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Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray was at Cranwell Resort to speak privately with the Massachusetts Mayors Association.

Mayors Gather to Talk Tough Times, Sticking With It

By Nichole DupontiBerkshires Staff
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LENOX, Mass. — More than 20 mayors and representatives from around the state gathered at Cranwell Resort beginning Wednesday for the annual Massachusetts Mayors Association Conference. But if they were hoping for good news on the fiscal front, they were sadly disappointed.

Lt. Governor Timothy Murray addressed the municipal executives in a private meeting on Thursday morning. The dialogue was aimed at preparing cities for more tough times ahead as well as informing them of the ever-changing budget news from Washington, D.C.

Picking and choosing what to support and what to put on the backburner is a tough decision to make during a recession. Patricia Mikes, director of communications for the Massachusetts Municipal Association, said mayors and town officials are throwing their hands up and opting out of public roles.

"I think we're seeing a big turnover at town and city levels," she said. "The fiscal struggles and less state aid for towns, plus the enormity of health insurance increases is overwhelming, especially for first-timers. Also, in times like these, residents have a lot of opinions and they are posting their opinions in blogs and cyberspace and they're faceless, so that even if they wanted to, officials can't respond. The last three years have been particularly hard for mayors."

Hardship aside, Mikes said the MMA wanted to ensure that mayors have the proper training and information, even as they run their cities from their Blackberries as the conference goes on.

Mayor Setti Warren of Newton was among those in attendance and instead of opting out, he's looking to take on more civic responsibilities. The Democrat announced on Monday that he will challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown next year.

Warren said his role as mayor has prepared him for the challenges of the Senate.
  


"Being a mayor actually offers me a unique perspective," Warren said. "I understand how government impacts people's lives. I've done two budgets and I'm also an Iraq War veteran. I have a perspective on the importance of defense and the importance of the Defense Department in being cost effective and bringing our troops home. American families are still hurting and one of my primary objectives is job creation and expanding the job market, especially in renewable energy and biotechnology."

Warren said Brown, in addition to not providing an "independent voice" to the Senate has also slashed funding that is needed for Pell Grants and Head Start programs across the state.

"We need the kind of education and training that will come with these new jobs," he said. "Believe it or not, that education starts very early. I was visiting a Head Start program in Brockton and the kids were just 4 and 5 years old but they were already at an advanced level. They are ready to learn and absorb even at this young age. We have to support that if we want to be successful."

In addition to Murray's appearance, Don Borut, executive director for the National League of Cities, will also be at Cranwell to instruct mayors on any changes to campaign statutes which they will need to know for the upcoming election year.

The conference continues through Friday.

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A Boutique Hotel is Bringing Guests a Luxury Stay in Lenox

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LENOX, Mass. — A new Inn is bringing a boutique-style stay for visitors and locals to enjoy.

Owners, Sullivan Capital LLC, purchased the property, located on 135 Main Street, in 2024. After a year or renovations, Garden Gables Inn is open for business. 

"Garden Gables started off as one of the many Berkshire cottages, 1790 was the date on that, and it's always operated as an inn," said Hospitality Manager Yvonne Walton. "It's just a great gathering place and relaxation spot for people to come and get the feel of Lenox, and just slow down and enjoy the nature and the surrounding area...get culture and art and see some great concerts. I think it'll be a wonderful place, definitely does more of the upper-scale hospitality." 

Owners Niko Giallouis and Eric Sullivan bought the property from the former owner. Sullivan had his eye on Lenox since attending a wedding almost 10 years ago.

"I came to a wedding in Lenox, probably six or seven years ago. Personally, just kind of fell in love with the area, and I guess that's kind of how it got on my radar. So you know from that perspective, as we got into the hotel business out towards an area, it was a place I was kind of monitoring and waiting for the right property to show up."

After purchasing the two underwent a full renovation, a project that cost around $1.5 million. The building, first built in 1780, required some TLC. Sullivan's wife, Jessica, who owns Jessica Sullivan Design, designed the inn.

Sullivan said they installed a new roof, repainted everything, renovated the bathrooms, installed new floors, a new HVAC system, and new plumbing.

"We really touched everything from the outside...I mean, all the aesthetics and layouts changed a bit," he said. "As I said, put about a million and a half into it. All new furniture, fixtures, everything. The design's completely different. It wasn't a full gut, but it was a heavy, heavy renovation."

The two like to collaborate with local businesses, and they make a point to direct visitors to local restaurants, businesses, and attractions.

"If guests are asking for recommendations, our customer service team, our guest services team, will relay that kind of information. Even if we can call and make a reservation for somebody, happy to do it," he said. "We aren't doing breakfast, but what we do is we have partnerships with a lot of the breakfast places downtown. We actually purchase a gift certificates for each person each day, so that they can use that to go downtown."

Sullivan hopes that guests don't see their inn as just a place to sleep and dump their bags, but make it an experience for anyone who stays.

"We really focus on kind of the experience side of things, so again, we want to give you the best experience you can have here...and we want that not just to be the place you put your bag and go do things. It's important to think of everything," he said.

Sullivan said partnerships are important to their business and are a way to connect with locals.

"The local partnerships, I can't stress that enough, because no matter how much and how great the room is, people are still going to want to go do other things," he said. "So, I think it just benefits everybody if we're all working together and so forth, and supporting the community, being neighborly too, because we are surrounded by residential homes...But we really try to put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, a lot of love into the building, all the details, really care about the senses," Sullivan said.

The Inn's check-in and reservations are completely online. When guests arrive, all they have to do is check in online and receive their code that they will use to enter their room. Sullivan hopes this helps create less stress for guests and gets them to their room as fast as possible, especially after a long trip.

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