Carr Hardware customers round up during their Carr-nniversary weekend to give back to the Berkshire Humane Society
Pittsfield— Carr Hardware celebrated 95 years during their Carr-nniversary weekend in September and with assistance from their loyal customers, was able to raise $7,232, which was donated to the Berkshire Humane Society.
They hosted a bucket sale that allowed customers to purchase a bucket that they could then fill with discounted products, and customers were offered the option to round-up their purchases to the nearest dollar. The bucket sale and the round up were used to raise the $7,232 that was donated directly to the Berkshire Humane Society.
President of Carr Hardware Bart Raser stated “Our four legged friends need food, shelter, veterinary care and a suitable home. Nobody does this better than the Berkshire Humane Society and they need financial support to continue their good work. As a community business, we appreciate their impact in the Berkshires and we are proud to support them. ”
Carr Hardware has a long-standing history of working with the Berkshire Humane Society. More information about Carr Hardware is available at www.carrhardware.com.
***
Berkshire Community College announces new staff and title changes
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the addition of nine full-time staff members and two title changes.
Liliana Atanacio joins BCC as Workforce Training Orientation and Youth Programming Manager. Originally from Toluca City in Central Mexico, she moved to the United States in 2008 and took English as a Second Language classes at the BCC South County Center. She graduated from BCC in 2018 with an associate of science degree in engineering. Atanacio is a previous 29 Who Shine award winner and a co-founder of Latinas413, a nonprofit organization that advocates for Latina representation.
Lori Broderick-Bean joins BCC’s Business Office as Director of Accounting. She received a master’s in business administration from Western New England University and graduated from Bentley University with a bachelor of science in finance. She has over 30 years in professional accounting roles and most recently worked for McMahon & Vigeant, PC in Dalton. Currently, Broderick-Bean is on the Greylock Federal Credit Union Supervisory Committee and serves as a Dalton CRA Gib Kittredge Committee Volunteer.
Loretta Forfa joins BCC as Clerk IV – Tutorial Assistant. She is a 2023 graduate of BCC with an associate of science degree in human services. Forfa completed two internships at BCC, one in TRIO and the other in the Student Support Center. In addition, she has worked in local restaurants as a manager, honing her administrative skills.
Kolumbia Granger joins BCC’s One Stop Center as Associate Director of Admission / Director of MassReconnect. Granger graduated from MCLA with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She has spent the past five years working in the MCLA Office of Admission, where she oversaw the transfer admission process and worked on the CRM and communication plan.
La Wanza Lett-Brewington joins BCC as Title IX Coordinator and Affirmative Action Officer, a position shared with Greenfield Community College. She is a nationally known speaker on leadership, Title IX, gender equity, diversity, social justice, belonging and strategic development. She is an author, executive coach, leadership consultant and award-winning playwright. Lett-Brewington earned master’s and bachelor degrees from the UMass Amherst and an associate degree from Greenfield Community College.
Jesse Moreno joins BCC as Maintainer I. Originally from New York City, Moreno has resided in Berkshire County for the past 15 years. He has enjoyed getting to know local residents through his service in the restaurant and hospitality industry and looks forward to applying his knowledge and experience to the BCC community.
Dylan Newell joins BCC as Clerk III – TRIO Program Assistant. As a TRIO@BCC student, he earned a 3.60 GPA with honors designation and graduated in 2023. He was a Berkshire Enterprises Scholar, Drs. Feigenbaum Scholarship winner, Falconer Award for Business recipient and a Phi Theta Kappa member. With experience in customer service, accounting, coaching, business management and banking, he was most recently employed at Adams Community Bank. Newell plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in business at MCLA and an MBA at the University of Alabama.
Dylan Stafford joins BCC as Maintainer I. A first-year college student, he calls himself fortunate to be able to pay his own way through college. Stafford previously worked as a guard in a medical warehouse and in the security industry, most recently at BCC. His goal is to be a pilot, and that has his full attention as he readies himself for the rigors of university.
Collin Venditti joins BCC as Maintainer I. He has lived in the Berkshires for the vast majority of his adult life. For the past five years, he has worked in manufacturing.
Two staff have changed titles. Cody Johnson is now Coordinator of Academic Computing. He was previously Special Programs Coordinator – Digital Technologies Coach, a position he held since 2022. Cheryl Mirer is now Special Programs Coordinator – Academic SUCCESS Coach/ MassReconnect. She joined BCC’s Admissions Department in February 2022 as an Enrollment Counselor.
***
Fare-free buses during the holiday season
Pittsfield— The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) announced that beginning November 24th through December 31st, all BRTA bus and ADA complementary services would be free, thanks to a grant included in the state budget and awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The “Try Transit” initiative will be supported by the state grant that was awarded to fourteen of the Commonwealth’s Regional Transit Authorities which worked together to submit a joint application and implementation plan. This is the second year this grant was awarded. While the focus is on the free bus rides for the Holiday Season, the BRTA will also go fare-free in June and July of 2024.
“Removing the cost of transportation for this “Try Transit” event provides a great opportunity for anyone interested in learning how to ride the BRTA”, stated BRTA Administrator Robert Malnati. “Although primarily designed to attract new customers by easing access to services, ‘Try Transit’ will also offer a financial reprieve for current BRTA riders during these times of high inflation. It is expected that the savings and increased mobility offered by BRTA’s services will translate into increased spending at local businesses.”
Questions regarding the “Try Transit” fare free events should be directed to BRTA’s Customer Service at 413-499-2782 extension 1.
***
Washington Post series addressing the failure of America’s mental health system for vulnerable and suicidal youths named 2023 recipient of Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media
Stockbridge— As the mental health crisis rages across the country, virtually no one is left unscathed or untouched. Often the most vulnerable bear the brunt and are left without the tools or resources to obtain the help they need. The 2023 recipient of the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, William Wan’s remarkable four-part series in the Washington Post, “Dying for Help: How America’s mental health system is failing mentally vulnerable and suicidal youths”–shines an important light on this troubling trend.
“William Wan’s compelling human stories of mental suffering are placed in the context of systemic challenges involving policies across the healthcare system, problems with access to treatment, and the burden of stigma and discrimination in marginalized groups. His expert reporting has led directly to policy changes in how mental health care is delivered and lends a strong voice to the need for active change in multiple systems of care,” remarked Jane G. Tillman, PhD, Director of the Erikson Institute for Education, Research, and Advocacy. “By awarding this prize to William, we seek to underscore that his reporting is an effective and indispensable form of public health education that highlights systems in need of attention, care, and change.”
Wan’s series was selected from more than 60 high-quality nominations by a jury including mental health professionals and those in the publishing industry. Past recipients have included cartoonist and graphic novelist Alison Bechdel; Black southern writer Kiese Laymon; New York Times best-selling author Neal Shusterman; writer and lecturer Andrew Solomon; the Boston Globe Spotlight Team; NPR’s Hidden Brain; and many others.
A virtual event to honor the 2023 prize recipient will be held on Thursday, January 18th.
***
Adams Community Bank announces planned retirement of bank president
Adams— The Adams Community Bank Board of Directors announced today that Charlie O’Brien, President and CEO of the Bank, plans to retire in January 2025.
A Pace University graduate, O’Brien has been president and CEO of Adams Community Bank since 2002 and has worked in the financial services industry for 43 years. During his career, O’Brien was a senior leader in six bank merger and acquisition transactions across Massachusetts.
Under his direction, Adams Community Bank assets have grown from $127 million to $994 million, branches increased from three to ten, and the number of employees grew from 40 to 130.
O’Brien expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the bank, its customers, the staff, and the Berkshire community. He said, “It has been an honor to lead Adams Community Bank through a period of growth and stability and to work with such dedicated and talented individuals. I am proud of what our team has accomplished and remain confident in the bank’s future success. Our team aspires to double in size and grow to $2 billion in assets over the coming decade.”
Board Chair Jeff Grandchamp shared that “throughout Charlie’s tenure, Adams Community Bank has achieved notable milestones with our growth and bank culture. His unwavering commitment to the community and tireless dedication to the bank’s mission have helped it flourish and earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues, staff, and customers alike.”
To prepare for O’Brien’s planned retirement in 2025, the Board of Directors has engaged an executive search firm to oversee the search and selection of the next President and CEO, ensuring the bank’s continued success and commitment to the community. The board and senior management are dedicated to a seamless transition and upholding the high standards O’Brien has set. Most importantly, the bank desires to remain a mutual bank that is designed to serve the people and businesses of the Berkshires.
***
Bennington College to receive funding to tackle student mental health
Bennington— To address what the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recognizes as “the defining public health crisis of our time,” thirteen colleges have received $3.275 million in funding from The Endeavor Foundation for the first phase of “Enhancing Student Learning and Experience through Campus Wellness, Student Wellbeing, and Mental Health Initiatives.”
“Student mental health issues represent an urgent challenge. These issues affect students in ways that prevent them from full participation in campus life and rob them of the precious sense of well-being which should be theirs. We hope that the Colleges’ work will help them transform their communities as well as inspire other institutions of higher learning to address challenges collectively,” said Julie Kidd, President of The Endeavor Foundation.
“We know that students everywhere are struggling, and we have an urgent responsibility to take action,” said Laura Walker, President of Bennington College. “The Endeavor Foundation’s generous support and this energetic collaboration offer an exciting opportunity to ask how we can employ our strengths as small, nimble colleges to address pressing mental health needs. Here at Bennington, our ambitious aim is to produce a model for change that reshapes mental health for our students and our community.”
Through a study on mental health among students, conducted in 2021, Bennington College identified mental health as one of the college’s highest priorities for both students and the community. Bennington College convened seventeen colleges the following year, which led to a strategy to increase support for students, develop more well-being services, implement restorative justice practices, and explore changes to first-year programming. This research helped shape the work of the thirteen colleges with the Endeavor Foundation.
“Many colleges and universities are driven to prepare their students for a particular job or professional role,” said Lori Collins-Hall, the grant Project Director and Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Sterling College. “Given the mental health crisis we are witnessing among young people on our campuses, we are united in our aim to equip students with the curiosity, creativity, interpersonal communication skills, resilience, and capacity for critical thought and self-efficacy that are essential for successful careers, meaningful lives, and engaged citizenship in today’s world.”
***
Berkshire Family YMCA engages in national CEO search as Rumlow is tapped for new position with the Mass Alliance of YMCAs
Pittsfield— Jessica Rumlow will be leaving the Berkshire Family YMCA (BFYMCA) at the end of the year to work for the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs as the Chief Operations Officer.
Rumlow has worked for the BFYMCA for 10 years and was appointed to the CEO position in 2019. During her tenure at the BFYMCA she supported its expansion of services into Bennington, Vermont, and led the organization through COVID, but her biggest accomplishment was completing the $12.4M renovation project of the historic Pittsfield branch.
The Board of Directors plans to conduct a national search for the next CEO. An interim CEO will be appointed prior to Rumlow’s departure.
***
Berkshire Community College to hold virtual information sessions on early college program
Pittsfield— High school students are invited to get a jump on their college careers by attending a virtual information session on Berkshire Community College (BCC)’s Early College Program.
Three one-hour sessions are offered:
- Wednesday, November 29th at 6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 6th at 5 p.m.
- Saturday, December 9th at 10 a.m.
To register for a free session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/early-college. Registrants will be emailed a Zoom link. There will be time for questions at the conclusion of each session.
Early college, also known as dual enrollment, provides an opportunity for students to take courses at BCC while still in high school and earn college credit. Supported by BCC’s dual enrollment grant, the Early College Program allows eligible Massachusetts high school students to take up to 15 credits. Tuition and fees are waived; students are responsible for the cost of books and supplies, and they must arrange their own transportation. Funding is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants can take a variety of courses ranging from English, science, math and history to art, humanities and computer science. Interested students may submit applications to the spring 2024 program beginning November 27, 2023. For more information, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/early-college or email earlycollege@berkshirecc.edu.
***
Scout House and Prairie Whale offering back-to-back fundraisers for The Triplex
Great Barrington— Demonstrating the tremendous continued support of the local community, two prominent Great Barrington businesses are hosting fundraisers for the Triplex Cinema on the same weekend that the cinema is opening two of its four theaters.
On November 17th at 5 p.m. at Scout House on Elm Street in Great Barrington, Scout House and Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) will be hosting Melissa Newman, the daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, who will be speaking and signing copies of her new book, “Head over Heels: Joanne Woodward & Paul Newman, a Love Affair in Words and Pictures”. Wine will be served courtesy of South Egremont Spirit Shoppe. The event is free of charge, but the space is limited so come early. All proceeds from the book sales will be donated to the Triplex.
On November 19th, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., a very different fundraiser for the Triplex will be held at the Prairie Whale restaurant on Main Street in Great Barrington. Owners Mark Firth and Bettina Schwartz will host a “Dine to Donate” , which will feature the restaurant’s popular menu with entertainment by the well-known local band The Lucky Five. Firth says he couldn’t be more excited that the Triplex is re-opening and plans to donate 10% of all the restaurant’s proceeds from that evening to the Triplex.
Nicki Wilson, President of the Board of Directors said, “We are incredibly grateful to Bobby, BIFF, Mark and Bettina, who like so many others in our community have stepped up to provide support. Even though we will be opening two theaters on November 17, a lot remains to be done and we have good uses for every dollar we raise.”
***
Capital campaign to launch for St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Adams
Adams— Rev. Paul Norman, pastor of the Catholic Churches of Adams and Cheshire, announced the launch of a capital campaign to fund restoration work at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Adams. The goal is to raise $5.1 million to preserve and honor the church’s past and continue its legacy for years to come.
The church has encountered deterioration in steeple ornaments, and basement mold caused by water intrusion from disrepair in roof, gutters, and flashing. These issues will be addressed in Phase I of the project. The Phase I goal of 1.3 million must be raised by October 31, 2024. Phase II will restore Kolbe Hall as a memorial hall and a parish community center. Phase III will focus on the long-term preservation of stained-glass windows (frames, jamb, sash, mullion) as well as the installation of handicapped access. Phase IV will address other recommended improvements identified in an extensive report prepared in 2020 by Kuhn-Riddle Architects of Amherst, MA, who concluded: “While the building is in no immediate danger, most of these issues need to be addressed in the next few years to prevent ongoing deterioration.”
St. Stanislaus Kostka Church dates back to 1904, and was founded by Polish immigrants who came to this country and settled in Adams to work in the mills. The church became the guardian of their Polish heritage, maintaining the customs and language of their ancestors. They embellished it in the tradition of their homeland, with each successive generation adding to the church’s artistry. The tradition was to create a window into heaven – an escape from earthly cares. On the walls, ceiling and corners; saints, angels, the Holy Family, and the Trinity surround all who enter. They create a sacred place.
For more information please contact the SSK Preservation Fund at 413-743-0577 x 309 or visit our website: www.sskpreservation.org
