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Habitat for Humanity ReStore Celebrates Birthday |
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On: 12:54PM / Friday March 16, 2012 |
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity will celebrate the second birthday of its ReStore home improvement center on Saturday, March 17 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Located at 70 Jefferson Place in Pittsfield, ReStore sells new and gently used home improvement materials and appliances at discount prices. The revenue is used to help fund Habitat for Humanity building projects.
Since its grand opening, ReStore has recycled approximately 160,000 tons of home improvement supplies which would have otherwise gone into landfills, and generated more than $200,000 for local building projects.
“ReStore is a valuable asset for our community,” said ReStore Manager Anne Christopolis. “Aside from the environmental benefits of this type of operation, it also helps improve the housing in our area by helping fund Habitat homes, and by providing an affordable way for people to do home improvements, even in a very tight economy.”
ReStore merchandise varies depending on donations, but generally includes items such as furniture, lumber, interior and exterior doors, cabinets, toilets and sinks, light fixtures, painting supplies, power tools and hardware. The store is open on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., for donations only, and for purchases and donations on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
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Cranwell Opening New Carriage House In July |
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On: 05:34PM / Wednesday March 14, 2012 |
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LENOX, Mass. — Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club is replacing the historic Carriage House that burned in 2010 with a new 18-room building to open in July.
The new Carriage House draws on the former's 1890s structure, according to a press release on PR Web. The original plans were located in the Boston Public Library; Cutler Associates is the current architect and Hughes Design Associates is doing the interior design.
The building will house 15 queen doubles, two kings and a king suite. It is connected to the Spa at Cranwell by a glass-enclosed, heated walkway.
"We are very excited about re-opening the Carriage House, which had long been a favorite of our year-round guests visiting the Berkshires," said Carl Pratt, general manager, in the release.
Firefighters from 20 departments fought the December 2010 afternoon blaze that gutted the building. Investigators pointed to space heaters set between floors as the likely culprits. No one was injured. The resort almost immediately announced it would rebuild.
Read the entire press release here.
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WMECo Survey Finds Low Cost, Skilled Labor Here |
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On: 02:58PM / Wednesday March 14, 2012 |
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Western Massachusetts Electric Co. has released its annual economic review of the four westernmost counties.
"Pioneering Futures: Western Massachustts Economic Review 2012" looks at the demographics, work force, education, lifestyles and industries of Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Berkshire counties.
"Western Massachusetts offers a prosperous future for businesses looking to move to the region," said Peter J. Clarke, president and chief operating officer of WMECo. "WMECo proudly produces this publication in order to expose the many appealing attributes of this unique location."
The report compares the region to other areas of New England and the nation. Some of its findings are not surprising, such as lower housing and costs of living, the high number of educational and cultural institutions and the proximity of urban centers and rail and air transport. The cost of living is near the national average but housing costs are 6 percent below. The per capita income is $37,888.
Among the reports findings:
* A third of the population 25 and older holds at least bachelor's degree
* Less than 10 percent of total resident employement is in manufacturing
* One of the nation's highest concentrations of colleges and universities
* One of the nation's highest concentrations of health-care related employment
Find the entire report online here or request printed copies by calling 413-787-9333.
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Patrick-Murray Administration to Host Small Business Forum in Holyoke |
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On: 10:50AM / Tuesday March 13, 2012 |
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HOLYOKE, Mass. — The Patrick-Murray Administration will host a “Compliance Made Simple” small business forum on March 29 at the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce, 225 High St. to help educate and assist businesses with basic regulations and obligations where compliance can save owners thousands of dollars.
The “Compliance Made Easy” forums, which include insight from state officials with a strong background in applicable regulations, help provide small businesses with the resources they need to develop wage, benefit, and safety/health policies for their business, as well as help new and growing businesses identify and understand the specific state laws and regulations that apply to them.
“We want to be as friendly as we can to small businesses in Massachusetts,” Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier said. “Small businesses drive job growth, and we want to make sure that business owners take advantage of whatever help is available to them. I am pleased that this forum is being held in Western Massachusetts, and I hope that Pittsfield business owners will attend.”
The forum will be hosted by the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Executive Director Andre Porter and will be offered in two sessions, the first session in English and the second session open to English as a Second Language business leaders. The English-language session starts at 4 p.m., and the Spanish-language session starts at 6 p.m.
To learn more about the Economic Development Planning Council strategy visit: www.mass.gov/hed.
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NBT Bank Celebrates Opening of Lenox Office |
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On: 11:14AM / Friday March 09, 2012 |
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Cutting the ribbon at the March 7 grand opening celebration NBT Bank Area Manager Daniel Kinney, left, Lenox Chamber of Commerce Director Ralph Petillo, Lenox Selectwoman Linda Procopio Messana, Lenox Branch Manager John Bortolotto and Miss Hall's School Chief Financial Office Susan Baumgarten. |
LENOX, Mass. — NBT Bank officials and area dignitaries celebrated the opening in Lenox on Wednesday of the bank's fifth Berkshire County office.
The NBT Bank of Lenox, located at 2 Holmes Road, officially opened Feb. 7 and features a full service drive-up lane, night depository facilities, coin counting machine and a 24-hour ATM.
"We are pleased to announce the opening of our new Lenox Office that provides us with another opportunity to offer residents and businesses convenient access to our unique brand of community banking," NBT Bank Vice President and Area Manager Daniel Kinney said. "The opening of this office symbolizes NBT Bank's commitment to the local community and the Berkshire region."
NBT took over the former Legacy branches in the county after that finanical institution merged with Berkshire Bank.
NBT Bank offers personal banking, asset management and business services through a network of 132 banking locations in four states. NBT Bank and its parent company, NBT Bancorp Inc., are headquartered in Norwich, N.Y. NBT Bancorp Inc. had assets of $5.6 billion as of Dec. 31, 2011, and is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol NBTB.
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