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Saturday November 21, 2009
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What's Playing


The Drury Drama Team presents "Dracula" on Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 19-21.

If you don't know who these guys are, just stay home.


'Pirate Radio': Good Movie Ahoy, Mateys
Movie schedules and times

Bazaars

Nov. 21

St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.

Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.

First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.

Nov. 28

Becket Federated Church
, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.


Dec. 5

Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.


Dec. 12-13

North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.

Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.

Sales Fliers

 
 

Daily Digest

Hooray for Vermont's Sanders and his battle against credit card companies.
How Much is Heating Oil this Week?
It's breaking $2.50 but still cheaper than gas.
Clarksburg Crime Watch Signs



We're trying out blogs to offer shorter, easy-to-find news. Let us know what you think.
Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute
The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.

iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.

Obituaries

Paul Sandler, 64
Robert J. Heideman, 73
Carol V. Vallieres, 75
More obituaries

Sports

Williams College Men's Basketball Season Outlook
2009 MIAA Girls Soccer - State Division 2

Final: Wahconah vs Cardinal Spellman
Date / Time: 11/21/2009; 3:30pm
Location: Foley Stadium, Worcester
MCLA Picked Last in Men's Preseason Coaches Poll

Media Partners

Berkshire News Network (WNAW;WUPE)
WJJW Charlie in the Morning

Election


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Berkshire Chamber, Visitors Bureau Launch 'Buy Local' Drive

By Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
10:55AM / Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Berkshire County residents will be getting a strong message over the coming weeks: Buy in the Berkshires.

The timely campaign is part of a broader strategy to showcase all the services and businesses in Berkshire County being spearheaded by the Berkshire Visitors Bureau and Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.

The plan has been percolating for awhile but the sinking economy and the holiday season prompted the proactive strike to get people thinking about where they're spending their dollars.

"It's a tough economy and people don't have a lot of disposable income," said chamber President Michael Supranowicz on Tuesday. "It's important that we try to keep as much disposable income in our local economy as well so we can to preserve the jobs we have."

It may be the holidays, but Visitors Bureau Vice President Ray Smith said the campaign's focus wasn't just on shopping and merchants, but rather the broad spectrum of services the Berkshires has to offer.

Whether someone is buying a car or office supplies or trying to find an accountant or lawyer or going to a mall, the idea is to keep them looking within — not without — the Berkshires.

"There's so many great businesses here," said Smith. "It's a just a reminder message in these tough economic times for residents to look at all the businesses in the region."

Local media partners are providing advertising space to drive residents to the two organizations' member directories. Boxcar Media, iBerkshire's parent company, built the Web page. Other chambers will also be approached about joining the campaign, said Supranowicz.

The Web page offers up six reasons for buying local, including investing in the community, creating jobs and helping the environment, along with links to both the chamber and bureau directories.

"There's such a trickle-down effect," said Smith. "It's helping to secure jobs, helping to sustain the future for the Berkshires."

Collaboration between Berkshire business, nonprofits, educators and communities has been going on for a long time, and was the theme of sorts of the recent annual meeting of the Visitors Bureau.

Keeping the Berkshire economy chugging along in bad times as well as good is the impetus for "Buy in the Berkshires," said Supranowicz, as the groups build the bigger campaign for next year.

"It's a spiral effect: people get laid off and have less money to spend, which means more people get laid off and have less to spend," he said. "We have to what we can to keep jobs here."
Your Comments
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i agree with buying local...but should not local businesses buy local as well...seems to me that some local businesses want their cake and eat it as well
from: local distributoron: 12-03-2008



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