Berkshire Business Journal May 2026

Supporting farmers, fighting hunger

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures celebrates fifth year of its Market Match program. Page 2

Berkshire Business Journal

MAY 2026 I VOL. 5, NO. 5

They’ll

have it in the

made shade

Lanesborough farm eyes solar canopy to keep cows cool

BY JANE K AUFMAN

LANESBOROUGH — For years, Square Roots Farm co-owner Michael Gallagher has been trying to fi nd a way to give his cows a bit of relief from the summer sun.

He thought about planting trees, but it would take years for them to grow large enough to produce significant shade. Turns out, his answer comes directly from the sun.

Now, Gallagher is pairing up with renewable energy developer BlueWave Energy to install a 10-foot-high solar array spaced widely apart on two fi elds that will produce shade for his cows. The array — on 36.6 acres — will add 5.3 megawatts to the grid, enough electricity to power about 750 homes for a year. It will have tiltable cells to follow the sun as it changes angle during the day.

While solar arrays are often seen as a competing use for farmland, in an era of hotter summers, Gallagher hopes this solar array will prolong the

growing season for forage and keep his cows, chickens and turkeys in comfort during the summer. It also will generate revenue, which will help stabilize Gallagher’s business operation.

It’s is a project that has been two years in the making already and likely won’t start producing electricity for another two years. Local and state permitting is just beginning.

AT THE FOREFRONT

Gallagher and his wife, Ashley Amsden, installed a small solar array at their house a few years. Since then, he’s only had to pay for electricity for their home a couple months. That first step put renewable energy on his landscape.

We have seen firsthand the benefits this approach provides to farmers, the land, and the broader energy system.

JOEL LINDSEY, BlueWave Energy vice president of project development

“We’re going to move the cows the same way we do now,” Gallagher told the Conservation Commission last month. “They’ll move through one chunk, and move through the next chunk. They’ll sit under the solar panels when it’s really hot, and they’ll be fi ne.”

“We’re in a place where we’re really at the forefront of things, which is super interesting and a little bit scary,” he said. “I am much more comfortable often in the second wave of adopting something. I want to see somebody else make it work, and then I want to copy it and make it better. But we are really much more towards the front of this.”

To investigate this concept, Gallagher took a ride to Palmer, where BlueWave

has a similar installation. Gallagher could imagine the concept working for him. Then he had some persuading to do — both with BlueWave and with a local land trust.

Gallagher and Amsden bought their 185-acre farm from Berkshire Natural Resources Council in 2012 for $160,000. It included an uninsulated brick house dating to 1810 with a single bathroom. It’s heated by three wood stoves.

The price was depressed partly because of an Agricultural Preservation Restriction on 182 acres that Berkshire Natural Resources Council placed on the property and still owns. An Agricultural Preservation Restriction is a permanent deed restriction limiting use of the land to farming.

BlueWave wasn’t interested in touching a property with such a restriction, but Gallagher thought the fact that his was privately held might make a difference.

So, he approached Doug Brown, director of stewardship at Berkshire Natural

BERKSHIRE AGRICULTURAL VENTURES

Supporting farmers, fighting hunger

Nonprofit celebrates fifth year of Market Match program

By Talia l issauer

GREAT BARRINGTON — Over the last five years, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures’ Market Match program has turned food access into an economic driver, helping generate $1 million in vendor sales while expanding access to healthy, locally grown food.

The fund is returning for a fifth year, matching up to $30 of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program spending at 10 farmers markets in the region — Pittsfield, North Adams, Great Barrington, Lee, Sheffield, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, Williamstown, Berkshire Grown Winter Market, and New Milford, Conn.

Unlike many farmers market SNAP programs that match up to $10, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures has built a regional model that has directed about $600,000 to markets, helped support 130 farmers and contributed to $1 million in vendor sales over five years.

The program helps low-income households who receive SNAP benefits access fresh food for less while increasing sales for local farmers. Many farmers, who are SNAP-eligible themselves, report 30 to 50 percent of their farmers market sales come from the Market Match program.

“The ripple effect of this program is really huge,” Executive Director Rebecca Busansky said. “It allows farmers to re-

ally feed their whole community and get full value for what they’re selling at the market rate, which they need to have a viable business.”

The centralized structure also eases administrative burdens for participating markets, allowing managers and vendors

to focus less on fundraising and more on running the markets.

“[BAV took] a big thing off of all those market managers’ plates, which was meaningful when they have a lot on their plate and not a lot of time,” said Audrey Hackett, communications director.

When the program first started, only a portion of the funds were coming from BAV, but now, BAV is the sole supporter of the fund for a majority of the markets, helping to make sure there is a “steady, consistent and reliable” source of fund-

ing and the markets

“Our role in all of this has grown, and it’s making a significant difference,” said Jake Levin, program manager for local food systems. “It’s exciting because it’s five years, but it’s also exciting because those are some real significant milestones.”

What makes this program special, communications and development manager Audrey Hackett said, is that the money spent is going right back into the community. Over the last five years, BAV has granted out about $600,000 to the markets, doubling almost 20,000 SNAP interactions and vendors have made a million dollars in sales.

“I think the aspect that gets a lot of visibility and weight, which is appropriate, is that it’s a food access program, but it has all of these other economic development implications, which we’re seeing here,” Hackett said.

A major barrier for people accessing healthier food is costs, and the program allows those in need to have an extra $30 of income specifically for that.

“The triple win,” Levin said. “It’s just so concrete, so clear. It’s so simple and so elegant. Especially in an agricultural community like this, it just really enriches the whole community. To have these incredible add-on benefits of you’re feeding more people, you’re creating more of a central community, it’s really exciting. It just feels really rewarding to be a part of that.”

Meg Bantle, of Full Well Farm farmer, said the Market Match program has been a huge part of her business at the North Adams farmers market, with about a quarter of business coming from Market Match.

“It allows customers who may not be able to afford produce normally to help stretch their SNAP budget,” Bantle said. “So it’s been hugely beneficial to our business and also our customer base.”

Bantle said BAV’s role is crucial be-

cause most farmers markets don’t have the staff and time to apply for grants and fundraise.

“It really helps these small local farmers markets,” they said. “It’s even more important during these chaotic times that an organization like BAV can help people locally still go out and support and afford locally grown food.”

Before BAV created a centralized fund, North Adams offered a much smaller similar program that required piecing together multiple grants that would often

run out before the end of the season, said Suzy Helme, who is on the farmers market committee in North Adams.

“When we started getting funding from BAV, it just changed,” Helme said.

The North Adams market usually sees around $60,000 worth of EBT sales in a season.

“They’re incredibly easy to work with and communicate,” Helme said. “It’s been such a huge time saver and a huge asset for our market to have this consistent funding that also lasts us through

the entire season.”

“It’s not just a support of a healthier lifestyle, allowing families to access healthier foods, but it’s also supporting your local agricultural system, so your local farmers,” Helme said. “There’s no stigma or shame attached to it, and we’re excited to utilize this program.”

The program doubles what people are able to spend on food while helping farmers with revenue, Iodice said.

“Market Match has helped us immensely,” said Dennis Iodice, manager of the Great Barrington Farmers Market. “It’s a win, win, win.”

Some argue that these markets are too expensive, Iodice said, but with this program, those in need are basically getting a 50 percent discount.

When SNAP benefits lapsed in November during the government shutdown, Levin worked with the markets to temporarily adjust the program to provide a $30 match to anyone with even one penny on the EBT cards.

“Being able to be so responsive has become, unfortunately, a really important part of this work over the past year,” Busansky said.

Before starting the program, Sienna Viette went to all the market managers in the county and asked if it was something that was of interest to them and got a “resounding yes.” They then created an advisory board made up of market managers, SNAP recipients and other food systems people to create and implement the program.

“While no one quite knew how it would work, how much lift BAV would do, it was very important to her that she was eliciting this positive response from the community and consulting with the market managers to know that this is something they were really interested in. So I think there was a pretty quick take up of the program.”

The Market Match is only able to supply a $30 match because of the community support.

“It’s possible, because people have stepped up,” Levin said.

Square Roots Farm

Resources Council, about whether the provisions of the 1997 Agricultural Preservation Restriction might allow for this socalled dual use or agrivoltaic solar array.

“The most impactful was hearing from Michael himself,” Brown said. He came to understand the value of the shade for both the forage and the livestock.

Still, “It was very tricky,” Brown said. “We really had to look at it through the lens of the APR and what that language explicitly required of us and requires of the landowner.”

Brown acknowledged that people have strong opinions about solar arrays — both positive and negative — and about their visual impact on the landscape.

“We knew that making a decision in favor of this could be challenging for people in our community, in understanding why this is something that we were able to support in this setting,” he said. “We also knew that if we said no to this, it would have real impacts on the viability of Michael and Ashley’s farm operation and their future as stewards of that property.”

The certificate of approval on file at Berkshire North Registry of Deeds cites several benefits including shade for animals and crops, reduction in water loss, and giving the farmer “a new revenue stream from solar energy while continuing agricultural production, reducing financial risk.”

ABOUT THE PROCESS

BlueWave Energy is all in. Under the name Pettibone Brook, BlueWave hired Weston & Sampson to prepare a 156-page notice of intent for the Conservation Commission. A Weston & Sampson engineer, two BlueWave employees and the consulting wetland scientist who mapped the property attended the recent meeting.

The Conservation Commission was expected to issue its decision this month pending a report from a state agency.

BlueWave has signed two agreements with Gallagher and Amsden: the first to lease the land for the solar cells, mechanicals and a single storage battery; the second for agricultural services. Both of these documents are necessary to win incentives under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program.

Eversource hasn’t yet signed an agreement with BlueWave to run three-phase power to the farm from Summer Street and to accept the energy, but is expected to. An Eversource spokeswoman deferred comment to the developer.

BlueWave has 11 projects operating or under construction in Massachusetts. Its first agrivoltaic project went online in 2021.

“We have seen firsthand the benefits this approach provides to farmers, the land, and the broader energy system, and we continue to expand our portfolio of dual-use projects,” said Joel Lindsey, vice president of project development at BlueWave, in an email. “Mike is a hardworking farmer that amplifies the good word of local agriculture and supplies his surrounding communities with pas-

ture-raised meat and eggs.

“He’s innovative and seeks to diversify the farm,” Llndsey continued. “He’s determined to succeed (and thrive) at one of today’s prevalent challenges: owning a family farm in Massachusetts. We are excited to continue working with him.”

Massachusetts expanded incentives for solar systems on farms in 2022. There are now 12 in operation across the state generating 16 megawatts, or enough electricity to power 2,700 homes. More than 10 similar systems are under development and three are in early phases.

AN INVESTMENT IN THE FARM

Gallagher said the constant income stream over the 20-year lease will be helpful. He and Amsden might insulate the attic or add a second bathroom to their home before their children become teenagers.

Tthey’re also considering reinvesting in the farm.

“There are lots of things on the farm that are good enough but could definitely work better and smoothly for us,” he said. “But the biggest thing about it is, it sort of takes a little bit off of this big, ‘what if’ worry that sometimes keeps us up at night. What if we get avian flu? What if the tractor catches fire tomorrow?“

At the end of the lease, the plan would be to either decommission the solar array or to renew it — if it makes sense at the time.

In the meantime, Berkshire Natural Resources Council has purchased a neighboring parcel to the northwest and holds an easement on Square Roots Farm to site a trail from the ridge line to

“We’re going to be investing in that trail development in the next few years, likely around the same time that, if permitted, this development moves forward,” Brown said of Berkshire Natural Resources Council. “We hope to continue to work with Michael and Ashley and the developer to create interpretive information that helps the way the public really understand the benefits of these systems in agricultural settings.”

Gallagher can imagine what Square

Roots will look like once the solar array is up and running.

“We already get people who stop on the side of the road because they want to take pictures of the cows and the chickens,” he said. “And I hope we get people who are still doing the same thing, and they say, ‘Look at all the cows under the solar panels. Look how chill they are.’”

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Business updates

PITTSFIELD

Greylock credit union reports strong results

Greylock Federal Credit Union reported strong 2025 financial results at its 91st annual meeting March 24, citing solid earnings, growth and a strong capital position.

Total assets reached nearly $1.7 billion at year-end, with net income of $17.8 million, including a one-time benefit of $6.8 million of net proceeds from the Employee Retention Credit program. The credit union’s regulatory capital ratio rose to 12.91 percent, remaining well above “well-capitalized” standards.

Loan balances exceeded $1.3 billion, up $25 million, while deposit balances increased $49 million to equal $1.4 billion at the end of 2025.

Jerry Burke, Sheila LaBarbera and Ty Allan Jackson were reelected to Greylock’s board of directors. Following the annual meeting, the board also reelected its officers: Peter T. Lopez as chairperson; Kelly J. Krok as vice chairperson; Krystle A. Blake as secretary/financial officer; and JamieEllen Moncecchi as assistant secretary.

Greylock’s 2025 Annual Report and Impact Report are available at greylock.org/annualmeeting.

PITTSFIELD

BCC accepts applications for PT Assistant program

Berkshire Community College is accepting applications for entrance into its Physical Therapist Assistant Program, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

The program combines classroom instruction, hands-on lab training and clinical education, preparing graduates to sit for the national licensing exam. Students can complete the associate degree in as little as two years.

Physical therapist assistants work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, schools, and rehabilitation centers, with strong job demand and competitive salaries.

For information, or to apply to the program, visit berkshirecc.edu/pta.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Nonprofit Center marks its 10th anniversary

The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is marking its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of helping nonprofits connect, learn and grow. The organization now supports more than 1,000 local groups.

Under the leadership of founder and Executive Director Liana Toscanini, the NPC has launched educational workshops, a Giving Back guide, the Berkshire Nonprofit Awards, volunteer fairs, and a middle school philanthropy curriculum. During COVID-19, it added legislative town halls and executive convenings, and more recently introduced an equity academy and a board-matching service.

Backed by corporate, legislative and philanthropic support, the organization operates with a $450,000 annual budget.

Incoming Executive Director Samantha Anderson will lead strategic planning as the organization enters its next phase, supporting a sector facing burnout, funding cuts and increased demand.

For information, visit npcberkshires.org.

PITTSFIELD

Lenco earns Gold prize in state economic awards

Lenco has earned Gold recognition from MassEcon in the 22nd annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards, one of 13 companies honored statewide and one of two in Western Massachusetts. ERD Metal in Westfield earned Silver.

MassEcon is the state’s private sector partner in promoting business growth in Massachusetts. Winners were selected based on job growth, facility expansion and investment, community involvement, and commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives since Jan. 1, 2025. The winners will be recognized Thursday at Gillette Stadium.

Avangrid — parent company of Berkshire Gas — will receive the Chairman’s Award for strengthening the state’s global competitiveness, highlighted by its NECEC transmission line and the nearly complete Vineyard Wind 1 project, together expected to supply 2,000 megawatts of power, or about 25 percent of Massachusetts’ total power demand.

The winning companies were selected after site visits, interviews with regional teams of judges, and 1-minute “pitches” at a Finalists Reception.

Overall, the winning projects represent $206.5 million in investment, nearly 915,000 square feet of expansion and more than 730 jobs added or projected statewide.

WILLIAMSTOWN

Contractor firm buys space to house offices

Jack Miller Contractors has acquired property at 824 Simonds Road with plans to convert the commercial retail space to professional contractor offices.

Built in 1954, the property once was home to Express Mart and JJ’s Coffee & Convenience Store and set in the town’s Planned Business Zoning District. The 0.39-acre site, now under the ownership of 824 Simonds LLC, was purchased from Reinland Property Management LLC. An environmental site assessment for the vacant commercial property has been completed.

The move will position JMC to better serve clients across the Berkshires, Southern Vermont and eastern New York, while establishing a strategic site to support the integration and expansion of its business after years of searching for the right location.

The Planning Board approved a redevelopment plan to add approximately 2,100 square feet to the 1,305-square-foot, one-story building and to create 10 parking spots. The design plan includes green shielding and reduces the amount of impervious surface on the lot by about 2,700 square feet.

The conversion will bring all of JMC’s operations under one roof, including offices, meeting space and a small storage area. It will also support the launch of a new home services branch, offering concierge-style care for high-end properties along with management of smaller projects to complement the company’s custom home building work.

JMC has engaged the services of Burr and McCallum Architects based in Williamstown to develop plans for the property. Completion of construction is expected in late 2026 with a move-in date around the same time.

GREAT BARRINGTON

Ben Lamb joins BAV board of directors

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures has appointed Berkshire-based economic development expert Ben Lamb to its board of directors.

Lamb is the vice president of Economic Development at 1Berkshire, supporting rural businesses across the region, and brings extensive community leadership, including roles with Mass MoCA and the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition.

A former North Adams city councilor, Lamb has also been active in local initiatives such as the North Adams Partnership and co-founder of the NAMAzing Initiative, focused on creative placemaking and grassroots

Nonprofit Center names new director

GREAT BARRINGTON — Following an extensive national search, the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires has appointed Samantha Anderson as its new executive director.

She succeeds Liana Toscanini, the organization’s founder, who is retiring as executive director at the end of April.

Anderson, a Berkshire resident, brings 30 years of experience managing mission-driven organizations in both the nonprofit and private sectors.

“Samantha is the whole package and then some,” Toscanini said of her successor. “The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires will benefit greatly from her experience and skillset as the organization enters its next phase of growth and impact.”

Board Vice President Hari Kumar, who chaired the search committee, said Anderson “emerged as the clear choice from an extensive pool of highly qualified candidates.”

Anderson will enter this new role from her previous position as president of West Stockbridge-based Essential-Wholeness LLC, where she led philanthropic advising and nonprofit capacity-building work while also serving as a national board certified health and wellness coach.

Her career has been both local and international in scope, and she has demonstrated a consistent ability to design programs that respond to community needs, grow and diversify revenue, and elevate organizational visibility. These skills and capacities are at the forefront of NPC’s work.

economic development.

His professional background encompasses ecotourism, historic landscape restoration and cafe ownership in downtown North Adams.

SPRINGFIELD

Big Y

is recognized for workplace culture

Big Y, Your Family Market, has been recognized as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Culture, Belonging & Community 2026.

The award is presented by Newsweek in partnership with Plant-A Insights Group, based on one of the nation’s largest independent studies of employee experience.

The recognition highlights organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to workplace culture, inclusion and community, as evaluated through extensive employee feedback and independent research. The study analyzed millions of employee reviews nationwide, incorporating survey data, public information and third-party analysis to assess how employees experience culture, belonging and support in the workplace.

Big Y’s dedication to its people has also earned national recognition as Forbes Best-In-State Employer, Forbes Best Employers for Women, along with America’s Most Trustworthy Companies by Newsweek.

Based in Springfield, Big Y operates locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut including supermarkets in Great Barrington, Lee, North Adams and Pittsfield and gasoline/ convenience store locations in Lee and Pittsfield.

GREAT BARRINGTON

CDCSB lands $40K grant to help small businesses

The Community Development Corp. of South Berkshire has been awarded

Anderson

Additionally, Anderson brings direct experience with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires itself, having previously served as a board member. Her existing familiarity with the organization allows her to enter her new role with a firm grasp of the organization’s membership, programs, finances and stakeholders.

“I’m thrilled to step into this role, and deeply grateful to Liana for founding and nurturing such a vital organization and to the board for their confidence in me,” Anderson said. “It’s an honor to carry the baton forward into the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires’ next chapter.”

a $40,000 grant from MassDevelopment through its Small Business Technical Assistance Program.

The funding is part of $4.5 million distributed to 55 organizations across Massachusetts working to strengthen small and microbusinesses.

The SBTA Program supports one-onone advising, business skills training, and improved access to capital for businesses with fewer than 20 employees. With this award, the CDCSB will expand its work in South Berkshire, providing tailored guidance and financial readiness support to entrepreneurs seeking to launch, stabilize and grow their businesses.

Through this grant, the CDCSB will continue delivering individualized advising and practical workshops, with a focus on underserved entrepreneurs and businesses that contribute to the vitality of South Berkshire’s downtowns and neighborhoods.

For more information about the CDCSB’s Small Business Technical Assistance program or to enroll in the program, visit cdcsb.org or contact Giulia Laveto-Emery at giulia@cdcsb.org.

WILLIAMSTOWN

Trivia night event raises $50K for nursing families

Berkshire Nursing Families’ annual trivia fundraiser raised over $50,000 to support the nonprofit’s mission to provide essential feeding and parenting support for families in Berkshire County.

The sold-out event held on March 7 featured an online auction, live trivia, a raffle, dinner and dancing.

Founded in 1998, the organization offers a wide range of free services, including in-home lactation consultations, a 24/7 support line, peer support groups, playgroups, developmental education, childbirth and breastfeeding classes and more.

For information, visit berkshirenursingfamilies.org.

Inn offers ‘luxury boutique’ hospitality

By C larenCe Fanto

LENOX — Convenient for downtown dining and shopping. No minimum multinight required stay, even in high season.

Those are among the assets touted by the new management team at the renovated, year-round Garden Gables Inn on Main Street in the heart of the downtown business district.

Work was recently completed on the $1.4 million project, and the first guests checked in last month, according to Hospitality Director Marley Chase, who led a tour of the inn.

The renovations in the main inn were designed to move the property to the “luxury boutique style of hospitality,” Chase said. “The extremely popular style is all about the senses, catering to guests looking for experiences, customized and something different.”

Part of the main building dates back to 1780, making it among the oldest surviving structures in Lenox.

It was built as a private residence known as the Eliza Williams House, and later as the Butternut Cottage for the butternut trees on its scenic property. It was converted to a small hotel in 1951, according to lenoxhistory.org.

After decades of ownership by the Vittori family, the property was purchased in November 2024 for $2,475,000 by Sullivan Capital LLC, a development company based in Salem.

In keeping with contemporary automated check-in practices at some boutique inns, registered guests access the main building and their rooms through an access code texted to their phones. Check-in is at 3 p.m. and checkout, also via text messaging, is 11 a.m. Daytime manager Yvonne Walton, former general manager at the former Seven Hills resort on Plunkett Street, is on-site weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At the Garden Gables, there’s a text-message concierge service with

weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

area online staff available for guests with questions, she said. During peak season, there also will be a weekend manager on hand.

Chase, a Pittsfield native who now lives in Reading, north of Boston, also manages Sullivan Capital properties in Salem and Gloucester but returns to Lenox frequently to keep tabs on Garden Gables.

She pointed out that limiting frontdoor access into the main building to coded pre-registered guests provides an enhanced sense of security.

“In this day and age, if the doors are open anyone can come into the hotel lobby,” Chase said. “Our system provides custom personalization of hospitality. Whoever you see in the building are guests. We’re very particular about access and our guests know that before

they get here.”

The inn has custom scented diffusers, Italian linens and visual elements that are different from chain hotels, according to Chase.

The inn has 16 preexisting suites and rooms currently — 10 in the main building, two in a side building and four in cottages, though the ZBA had approved an expansion for 10 additional rooms. Some of the main-floor rooms can be used as private event spaces.

“That’s going to be a work in progress,” Chase noted. The approval, including an eight-room expansion of the existing townhouse-type cottages, enabled the owners to plan ahead.

Rates this month for a classic queen, one of the smaller rooms, range from $135 to $215 nightly, rising to a range of

$899 to $1,038 nightly over the July 4 holiday weekend. The inn is not pet-friendly.

It is pitched to guests of all ages, “no boundary to whom we would host,” Chase said. “We’re one of the only hotels you can book for one night, it’s an eye-opening flexibility.” In the past, three- or even four-night required stays were commonplace.

“Ever since COVID, a lot of people have been taking advantage of one day to just get out of town,” said Walton, the daytime manager. Flexible work schedules, remote work and sensitivity to weather encourage last-minute bookings.

While some may think of the Garden Gables as old-fashioned, that’s no longer the case.

“It has a personality of its own,” Chase said.

Longtime insurance office shuts doors

By Clarence Fanto

STOCKBRIDGE — A long-established downtown office is closing its doors, partly because of low walk-in customer traffic.

As it pursues regional and national expansion, Wheeler & Taylor Insurance announced last month that its 10 Elm Street office, formerly on Main Street, is no longer needed because of “changes in communications methods, premium payment options and client preferences.”

The office, which closed for good last month, had been open downtown for 50 years.

Client accounts have been transferred to the company headquarters at 333 Main St. in Great Barrington, Wheeler & Taylor President and Operating Officer J. Scott Rote stated.

“After 50 wonderful and exciting years of being part of the Stockbridge community and servicing insurance needs, we find that in person office visits have declined significantly over the past years,” he wrote.

The company’s roots date back to 1871, making it “one of America’s oldest continuously operated financial companies,” Rote pointed out. “We have been a rock in the community and for our clients through world wars, the Great Depression and a multitude of financial crises.”

In addition to insurance, the company offers real estate brokerage and banking.

Through a partnership with Great Barrington-based GoodWorks Financial Group’s network of companies, Wheeler & Taylor is expanding regionally.

As part of that broader strategy, the company has consolidat-

the home office in Great Barrington and a recently renovated office opened on the

North Adams in the former WMNB/WNAW building, shown above.

ed its offices for Berkshire County customers, said Chad Yonker, chairman and CEO of Wheeler & Taylor and GoodWorks.

“This is about the bigger picture of what Wheeler & Taylor as a company is doing,” Yonker told The Eagle. The firm had a half dozen offices, mostly in South County, six years ago, he explained.

An already major expansion phase has yielded offices in Litchfield, Conn., the I-91 corridor in Agawam, Chicopee, South Hadley, Greenfield and Shelburne Falls.

Wheeler & Taylor has been acquiring and administering independent, heritage insurance offices, which retaining their local identity while under “the umbrella” of GoodWorks Financial that ties everything together, he pointed out, with more services and products.

Berkshire County customers can access four offices in Canaan, Conn., convenient for Sheffield residents, Great Barrington, Pittsfield and a recently purchased and renovated the former WMNB/WNAW radio station building on the Curran

Marketplace closes two more locations

Ned Moore serves a customer at The Marketplace’s specialty foods store in Great Barrington in May 2022. Marketplace Hospitality Group has closed its Pittsfield and two Sheffield locations. The two Great Barrington locations will remain open

STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

By Talia l issauer

GREAT BARRINGTON — Marketplace Hospitality Group has closed its Sheffield cafe and Great Barrington shop, just weeks after closing its Pittsfield cafe.

The Marketplace Sheffield Cafe and The Marketplace Specialty Food Shop in Great Barrington closed April 9, the group said in a statement. The company plans to focus on its two remaining Great Barrington locations — Kitchen Table and Miller Pub, which it took over in 2019.

“We are sincerely grateful to our staff and to the community for their support over the years,” the statement said. “We are proud of what was built together and appreciative of the relationships formed.”

Chefs David Renner and Kevin Schmitz founded The Marketplace in 1993 as a catering business that also sold prepared

foods in Great Barrington before moving its retail counter into Guido’s Marketplace in 1995, according to Eagle archives. The business later expanded, opening the Marketplace Sheffield Café in 2007, followed by a Pittsfield location in 2010.

Kitchen Table opened in 2017 as a place for “fresh fast-casual” food and The Shop, offering prepared foods, opened in 2022.

In February, Marketplace posted on Facebook that it had closed the Pittsfield cafe to focus on its other locations, but was extremely grateful for all the support over the 15 years.

“The closure is part of a strategic business decision to focus resources and operations on the company’s other business units and Marketplace locations,” Renner said at the time.

Gift cards can still be used at the Kitchen Table location.

Highway (Route 8) in North Adams.

Although fewer customers visit offices now, Yonker acknowledged, “we want to keep that as a convenient option.”

Additional expansion plans are being considered for Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley.

Wheeler & Taylor is now among the 100 largest insurance agencies in the U.S. by property and casualty insurance volume, Yonker pointed out, and in the top 50 for personal insurance such as homeowners and auto,

although the company does not release specific data.

Contributing to the growth, in addition to the western New England retail network, are the commercial insurance division operating nationwide as well as the “high net worth” private client group.

More acquisitions are in the works, if there are “willing partners” such as other community-minded agencies that care about local culture and their employees, Yonker said.

“We’re going to be around, as we have for 150-years plus, and we’re doing things very differently from most of the larger players,” he said. “We care about the people and we invest in the communities. It’s a big part of our culture and what we intend to continue to do going forward.”

Western New England, Vermont and New Hampshire, pushing east toward Boston, and nearby New York state are among the areas eyed for further growth.

“We are going to be a survivor, we’re building this company for the long term,” Yonker said. “We’re providing a different type of opportunity for people looking to retire and they don’t have a way to perpetuate their business, so they’re putting it in our hands.”

In order to ensure a smooth transition for clients, the two account managers in the Stockbridge office, Diana Suarez and Steffanie Wigglesworth, will continue to serve clients by appointment in the Great Barrington office, the Pittsfield office at 402 East St. or by phone. Information: 413-298-5585.

Recovery Room finds space to breathe

By Tara MonasT esse

PITTSFIELD — The Recovery Room‘s new location on North Street is less than a quarter mile away from the facility’s former home on Bank Row.

But for Christina Meucci, owner and sports medicine provider, that relatively small move has made all the difference.

“Being on North Street has really opened up our visibility,” she said. “That visibility is just going to be really helpful for us.”

Moving into 76 North St., the former Witch Slapped storefront, has also given The Recovery Room’s provider team twice the amount of space for treating clients, opening up the possibility of expanding its service offerings.

“Being in here in the last three weeks has been so wonderful and relaxing for patients because we have space,” Meucci said. “There’s a peaceful energy about this place… . It’s not so tight and squeezed.”

Founded in 2022, The Recovery Room specializes in sports medicine for athletes recovering from injuries or experiencing pain. It additionally offers nutritional guidance, muscle recovery treatments, massage therapy and other services.

While the focus is on sports performance, clients don’t need to be professional athletes or aspiring marathonists to receive treatment. Meucci said that The Recovery Room regularly provides treatment to clients with a variety of needs, whether they’re a casual runner experiencing pain or

The Recovery Room, a sports medicine and wellness center based in Pittsfield, relocated to 76 North St. in late March. “Being on North Street has really opened up our visibility,” owner Christina Meucci said.

a grandparent looking to prepare physically for a hike with their grandchildren.

“We want to bring wellness to the Berkshires,” Meucci said. “We want to allow people to feel like they have confidence and knowledge on how to do what they love to do, and how to do that safely.”

While the company’s old location at 32 Bank Row was “the

cutest little spot,” as Meucci describes it, the “little” part had started to become an issue.

“We were stepping on each other,” she said. “It was time for us to level up, for sure.”

In addition to having more space, the new location also has separate rooms to allow clients more privacy as they receive treatment and guidance. At the previous location, visitors were

treated in an open room sectioned off by dividers, which could get noisy and crowded, especially as the business became more well-known.

The facility’s central room features a treadmill for gait analysis, a squat rack and weights, where clients can receive guidance from sports medicine professionals as they fine-tune their fitness routines.

The private rooms have treatment tables and specialized equipment for massages and muscle therapy.

Besides Meucci, The Recovery Room employs two other providers. The company is looking to expand its service menu to include massage and chiropractic treatments, and is currently looking for a massage therapist interested in working on a contract basis.

The venture started out as a pandemic side hustle for Meucci, who relocated to the Berkshires in 2015 to work for Canyon Ranch in Lenox. After an athletic injury in high school, she became fascinated by sports medicine and eventually received a master’s degree in applied exercise science from Concordia University Chicago.

After a few years of providing personal training as Meucci Health and Sports Performance, she eventually began providing care in Pittsfield as The Recovery Room in 2022. The facility offers internships to local students at the high school and college level, in areas ranging from sports medicine to marketing.

In addition to making the facility more visible, Meucci said The Recovery Room’s new location on Pittsfield’s main downtown street has also given it a stronger sense of transparency.

“Having the windows right into our reception area is, in a nutshell, exactly who we are and what we are,” she said. “I’m excited about our visibility, and I’m excited about the growth that we can have here.”

New ownership, vision for dispensary

By M aryjane Willia Ms

PITTSFIELD — Bloom Brothers dispensary on Larch Street has a new name, a new owner and a new vision — but the same familiar faces behind the counter.

Perpetual Brands, a Millbury-based cannabis cultivator and retailer with more than 150 employees, has acquired the former Bloom Brothers location and rebranded it under the Perpetual name. The transition brings expanded hours, a larger menu and a plan to deepen the company’s roots in the Pittsfield community.

“This is a real long-term commitment to Pittsfield in our eyes,” said Kyle Johnson, Perpetual’s director of marketing. “We’re really confident in this transition, raising this bar in a way that it’s the same community with a stronger brand presence, more focus on that community, with a clearer vision.”

Bailey Babeu, a longtime Bloom Brothers employee who returned to lead the Pittsfield location under new ownership, said her biggest concern heading into the transition was the fate of her staff.

“You find out that the business you’ve worked at for four years is going up for sale, and you don’t know what’s coming next,” Babeu said. “Perpetual did a really great job coming in and making sure that the staff was comfortable through this transition.”

That concern was quickly put to rest. Nobody lost their job — and Perpetual actually plans to grow, with the team expected to expand from nine employees to about 15, prioritizing local hires from Pittsfield and surrounding communities.

The building remains under a rental arrangement, with the former owners becoming Perpetual’s landlords. Representatives declined to discuss the financial terms of the deal.

For Pittsfield customers, the changes are immediate. While Bloom Brothers operated from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Perpetual has extended hours to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“We’ll have those early hours for some of our overnight workers, people that are going in really early, or blue-collar workers, because we know there are so many of them that are not served at times that work for them,” Babeu said.

The menu has also expanded to include a wider variety of vendors and price points, including harder-to-find brands alongside familiar options. The store’s deli bar, where customers can look at and smell different cannabis strains before purchasing, is also set to reopen.

Babeu said educational materials will make the menu approachable for everyone, not just experienced cannabis users.

“There’s all different levels of cannabis users, from the people who are going to be coming in for their concentrates … to a 95-year-old woman who hasn’t slept in three days and is like, ‘should I take a full or half gummy?’” Babeu said. “So more than anything, we just want to create this into a very community-based, welcoming space for everyone.”

Babeu highlighted veterans in particular, as Perpetual’s CEO is a veteran,

PHOTOS BY MARYJANE WILLIAMS

Millbury-based cannabis company Perpetual Brands has acquired the former Bloom Brothers dispensary on Larch Street in Pittsfield, rebranding the location under the Perpetual name while retaining staff and expanding hours, menu options and community programming. Bailey Babeu, who leads the Pittsfield location, stands inside the newly rebranded dispensary.

and the company has supported organizations like Soldier On, which serves veterans in the region.

She flagged a difficult tradeoff many veterans face — under federal law, holding a medical cannabis card can mean giving up the right to own a firearm, discouraging many from seeking help through cannabis.

“The largest group of people who don’t take advantage of medical cannabis is veterans … I know about zero veterans who are willing to give up their [firearms license] for a medical card,” Babeu said. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that with [recreational]. You can come in and you can still get those gummies that let you sleep through the night comfortably.”

Beyond veterans, the store plans to build on Bloom Brothers’ history of community involvement — with plans to support the Berkshire Humane Society, partner with local artists, musicians and DJs, and expand loyalty programs including rewards and branded merchandise.

A large 4/20 celebration is also planned for later in the spring, featuring food trucks and music in the store and parking lot.

“Success to us is when the Pittsfield locals make us a part of their routine,” Johnson said.

The store’s interior and exterior are also seeing a transformation.

Johnson said the company places a strong emphasis on branding, and the Perpetual infinity logo and purple color scheme are now visible throughout the

space, with wall wraps and updated merchandising aimed at creating what Johnson called a “futuristic” vibe.

A new 15-foot illuminated monument sign featuring the Perpetual logo is planned for Dalton Avenue. A “Pittsfield wall” featuring community-specific murals is also in the works.

The acquisition, Johnson said, was driven by the company’s recognition of

untapped potential at the Bloom Brothers location.

“We looked out at what spots are out in the world that are in a perfectly great location, have everything under their belt for a true success measure, but just aren’t doing everything necessary in the marketing realm,” Johnson said. “Bloom Brothers had a great opportunity to shine in that regard.”

Same Turkish fare in upgraded setting

By Tara MonasT esse

PITTSFIELD — After over two years of bringing homemade Turkish food to the Berkshires, the husband-and-wife duo behind Sofra Turkish Mediterranean Grill has decided to upgrade to a bigger space.

Baris and Beraati Ozyurk recently moved their Pittsfield restaurant into a new storefront on North Street, giving them more room to serve customers who crave hearty shawarma wraps or sticky-sweet baklava.

“Pittsfield needs Turkish food,” Baris said. And so does the rest of the Berkshires: as the only Turkish restaurant in the county, Sofra regularly draws customers from towns a half-hour drive away, he said.

Sofra’s previous location on Melville Street below the Islamic Cultural Center, while successful, was a bit cramped and could only fit about six tables. In contrast, the new location at 438 North St. features more dine-in space and draws in a higher volume of customers thanks to increased foot traffic.

The new storefront next to Dottie’s Coffee Lounge also is more accessible for both customers and delivery orders, Baris said, and the street parking right outside the entrance is another perk. The location previously housed Dorothy’s Estaminet, and before that was home to Mission, a tapas bar.

Both Baris and Beraati said their favorite menu item is kofte, or Turkish meatballs. Other entrees include shawarma — spiced meat and vegetables tucked into pita bread — and musakka, an eggplant-based dish.

Sofra’s appetizer list features a variety of vegetables stuffed with rice. These dishes, known as dolma, include everything from grape leaves to sundried eggplant and red pepper.

Available soups change daily, including lentil and chicken varieties. For hot drinks, there’s fresh Turkish tea and Turkish coffee; customers can also grab Turkish soft drinks from a to-go cooler.

When it’s time for dessert, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more diverse variety of baklava. At Sofra’s, the flaky pastries incorporate flavors like walnut, pistachio and chocolate, tucked into everything from bite-sized squares to large triangles. Other desserts pair kadayif, a shredded pastry dough, with a variety of nuts. Behind the counter, there’s a rainbow-hued display of infused vinegars

available for purchase. Each variety’s flavor is made unique by the plant it incorporates, such as turmeric, lavender or cranberry. Beraati makes each of them herself, fermenting them for roughly six or seven months; some of the ingredients, such as pine needles and rose, come from her own garden.

The restaurant is open every day except Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to its website.

If you go

What: Sofra Turkish Mediterranean Grill

Where: 438 North St., Pittsfield

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily except Monday

Menu: A variety of shawarma, dolma (stuffed vegetables) and baklava

Shoe store ends nearly 95-year run

By Talia l issauer

GREAT BARRINGTON — The Eagle Shoe and Boot Co., where the owners remember their customers’ shoe sizes, has closed its doors after nearly 95 years.

The shop, which closed April 30, was the last of its kind in a town that once had a thriving shoe repair craft.

Since the announcement last month, shoppers stopped in for the going-out-of-business sale and to say goodbye to a store many have visited for years — some for their entire lives.

“We’re gonna miss all the people,” co-owner Barbara Kiriakedes said, tearing up after another customer said they will be missed. “It’s time for us to do this. It’s all good, but still really sad. Bittersweet definitely.”

The Kiriakedes family opened Eagle Shoe Repair on Main Street in 1932, when there were an estimated seven other shoe repair shops in town.

The family credits its survival over all the other shops to a partnership with a taxi driver who used to deliver shoes. The business was passed down from grandfather Michael Kiriakedes to Andrew Kiriakedes.

Andrew passed it down to his son Michael Kiriakedes, then 35, and his wife, Barbara Kiriakedes, around 1993. The now third-generation-owned shop moved to its current location, still on Main Street but right outside the center of downtown.

While some thought it was a mistake to move away from

the center of traffic, the couple believed it was actually a better location because of the visibility to motorists heading into downtown, and it wasn’t squeezed in with all the other local businesses.

They expanded the shop to retail because repairs alone wouldn’t be enough to keep the

business running. But, they kept it to what they knew — shoes made to support feet. The shoes they sell focus on functionality and practicality.

“People’s feet hurt, they come in, and we help them,” Barbara said. “We know so much about feet and orthotics and helping people with that.”

Barbara and Michael have

been the only employees all this time, allowing them to have a deep connection with everyone who does business with the store.

The combination of retail and repair was good for the business, but it was the trust that they knew and cared about the work that they built in the community that really kept them going.

It’s that care that led so many longtime shoppers to come in to congratulate the couple on their retirement and express how much they have loved having them there. One shopper, now in her 60s, said she bought her first pair of school shoes here when she was a little girl.

After another longtime customer said how grateful she was to have the business for so many years, Barbara started to tear up while explaining that she was one of the countless shoppers who had shared sweet words with them.

She said it’s been “bittersweet” because she is ready to retire, but will miss the connection she made with the community. Her banking and accounting background made it so she remembered her returning customers’ shoe size.

Reflecting on the ability for the business to survive for so many decades, Barbara said the biggest competition is the internet, but the shop’s combination of repair and retail makes it stick out because they know how to help shoppers find a shoe that will support them.

“I think the combination works well together,” she said, “but separate, they would have a hard time surviving.”

The couple are going to take the summer off to help take care of their grandkids, but other than that, they are “winging it.”

They sold the building last January, but it remains unclear what the new owner has in store.

Offbeat housewares a shop specialty

By I zzy Bryars

NORTH ADAMS — Jared Shockcor

likes to collect things that are “a little weird … a little off the mainstream,” which is what he hopes people find at his new Eagle Street gift and homewares store, Mastic.

Named after a resin sometimes used as incense — and a nod to Shockcor’s Greek roots — Mastic opened April 3 in the space that was formerly Heart’s Pace Tea Lounge.

He said the shop will offer rotating “gift-ready” items and “premium basics — but still try to stay at a good price point.”

From specialty wine glasses and local art to new and used books on spirituality and tarot, the store is stocked with kitchen and home goods, vintage finds and artwork — all with a metaphysical, spiritual twist.

“It’s stuff I like to look at and I didn’t think there were too many options around here,” Shockcor said.

The shop is also focused on stocking low-waste products that aren’t made of plastic and come with minimal to no plastic packaging, he said.

A sign outside reading “Now Open” and “Millennial nonsense” pokes fun at Shockcor’s own taste while inviting passersby to shop for hand-drawn cards, vintage astrology decor, North Adams T-shirts and Heated Rivalry tote bags stamped with the viral phrase, “I’m coming to the cottage.”

“We’re millennials ourselves,” he said. “We have a lot of things that we decided we liked at some

point, so, you know, it was kind of just a tiny cheap joke about perpetuating that.”

He is particularly excited about local products on the

shelves, showing The Eagle block-shaped oil pastels by artist Brit Lutz and tallow skin balm made by Molly Trova. He hopes it will be a different

Jared Shockcor, a part-time software engineer, opened Mastic, a gift and home wares store, last month on Eagle Street in North Adams. Named after a resin sometimes used as incense, Mastic opened last month in the space that was formerly Heart’s Pace Tea Lounge in North Adams.

place to go “besides Walmart” that has rotating offerings and household items people also need, like getting a new wine glass when one breaks.

In the back of the store is a side room Shockcor named “The Armchair Practitioner,” which he called the “esoteric part,” complete with low lighting, a lounge chair, sage and witchy tarot ephemera.

“I just like that stuff and

thought, ‘Well, I can’t be the only one.’”

After moving to the area in September from Pennsylvania with his husband, who is from Williamstown, Shockcor went part-time with his longtime software engineering job and tried out his longtime dream of opening a store.

“This is actually my side hustle, but I’m hoping to make it my primary,” he said.

Even before signing the lease for the space at 15 Eagle St. , Shockcor said he was building up his “weird” and “slightly esoteric” inventory. He also spent the last few months setting up shelving, painting and getting both the store and himself ready.

“There’s emotional labor in ... changing careers,” he said. “It’s kind of terrifying. This is my first non-software related job.”

But he stopped counting the turnout of his grand opening last Friday at 100, and said he enjoyed the experience enough that he could even see himself making a career out of starting businesses.

“It was [an] awesome turnout,” he said. “Sales were good but it was also nice to get people in here and get the word out.”

He was also excited to hopefully be part of increasing economic development downtown, and said he had his eye on the block since before Heart’s Pace moved to Ashland Street, because of other newer businesses opening like Eagle Street Cafe and Steeple City Social.

“Eagle Street is so cute, and so charming and has some momentum,” he said. “I thought it seemed like a good time.”

Business voices

A Berkshire role in a lunar mission

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

A few weeks ago, my 7-yearold son Henry did something unusual. For a kid whose attention is typically focused on basketball — playing it, watching it, talking about it — he insisted that our entire family gather around the television to watch the coverage of the splashdown of NASA’s Artemis II.

As we tuned in, Henry followed along intently, treating it with the same focus he would in a live game. In a house that, like most, is often pulled in different directions, everything paused. We watched together, reacting in real time as the mission unfolded. Henry was excited to share what he had learned about the astronauts and asked a series of questions, many of which his siblings tried to answer.

It struck me how special this moment felt. Much of what fills the 24-hour news cycle these days can be difficult, especially for kids. This was something different — expansive, technical, and, in its own way, hopeful. It served as a reminder that the world is larger than our day-to-day concerns, and that there still are ambitious, complex challenges being pursued at a global scale. What is less visible in moments like these is how many people — and how many places — are involved in making them possible.

The Artemis missions, led by NASA, represent a return to lunar exploration after more than half a century. They are the

result of sustained effort across a wide network of organizations, each contributing highly specialized expertise. The work spans years, often decades, and involves thousands of individuals operating across disciplines, many of whom are far removed from the public spotlight. Notably, some of that work is happening closer to home than most people might expect.

Right here in Pittsfield, at the Berkshire Innovation Center, Electro Magnetic Applications (EMA) has been contributing to this effort through its work in electromagnetic effects and system verification. EMA has been part of the BIC community for several years, using the facility not just as office space, but as a platform to expand its technical capabilities and collaborate with partners across the region.

EMA’s work is carried out by a team of scientists and engineers operating at the intersection of simulation, testing and applied research, including Justin McKennon, who has been closely involved in supporting NASA’s Artemis missions and, like many in the field, experienced the recent launch as both a professional milestone and a personal one.

EMA’s role focuses on understanding how spacecraft and critical systems behave in environments that are difficult to replicate and not yet fully understood. As spacecraft travel beyond Earth’s magnetic field, they encounter conditions that introduce new risks, including the buildup of electrical charge.

On Earth, we experience a simple version of this when static electricity discharges after walking across a carpet. On the

moon, where the surface material behaves as a high-dielectric medium, that same phenomenon becomes significantly more complex, with implications for both equipment performance and astronaut safety.

EMA’s engineers model and simulate these effects, working in collaboration with both NASA teams and private partners to help verify that systems — from spacecraft like Orion to next-generation spacesuits — will perform reliably under those conditions. It is detailed, technical work that takes place long before a mission launches and is largely invisible to the public, but it plays a critical role in reducing risk and enabling progress.

The ability to do that work locally is not accidental. It reflects a broader effort to build infrastructure that supports advanced manufacturing and applied research in the region. At the BIC, that means access to specialized equipment, lab space, and a network of collaborators that companies like EMA can draw on as they grow. It also means serving as a connection point — to state programs, academic institutions, and industry partners — that help

translate technical expertise into real-world application.

In EMA’s case, that has included the development of testing and simulation capabilities now being applied to some of the most demanding environments imaginable. Those capabilities were built over time, supported in part by public investment at the state and local level, and refined through ongoing collaboration. The result is a set of tools and expertise that can contribute meaningfully to national efforts like Artemis.

A mission like Artemis is not defined by a single breakthrough, but by the accumulation of many such contributions. It requires coordination across public and private sectors, and across disciplines, to solve problems that often do not have established solutions. In that sense, it reflects not just technological advancement, but the capacity for sustained collaboration.

It also reflects the importance of the labs in which that work takes place. In Massachusetts, and here in the Berkshires, a combination of public investment, institutional partnership, and private sector activity has helped build the capabilities that make this kind of work possible.

The facilities, tools and expertise that support companies like EMA have developed over time through programs designed to support the research and the people with the expertise to drive the work forward.

The result is a regional ecosystem that, while still evolving, is increasingly connected to larger national and global efforts. The idea that a company operating in Pittsfield could contribute to a program of this scale might seem unlikely to some, but it is becoming more common as our regional capabilities continue to grow.

Watching Henry that evening, it was clear that the space mission had made an impression. He may not yet understand the technical details behind what he was seeing, but he understood that it mattered, and that it represented something larger than the moment itself.

What he — and others his age — will come to understand over time is that the path to participating in work like this is not confined to a single geography. It is shaped by access to education, exposure to real-world applications, and the presence of organizations engaged in meaningful, forward-looking work. Moments like this do more than showcase what is possible at a global scale. They remind us that the work behind them is distributed in ways that are not always visible — and that, increasingly, some of that work is happening here, creating a path for the next generation to step into it.

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Growing deep roots in the community

It’s spring in the Berkshires, and we just finished one of our busiest 4/20 stretches yet. The energy in the store was real. The team showed up, customers came out, and in the middle of all of it, between the pop-ups and the foot traffic and the long hours, I kept coming back to the same thought.

That while it was good to see lots of celebration and pride from our customers on 4/20, there is a conversation happening across the local cannabis industry right now that I think every operator needs to hear, whether you’re in the Berkshires where our stores in Lee and Pittsfield are located, the Pioneer Valley, or anywhere in the Bay State. And that conversation is about what we actually mean to the communities we operate in, and whether we’ve done a good enough job making sure people know it. Because here’s the thing: Most cannabis businesses do more for their towns than their towns realize. And that lack of awareness may or may not be our fault, but it is definitely our responsibility.

At Canna Provisions, we’ve been intentional about community involvement from the beginning, not because it’s good marketing, but because we live here. We’re a woman-led, employee-owned business with about 60 people on staff. Those 60 people buy gas in Lee. They eat lunch at the restaurants down the street. They get their oil changed at the shop around the corner. Their kids play on the same

sports teams as everybody else’s kids. That’s less a talking point and more a reflection of another Tuesday as a local community member living and loving life in this region. Beyond the daily spending and economic impact, we show up for the social fabric of the area. We’ve donated time and resources to the Lions Club, the Rotary, local parade committees and restaurant weeks. Our team and staff have been organizers and participants at Founders Day, community dinners, holiday events, from decorating main street for Christmas to leading the “World’s Smallest St. Patrick’s Day Parade” at the Locker Room in Lee.

We support local nonprofits and small organizations that most people have never heard of, because they asked and because we could. We sponsor things not because we need a banner with our logo on it, but because being a good neighbor is how you earn the right to be part of a community. And we’re proud to be part of that community. It’s our responsibility to help make the community proud of us as well.

can do better.

Most cannabis businesses do more for their towns than their towns realize.

And we’re not the only ones. There are cannabis operators across this state doing the same quiet work. Volunteering. Donating. Employing local people, paying local taxes, supporting local causes. The problem is that most of them haven’t told that story clearly enough, or often enough, or at all. And I include us in that, too. We

I’m writing about this now because the timing matters. There is a ballot initiative moving through the Massachusetts process right now that would end adult-use cannabis in this state. I’ve written about the specifics elsewhere and in the space this column provides (I’ll spare you the policy deep-dive here). But the relevant point is that when the time comes for communities to weigh in on whether cannabis businesses belong in their towns, the answer is going to depend on whether those communities actually know not what we’ve sold them, but what we’ve done for them. There’s a difference. So this is less a warning and more an invitation. If you’re a cannabis operator in the Berkshires, or anywhere in Massachusetts, take stock of what you’ve contributed to your community over the last year. The donations, the sponsorships, the volunteer hours, the local partnerships, the jobs. Write it down. Not for a press release. For yourself. Because you might be surprised at how much it adds up to, and you might also realize you haven’t shared any of it in a way that your neighbors would remember.

Then share it. Simply. Honestly. A display in the store. A post on social media. A note in your next customer email. Something that says: “Here’s what we’ve been up to beyond the register. We’re proud of

it, and we wanted you to know.”

This isn’t about bragging. It’s about making sure the people who live next to you, shop with you, and drive past your store every day understand that you’re not just a dispensary. You’re a local business that contributes to the community the same way the brewery does, the same way the restaurant does, the same way the hardware store does. The only difference is what you sell; and what you sell is something voters in this state chose to make legal.

For consumers reading this: Pay attention to which cannabis businesses in your area are actually showing up for the community and which ones are just selling product. There’s a difference, and that difference matters more this year than it has in a long time. The businesses that have invested in being real neighbors are the ones worth supporting not just with your purchases, but with your attention when it counts most.

At Canna Provisions, we’re going to keep doing what we’ve always done. Showing up at local events. Donating where we can. Employing good people and making sure they’re proud of where they work. We’re also going to get better at telling that story, because the moment is here and the stakes are real.

We are more than a dispensary. Every cannabis business in Massachusetts should be able to say the same. And every one of them should make sure their community knows it … before someone else tells them otherwise.

Meg Sanders is CEO and co-founder of Canna Provisions.

Who, exactly, is handling your money?

For the last year and half, I’ve been holding pro bono financial planning meetings at local libraries. It’s been a wonderful experience. I get to meet new people, hear about the various financial (and sometimes personal) challenges they face, and try to help guide them toward a solution.

It’s also valuable because I have learned the kinds of questions people have about finance in general. One question has come up repeatedly in these meetings:

What’s the difference between all these various titles we see in the wealth management industry?

Some people are called financial planners, others are advisers (or advisors), and some are wealth managers. What is with all these different titles?

The first thing to note is that titles in the financial industry are often used interchangeably. Nevertheless, there may be some subtle but meaningful distinctions.

Investment adviser is a legal term in the U.S. that refers to someone registered with either the SEC or their state regulator who is paid to give investment advice. It says nothing about the scope of their work, just that it includes investment advice. They are held to a fiduciary standard, meaning they’re legally required to act in their clients’ interest.

Interestingly, the SEC tends to use “adviser” in its official rules and regulations (the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 uses the “er” spelling), while “advisor” is more common in everyday industry usage and marketing. Either way it’s spelled, it means the same thing.

Note that financial advisers may do plenty of financial planning, or may do none at all.

Financial planner implies a broader, more holistic scope of services, often including things beyond investments including budgeting, insurance, taxes,

METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

In the financial industry, some people are called financial planners, others are advisers, and some are wealth managers. There may be some subtle but meaningful distinctions.

estate planning, college savings, and retirement projections. Financial planners may handle investments, but sometimes they don’t. The CFP (certified financial planner) designation is the main credential here and implies substantial educational and ethical requirements. But the title financial planner itself is unregulated, so anyone can call themselves a financial planner.

Wealth manager is more a marketing term than a legal or credentialed one. It tends to signal that the adviser works with higher-net-worth clients and offers a comprehensive suite of services. In practice it often just means a financial planner or investment adviser who works with wealthier clients, but it’s more a marketing term than anything.

Brokers or registered representatives are licensed to buy and sell securities and are held to the less rigorous “suitability standard” versus the fiduciary standard. They are more often commission-based. Just to make it confusing, brokers may also refer to themselves as wealth managers, financial planners,

or other vague titles.

RIA (registered investment adviser) is a firm designation, not a personal one, but you’ll hear it often. Advisers who work at RIAs are called investment adviser representatives (IARs). IARs typically call themselves planners or advisers. Although I’m technically an IAR, I’ve never referred to myself as such when meeting with a prospective client.

CFP, CFA, and CPA are credentials, not titles, but people often lead with them. The CFA (chartered financial analyst) is a rigorous designation that is common among portfolio managers. A CPA is usually a tax professional or tax preparer. A CFP is technically a financial planner, but there are CFP professionals who do not offer comprehensive financial planning. For instance, the person who sold me my life insurance was a CFP professional but did not offer any investment-related services.

Finally, there is a whole slew of slightly vague, marketing-driven titles. This includes financial consultant, which is fair-

ly interchangeable with financial adviser and has no specific meaning. Retirement planner might imply a specialization in retirement but is unregulated. Portfolio manager is more specific and usually refers someone who actively manages investment portfolios, often at an institution such as Fidelity or Vanguard. And private bankers typically work with high-networth clients as employees of a bank.

One more distinction worth understanding is the difference between fee-only and fee-based advisers — two terms that sound nearly identical but mean very different things. Fee-only advisers are compensated exclusively by their clients, typically through a flat fee, hourly rate, or a percentage of assets managed. They do not earn commissions for recommending products.

Fee-based advisers on the other hand charge client fees but may also earn commissions when they sell certain products like insurance or annuities. This creates a potential conflict of interest that isn’t always obvious to the client. Neither model is inherently bad, but it’s worth knowing which one you’re dealing with. A straightforward way to find out is simply to ask your adviser/planner/ manager how they get paid.

The honest answer is that in the real world, these titles are used pretty loosely. What matters more than the title is whether the person is a fiduciary (legally obligated to put your interests first), how they’re compensated (fee-only vs. commission-based), and what credentials they hold. Two people with the same title can operate very differently. And two people with different titles can offer the same exact services.

The lack of standardization is a genuine consumer protection issue. When in doubt, ask someone directly: Are you a fiduciary? How are you compensated? What services do you offer? Those simple questions will cut through the title confusion pretty quickly.

Luke Delorme is director of financial planning at Tableaux Wealth in Stockbridge. Reach him at (413) 264-2404 or Luke@TableauxWealth.com.

Spring cleaning time — for your finances

Spring is a natural time to refresh and reset — and that includes your finances.

Just like cleaning out closets or tackling projects around the house, May is a great opportunity to take a closer look at your financial picture and make sure everything is up to date and protected. A little time now can go a long way toward helping you feel more organized and confident moving forward.

A good place to start is your credit report. You’re entitled to a free report each year from the three major credit bureaus, and it’s worth taking a few minutes to review them.

It’s one of the easiest ways to catch errors or spot signs of fraud early — before they become bigger issues. If you do notice something unfamiliar, addressing it quickly can help prevent longer-term complications.

It’s also a good habit to avoid using public Wi-Fi when accessing financial accounts. If something feels off, it’s always better to pause and double-check before clicking or responding.

Another area that’s easy to overlook is your beneficiaries. Life changes, and your accounts should reflect that. Take a few minutes to review beneficiaries on retirement accounts, health savings accounts (HSAs), and life insurance policies. These designations often override a will, so keeping them current is an important step in making sure your wishes are carried out the way you intend.

Take a few minutes to review beneficiaries on retirement accounts, health savings accounts (HSAs), and life insurance policies.

While you’re at it, think about how you’re protecting yourself from identity theft. Simple steps like using strong, unique passwords, turning on multifactor authentication, and being cautious with unexpected emails or texts can make a big difference.

Spring is also the perfect time for a little “financial cleanup.” Go through old paperwork and shred anything you no longer need — especially documents with personal or account information. You may also want to consider switching to eStatements if you haven’t already, which can reduce clutter and add an extra layer of security. While you’re organizing, take a look at your debt. Are there

Spring is a good time to go through old paperwork and shred anything you no longer need — especially documents with personal or account information.

opportunities to simplify, refinance, or make extra progress? Even small adjustments — like increasing a monthly payment or consolidating balances — can make a meaningful difference over time and help you stay on track with your goals.

Finally, check in on your account security. Make sure your contact information is

current, review your alerts, and confirm you’re set up to be notified of unusual activity. Many financial institutions offer customizable alerts that can help you stay informed in real time.

Taking these steps doesn’t require a major time commitment, but it can make a meaningful difference in protecting

your financial future. By being proactive today, you’re setting yourself up for greater peace of mind and a stronger financial foundation in the months — and years — ahead.

Ray E. Smith is the senior vice president, marketing and communications at Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.

Another Greatest Generation emerges

By Mccaela Donovan

When we think of the Greatest Generation (born 1901–1924), we recall lives shaped by the Great Depression, world wars, the Spanish flu, and rapid technological change.

They faced uncertainty, inequality, and economic upheaval — challenges that feel strikingly familiar today. It’s easy, in moments like these, to feel discouraged or uncertain about the future, especially for young people. Yet the nominees for the Samya Rose Stumo Youth Leadership Award offer a powerful counterpoint.

Through their compassion, creativity and commitment to community, they demonstrate resilience and purpose in the face of adversity. Like that great generation before them, they are forging a path forward — one rooted not in division, but in empathy, service and connection. We celebrate these young leaders, whose actions inspire hope and set an example for the entire Berkshire community.

It is rare for anyone to be nominated for a Berkshire Nonprofit Award by two different organizations! Gloria Williams, this year’s 2026 Samya Rose Stumo Youth Leadership Honoree, is a student at Pittsfield High School. She has been nominated by both Price Memorial AME Zion Church and R.O.P.E. (Rites of Passage and Empowerment) — highlighting her wide-reaching impact in Pittsfield and the Berkshire community.

A dedicated leader and volunteer, Gloria serves her church through outreach to unhoused individuals, youth ministry and music, while also leading fundraising efforts, including raising $5,000 for a mission trip. Through R.O.P.E., she founded a school chapter, chairs the NAACP Youth Committee, and inspires peers through civic engagement and service.

When told about her becoming the honoree, Gloria said, “I strive to lead by

example in everything I do, aiming to be a positive influence and a light that makes others pause and wonder what sets me apart. Receiving this recognition is such a blessing, and I am beyond incredibly thankful and honored.”

A talented performer and student leader, Gloria combines creativity, compassion and initiative to uplift others and exemplify the power of youth leadership. Gloria is not alone in her efforts to change her community. Our other youth leadership nominees exemplify the kind of dedication and change society needs moving forward.

PROVIDED BY NONPROFIT CENTER OF THE BERKSHIRES

Pittsfield High School student Gloria Williams is this year’s Samya Rose Stumo Youth Leadership Honoree. She was nominated by both Price Memorial AME Zion Church and R.O.P.E. (Rites of Passage and Empowerment).

Angelo Bassett is a 19-year-old volunteer and former intern with Berkshire Pride, dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ individuals across Berkshire County. Over the past three years, he has contributed extensively to the organization’s mission, from welcoming community members at events to helping lead the Trans Exchange program.

Known for his authenticity and compassion, Angelo strives to ensure everyone feels seen and valued. His work has made him a role model for younger LGBTQ+ individuals and highlights the powerful impact of youth in fostering inclusion and community connection.

Corey Charron made a strong impact on the Berkshires as a 19-year-old student volunteer with the Adams Community

Roundtable.

For over three years, he led a project analyzing thousands of Visitor Guest Log entries, turning them into data that improved the town’s visitor experience. He also launched a subcommittee and an electronic survey still used today.

While in college, Corey remains actively involved, organizing meetings and advancing projects. His efforts have helped raise $25,000 for local nonprofits, demonstrating the meaningful role young people can play in strengthening their communities.

Rose Dupuis is a rising senior at Lenox Memorial High School. Rose is a dedicated student leader and community advocate. As vice president and incoming president of the National Honor Society, she has helped revitalize the organization while inspiring her peers.

Rose is deeply committed to service through her work with Project 351, the Elizabeth Freeman Center, and Safe Passage, supporting survivors and promoting youth leadership. She has organized impactful initiatives including donation drives, fundraisers and community service projects benefiting local families.

As a regional leader for Berkshire County, she coordinates service efforts and motivates others to get involved. Rose exemplifies the power of youth to

lead and create meaningful change.

Described as a dynamic leader, artist and mentor dedicated to uplifting her community, Sadiya Quetti-Goodson, is a 22-year-old photographer and R.O.P.E. alumna. For over seven years, she has mentored young people, leading virtual listening sessions during COVID and continuing her support while studying at Howard University.

She blends art and service, documenting a R.O.P.E. trip to Ghana and sharing her work in Pittsfield. Through her creativity, global experiences and commitment to mentorship, Sadiya inspires younger generations to find their voice, embrace leadership and create positive change.

As a 21-year-old college intern and staff member at Greenagers, Harper Treschuk has helped shape farm-based youth programs in North Adams. For over four years, she has mentored middle and high school students through hands-on learning and academic support year-round.

She combines strong leadership with compassion, building trust while maintaining high expectations. Harper has also strengthened the organization’s impact by developing data systems and supporting planning, evaluation, and fundraising. Her dedication, empathy, and vision demonstrate how young leaders can create lasting change in their communities.

Please join us for the 9th Annual Berkshire Nonprofit Awards from 8 to 10:30 a.m. May 19 at the Country Club of Pittsfield. We hope you get to interact with some of these young leaders at the event, and come away inspired to support them in their desire to build a new way forward as the next great generation.

McCaela Donovan is associate director of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires.

Market shows a mixed first quarter

The first quarter of 2026 reinforced something we say often when discussing housing trends, especially in Berkshire County: all real estate is local. While national headlines continue to focus on mortgage rates, inflation, and economic uncertainty, the reality on the ground here in Berkshire County is far more nuanced. Market conditions varied significantly by region, by town, and by property type during the first quarter, with some areas showing strong momentum while others softened.

Residential sales countywide declined modestly to start the year, with single-family home transactions down 6 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025. Despite fewer homes changing hands, dollar volume increased 4 percent, reflecting continued strength in pricing and demand at higher price points. The average residential sale price climbed to $526,372. That said, the countywide numbers only tell part of the story.

South County was the strongest residential market in the Berkshires this quarter, posting gains in both the number of sales and total dollar volume. Higher-end transactions drove much of that increase, with communities

such as Monterey, New Marlborough and Sheffield seeing particularly strong activity. Meanwhile, Great Barrington experienced a slower start to the year despite the broader strength in the southern market.

North County and Central Berkshire were more mixed. Overall activity softened, but individual towns saw very different outcomes. Adams was a standout in the north with a significant jump in sales, while Lenox and Richmond also posted strong residential gains in Central Berkshire. At the same time, several towns experienced notable declines, underscoring just how town-specific the market has become.

This remains one of the defining characteristics of the Berkshire market today: broad regional averages matter less than they once did. Hyper-local conditions — sometimes down to the individual town or neighborhood — are shaping outcomes more than ever.

Other property categories saw similarly mixed results in the first quarter.

The condominium market softened overall, with sales down 6 percent and dollar volume falling 21 percent year over year. The countywide average condo sale price dropped to $411,315, though South County bucked the trend with a slight increase in activity and stronger pricing due to several higher-end transactions.

Multifamily properties were relatively stable but still

inconsistent. Sales were only modestly behind last year, though Central Berkshire saw a notable pullback in transaction volume, while North County posted a stronger start to the year. South County multifamily sales lagged, with dollar volume falling from $11 million in the first quarter last year to $8.5 million this year.

Land sales showed some improvement, rising 23 percent over last year, but perspective is important. Even with that increase, only 27 parcels sold countywide in the first quarter — well below the levels seen during the peak land market of recent years. Total land sales volume came in at $3.6 million, continuing to reflect the broader challenges tied to growth and development in

Berkshire County. Commercial sales remain largely centered in Central Berkshire, where activity has continued to outperform the rest of the county. North County commercial sales, by comparison, were notably quiet to begin the year.

So what does all of this mean as we head deeper into 2026?

Historically, spring is when Berkshire County sees a significant increase in both listing activity and buyer demand. Inventory has started to improve modestly, giving buyers more choices than they had over the past several years. However, the broader economic picture remains uncertain. Mortgage rates are expected to remain relatively stable, but inflation concerns, consumer confidence,

and ongoing global economic instability could influence buyer and seller behavior in the months ahead.

If those concerns intensify, less-urgent buyers and sellers may choose to stay on the sidelines. If conditions stabilize, however, the Berkshires could see stronger activity as pent-up demand returns to the market.

What appears most likely is a continuation of the trend we have been watching develop for the past year: a more balanced, skill-driven market.

Homes are still selling. Buyers are still buying. But transactions are taking longer, negotiations are more detailed, and success increasingly depends on proper pricing, preparation, and expert guidance.

For consumers, the takeaway is simple: Berkshire County remains an active and healthy market — but it is no longer a market where broad assumptions apply evenly across the board. Whether you are buying or selling, understanding what is happening in your specific town, neighborhood, and price range matters more than ever. Hiring a knowledgeable professional Realtor is a key step! As always, we will continue to monitor conditions closely and provide updated insights as the year progresses. For a full report, please see berkshirerealtors.net/marketwatch.

Real estate transactions

ADAMS

Shereen R. and David E. Girard Jr. sold property at 8 County Road, Adams, to Vincent M. and Jean M. King, $415,000.

Adam R. Nocher sold property at 6 Meadow Lane, Adams, to Lance Madewell, $227,900.

Dorene A. Sadlow, trustee of the Sadlow Family RT, sold property at 1 Godek St., Adams, to Shannon Ryan, $209,900.

Timothy and Samantha Safford sold property at 9 Beecher St., Adams, to Brianna Rogers, $268,500.

Michael Oparowski, individually and successor trustee of the Oparowski NT, sold property at 2 South Willow St., Adams, to Big Name Investments LLC, $80,000.

Brandon S. Grover sold property at 7 Stevens St., Adams, to Jared Gerard, $156,000.

Carol A. Mumford sold property at 15 West Road, Adams, to Timothy Connor, $265,000.

Maria Theresa McFarland, trustee of the Patricia Ann Dunn NT, sold property at 18 Bieniek Ave., Adams, to Lisa Puppolo and Philip Gardner Jr., $271,500.

Alan J. Righi, as appointed Commissioner of Connie J. Delvin, sold property at 17 Morningside Ave., Adams, to Nicholas DeRose, $250,000.

Bobbie Jo Briggs sold property at 8 School St., Adams, to Katie Lynn Martin, $210,000.

Julie A. Gardner sold property at 40 Victory Terrace, Adams, to Dean St. Jacques, $250,000.

Sara Rose Ziarnik sold property at 200 Orchard St., Adams, to Justin J. Horn, $281,000.

Wayne G. Arnold sold property at 7 Hughes St., Adams, to Tyler Colin and Emi Jean M. Sherman, $279,900.

ALFORD

Estate of Alice L. Halsted sold property at 12 Alford Center Road, Alford, to Christopher K. Clemans and Marya W. Spence, $1,200,870.

BECKET

Francine Segal, Gail Setton and Jeffrey Sorkin, personal reps. of the Estate of Morton Sorkin, sold property at Bancroft Road, Becket, to Francine Segal, $50,950.

Community LD LLC sold property at Pill Drive, Becket, to the Marsh Farmers Collective, $11,850.

Diana U. Mott sold property at 3949 Jacobs Ladder Road, Becket, to 3949 Lake House LLC, $648,500.

Joseph Wheaton sold property at 161 Otis Road, Becket, to Benjamin Hall Bartle and Lea Marina Djamila Taleb, $560,000.

EZ Land Holdings LLC sold property at Benton Hill Road, Becket, to Mac-Arthur Louis and Pershia M. Wilkins, $62,000.

Andrew and Angela Tagliente Hurtle sold property at East Shore Road, Becket, to Kenneth D. Boudreau and Romana Mansfield, $72,000.

EZ Land Holdings LLC sold property at Benton Hill Road, Becket, to Kevin Sahagian $62,000.

Deidre L. Ayer sold property at Winter Drive, Becket, to Joseph P. Kahan and Claudia L. Davidoff, $8,000.

CHESHIRE

Jennifer M. Coody sold property at 53 Depot St., Cheshire, to Ashley Peterson, $360,000.

Nathan S. Dudziak sold property at 2 Crotteau St., Cheshire, to Mason Cranmer, $215,000.

Jennifer M. Coody sold property at Church Street, Cheshire, to Mark F. Warner, $1,532.51.

Mark F. Warner sold property at 180 Church St. and Depot Street, Cheshire, to Claudette Stephenson, $149,900.

Paul K. Butler, individually and as personal rep. of the Estate of Kenneth W. Butler, and Brian D. Butler sold property at 995 North State Road, Cheshire, to Jonathan W. Butler, $235,000.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs sold property at 115 Main St., Cheshire, to Ellies Holdings LLC, $150,350.

DALTON

Patricia D. Thompson-Freeman, trustee of the Thompson Family NT, sold property at 9 High St., Dalton, to Joseph Aaron Kennedy and Heidi Raymaakers, $350,000.

Penelope A. Christman sold property at 39 Barton Hill Road, Dalton, to Johordan M. and Jessica Nieves, $373,000.

Lee Ann Killackey sold property at 522 South St., Dalton, to Branden Boos and Maleah SpeersBrown, $209,300.

Daniel P. Kmon sold property at 23 Hale St., Dalton, to

Nicholas Kmon, $228,000.

Kim A. and Emma P. Bauman sold property at 29 Cliff St., Dalton, to K.O.W. LLC, $52,000.

EGREMONT

Karen C. Bristol, Edward M. Bristol and Bank of America NA as trustees of Karen C. Bristol Trust Agreement, sold property at 20 Sheffield Road, Egremont, to Patrick Moore & Blake Ruddock, $1,350,000.

FLORIDA

Richard A. Chase sold property at Monroe Road, Florida, to George C. Carter, $23,000.

Brian G. Wert Sr. sold property at 214 Mohawk Trail, Florida, to Genci and Sonia B. Leno, $592,500.

Kenneth L. Cote, Lawrence R. Cote, Russell L. Cote, and Debra Sarkis, individually and as personal rep. of the estate of Edward L. Cote, sold property at Moores Road, Florida, to Lawrence R. Cote, $53,000.

Debra Sarkis, individually and as personal rep. of the estate of Edward L. Cote, sold property at 69 Moores Road, Florida, to Pamela L. Cote, $17,000.

Pamela L. Cote sold property at Moores Road, Florida, to Kenneth L., Lawrence R. and Russell L. Cote, $48,750.

GREAT

BARRINGTON

79 State Road LLC sold property at 79 State Road, Great Barrington, to Rocky / Addy LLC, $750,000. Estate of Joseph B. Forfa sold property at 1057 Main St., Great Barrington, to LiCoMo Housy LLC, $575,000.

Carol Gingles sold property at 46 Seekonk Road, Great Barrington, to Joseph B. Carry, $100,000.

Theodore C. Hitchcock Jr., trustee of Alice l. Hitchcock 2024 Revocable Trust, sold property at 614 South Egremont Road, Great Barrington, to University of Massachusetts Building Authority, $353,500.

Emily Zelenovic sold property at 3 Reed St., Great Barrington, to Mary R. White, trustee of Mary R. White Revocable Trust, $495,000.

Robert Finley III sold property at 0 Pine St., Great Barrington, to 25 Old State Road LLC, $269,900.

Michael L. Compitello and Jeanne A. Compitello sold property at 212 Highland St., Great Barrington, to Rodney Berlin, $340,000.

Laurel Katherine Nakadate and Hiram Frederick Moody III sold property at 77 Grove St., Great Barrington, to Brendan P. Conboy and Samantha Todisco, $665,000.

Thirty Eight Railroad LLC sold property at 38 Railroad St., Great Barrington, to 38 Railroad Street LLC, $2,850,000.

Christina Rahr Lane sold property at 12 Barrington Place, Great Barrington, to Catherine Mikic, trustee of Mikic Family Revocable Trust, $794,000.

The Estate of John M. Snyder sold property at 36 Egremont Plain Road, Great Barrington, to Gianluca Melkonian and Simonetta Garzino, $485,000.

Clare L. Garfield sold property at 34 Bridge St., Unit 309, Great Barrington, to Arnie W. Rubin, trustee of Trust Agreement of Arnie W. Rubin, $793,500.

Lydia Ross sold property at 272 North Plain Road, Great Barrington, to Elisa Rose Lamadrid, $671,000.

Howard Schneider and Sihame Keghida sold property at 35 Mechanic St., Great Barrington, to Thomas Benham Scheffey and Melissa Clark Scheffey, $477,000.

Jerzy Boleslaw Szachniewicz and Malwina Justyna Szachniewicz sold property at 497 South Main St., Great Barrington, to Jonah Harlan LLC, $400,000.

Hamfas LLC sold property at Main Street, Great Barrington, to Area Barrington A LLC, $402,355.

Richard T. Coons and Linda A. Coons sold property at 41 Grove St., Great Barrington, to Christine M. Coons, $90,000.

HANCOCK

Judith C. Hall sold property at 9063 Mountainside Drive, Hancock, to Mark and Susan W. Harriman, $435,000.

Allison Pacelli and Seth Zepka sold property at 37 Corey Road, Unit 842, Hancock, to Kerry and Steven Vitolano, $415,800.

Arlene M. Dilorenzo sold property at Corey Road, Hancock, to Joel P. Barry, $133,750.

Nancy L. and Kevin D. Foote, co-trustees of the Nancy L. Foote RVT, and Vanessa E. and Valentino Faraone sold property at 37 Corey Road, Hancock, to Jason Russo, $155,000.

Joanne Barton sold property at 61 Clark Road, Hancock, to Jean L. Hoffman, Judith and Jacqueline Watson and June Sheline, $42,460.

HINSDALE

Patricia Feldman sold property at 301 South Shore Drive, Hinsdale, to Laura Nixon-Belair and Colleen Nixon, $40,000.

John J. Bishop sold property at Pittsfield Road, Hinsdale, to Scott B. Shove and Stephani L. Kish, $37,000.

LANESBOROUGH

Shawn D. Kinney sold property at 60 Old Cheshire Road, Lanesborough, to Luis Ubinas and Deborah Tolman, $2,400,000.

Patricia Hyde, trustee of the Patricia Hyde LT, sold property at 580 South Main St., Unit 4-2, Lanesborough, to Heidi A. Baldwin, $130,000.

Jonathan S., Marshall L. and Peter Zimmerman sold property at Williamstown Road, Lanesborough, to Jeffrey C. Zimmerman, $60,000.

Daniel W. and Sandra L. Gaylord sold property at 463 Williamstown Road, Lanesborough, to Jesse Robillard, $420,000.

LEE

James B. Wheeler sold property at 765 Fairview St., Lee, to Cady Street LLC, $350,000.

Olivia Dawedeit sold property at 1600 Pleasant St., Lee, to Denis R. O’Connor Jr., $315,000.

Nancy I. Weinlandt, trustee of the Nancy I Weinlandt, and Drew R. Weinlandt, trustee of the Drew R. Weinlandt RVT, sold property at 770 Summer St., Lee, to Dominique Smookler, $632,000.

William T. Tierney III and Elizabeth M. Tierney sold property at 30 Pease Terrace, Lee, to Clayton Hardin and Brooke Middlebrook, $545,000.

LENOX

Lynn Campana sold property at 13 Taconic Ave., Lenox, to Madeline M.G. Haas and Benjamin Szewczyk, $2,200,000.

GRAYSAM LLC sold property at 55 Crystal St., Lenox, to New Ashford Group LLC, $1,925,000.

John H. and Louise A. McCue sold property at 51 New Lenox Road, Lenox, to Pamela T. Beers, $700,000.

H2 Asset Solutions Inc. sold property at 75 Pine Knoll Road, Lenox, to Paul J. Rogan and Mary Ellen Carroll-Rogan, $465,000.

Dorothy B. Winsor, trustee of the Winsor Family RT, sold property at Jaynes Road, Lenox, to Larry and Dina Port, $182,500.

MONTEREY

Kenneth Taub and Diane Taub sold property at 11 Laurel Banks, Monterey, to Stacylee Kruuse, trustee of Stacylee Kruuse Family Trust, $450,000.

NEW MARLBOROUGH

TNPointF LLC sold property at 1333 Norfolk Road, New Marlborough, to Tiffany Marie Lopinsky and Michael Richard Consoli, $3,100,000.

Estate of Barbara Leavy and Steven Widom and Celia Gittelson, co-trustees of Trust FBO Peter Leavy, sold property at 82 Corashire Road, New Marlborough, to Adam Fleury, $760,000.

Scott Mackenzie sold property at Adsit Crosby Road, New Marlborough, to Cornelia E. Webster, trustee of 1699 North Main Street Nominee Trust, $10,000.

Lawrence Braun and Jessica Suda sold property at 0 Amory Lane, New Marlborough and Sheffield, to Jeffrey Michael Homeyer, $102,000.

Richard Greenblatt and Jeanne Greenblatt, co-trustees of Laska Seltzer Realty Trust, sold property at 812 Canaan Southfield Road, New Marlborough, to Laura C. Ter Poorten and Patricia A. Halpin, $975,000.

NORTH ADAMS

Teyah Foley sold property at 16 Frederick St., North Adams, to Justin Bush, $7,000.

Rachel Dorman, Michael L. and Albert Mancuso Jr. sold property at 42 Loftus St., North Adams, to Lisa M. Totino and Liesl Thompson, $126,000.

Estevan and Raymond Velez sold property at 30 Dover St., North Adams, to Cameron Michael Power Joyce, $46,000.

Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency sold property at 17 Phelps Ave., North Adams, to Joshua Brazeau and Alexis Cowell, $215,000.

LB-Ranch Properties V LLC sold property at 11-15 Perry St., North Adams, to ER Santos LLC, $150,000. Robert M. Martelle sold property at 642 East Main St. Extension, North Adams, to Guy R. Cariddi, $32,700. Craig Feuerzeig sold property at Pleasant Street, North Adams, to Percy Angress and Livia Linden, $10,000.

Joshua A. Serre sold property at 31-33 Porter St., North Adams, to Brian Szpyrka, $285,000.

MSA Mortgage LLC sold property at 28 Morgan Ave., North Adams, to 62 Elmwood LLC, $400,000.

Hendrix Homes LLC sold property at 376 Union St., North Adams, to Berkshire Assets Group LLC, $348,250.

Dane’s Auto Parts LLC sold property at 263 State Road, North Adams, to State Road Studio LLC, $250,000.

Jonathan P. Schnauber sold property at 1320 Church St., North Adams, to Peter Lombardini, $241,000. Stephen and Toni D. Boyle sold property at 51 Notch Road, North Adams, to Bryan J. Morin, $295,500. Sandra A. Zeppieri, trustee of Boca NT, sold property at 188 East Main St., North Adams, to 188 East Main LLC, $175,000.

Scott Boulette sold property at 343 East Main St., North Adams, to Cody Morin and Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, $150,000.

Peter D. and Raluca M. Vandergrift sold property at 64 Notch Road, North Adams, to Jaqueline Jean Lemaire and Bobbie Jo Briggs, $240,000.

Saime Ozkan sold property at 315 Ashland St., North Adams, to Kupuc Realty LLC, $200,000.

OTIS

East Otis Road LLC sold property at 2000 East Otis Road, Otis, to OM East Otis Road LLC, $2,800,000.

PITTSFIELD

Petricca Superior Street LLC sold property at 39 Superior St. and Dorchester Avenue, Pittsfield, to Z and G LLC, $300,000.

The Southern New England Conference Association of Seventh-Day Adventists sold property at 43 Palomino Drive, Pittsfield, to Arunkumar Pushparajan and Abinaya Selvaraj, $470,000.

Petricca South Street LLC sold property at 253 South St., Pittsfield, to Z and G LLC, $600,000. Homero and Maria Barreno sold property at 76 Stoddard Ave., Pittsfield, to Mireille Laure Ngwelebe, $275,000.

REAL ESTATE, Page 18

Real estate

Mark W. and Rita A. Bennett sold property at 64 King St., Pittsfield, to 1 Rostone Place LLC, $127,000.

Bartlett Yard Care LLC sold property at 26 Davis St. and Davis Street, Pittsfield, to Sean and Alexys Carlton, $264,900.

Jaryn Pierson sold property at 76-78 Boylston St., Pittsfield, to Kaitlyn A. Anderson, $279,000.

Jeffrey E. Demary sold property at 386 Cheshire Road, Pittsfield, to Catherine Masterson and Patrick Morrison, $370,000.

Thomas P. Auge, trustee of the Bernard G. Auge RVT, sold property at 17 Kittredge Road, Pittsfield, to Emmanuel Mudika Mosuka and Darkjoel Angwi Awah, $430,500.

Destiny P. Crews sold property at 89-91 Pecks Road, Pittsfield, to Imara E. Robotham, $273,000.

Leydet Properties LLC sold property at 123 Broadview Terrace, Pittsfield, to Katie M. Wool and Nickytt E. Osorio, $280,000.

Cynthia Miezan sold property at 326 Dalton Ave., Pittsfield, to Banchigize Tafet, $225,000.

Werner Peter Metz III sold property at 1136 Barker Road, Pittsfield, to Strassfeld Family Group LLC, $520,000.

South Church Street Associates LLC sold property at 71 South Church St., Pittsfield, to Daniel J. and Deborah H. Carter, $235,000.

Lori J. Simon sold property at 145 Bartlett Ave., Pittsfield, to Vincent A. Rupp, $342,000.

Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency and Patricia Louise Thompson sold property at 186 Burbank St., Pittsfield, to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, $98,376.

Crystal M. Bradley sold property at 28 Jayne Ave., Pittsfield, to Lori J. Simon, $279,900.

Western Mass Construction LLC sold property at 20 Greenway St., Pittsfield, to Carlos Thomas Nieto, $279,999.

Daniel P. and James Kelley sold property at 43 Chapman Road, Pittsfield, to Amy D. King, $410,000.

North End Properties LLC sold property at 1223 North St., Pittsfield, to 2M Properties LLC, $119,000.

Michael J. Wasuk sold property at 29-31 Glenwood Ave., Pittsfield, to Ericka Flores, $242,340.

Pittsfield Heights Associates LLC sold property at 123 Elm St., Pittsfield, to Nueva Altura LLC, $405,000.

Thomas L. Campoli sold property at 89 Crofut St., Pittsfield, to Sebastian Koga, $1,000,000.

William J. and Min K. Donald sold property at 86 Winesap Road, Pittsfield, to Cameron Kruzel, $415,000.

Reobote Group USA Inc. sold property at 89 Robbins Ave., Pittsfield, to Elbert J. and Christinne Silva Dos Reis, $299,900.

Joel M. Cohen, trustee of the Ileen S. Cohen RVT, sold property at 68 Brookside Drive and Brookside Drive, Pittsfield, to Min Kyong and William J. Donald, $425,000.

Megan A. Gomez sold property at 11 McAllister St., Pittsfield, to Carlos A. Morales Mercado and Milca L. Jimenez Rodriguez, $283,000.

Kenneth G. Warren Jr., trustee of the Chamberlin Realty Company NT, and Katrina A. Kratka sold property at 28 Bartlett Ave., Pittsfield, to LND Investments LLC, $170,000.

Anna and David Lotto sold property at 10-12 Dawes Ave., Pittsfield, to Fort River Real Estate LLC, $216,000.

Sandra L. White and Anne Rennie, trustees of the Mandeville FT, sold property at 134 California Ave., Pittsfield, to Michael A. Satrape, $131,000.

Nicole and Hannah Kibbe sold property at 306 Partridge Road, Pittsfield, to Ellies Holdings LLC, $195,000.

LND Investments LLC sold property at 56 Weller Ave., Pittsfield, to Gerson Benedito Da Silva Jr., $370,000.

Meredith A. Bruns sold property at 1 Clarkson Ave., Pittsfield, to Ira, Jacob and Amy Rae Weiss, $229,900. Branden Boos and Maleah SpeersBrown sold property at 96 Broadview Terrace, Pittsfield, to Brian J. Hassett, $282,000.

Rebecca Elizabeth Robbins sold property at 29 Murphy Place, Pittsfield, to Luciane Puerari Lindvay, $285,000.

William H. and Joan T. De Vries sold property at 127 Gamwell Ave., Pittsfield, to Dacia Clark and Janmichael William Yee, $360,000.

Jane R. Strong, personal rep. of the Estate of Ann Theresa Mottley, sold property at 25 Leroi Drive, Pittsfield, to Fatima Sade Adiatou, $435,000.

Judith R. White, John M. Ricci and Ronald J. Ricci sold property at 25 Ashley St., Pittsfield, to Royanne Jordao, $200,000.

Estate of Katherine O’Connell, Anne T. Latona, Dorothy M. Cherry, and Mary G. and James T. O’Connell sold property at 26 Churchill Crest, Pittsfield, to Blair Douglas Russell, $165,000.

Jaramy M. Moran sold property at 71 Essex St., Pittsfield, to Fort River Real Estate LLC, $60,000.

William Raleigh sold property at 51 Anita Drive, Pittsfield, to Suzanne Brodie, $405,000.

Elizabeth Principe sold property at 49 Easton Ave., Pittsfield, to 49 Easton Avenue NT, $290,000.

Thomas J. Hurley sold property at 20-24 Springside Ave., Pittsfield, to Jonathan Pierce, $165,000.

Pinnacle Property Operations LLC sold property at 72 Second St., Pittsfield, to 72 Second Pitt LLC, $210,000.

Nancy A. Filiault, personal rep. of the Estate of Paul V. Matthews, sold property at 158 Eleanor Road, Pittsfield, to Richard C. Cobb Jr. and Jacqueline A. Cobb, $350,000.

Evan and Kristina B. Boulais sold property at 15 Longfellow Ave., Pittsfield, to Jialin Zheng and Mingjun Zhu, $315,000.

David C. and Jacqueline K. Leppla sold property at 5 Eastbrook Lane, Pittsfield, to Timothy W. and Gwynn A. Demakis, $825,000.

Faith Property LLC sold property at 889 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, to Abby Lodge Solar LLC, $432,500.

Timothy W. and Gwynn A. Demakis sold property at 19 Preston Ave., Pittsfield, to John M. Peterson and Susan R. Doctrow, $356,000.

Derrick F. and Haley C. Haddad sold property at 1 Lori Court, Pittsfield, to Nolan G. and Christine A. Southard, $680,000.

Stephen E. Cohen sold property at 33 Adam St., Pittsfield, to Kenneth E.

Duncan, $155,000.

Carrie Lynn Healy, Denise Marie Castegnaro, Jennifer Lee Turner, and Richard O’Brien Jr. sold property at 101 Imperial Ave., Pittsfield, to Bruder Sohl Ventures LLC, $319,990.

David E. and Kristin L. Smith sold property at 16 Brookside Drive, Pittsfield, to Derrick F. and Haley C. Haddad, $667,000.

Riccardo Barrera, Martha Munoz and Andres F. Barrera Munoz sold property at 6 Vine St., Pittsfield, to Lucas Pawelski and Brenna Hull, $340,000.

Lindsay A. Cornwell sold property at 30 Edgewood Road, Pittsfield, to Jong Hwa Shin and Hande Can, $270,000.

U.S. Bank National Association, trustee, and Suzanne Turner sold property at 15 Lake St., Pittsfield, to U.S. Bank National Association, trustee, $116,764.85.

Caterina G. Penna sold property at 39 Lowden St., Pittsfield, to Alexander Anthony and Elyse Justine Makarski, $347,000.

Henderson Penny sold property at 91 Dalton Ave., Pittsfield, to Jose Francisco Huertas and Gloria Escobar, $375,000.

Darren M. Lee and Timothy Haile sold property at 68 Lakeway Drive, Pittsfield, to Abishour Equities LLC, $155,218.

Janet George Polanski sold property at 21 Austin Ave., Pittsfield, to Trinity Ventures LLC, $150,000.

Robin Berthet sold property at 71 Weller Ave., Pittsfield, to John Richard Bing, $299,000.

Christopher Spiewak and Tracy L. Powers sold property at 30 Pinehurst Ave., Pittsfield, to Caleb Potts and Sabrina Reynolds, $278,900.

Peter Stracuzzi, Susan Pivero and John B. Giarolo Jr., trustees, Peter Stracuzzi RVT, sold property at 1 Colt Road, Pittsfield, to Bruder Sohl Ventures LLC, $210,000.

RL Real Estate LLC sold property at 110118 Lincoln St., 112-122 Lincoln St. and 18-24 Cherry St., Pittsfield, to Wilfrido Mendez, $484,000.

Courteney Nichole Porter sold property at 25 Calumet St., Pittsfield, to Lisa Boatman and Ivy Rogers, $350,000.

Timothy P. Gallagher sold property at 1200 West St., Pittsfield, to Seth Cohen and Taryn Pontolillo, $695,000.

Naomi L. Daniels, personal rep. of the Estate of Craig A. Bradley, sold property at 258 Dalton Ave., Pittsfield, to William Burruss, $190,950.

Anthony P. Andrews sold property at 1288 North St., Pittsfield, to Fort River Real Estate LLC, $26,000.

Cody and Nora Considine Leydet sold property at 195 Churchill St., Pittsfield, to Ryan Jeffrey Mitchell Poulin and Linda

Louise Holland, $370,000.

William G. Wood II sold property at 31 Danforth Ave., Pittsfield, to Real Estate Investments Northeast LLC, $40,000.

Wendy Di Pietro, Kathleen Ricci and Stephen Delphia sold property at 607 Crane Ave., Pittsfield, to Catherine K. Squires, $330,000.

SANDISFIELD

Lynn E. Friend and the Estate of Antony G. Friend sold property at Rood Hill Road, Sandisfield, to Robert I. Brodie, $101,000.

Lynn E. Friend and the Estate of Antony G. Friend sold property at Rood Hill Road, Sandisfield, to John W. Field Jr., $150,000.

Richard Shellhammer and Donna Shellhammer sold property at 23 Rodd Hill Road, Sandisfield, to Rood Hill LLC, $1,250,000.

SHEFFIELD

Estate of Dragos Tundrea sold property at 334 South Undermountain Road, Sheffield, to Steven Schulz, $401,500.

STOCKBRIDGE

Virginia M. Giddens sold property at 6 Old Tree Farm Road, Stockbridge, to Andrea Jan Pfeifer, $1,675,000.

Kathleen M. McCormick, trustee of Apple Tree Nominee, sold property at 19 & 21 Wheatley Drive, Stockbridge, to Felicia R. Zwebner, $825,000.

Stefanie Armstrong sold property at 36 Glendale Road, Stockbridge, to John Adams and Shannon Strum, $538,000.

Russell D. and Judith Ann Liddle sold property at 18 Hill Road, Stockbridge, to Stephen W. Petrie, $475,000.

TYRINGHAM

Thomas A. Jones Jr. and Suzette A. Jones, trustees of the Jones FT, sold property at Main Road, Tyringham, to Michael D. and Colby Curtin, $40,000.

Helen Suzette Jones, trustee of the Morgan-Alsop NT, sold property at 28 Main Road, Tyringham, to William M. Matus, $1,265,000.

Tracey F. Kelly, personal rep. of the Estate of Theresa Marie Farina, sold property at Webster Road, Tyringham, to Jennifer Farina, $20,000.

WASHINGTON

Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, trustee, and Robert E. Deubel sold property at 88 Stonehouse Road, Washington, to Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, trustee, $850,000.

WEST STOCKBRIDGE

Thomas E. Norton, Matthew W. Norton and Michael E. Norton sold property at 17 Albany Road, West Stockbridge, to Kevin Michael Norton and Paige Marie

Norton, $375,000.

Edmund I. Parnes and Elizabeth C. Parnes, trustees of Edmund I. Parnes and Elizabeth C. Parnes Joint Revocable Trust Agreement, sold property at 5 Smith Road, West Stockbridge, to Robin Lazarow, $900,000.

Jane A. Wright sold property at 3 Cobb Road, West Stockbridge, to James Wright Clarey, $200,000.

WILLIAMSTOWN

Richard A. and Kathryn B. Wiseman sold property at 177 Thornliebank Road, Williamstown, to Stephen Kealhofer and Janet Ann Luck, trustees of the Stephen Kealhofer and Janet Ann Luck 1999 FT, $940,000.

Shannon Park sold property at 104 Belden St., Williamstown, to Allison Pacelli and Seth Zepka, $210,000.

Diana Lee Randall sold property at 289 Gale Road, Williamstown, to Sue B. Warner, $565,000.

Helen W. Cook sold property at 1292 and 0 Oblong Road, Williamstown, to John R. Cook Jr., $700,000.

Paul O. Nnodim sold property at 136 Sand Springs Road, Williamstown, to Alan and Teri Cooper, $350,000.

Nancy J. Rowan, personal rep. of Robert Allan Jones, sold property at 66-68 Arnold St., Williamstown, to John Wall and Carin Demayo-Wall, $165,000.

Teresa M. Harron-Lamb sold property at 34 Jerome Drive, Williamstown, to Alan B., Donald and Petra Pare and Jennifer Thurston, $625,000.

Maria Harrison, trustee of the Maria Harrison Trust, sold property at 1146 Cold Spring Road, Williamstown, to Sweet Springs LLC, $999,999.

Whaling Properties LLC and DG Williamstown LLC sold property at 384 Main St., Williamstown, to Clayton Family Trust LLC, $1,700,000.

WINDSOR

Richard B. Bator sold property at 1195 East Windsor Road, Windsor, to Andrew and Tabitha Walker, $350,000.

Sharon Chairet sold property at East Windsor Road, Windsor, to Henry Trachy, $30,000.

FT — Family Trust

LLC — Limited Partnership

LT — Life Trust

NT — Nominee Trust

RET — Real Estate Trust

RT — Realty Trust

RVT — Revocable Trust

The real estate transactions are provided by the Middle Berkshire, North Berkshire and South Berkshire Registry of Deeds offices.

People in the Berkshires

Boyd Biomedical has appointed Jason Fortier as president of Design by Boyd, the company’s contract design and development services division based in Waltham.

Fortier succeeds Joseph Ting, who is retiring after a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years in medical device product development, including his leadership of Design by Boyd since its founding.

Fortier joins Boyd Biomedical with more than 25 years of progressive R&D and product development leadership in the medical device and life sciences industry. Most recently, he served as vice president of Research and Development at Augmenix Inc., where he led the development of innovative hydrogel spacer technology for radiation oncology.

In his new role, Fortier will lead Design by Boyd’s multidisciplinary teams of industrial designers, biomedical engineers, mechanical engineers, and quality specialists. The division provides full-lifecycle medical device design and development services — from concept generation through verification, validation and design transfer — across over 15 clinical specialties including cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurovascular, dermatology and drug delivery applications.

The leadership transition is effective immediately. Fortier will be based at Design by Boyd’s hub in Waltham.

BFAIR has appointed Theresa Denette as interim chief operating officer.

A dedicated leader with more than two decades of service to the organization, Denette brings deep operational knowledge, program expertise and a longstanding commitment to BFAIR’s mission of supporting individuals with disabilities and their families.

Denette began her career with BFAIR in 2001 as assistant program director for the Day Habilitation Center. She soon was promoted to program director, a role she held until 2010. During this time, she led program development, oversaw individual support planning and implementation, and supervised and supported staff, laying the groundwork for a career defined by strong leadership and program growth.

In 2016, she was promoted to director of day service operations, where she oversaw the Day Habilitation Center, community-based day services, employment services, and the newly developed ABI–money follows the person (ABI-MFP) service component.

Following an organizational management restructuring in 2018, Denette was promoted to senior vice president of day services and assumed oversight of BFAIR’s quality assurance department.

In 2022, as BFAIR transitioned its family and individual supports and adult family care programs to a community service pogram model, Denette’s responsibilities expanded to include guidance and oversight of those programs, clinical services, and the agency’s day service programs. In recognition of her leadership and impact, she was promoted to senior vice president of operations.

MountainOne Insurance Agency Inc. is opening an office at 4 Castle St., Suite 201, marking an expansion of its presence in Southern Berkshire County.

The appointment-only office will be staffed by Account Executive Dan

Blaisdell, providing a local point of connection for clients throughout the southern Berkshires. Blaisdell specializes in business insurance and brings deep knowledge of the region, along with longstanding relationships built through years of working closely with local organizations and entrepreneurs.

The new Great Barrington office brings MountainOne Insurance closer to the clients it serves across Southern Berkshire County, offering personalized insurance guidance from a trusted local adviser who understands the community and its needs.

Jaan Rannik has joined the Pittsfield-based law firm Cohen Kinne Valicenti Cook LLP as a partner, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Rannik is an experienced civil and commercial litigator who handles a wide range of disputes, including contractual matters, business torts, real estate disputes, intellectual property issues, and construction litigation. He has obtained more than $20 million in judgments and awards for his clients.

Prior to joining Cohen Kinne, Rannik practiced in Charleston, S.C., where he was a partner in the boutique commercial litigation firm Epting & Rannik. Over the past decade, he has successfully tried cases in state and federal courts in South Carolina and handled arbitrations and appeals across the country.

Rannik brings with him an established client base and will also support Cohen Kinne’s existing clients in complex litigation and trial matters.

Cohen Kinne serves clients throughout the Berkshires and beyond in a wide range of legal matters, including litigation, business law, real estate and estate planning.

Berkshire Bach Society has appointed James Bagwell as director of choral music and principal conductor, effective April 1.

Bagwell previously served as choral director and has performed with BBS since the early 2000s. The move deepens BBS’s musical capabilities and recognizes the important role Bagwell has played over the past two decades in creating a consistent record of excellence in choral performance.

Bagwell was recently named principal conductor of the Tulsa Symphony and has served as principal guest conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra since 2009. He has prepared choruses for numerous national and international orchestras, and his choruses have been featured at the Salzburg, Verbier, Mostly Mozart, and Bard Music Festivals.

He is professor of music and music program director at Bard College, and director of performance studies in the Bard College Conservatory of Music. He serves as co-director of the Bard Conservatory Graduate Program in Conducting and is the associate conductor of The Orchestra Now (TŌN).

Community Access to the Arts has hired Camille Roos as resident visual arts faculty, Alex James as program coordinator and Karen Advokaat as office manager.

CATA currently provides more than 3,000 arts workshops annually for 1,300 children, teens and adults with intel-

lectual and developmental disabilities, autism and brain injuries. Roos is a multimedia artist whose work in painting and installation explores the relationship between our bodies and the habitats they belong to. She has worked as an educator at Flying Deer Nature Center, Mountainside Treatment Center and the Montessori School, and has participated in artist residency programs at Prisma Estúdio in Lisbon, Portugal and Babayan Culture House in Cappadocia, Turkey. She holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Goddard College with additional certifications as an Usui Reiki Master, professional end-of-life doula, and wilderness instructor. In her new role as CATA resident faculty artist, she will lead arts workshops in CATA’s Great Barrington studio, as well as at disability agencies that CATA partners with across the Berkshires and in Columbia County, N.Y.

James comes to CATA with a background in administration and management, having previously worked with the neurodivergent population as well as in the performing arts. She has a degree in theatre arts from Pace University and worked in theatre management in New York City for years before relocating to the Berkshires. Since then, she has worked as the company manager for Berkshire Theatre Group and as the office manager for CIP Berkshire.

Advocaat brings more than 20 years of administrative and operations experience across nonprofit organizations in higher education, environmental education and conservation, and senior living. Prior to joining CATA, she was the office manager at Berkshire Place and was previously associate director of finance and administration at Bard College at Simon’s Rock.

Pittsfield Cooperative Bank has appointed Matthew Parise as its new vice president, director of facilities and real estate, further strengthening the organization’s commitment to operational excellence and strategic growth.

In this role, Parise will oversee all aspects of facilities operations, property management and long-term real estate planning. He will play a key role in ensuring all locations remain safe, efficient and aligned with the organization’s evolving needs.

Parise brings more than 28 years in managing building operations, leading capital improvement projects, and optimizing real estate portfolios at Beacon Bank, formerly Berkshire Bank, and Key Bank. His leadership will support ongoing efforts to maintain high-quality environments while positioning the organization for future growth.

Pittsfield Cooperative Bank recently announced it intends to merge with Adams Community Bank by the end of the year, pending regulatory approval.

Lee Bank has promoted Laura Lohbauer to vice president, electronic banking, recognizing her nearly decade-long commitment to advancing the bank’s digital strategy and enhancing the customer experience.

During this time, Lohbauer has

steadily expanded her leadership across digital banking, personal and business online banking, and debit card strategy. She has played a key role in strengthening the bank’s digital platforms, improving usability, and increasing adoption across a wide range of customers.

Her leadership has delivered measurable, high-impact results. In addition to driving digital innovation, Lohbauer is known for consistently delivering a high level of service and fostering strong internal collaboration. Her ability to identify opportunities to improve customer engagement and increase debit card usage has helped position Lee Bank as a leader in digital banking performance among community institutions.

Lohbauer has also played an important role in enhancing the bank’s statement design and customer-facing digital materials, contributing to stronger engagement and increased adoption of mobile wallet and card management tools.

In her new role, Lohbauer will continue to lead digital innovation efforts, support long-term strategic growth, and expand the capabilities of Lee Bank’s online and mobile banking platforms.

Integritus Healthcare has promoted Sandra Shepard to the position of regional director of campus operations, transitioning from her recent role as executive director of Kimball Farms Life Care Community in Lenox. For nearly 30 years Shepard has served in various leadership roles within Integritus Healthcare, previously Berkshire Healthcare Systems, serving as administrator for Edgecombe Nursing Home, and administrator of Willowood of North Adams, now known as North Adams Commons.

As the executive director of Kimball Farms Life Care Community, Shepard oversaw operations for 150 independent living units, 48 assisted living units, 26 memory care units, and the 74 bed Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center.

In her time at Kimball Farms, the facilities were nationally recognized with multiple CARF International accreditations, Gold, and Silver Quality award status from the American Healthcare Association/National Center for Assisted Living.

MountainOne Bank has promoted Sarah Bloom to officer, operations manager. In this role, Bloom is responsible for developing and maintaining operational workflows, supporting the implementation of new service and product offerings, and contributing to initiatives that enhance internal operational processes across the organization.

Bloom, of North Adams, joined MountainOne Bank in January 2021 as an e-services and operations specialist II. She was promoted to junior operations analyst in 2024 and advanced again in 2025 to operations analyst. Prior to joining MountainOne, she served as a senior loan systems specialist at Berkshire Bank.

A graduate of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Bloom holds a master of business administration.