Berkshire County Arc Announces New Senior Employment Manager

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire County Arc has named Kyle Harvey as senior employment manager of Employment Services.

She will oversee the three employment managers, as well as her own caseload of some 35 individuals employed around the Berkshire County region.

"Kyle has a keen sense for matching the people we serve with appropriate employment situations, and growing the relationships," said Kenneth W. Singer, BCArc's president and CEO. "Today we have more than 130 employers who have hired our individuals, and Kyle deserves a lot of credit for identifying and nurturing new partners."


Kyle started at BCArc in 1984, where she worked as a residential director of homes serving individuals with developmental disabilities. At that time BCArc had no more than 15 homes; today it has more than 40. She left BCArc after 12 years to work at her own business as a costume designer for theater companies. After six years she returned to BCArc. Upon her return to BCArc, several of the individuals in her homes were employed, which engaged her in the employment services process, an area of work she found to enjoy. When the opportunity arose, she made the shift to Employment Services (at the time the unit was called Advantage Employment Network).

Today, her work includes overseeing the employment trainers, employment specialists and managers. This includes knowing the employers in the community, understanding the projects and tasks, working directly with area schools for a school-to-work initiative, processing payrolls and troubleshooting any problems with the jobsites.

Kyle is part of a six-generation lineage. The family’s original settlement is marked by the current Harvey Mountain, in Austerlitz, N.Y.

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Toy Library Installed at Onota Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Feel free to use or leave a toy at Onota Lake's newest infrastructure meant to foster community and benefit kids.

Burbank Park now has a toy library thanks to Wahconah Regional High School senior Alexandra Bills. Located along the wall at the beach area, the green and blue structure features two shelves with sand toys that can be used to enhance children's visits.

The Parks Commission supported Bills' proposal in February as part of her National Honors Society individual service project and it was installed this month. Measuring about 4 feet wide and 5.8 feet tall, it was built by the student and her father with donated materials from a local lumber company.

Friends and family members provided toys to fill the library such as pails, shovels, Frisbees, and trucks.

"I wanted to create a toy library like the other examples in Berkshire County from the sled library to the book libraries," she told the commission in February.

"But I wanted to make it toys for Onota Lake because a lot of kids forget their toys or some kids can't afford toys."

Bills lives nearby and will check on the library weekly — if not daily — to ensure the operation is running smoothly.  A sign reading "Borrow-Play-Return" asks community members to clean up after themselves after using the toys.

It was built to accommodate children's heights and will be stored during the winter season.

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