Personal trainer Brian Emerson Clapp, invites the public to a reception celebrating the opening of his new fitness studio, Personal Best, on Tuesday, June 20th from 4-7 PM.
Personal Best is located at 777 Main Street (behind Barrington Bagels) and is a full-service, private training studio offering comprehensive fitness services to clients of all ages and ability.
As a high school and college athlete, Berkshire native Brian Emerson Clapp was first exposed to strength training as a means of maximum conditioning and performance. He received Little All American honors in college and coached high school football for many years. After competing as a body builder and enjoying the satisfaction of training for specific events, Brian began to place greater value on the long term, life-enhancing, benefits of fitness.
“Our bodies and life’s circumstances are always changing,†he says. “I’ve witnessed what a huge impact exercise has on all facets of our being – how we look, hold our bodies, what our mood and energy levels are. It’s not rocket science—of course we know that exercise has a positive impact on weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and in preventing many of the common complications of aging like – bone fractures and impaired balance. But working with someone who knows your fitness goals and can customize your workouts—who can motivate and keep you focused--definitely makes a world of difference.†Just ask Brian’s many clients:
Local business owner and mother, Cara Vermeulen, began working with Brian twice a week in preparation for her 40th birthday. The results: “I’ve never felt better,†she reports. “I’ve lost over 15 inches and my body is healthier, more toned, and stronger than it has ever been. Brian is as dedicated to my good health as I am. My workouts constantly change and are challenging in every way possible. I now look forward to every session!â€
Mike Streeter states, “I had gotten to the point where I couldn’t stick with any diet or workout routine at home. The more I failed, the more frustrated I became. When I first went to see Brian he made me feel immediately at ease. He knows when to push and when to back off. He helped me set my goals in stages. I am amazed at the progress I have already made.â€
“My clients really do run the gamut,†says Clapp “from people whose objective it is to get ready for the summer swimsuit season, to those who are recovering from specific injuries or whose primary goal it is to give themselves the best possible advantage over growing older or weaker.†When asked to sum it up in a simple phrase? “That’s easy,†says Clapp, “Live strong! It’s within everyone’s reach.â€
Studio entrance and ample parking located behind the building at 777 Main Street. For more information, call: 528-9286 or e-mail personalbeststudio@gmail.com
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Brian is by far one of the best fitness trainers that I have gone to. Lots of knowledge and patience.
Pittsfield Schools See Better Building Utilization, Continued Choice Outs
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Students return to school in two weeks; Pittsfield will have one less elementary school and around 100 fewer students.
The School Committee was updated on enrollment for the 2026-2027 academic year during last week's regular meeting.
At this time, the Pittsfield Public Schools had 4,586 students, compared to 4,682 at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Superintendent Latifah Phillips said this has been the district's trend for years and is not surprising.
"Across all of these grade levels, we have a decrease. I believe of about 80-90 students. I think it's at eighth grade that we're going to look into and make sure that our data is accurate," she said to the School Committee last week.
"But otherwise, the enrollment is following the trends that we have expected in probably the last decade."
With this school year comes the closure of Morningside Community School and the middle school restructuring that sends Grades 5-6 to Herberg Middle School and Grades 7-8 to Reid Middle School.
Fifth grade enrollment was subtracted from last year's elementary enrollment, and these reflect the reassignment of Morningside students to Allendale, Capeless, Egremont, and Williams.
Phillips pointed out that this process has increased the use of school buildings, as underutilized buildings were one of the concerns that led to institutional changes.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
