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The country store's new space offers an ice cream bar and indoor seating as well as a commercial kitchen for more food offerings.
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The store opened in 2020 as a space for local businesses to sell their wares. It has many different home items and food.
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Lanesborough Local Country Store Expanding

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass.— The Lanesborough Local Country Store is expanding into the space next door with plans to open at the beginning of August.

It's currently located at 20 Williamstown Road. However, when Berkshire Mantiques closed, the space on the other side of the complex became available. Owner Ana Bradbury took it as an opportunity for growth and started working on it in the fall. 

The store opened in 2020 to help give a space for local businesses to sell their wares. It has local and regionally produced items and gifts, wines, bakery, deli, ice cream and groceries. .

"We're really excited and grateful to have this opportunity," Bradbury said.

The business has received so much support from their loyal customers to their landlords, she said. "Our mission was to be a hub for local small businesses." 

With the end of the pandemic, came the openings of little kitchen businesses, handmade goods, and other sellers, she said. 

"We wanted to give them a place to sell. For us, it was kind of an eye-opener to see all of the existing Berkshire businesses that were around. I felt like there wasn't a lot of places that you could go and find them all together. So that's what we wanted to do," Bradbury said. 

The larger space will allow Bradbury to make her business into something she always wanted.

"This is what we envisioned it being years ago. So we're finally taking that chance."

The new building will be about double the size giving more freezer space, and a seating area, which is something people have been asking for.

"We just found that there's a want right in this particular area for sit-down seating. That's something that we're going to be adding," Bradbury said. 

"All of our customers are always asking if there's a place where they can sit and eat the sandwiches, or they can sit and eat the ice cream." 

The new space will have an ice cream bar with seating for people to enjoy a wide range of flavors including new ones, as well as a full commercial kitchen for more meal options.

In addition to the original deli sandwiches, store will be able to serve burgers and wings. 

Bradbury said there will more bakery items, such as cakes, and the gift shop will be adding more merchandise from across New England.

She also plans to expand on the events the store has been offering and wants to collaborate with nearby Jake's Java coffeeshop. 

She hopes that the larger space will provide a place where community can come together, hang out, enjoy their time.

"It's really gonna bring something to this side of Lanesborough, and give it more options, like a community space to sit down feeding," Bradbury said. 

The store is open daily from 10 to 6.


Tags: Business,   business changes,   

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Pittsfield Council Reviews Public Safety Budget, Keeps SpotShotter

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On the fourth day of budget deliberations, the City Council preliminarily approved public safety and public service budgets. 

See the first two days of budget review here; and the third day here.

Councilors deliberated the Pittsfield Police Department's $16,439,421 spending plan for more than 90 minutes. Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren unsuccessfully motioned to cut $220,000 for ShotSpotter services. 

He said the acoustic gunshot detection technology is not well used throughout the country, citing other communities that have opted out or are exploring it. 

Pittsfield has two more years on its contract; while councilors voted down the budget reduction several were willing to explore the impact data and see if those funds could be used elsewhere. 

Police Chief Marc Maddalena reported that there has been a significant decrease in shots fired calls, and attributed it to the surveillance technology assisting enforcement. He said it also comes in faster than 911 calls. 

"If people know that just by that noise alone that we're responding within seconds, that's preventing them from utilizing that weapon," he said. 

"So that in of itself is saving lives." 

It has an about 20 percent accuracy rate, and police respond to every activation. 

On Sunday, at least two homes in the area of Memorial Drive and Doyle Drive were struck by gunfire and investigators located 17 shell casings on scene. This was brought up during conversation; it was reported that there were 13 impulses on ShotSpotter during the incident. 

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