The Great Barrington Rock Sanctuary and Flying Church Coffee House opens
GREAT BARRINGTON— Paul Joffe, coffee roaster, Berkshires geology enthusiast, and renovator of historic buildings, announces the official opening of the Great Barrington Rock Sanctuary and Flying Church Coffee at 200 Main Street in Great Barrington on Saturday July 9.
Flying Church Coffee House roasts its own java from “the best” raw beans, specialty-blended for dark roasting and roasted by Joffe. A veteran coffee roaster, Joffe claims his “sweet, dark beans are less bitter and make deep flavored hot and cold coffee drinks.” Along with offering great dark roast coffee, the shop also serves “all-fruit” smoothies and “super-sour” frozen pink lemonade with lemon & strawberries.
In addition, and unique to Great Barrington, the attached Flying Church park has been designated as a Rock Sanctuary. The Great Barrington Rock Sanctuary occasionally accepts donations of rocks and acts as a stop-off for boulderers and other rock climbers who visit the area for its geological riches.
In addition to the coffee shop, the Flying Church block includes a 5000-square-foot event space with high ceilings and a stage. The church is available for special events. Business owners interested in a new downtown space, with associated parking, are encouraged to reach out to Joffe. In addition to the Coffee House and private offices, five commercial spaces in the Flying Church are occupied, including the bakery Pixie Boulangerie; Planning & Asset Management company Evoque Investments; and photographer Stephen G. Donaldson.
—A.J.
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Berkshire County CEDS Committee Seeks Priority Projects
BERKSHIRE COUNTY— Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, on behalf of the Berkshire Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee, is gathering information on high priority economic development projects in the Berkshires. A Priority Project list resulting from this process will be included in the region’s 2023-2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Submissions are due on July 29.
The CEDS Priority Project list provides an opportunity for project proponents to make their plans known to others who may be able to partner or provide assistance. Inclusion on the list may also help with eligibility for federal or state funding. Projects in all stages of development, from concepts to those nearing completion, are welcome for consideration. Projects may be construction-based, but often are programmatic, such as workforce development initiatives. Priority projects from the previous CEDS process include construction of the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield, redevelopment of Memorial School in Adams and Eagle Mill in Lee, as well as implementation of 1Berkshire’s Blueprint 2.0 and the Berkshire County STEM Pipeline Network.
Submissions can be made through an online form found at: https://bit.ly/CEDS_projects. Members of the regional CEDS Committee will vote on projects to include in the 2023-2027 report later this year before it is submitted to the federal Economic Development Administration in December.
More information about the 2023-2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy is available at: http://berkshireplanning.org.
—A.J.
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State nonprofit advocacy organization to host meeting in Berkshires region
GREAT BARRINGTON– Each year, the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) hosts regional meetings throughout the state. MNN will visit the Berkshires region on Wednesday, July 13 at Arrowhead on Holmes Road in Pittsfield. Hosted by the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, the meeting brings together nonprofits from all subsectors to network, share best practices, and collaborate on issues important to the sector.
Regional meetings are free and open to all nonprofits. The Berkshires meeting will cover policy updates of importance to the sector, review MNN services and programs, offer guided conversations by regional leaders, and include time for networking.
The event takes place in the air-conditioned barn at Arrowhead from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and includes lunch and a post-event tour of the historic house museum, once the home of American author Herman Melville.
To register, visit massnonprofitnet.org and click on “regional meetings.” For more information about the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, visit npcberkshires.org.
—A.J.
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Community Health Programs CEO Lia Spiliotes Stepping Down, Richard “Rick” Gregg named interim
GREAT BARRINGTON— Community Health Programs CEO Lia Spiliotes, who has led CHP since 2015, has announced she is stepping down from CHP.
Community Health Programs is a nonprofit federally qualified health network serving approximately 30,000 residents in the Berkshire region of Western Massachusetts. CHP provides medical and dental care for patients of all ages, women’s health, behavioral health, nutrition and family services support.
In a statement to staff and colleagues, Spiliotes said she intends to refocus on family health priorities in Boston and New York. She stated she is also turning her professional attention to broader advocacy efforts around public and economic policy related to community health. Her last day was June 30.
In a statement, Spiliotes said, “CHP reaches so many in our community in need, regardless of their ability to pay, but CHP is also a choice for many people who have plenty of health care resources and options. They choose CHP’s excellent team for their care, and I am proud to have been among the CHP stewards of our community’s health and wellness.”
Appointed as Interim CEO is Richard H. Gregg of Lenox, who has served on the CHP board for six years, most recently as vice president. His professional work includes extensive consulting in healthcare management, strategy and organizational change for companies and organizations much like CHP, where he has been a longtime patient.
Gregg is also a professor and distinguished instructor of Healthcare Administration at Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School in Boston. Since he joined that faculty in 2001, he has led two graduate programs and taught a range of courses, including in leadership, non-profit management, and healthcare innovation and strategic management. He is a former director and CEO of the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health.
Gregg will serve in that capacity as the CHP Board begins discussing the process of a nationwide search for the next permanent CEO.
—A.J.
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Barrington Stage Company receives $100K grant
PITTSFIELD— Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theater in downtown Pittsfield, has announced that it is the recipient of a $100,000 grant from The Shubert Foundation.
The Shubert Foundation has announced grants to 609 not-for-profit theaters, dance companies, academic theater training programs, and related service agencies. The award for the Barrington Stage Company will support the theater’s 2022 season
“The Shubert Foundation not only maintained but increased their incredible support of Barrington Stage since the onset of the pandemic, which makes their ongoing generosity all the more treasured and impactful. It is gratifying that our theatrical artistry and vision continue to be recognized by this most venerable foundation,” said Artistic Director Julianne Boyd.
Since the establishment of The Shubert Foundation grants program in 1977, over $575 million has been awarded to not-for-profit arts organizations throughout the United States. As always, funds are unrestricted, empowering organizations to utilize the funds as they see fit. The Shubert Foundation is also the largest funder of theater education for the NYC Public Schools. Additionally, the Shubert Scholars Program provides scholarships for students in university programs in theater arts.
Barrington Stage Company’s 2022 season, running now through October, includes Ain’t Misbehavin’, Anna in the Tropics, A Little Night Music, All of Me, Andy Warhol in Iran, ABCD, The Supadupa Kid, and Waiting for Godot; as well as a “Celebration of Black Voices” and concerts featuring Andy Karl & Orfeh, Grace McLean, and the creators of Come From Away.
—A.J.
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Lee Bank welcomes new mortgage originator to Pittsfield team
LEE– Lee Bank has announced a new addition to its mortgage lending team. Evan Collins has joined the Bank as a mortgage
originator and will be working out of the Pittsfield branch, currently located at 75 North Street.
Evan was previously employed as a sales associate at Piretti Real Estate and Stone House Properties. He has been involved in real estate sales in Berkshire County for seven years. Evan is a lifelong Berkshire County resident. He currently resides in Lenox with his wife and their two daughters. In addition to his real estate sales experience, Evan earned a degree in Business Administration from the Isenberg School of Management at University of Massachusetts.
Established in 1852, Lee Bank is one of the few remaining local and independent full-service banks in the area. It has branch offices in Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, Pittsfield, and Lenox. For more information, see www.leebank.com.
—A.J.
