosting Shred Days in the spring of 2022. The schedule will be posted on the website sometime in April 2022.
The fight against identity theft is very important to Salisbury Bank and if you would like more information on protecting yourself, please visit salisburybank.com/protectid
—A.K.
