Biofuels Task Force Plans Hearings in Lenox

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LENOX - The state's new Biofuels Task Force will hold its first public hearing not too many miles away from the site of the planned $50 million Berkshire Biodiesel facility.

The task force will meet at Lenox Memorial High School, 197 East St., on Monday, Jan. 14,from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

The panel was created last fall to examine the use of biofuels and to make recommendations for legislation and regulations on their use and the development for an advanced biofuels industry.

The Legislature is working on a bill to promote the use of alternative energy, the Green Communities Act, and a bill filed last November would mandate the phased-in use of biofuels in heating oil and diesel fuel to reduce the state's carbon emissions and dependence on foreign oil.

Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, was appointed to the task force in early December, just a week after he and Senate President Therese Murray toured what will become the Berkshire Biodiesel facility in Pittsfield. The task force was created through an agreement between Murry, House Speaker Salvatore Dimasi and Gov. Deval Patrick; each appointed three members.

The panel is chaired by Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles.

As part of its work, the task force will develop a strategic framework to accelerate the research, development and deployment of commercially viable biofuels. Existing barriers to advancing biofuel innovation in the commonwealth will also be considered and legislative or administrative solutions to overcome those barriers will be filed by the task force with its final recommendations. The panel will also research the availability of federal grants for the advancement of biofuels.

The panel will accept oral or in written testimony at the hearing. There will be an opportunity to sign up for three-minute presentations at the hearing. Written comments will be accepted both before and after the hearing, but should be submitted no later than Jan. 31.

The next public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17 at the State House, Room A-2, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Two additional hearings are expected to be held in March.

Written testimony may be sent to:

        Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
        100 Cambridge St., Suite 900
        Boston, MA 02114
        Attn: Steven Clarke

Biofuels Task Force will file a report of its findings and recommendations with the governor and with the clerks of the House and Senate on or before March 31, 2008.

Expected to begin construction next year and begin operations in 2009, Berkshire Biodiesel will be the state's largest producer of biodiesel and will boast an output of 50 million gallons of biodiesel per year. Two other biodiesel plants are in the planning stages in Greenfield and Quincy. Officials say the price of biodiesel fuel will become more competitive as these plants come online.

Advanced Biofuels Task Force members:
  • Chairman, Secretary Ian Bowles, Energy and Environmental Affairs
  • Assistant Secretary David Cash, Energy and Environmental Affairs (secretary's designee)
  • Sen. Benjamin B. Downing
  • Bruce Jamerson, CEO, Mascoma
  • David Davenport, Department of Revenue
  • Sen. Pamela Resor, D-Acton, Senate chairman of theJoint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture
  • Sen. Bruce E. Tarr, R-Gloucester, Senate assistant minority leader
  • Rep. Frank Smizik, D-Brookline, House chairman Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture
  • Rep. Brian Dempsey, D-Haverhill, House chairman Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy
  • Rep. Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-North Reading, House minority leader
                     
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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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