Lenox to celebrate cultural district designation
Lenox — Town officials, the Lenox Chamber of Commerce and community volunteers will celebrate the town’s official cultural district designation from the Mass Cultural Council Monday, Sept. 9, at 9 a.m. at Sohn Fine Art.
Cultural districts are walkable, compact areas centered on existing amenities, but the benefits of designation extend beyond the formal downtown borders to include the surrounding area. Cultural districts must undergo an asset inventory process, involving members of the community in mapping the proposed borders and determining priorities for programming and promotion that the district’s steering committee will undertake. After input was collected through community meetings and an online survey, the Lenox Board of Selectmen gave formal approval to apply for district designation. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission assisted with the application process through its Shared Economic Development Planner program and will continue to work with steering committee members and town officials on implementation of the district’s work plan during the first five-year designation cycle.
The designation makes Lenox the 46th cultural district in the Commonwealth, and the fifth in Berkshire County, joining Pittsfield’s Upstreet Cultural District; Williamstown; North Adams; and Downtown Great Barrington, which earned its designation last year.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information or to get involved in the Lenox Cultural District, contact culturaldistrict@townoflenox.com.
–E.E.
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Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce announces the 2019 Business Persons of the Year
Stockbridge — The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce has announced that its 2019 Business Persons of the Year are Gary Happ and Andrew Mankin of Barrington Brewery. A celebration in their honor will take place Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 5 to 7:30 at the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Said SBCC executive director Betsy Andrus: “Choosing Andrew and Gary as this year’s honorees was a no-brainer. They are both ingrained in the Southern Berkshires. They have invested in their business by using local products, brew onsite and very supportive of their staff.”
Mankin and Happ decided to go into business together in 1995. Using Happ’s restaurant knowledge and Mankin’s brewing knowledge, they opened Barrington Brewery. From the beginning they have emphasized local products, and environmentally responsible conditions and materials, and were always smoke-free. They built the first brewery solar hot-water system in the Northeast. In 2007, seeing a need in the community, they opened Crissey Farm banquet facility, which included the solar hot-water system. In 2015 they bought an adjacent 2 acres and designed a 144-kilowatt solar-electric photovoltaic array, which supplies 85% of the business’ electricity needs.
Tickets are $60 and the event is open to the public. For tickets and more information, contact the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce at (413) 528-4284 betsy@southernberkshirechamber.com.
–E.E.
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Town manager reports two promotions
Great Barrington — Town manager Mark Pruhenski has announced two promotions at Town Hall: Town planner Chris Rembold has been named assistant town manager/director of planning and community development, and Ellyn Dupont has been named assistant treasurer/collector.
Pruhenski said Rembold’s promotion and new title now more closely reflect the level and quality of his work advancing the town’s economic development agenda. Rembold will continue with his planning responsibilities but will also oversee the town’s building department and capital asset management. He will continue to manage long-range comprehensive zoning and planning, implement major capital projects and handle the town’s grant applications. He also administers the town’s Community Preservation Act. Before joining Great Barrington, Rembold worked as a private sector planner and housing consultant for 10 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Allegheny College, a master’s degree in cultural anthropology from the New School for Social Research, as well as a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the Pratt Institute. He lives in Great Barrington.
Dupont has previously served as assistant town clerk, splitting her time between the town clerk’s office and the treasurer/collector’s office. She now assumes the role of assistant treasurer/collector. She has worked for the town for two years. Dupont holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from Elms College. After graduation, she stayed on at the college for 12 years, working in key roles in the information services department. She also spent five years as chief information officer at a small insurance firm before joining the town. She lives in Great Barrington.
–E.E.
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Pittsfield Cultural Council to hold grant application workshop, reception
Pittsfield — The Pittsfield Cultural Council will hold a grant application workshop Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 6 to 6:30 p.m. at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts to assist anyone interested in applying for funds for 2018 arts- or culture-related projects.
An opportunity to meet with PCC members and learn more about applying for funding, the workshop will be followed by a reception from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in honor of PCC’s 2019 grant award recipients. There will be hors d’oeuvres; a cash bar; and the chance to network with fellow grant recipients, council members and other community members.
With funding from the Mass Cultural Council, PCC provides grants to help underwrite projects, programs, and events in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences. This year, PCC-funded grants totaled $30,748. The council is now seeking applications for the 2020 grant cycle. Information and applications are available online and are due Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Both the workshop and the reception are free and open to all. For more information, contact pittsfieldculture@yahoo.com.
–E.E.
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Salisbury Bank to hold Community Day
Sheffield — Salisbury Bank will hold a free Community Day Saturday, Sept. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon at its Sheffield location. Each participant may bring up to four boxes of paper (no binders) for shredding by Legal Shred personnel. All shredded paper will be recycled.
Participants are asked to consider contributing a donation of nonperishable food items including canned goods, cereal, macaroni and cheese, cake mix, peanut butter, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and tomato sauce. Household necessities such as paper towels, diapers, shampoo and soap are also appreciated. The donated items will be distributed among local food pantries.
For more information, call Salisbury Bank at (413) 229-5000.
–E.E.