Timberlyn Heights receives rare “deficiency-free” designation
Great Barrington— Timberlyn Heights, a Bear Mountain Healthcare managed skilled nursing care, is pleased to announce that the facility recently received a “deficiency-free” survey from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Skilled nursing facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs are inspected annually to evaluate the care and services provided to the residents. Surveyors come into the facility unannounced. They interview residents and family members, observe care being delivered, and review medical and other records. Surveyors determine compliance with regulations governing areas such as quality of care, residents’ rights, confidentiality, and quality of service. It is a rigorous review of performance and compliance by the provider and is one quality indicator for individuals and families facing placement decisions. If each of the many applicable regulations are met, the skilled nursing facility is awarded a “deficiency-free” survey.
“Deficiency-free” surveys are incredibly difficult to achieve. According to Massachusetts Senior Care Association, less than 5% of facilities in Massachusetts earned a “deficiency-free” designation during the most recent year.
“I am so pleased and proud of the employees of Timberlyn Heights on achieving this excellent survey,” said Chris Duncan Director of Operations for Bear Mountain Healthcare. “This wonderful outcome is a testament to the dedication, hard work of our team, and their commitment to maintaining the highest quality of care for our residents.”
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Town of Great Barrington promotes Carmen Morales to the position of assistant town accountant
Great Barrington— Carmen Morales, who joined the town’s administrative staff in December 2020, has been promoted to the position of assistant town accountant. She previously served as an administrative assistant in the office of the Selectboard and Town Manager.
In her earlier career, Morales was a senior account clerk for the City of Pittsfield, and she also worked for the city’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Earlier, she worked as an administrator and bookkeeper for Brodersen Enterprises in Puerto Rico. She studied communications at the University of Connecticut and previously attended the University of Puerto Rico, where she studied liberal arts.
Morales participated in the National Puerto Rican Forum in Hartford, focusing on business and computer skills. She also holds an associate degree as a Federal Police Chaplain in Puerto Rico.
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Berkshire Agricultural Ventures welcomes Patrick Grego as Communications and Development Associate
Great Barrington— Berkshire Agriculture Ventures (BAV), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local agriculture and resilient food systems in the Berkshire-Taconic region, is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Grego as its full-time Communications and Development Associate.
Grego comes to BAV with a solid background in nonprofit communications. After moving from Brooklyn to Hudson, New York in 2021, Grego served as a Communications Coordinator at Time & Space Limited, a community arts center in Hudson, and later as Communications Assistant at The Olana Partnership.
Grego has a passion for storytelling. His writing has been published in several regional newspapers including the Times Union and Chronogram’s River Newsroom. He recently won the New York Newspaper Publishers Association award for distinguished feature writing.
“I am honored to join Berkshire Agricultural Ventures and contribute to their impactful work in sustainable agriculture,” said Grego. “I believe that supporting local farmers and promoting environmentally friendly practices is crucial for the health of our community and our climate. I am excited to help raise awareness and foster connections that drive positive change.”
Berkshire Agricultural Ventures has been a driving force in the Berkshire region, providing farmers and food producers with vital resources, technical assistance, and financing opportunities. The addition of Patrick Grego to the team will further strengthen the organization’s ability to engage the community, expand its network, and advance its mission of creating a resilient and sustainable food system for all people.
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Berkshire Bank Foundation announces more than $845,000 in Philanthropic Investments in Q2 2023
Pittsfield— Berkshire Bank, a leading, socially responsible community bank with financial centers in New England and New York, announced more than $845,000 in Foundation philanthropic investments during the second quarter of 2023. These investments contributed to helping the communities Berkshire Bank serves.
In total, the Berkshire Bank Foundation assisted 190 nonprofit organizations during the second quarter of 2023 by providing funding to support needs such as food insecurity, health, wellness, homelessness, educational advancement, arts, youth development, culture, diversity, and inclusion.
“Though our financial support and volunteer service, we are proud to help lift up the communities that we serve,” said Director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation, Lori Gazzillo Kiely. She added, “We are pleased to continue to assist nonprofits doing great work to positively impact individuals, families and small businesses within the Berkshire Bank footprint.”
Additional details on the Foundation’s grant programs and focus areas can be found at berkshirebank.com/foundation.
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Adams businesswomen to present ‘Susan Hakes – From Russell Field to Las Vegas’, a chronological journey of her 60+ year career in the dance business
Adams— On Saturday, October 7th at 2 p.m. at the Adams Theater, Susan Hakes will present a chronological journey celebrating her 60+ year career in the dance business. She founded the Brookfield School of Dance in 1962, The Studio in 1972, and the Berkshire Dance Theater in 1982. She taught dance to more than 30,000 students ages three to 80 in Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, and now in Nevada.
Hakes produced, designed, directed, choreographed or costumed over 400 dance, theatrical, skating, pageant, musical theater, television, and radio productions. Susan’s students have gone on to perform with celebrities like Michael Jackson and Madonna. Her students have performed on tour in the U.S., Europe, and Australia and have been in movies, on national television, do print work, appear in commercials and videos, and have earned degrees in dance, theater arts, and arts administration at prestigious American colleges and universities. Many own their own dance schools and companies, teaching dance all over the country.
This will be a unique event with the audience being able to see thousands of student photos, video clips from 50 shows, newspaper clippings, ads, and programs from a 60-year period.
The event will be held on Saturday, October 7th at 2 p.m. in the Adams Theater on Park Street in Adams. Tickets are free and priority seating is available for $10. For tickets and more information, visit the Adams Theater online.
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‘Roots to Renewal’ talks sustainable development with SEKEM Group’s Helmy Abouleish
Ghent— After a short hiatus, the Roots to Renewal podcast is back with an interview with Helmy Abouleish, CEO of the SEKEM Group based in Cairo, Egypt.
Often referred to as “the miracle in the desert,” many doubted SEKEM’s ability to succeed. This year, SEKEM is marking its 46th anniversary. SEKEM is a multi-faceted agricultural and educational organization with a vision for “sustainable development towards a future where every human being can unfold his or her individual potential; where humankind is living together in social forms reflecting human dignity; and where all economic activity is conducted in accordance with ecological and ethical principles.”
In their conversation, Martin and Helmy discuss the four dimensions of sustainable development including social life, cultural life, ecology, and economic life, SEKEM’s process of promoting organic and biodynamic farming practices in an economically beneficial way.
Helmy says of their work and success: “Economy of love and biodynamic agriculture, both together would not have been enough without a real continuous care for potential unfolding of every member of the community, of the kids, of the people in the community and around us without our holistic educational programs.”
To hear more, listen to the full episode of Roots to Renewal wherever you get your podcasts, or visit Roots to Renewal online.
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Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. awarded $65,000 from MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative Creative Catalyst Grant Program for Arts and Culture Projects
Pittsfield— Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. was awarded a $65,000 grant from MassDevelopment to fund three projects in the city.
The projects include “The Lab” at the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires, a technology lab at the Boys & Girls Club in Pittsfield that seeds an entrepreneurial hub for teens in the district and forms a new pipeline between Berkshire Innovation Center and North Street; the “Urban Room”, a brick-and-mortar space for the Pittsfield Community Design Center, which serves as a body for planning and executing tactical urbanism strategy and community-focused planning, featuring equipment like paint, planters, recycled furniture, pallets, and tires with seating and lounge areas for meetings, brainstorms, and exhibitions; and “Let it Shine! A Celebration of Public Art: Mural and Music Festival”, mural installation and celebratory festival that will put two building-scale murals in the pedestrian core of Pittsfield and will get the community involved in installing three smaller participatory murals to be held on Saturday, September 9th.
For more information on Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., visit downtownpittsfield.com or call 413-443-6501. You may also follow @DowntownPittsfield on Facebook and Instagram.
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WMHT Public Media honored with two nominations for the 2023 New York Emmy Awards
Albany— WMHT Public Media, a multichannel public communications organization serving Eastern New York and Western New England, has been honored with two nominations for the 2023 New York Emmy Awards.
“Bridging the Divide”, a multi-platform documentary produced by WMHT exploring community healing through public art, was nominated in the Arts/Entertainment – Long Form Content category. The program tells the story of the Uniting Line project in Troy, through which artist Jade Warrick worked to install murals throughout the Hoosick Street Bridge in an effort to beautify and transform a space that had become a monument to community division.
“Rooted Out”, a documentary produced by Julie Casper Roth and distributed by WMHT, was nominated in the category of Documentary Topical. It illustrates the community fallout after two men were denied a marriage license in their hometown of Root, New York. The program chronicles the town’s attempts to erase the incident from the public record, and the subsequent fight for justice by the couple’s supporters, who push for an accurate narrative of the events.
“I’m proud of the outstanding team at WMHT, which is deeply committed to their craft and dedicated to enriching the lives of audiences throughout the Capital Region and beyond,” said Anthony Hayes, President and CEO of WMHT Public Media. “These nominations for New York Emmy Awards demonstrate our unique ability to provide meaningful local programming that brings people and communities together.”
The 66th Annual New York Emmy Awards’ honorees will be announced on October 28th at a live in-person gala at the New York Marriott Marquis.
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Berkshire Community College adds associate degree in natural and physical sciences
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) has added a new associate in science degree in natural and physical sciences (NPS), available beginning in the fall 2023 semester. The NPS program was developed as an opportunity to offer students studying the sciences an associate in science degree that included meta-major style pathways in biology, biotechnology, chemistry, and physics. Previously, students studying biology and biotechnology earned an associate in arts degree in the liberal arts program.
“When I discuss the future with my students, they often tell me they are unsure about what they want to do, but they like science,” Foley said. “The new NPS program provides students with a unique opportunity to explore the sciences while working toward a fully transferrable associate in science degree within the UMass system.”
Foley said the “truly exciting part” about the new degree program is its built-in flexibility to move from one pathway to another. For example, a student can start in the biology pathway and discover they prefer the hands-on nature of biotechnology or the fundamental connections of life in the chemistry lab. In most situations, students do not lose time toward their degree or the cost of additional courses if they change pathways in the first year.
“We created this program by listening to our students and put forward a program that encourages scientific exploration and flexibility,” she said.
Students graduating from the NPS program are encouraged to continue their education at a four-year state institution. Careers fields include medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, genetics counseling, medical laboratory work, chemical analysis, materials science, forensics, engineering, science writing and more.
For more information, contact Gina Foley at gfoley@berkshirecc.edu or (413) 236-4522.
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Berkshire Health Systems schedules community meeting on plans for Critical Access Hospital Designation in North Adams
North Adams— Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) has scheduled a community meeting to discuss plans for its application for a critical access hospital designation and the re-opening of inpatient beds at its North Adams facility as the new North Adams Regional Hospital. This project is part of BHS’s strategic plan to expand access to care and advance health and wellness for all across the region.
The meeting will focus on what a Critical Access Hospital is, the application process for becoming a Critical Access Hospital, and what a Critical Access Hospital will mean for healthcare in the northern Berkshire region. BHS is hosting this meeting so that members of the public can learn more about the planned reopening and provide input to health system representatives.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 3rd at 6 p.m. at the Church Street Center at 265 Church Street on the campus of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams. Parking is available behind the Center and attendees should enter through the glass doors at the main Church Street entrance to the building.
