Stone House Properties hires Chris Vecchia as sales associate
Berkshire— Stone House Properties is thrilled to announce that Chris Vecchia will be joining the company as a Sales Associate. Born and raised in the Berkshires and currently raising his own family in Pittsfield, Chris brings a deep-rooted understanding of the local community and a passion for helping others find their perfect home.
Chris’s journey into real estate began over a decade ago when he purchased his first house. He found himself captivated by the home buying process, and later decided to transform this hobby into a career. Since 2019, Chris has been dedicated to helping his fellow Berkshire County residents achieve their real estate dreams.
“I am thrilled to join the team at Stone House Properties,” said Chris Vecchia. “As a Berkshire native, I am committed to helping my clients discover how they can live their life to the fullest in this county.”
Buyers or sellers can connect with Chris Vecchia and the Stone House Properties at www.stonehouseproperties.com or by calling 413-281-6995.
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More than 1,000 Berkshire Bank employees volunteer on ‘Xtraordinary Day’
Berkshire— More than 1,000 Berkshire Bank employees rolled up their sleeves on June 13th and helped make the communities where they live and work stronger and more resilient by volunteering at more than 45 local nonprofits across the bank’s markets as part of “Xtraordinary Day” (“X Day”,) the bank’s annual day of service.
Every year, Berkshire closes all of its financial centers and offices at noon to host “X Day,” which supports nonprofits that address hunger, homelessness, and affordable housing and aim to create a more equitable, just, and sustainable future.
The Berkshire participated in projects that benefitted were:
- Berkshire Botanical Gardens and Construct in Stockbridge;
- Berkshire HorseWorks in Richmond;
- Bina Farm in Lexington;
- Veterans Inc., Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, Habitat for Humanity of Metro West Greater Worcester and Hope for Worcester in Worcester;
- Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity and the Gladys Allen Brigham Center’s Girls Inc. camp in Pittsfield;
- Child Care of the Berkshires in North Adams;
- Cradles to Crayons in Newton;
- Girls Inc. of Worcester in Holden;
- Lee Youth Commission in Lee;
- Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless in Lynn and Westfield;
- Milford Veterans Services in Milford;
- ReGreen Springfield in Springfield;
- Ron Burton Training Village in Hubbardston;
- United Way of Tri-County in Clinton; and
- West Stockbridge Historical Society in West Stockbridge.
In 2023, Berkshire employees logged more than 21,000 hours of volunteer service. In addition to the hours contributed through X Day, all Berkshire employees are eligible for up to 16 hours of paid time off annually to volunteer with nonprofits of their choice.
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Berkshire Community College respiratory care program gains popularity
Pittsfield— The Respiratory Care program at Berkshire Community College (BCC), which offers an associate in science degree to students who complete the program, has seen tremendous growth over the past few years, so much so that, with more than 70 applications received, the enrollment cap has now been increased to meet demand.
BCC Dean of Nursing, Health & Wellness Lori Moon said the Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) Pipeline has been a major contributor to the increase in interest for the program. The BHS Respiratory Talent Pathway, part of the pipeline program, covers the cost of all training while also offering students full-time pay with benefits while they are completing their training. The program is designed to create a direct career path from education and training to full-time employment at BHS.
“While respiratory therapists were not recognized in the same manner as other disciplines during the pandemic, Covid-19 did highlight the expertise they bring to the patient’s bedside every day,” said Margaret Goss, Assistant Professor of Respiratory Therapy. “Respiratory therapists are now recognized as specialized healthcare practitioners who are trained to work therapeutically with people suffering from pulmonary disease. We are very excited that respiratory therapists are in high demand, and that BCC will continue to fulfill such a critical need for our community.”
For more information about the Respiratory Care program at BCC or about the BHS Talent Pipeline, contact Margaret Goss at mgoss@berkshirecc.edu or 413-236-4766.
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Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. moved offices
Pittsfield— Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI) has officially relocated its office location to the heart of Downtown Pittsfield at 431 North Street, former home of Jan Perry Realty. Standard office hours will be Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the caveat that staff are often out visiting DPI members. DPI recommends calling ahead at 413-443-6501 to make sure DPI staff is at the office to welcome you.
DPI will be managing the Framework co-working space, also at 431 North Street, offering semi-private offices for day or monthly rentals. They will also offer a board room rental that holds up to 10 people and a multi-use classroom space rental with flexible configurations, easily accommodating up to 20 people. Booking will begin in mid-July, and rentals will include Wi-Fi, with the option of TV, speaker phone, projector, and screen. DPI will be partnering with downtown restaurants on catering options, and renters will have access to a lounge area for buffet space outside of the meeting room.
For more information on Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., visit downtownpittsfield.com, email info@ downtownpittsfield.com, or call 413-443-6501. Follow along with @downtownpittsfield on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates.
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Bard College receives one million dollar grant from Burpee Foundation
Annandale-On-Hudson— Bard College has been awarded a one million dollar grant to be paid over four years towards supporting the Burpee Trial Garden, which will be located at the Montgomery Place Campus.
The trial garden will revitalize the fallow lawn beds at Montgomery Place that historically grew vegetables and flowers and will engage Bard students in horticultural research and hands-on scientific investigation with real-world applications. Trial gardens measure how well a specific cultivar or variety will perform in a specific area or growing condition. These trials evaluate new varieties compared to an industry standard plant from germination to maturity or from seed to harvest. Bard students will design and evaluate the cultivation of new and experimental seeds and plants and explore climate-resilient plant introductions and adaptations at the Burpee Trial Garden.
Students will utilize the scientific method, plant and insect identification, pests and diseases, genetics, biology, plant breeding and propagation, and the effects of climate on plant vigor. This project will help to determine how these plants perform in our mid-Hudson River Valley growing conditions, inspire the gardening public to explore new varieties and plant combinations, and educate the professional horticulture industry and garden visitors about its findings and recommendations.
The Burpee Trial Garden at Montgomery Place campus gives Bard students the opportunity to learn how to design, plan, and execute a planting schedule, develop skills to maintain display-quality working gardens, and interpret them for visitors on a public site. This opportunity further instills a passion for plants in students, inspires their commitment to nurture their environment, and opens up knowledge of plant-related careers.
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BIC receives DOE Phase II “MAKE IT” award
Pittsfield— The Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) is excited to announce that they have been named a Phase II: Create winner by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the DOE’s Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Strategies Track.
The BIC is one of only seven applicants across the country, and the only one in Massachusetts, to receive a Phase II award. The Phase II award of $100,000 will support the BIC’s project, the Berkshire Clean Tech Initiative (BCTI), to create a roadmap for growing clean tech manufacturing in the Berkshires and supporting start-ups in the clean tech industry. As a Phase II winner, the BIC is now eligible to advance to the program’s Phase III: Activate. In Phase III, the BIC and other Phase II winners are competing for a $250,000 prize.
“Receiving this award is humbling and exciting, but it is just the beginning — the real work starts now,” said Ben Sosne, Executive Director of the BIC. “The Berkshires has such tremendous potential to be a leader in the clean energy transition, and we are fortunate to have such strong partners locally and across the Commonwealth. Developing and deploying technologies to mitigate the impact of climate change is critical for the health and wellbeing of future generations, and it is also a tremendous economic development opportunity, particularly for regions like ours.”
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Southern Berkshire Regional School District presented with prestigious MASBO Award
Sheffield— During a School Committee meeting held on June 6th, Southern Berkshire Regional School District (SBRSD) was honored with the Donald D. Johnson Operational and Cost Efficiency Award.
The award was presented by Margaret Driscoll, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials (MASBO). The award recognizes the accomplishment of a district that has implemented a program, activity, or initiative that resulted in increasing efficiency to save funding.
SBRSD’s actions to keep assessments down include advocating to state legislators for district and rural aid, writing and receiving 1.5 million dollars in annual grants to increase opportunities for students while trying to lessen the burden of the school community, allocating most ESSER funding to replace the HVAC system on the main campus so that the member towns did not have to incur debt, implementing ways to offset or reduce rising costs of energy by installing a rooftop solar array on the main campus, and receiving credits from the utility companies related to HVAC updates and working in collaboration with other districts and community members to expand offerings and share services.
This award is made possible through MASBO’s partnership with Voya Financial Advisors. Included in the award is a $2,500 student scholarship awarded to the district, a plaque in recognition of the implementation of the cost-saving initiative, and a trip where the district’s Superintendent will attend the Association of School Business Officers International Annual Conference and Expo.
For more information about Southern Berkshire Regional School District please contact Superintendent Dr. Beth Regulbuto, bregulbuto@sbrsd.org.
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State Women’s Commission awards scholarships
Massachusetts— The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MSCW) announced the recipients of a scholarship program aiming to support emerging leaders of the Commonwealth to continue their education journey to leadership and economic empowerment.
The scholarship was created to celebrate the MCSW’s 25th anniversary, awarding five nontraditional adult women students a $5,000 scholarship from the MCSW Trust Fund to continue their education. Designed to support woman-identifying students already enrolled in a Massachusetts Public Higher Education Institution for the 2024-2025 academic year, these scholarships were awarded to help women of the Commonwealth complete their degree and advance their economic and educational futures. Funds will go towards tuition, fees, books and related supplies or equipment required to complete their studies.
“With more than 275 applications from all across the Commonwealth for our Scholarship application, this was incredibly competitive. These chosen recipients represent the bright future of our state and will be the first in their families to graduate from college. The MCSW is proud to provide funding for women students, who may not be able to access scholarship and grant funding typically available to more traditional students, to continue their education and path to economic success,” said MCSW State Commissioner Denella Clark, Immediate Past Chairwoman currently serving as the Chair of the new Scholarship Committee.
The awardee from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in Berkshire County is Veronica Nault, slated to graduate May 2025. MCLA Environmental Science Professor Daniel Shustack said “Veronica is a hard-worker, kind, generous, passionate, motivated, smart, responsible, and more. She is intellectually inquisitive, taking every opportunity afforded to her with enthusiasm, excellence, and exuberance! Her dedication to learning and professional growth elevates those around her. She is an all-around amazing human being.”
The MCSW celebrated the five scholarship recipients alongside more than 125 Commonwealth Heroines at the 21st Annual Commonwealth Heroines Celebration on June 14th at the Massachusetts Statehouse in the Gardner Auditorium. For additional information, please contact the MCSW at 617-626-6520 or email mcsw@mass.gov.
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Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation awards scholarships to Mount Greylock students
Berkshire— The Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation (BWPCC) has selected two students from the Mount Greylock Regional High School class of 2024 to receive $1,000 scholarships. The scholarships are awarded to qualifying seniors at select schools in the Berkshires who are planning to attend either a two- or four- year college or trade school program.
This is the third year of the BWPCC scholarship program. The BWPCC owns and operates the Berkshire Wind Power Project, a 12 turbine, 19.6-megawatt wind farm located on Brodie Mountain in Hancock and Lanesborough. This year’s scholarship recipients are Jamie Sweren of Lanesborough and Owen Petropulos of Hancock.
Sweren will attend Ithaca College and major in Writing for Film, Television, and Emerging Media. In high school, she participated in volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, chorus, and the Young Environment Squad. She served as a teacher assistant in Wellness class, and was also selected to represent Mount Greylock at the MIAA Sportsmanship Summit.
Petropulos plans to attend Trinity College and major in History and Economics. At Mount Greylock, he was captain of the golf team, a member of the orchestra, and co-founded the Philosophy Club. He was also a member of the National Honor Society and was the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Prize for History.
