R.K. Miles Announces Snowmobile Sweepstakes Winner

WEST HATFIELD, Mass. – R.K. Miles Friday announced that Northampton, Mass., area contractor Kevin Netto is the Grand Prize winner of a brand new Makita 100-year anniversary edition Ski-Doo.

Netto's name was randomly selected on Feb. 8 from all eligible entries received during the Makita 100 Years of Innovation Sweepstakes promotion that ran from Nov. 1, 2015, through Jan. 30.

"We were very excited to learn that one of our regular customers from our West Hatfield store won," said Steve Aubin, the general manager of R.K. Miles' West Hatfield store. "We were very pleased with the buzz the snowmobile created while it was on display in our store -- it brought in a great deal of foot traffic and helped build awareness for the Makita brand and its history of creating quality, long-lasting tools."

In celebration of Makita's 100 years of Innovation, R.K. Miles invited customers to enter in person at any of its four locations for a chance to win One Grand Prize 2015 Makita 100-Year Anniversary Edition Ski-Doo MXZ Sport 600 Carb Snowmobile valued at $7,299. Entrants also were eligible to win one of four second-place prizes: the Makita 18V LXT XT275M Brushless 2 PC. Combo Kit (one per store location), valued at $399.99 each, and one of four $250 Makita gift certificates good toward any in-stock Makita tools and accessories (one per store location).

Second- and third-place prize winners were: Tristan Frieri and D. Scott Dupee from the Williamstown store, Wayne Sturtevant and Westley DeVries from the Middlebury, Vt., store, Scott Roth and Dave Omasta from the West Hatfield store, and Ron Prouty and Eric Perry from the Manchester, Vt., store. 

R.K. Miles is a third-generation family business founded in Manchester, Vt., in 1940. The company supplies lumber, building materials and home goods to communities in southern Vermont and Western Massachusetts. In 2005, R.K. Miles expanded its operations to Middlebury and Williamstown, and in 2008, the company acquired the former Rugg Building Supply, which has become their newest location on West Street in West Hatfield.  

New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:26AM / Saturday, December 27, 2025

Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction. 

 

Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.

 

Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.

 

"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."

 

The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.

 

"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.

 

She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.