EMS: Courage and Compassion in Action: A Chapter Completed

By Shawn GodfreyPrint Story | Email Story
Shawn Godfrey
Today I will put the pen down. Sadly, this is my 42nd and final EMS: Courage and Compassion in Action column after nearly a year or 60,000 words of so-called business wisdom.

It is time.

I'm going to try and live up to a resolution for this upcoming New Year and finally start writing my book. For the past couple of years, each New Year's Eve has had me saying "this will be the year; this will be the year."

Well, with the muse's presence at full strength, this is, no doubt, the year. I can feel it.

Writing this column has been a wonderful journey and I owe many thanks to you — the readers.

I have been told that many people have found the column comprehensive and useful, and it means a lot to me to know that there are people who now truly understand that a career in emergency medical services is more than simply driving an ambulance.

Also, the regular feedback from dozens of you has been wonderful, especially in real times of crisis in my own personal life. It is what kept me motivated from week to week, I can assure you.

My overall goal with the column was to make socially taboo and often daunting topics into something interesting and informative that would cater to both the layperson (many of you) and the dedicated men and women involved in the emergency services vocation, whether it be law enforcement, fire services or emergency medicine.

I must confess, writing the column required a delicate and, yet often, difficult balance in order to achieve an intelligible dichotomy. Based on your responses, I feel I've succeeded.

I want to thank Susan Bush, former iBerkshires.com editor, for offering me encouragement to start the column and help with making my earlier work reader friendly.

I also want to thank my 11-year-old son, Jared, for enduring endless nights of me sitting at the computer and merely nodding yes and no at whatever questions he posed, no matter what the correct answer.

Many thanks to the current iBerkshires.com staff, especially Jen Thomas and Tammy Daniels, for supporting my work and encouraging me to continue writing.

Finally, thanks to you for reading, responding to, and critiquing the column. Truth is you haven't read the final word from me, but for now, as we say in the business, I'm 10-7.

Editor's Note: While we're very sad to see Shawn's column end, we wish him all the best in his latest literary endeavor. We hope he will return, even if only occasionally, to iBerkshires.com in the future.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

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