Local Woman Finding Sweet Success

By Jen Thomas02:52PM / Sunday, December 02, 2007Print Story | Email Story

Janice Esoldi

NORTH ADAMS â€“ For Got Goodies? owner Janice Esoldi, preparing for the holiday season is a family affair. "Growing up, I was always made homemade crafts and chocolates, gift baskets and stuff, for my sisters. It was just my thing," Esoldi said at her new candy counter inside Moulton's General Store on Main Street. Esoldi decided to open her own small business when she moved to the city earlier this year from Cheshire. A former office staffer at K-M Motors, Esoldi had been selling her delectable treats wholesale to local businesses â€“ including Where'd You Get That? in Williamstown and Sarah's Cheesecake and Cafe in Pittsfield - for more than a year. "I'd been hemming and hawing for awhile that I wanted to go into business for myself so, a week before the Fall Foliage parade, a jumped in," she said. Co-owned by her sister, Catherine Moulton, the landmark Main Street store made the perfect home for Esoldi's line of homemade chocolates. "It's a really good setup for both of us. She gets a spot to be in the public eye and from my end, it's a nice addition for the general store," said Moulton. "And I get to work with my family," Esoldi added. With everything from peanut butter cups and bonbons to chocolate-covered pretzels and gourmet apples, Got Goodies? can satisfy a sweet tooth but the shop is more than just a candy counter. "I keep a wide variety out and a wide variety goes," said Esoldi, who has already baked more than 50 pounds of milk chocolate since she opened. "I like being creative and trying new things." For the holidays, Esoldi is creating one-of-a-kind chocolate platters and gift baskets. By pushing her unique sales pitch, Esoldi hopes she can start a new trend. "Instead of bringing wine to this year's Christmas party, why not bring a chocolate platter instead?" she asked. "Not everyone likes wine." Though she's still making a name for herself, Esoldi said she's not worried about the success of Got Goodies? "I'm more nervous that it's going to get too busy and I won't be able to keep up," she said. Though operating the candy shop is a full-time job, Esoldi said she's excited about the possibility of eventual expansion. "I hope the store will grown and expand. Maybe I'll have my own store," she said. "Right now, though, I'm content right where I am."

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Local Travel Softball Teams Compete in Pittsfield Tournament

iBerkshires.com Sports08:20AM / Sunday, October 18, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Berkshire Force 12-and-under travel softball team went 3-0 Saturday to start play at the Nightmare on the Dirt tournament at the Doyle complex.

In the Force’ first game against the Valley Storm, CC Clark went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI, and Abbigail McLaughlin and Peyton Demary each went 2-for-2 with a double. Emma Wixsom struck out three and scattered five hits in a complete-game, 11-1 win in the circle.

The Force then beat the N.C. Impact, 14-1, behind Ava B., who went 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs. Demary and McKinley Bushika split the pitching duties, combining to strike out seven in the three-inning win.

The Force capped its day with an 8-2 win over Top Level Athletics’ 11U team. Charlotte Kotski went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and a pair of RBIs in a nine-hit attack for Berkshire. Wixsom and Bushika each pitched, allowing just two hits and striking out three.

The Force ended the day seeded first in its division and starts pool play on Sunday at 12:30.

The Berkshire Force and Adams-Cheshire-Savoy Swatt 10U teams also are in action at the tournament. The Swat is seeded fourth after going 1-2 with a 10-9 win over the Force on Saturday.

The Force is seeded fifth heading into pool play, which starts at 12:30 for the 10Us when the Swat and Force meet in a rematch to decide who takes on the tournament’s top seed in the semi-finals.

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