Wander Berkshires to celebrate grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony
Pittsfield— On Tuesday, January 21st at 10 a.m., is the grand opening of Wander Berkshires, welcoming the community to its vibrant and inclusive space in downtown Pittsfield. There will be a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony, at which Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Mayor Peter M. Marchetti will officially introduce Wander to the heart of the city.
As a queer and transgender-founded community hub, Wander’s mission is to spark joy and alleviate loneliness through creativity, connection, and collaboration. Designed as a welcoming recovery-focused space for all, Wander is a place where people can gather, recharge, and feel a sense of belonging with a café featuring locally roasted coffee, a carefully curated selection of functional non-alcoholic beverages and teas, as well as freshly baked goods and grab-and-go food options.


“We’re honored to open our doors in downtown Pittsfield and provide a space where everyone feels welcome and valued,” says founder Jay Santangelo. “Whether you’re stopping in for a cup of coffee, attending an event, or exploring your creative passions, Wander is here to spark connection and joy in every experience.”
The community is invited to explore a dynamic lineup of January events. Highlights include sober dance parties, inspiring workshops, lively drag shows, and opportunities to connect with fellow creatives and community members. For more information, visit wanderberkshires.com.
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Shakespeare & Company appoints Sunie Gorey as Director of Development
Lenox— Shakespeare & Company has announced that Sunie Gorey as been appointed Director of Development.
In her position, Gorey is responsible for supporting Shakespeare & Company’s mission and vision through the development of new and expanded income streams, cultivation of the Company’s donors and Board of Trustees, and various engagements with constituents in the Berkshire County community, in addition to more focused initiatives such as expanding the alumni networks for Shakespeare & Company’s Education Program and Center for Actor Training.

Gorey recorded early successes with Shakespeare & Company in the first three months following her appointment, including the first-ever Center for Actor Training Alumni Event in New York City, and the Fill the Quill Match Challenge, which raised $75,000 for Shakespeare & Company’s Education Program during the Fall Festival of Shakespeare – a nine-week exploration of Shakespeare plays that brings together more than 500 high school students annually.
Most recently, Gorey served as Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement with The Hotchkiss School, leading numerous initiatives in fundraising, community outreach, and stakeholder engagement. She also served for several years as Field Marketing Manager for Lundberg Family Farms based in California, one of the United States’ top brands of organic products; and as Program Manager for The Provincetown Theater, a year-round, nonprofit theater company on Cape Cod. Gorey holds a bachelor of arts in English Literature and Culture from Pace University, an MBA in Organizational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University, and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Cape Cod Community College.
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2nd Street elects board members
Pittsfield— Second Street Second Chances (2nd Street) announces the election of three members to its board of directors.

Gabriela Leon is an outreach coordinator and recovery coach at Berkshire Connections, specializing in supporting pregnant and postpartum women with a history of, or active, substance use disorder. A formerly incarcerated woman in recovery, Leon’s personal journey has fueled her passion for helping others transform their lives. In 2019, after serving as a recovery specialist at the local Clinical Stabilization Services unit, Leon enrolled in Berkshire Community College’s Human Services Transfer Program, continuing on to the advanced placement program at Elms College. She is scheduled to receive her bachelor’s degree in social work in May and plans to earn a master’s degree. Leon’s mission is to advocate for those who feel voiceless, address social issues affecting vulnerable populations, and demonstrate that it is possible to overcome life’s challenges. An advocate for underserved women in the community, she is dedicated to bringing resources that empower these women to overcome challenges and thrive. Leon holds certificates in addiction and human services, an associate degree in human services, and is a state certified recovery coach.

Annie Maurer is a staff attorney in the Pittsfield office of Community Legal Aid, where she represents individuals facing criminal record–related barriers to housing and employment. Before joining Community Legal Aid, Maurer worked for more than a decade as a public defender. She was previously employed at the Committee for Public Counsel Services in Pittsfield, The Legal Aid Society in New York City, and the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, where she managed a regional office of 25 lawyers. Maurer graduated from Tufts University and New York University School of Law. She serves on the board of Housatonic Youth Basketball (Housy Hoops.)

Jason Vivori has a passion for community service that began as a teenager when he volunteered weekly at St. Stephen’s Table addressing food insecurity. His commitment to community engagement has included numerous volunteer and professional endeavors. In 2003, Vivori joined the Berkshire Museum as a volunteer, eventually becoming an employee. He has served the museum in several professional roles until 2016, when he moved into his current position as collections manager. Vivori joined the Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition board of directors in 2008, serving as vice president, president, and currently as chairperson of the organization. He also served on the Pittsfield 4th of July Parade Committee for several years. His future plans include exploring the intersection between art, local history, and social justice, with a focus on capturing and sharing the experiences of marginalized and underrepresented communities.
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Berkshire Agricultural Ventures appoints three new board members
Great Barrington— Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors.

Meg Bantle is a sixth-generation farmer and the co-founder of Full Well Farm in Adams, a queer- and woman-owned no-till vegetable and cut flower farm. Bantle brings a commitment to food justice with a focus on providing access to fresh, local produce to the northern Berkshire community. Full Well Farm has been a BAV partner over the past several years.

Mimi Beaven, a native of the United Kingdom, brings a farming background and a love of the natural world, food, and community, as well as their intersections. In 2012, she and her husband founded Little Ghent Farm/Made In Ghent, restoring 75 acres in Columbia County, N.Y., to productive farmland and raising laying hens, meat chickens, ducks, and pigs. The business, now closed, also developed a 20C-certified farm kitchen and store, rental accommodation, and workshop program. Beaven has been an active volunteer with area nonprofits and schools.

Glenn Bergman is a food industry leader and former executive director of Philabundance, a $55 million nonprofit food bank in Philadelphia. He also served as general manager of Weavers Way Co-operative Market, a Philadelphia co-operative food market, among other positions in the food sector. From 2020 to 2023, Bergman was interim executive director of BAV, expanding the organization’s board, staff, and client relationships.
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Bennington College welcomes Ciaran Cooper to its board of trustees
Bennington— Writer and medical technology executive Ciaran Cooper ’87 MFA ’04 has been elected to join the Bennington College Board of Trustees.
Cooper attended Bennington as both an undergraduate, where he combined his love of art, writing, and science while also being an active student leader, and as a graduate student in the Bennington Writing Seminars. Cooper’s writing has appeared in Salamander, The Pinch, Fourteen Hills, Pangyrus, The Midwest Prairie Review, and other literary journals. He has received numerous awards for his writing, as well as two artist fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council.

Cooper has spent the last 30 years in leadership positions at clinical trial services companies, where he continues to help pave new pathways into advancing medicine. Cooper became a pioneer in the use of medical imaging in drug development when he co-founded the world’s first company to use positron emission tomography (PET) in the evaluation of experimental drugs in clinical trials in 1994.
“Ciaran represents what it means to be a Bennington graduate,” said Nicholas Stephens ’77, Chair of the Board. “He excels in writing, medical sciences, and leadership and is a wonderful example of the multidisciplinary strength of our graduates.”
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‘Adventure to Ashuwillticook Trail’ awarded $17.3 million RAISE grant
Berkshire— Congressman Richard Neal announced a major federal grant award on Friday from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The award will fund complete planning, design, and permitting for the “Adventure to Ashuwillticook Trail,” or “A2A Trail Project”, a 9.3-mile stretch of shared-use pathway connecting the existing Ashuwillticook Rail Trail to the Williamstown Mohican Path by way of downtown North Adams and the rotary of the MASS MoCA campus.
This landmark grant award is the result of a collaborative effort involving Berkshire Funding Focus, a government funding initiative of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC), along with three municipalities: Adams, North Adams, and Williamstown, as well as MASS MoCA and TOURISTS hotel. BRPC will coordinate the ongoing partnership and manage the grant award over the course of the four-year process.

“The vision for a regional bike path through the Berkshires has been decades in the making, and after today, takes a major step towards realization,” said Adams Selectboard Chair, John Duval. “Development of the RAISE application was a true regional and collaborative effort that has resulted in a ‘once in a lifetime’ funding award and will position the project for future construction. The Town cannot thank BRPC enough for its leadership and assistance in this effort.”