CHAMBER BUSINESS NEWSWilliamstown Chamber of Commerce
Hello Again,
As the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce continues to move economic development concerns to the forefront of their agenda, this month's breakfast will feature John Kemp of bTech and Pat Larkin of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, discussing the recently released report "Technology Companies Thriving in Berkshire County: Economic Analysis. Produced by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute at the initiative of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, research was conducted to help clarify, understand and support Technology Enterprise business, an emerging cluster of economic activity within Berkshire County.
The project was undertaken in support of bTech, an experimental initiative of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. bTech is a regionally based association of business people, focused upon promoting Technology Enterprise and economic growth in Berkshire County. The breakfast will be held May 8, beginning at 7:30 A.M. at the Faculty Club on the Williams College campus. Cost for the event is $12 for members and $15 for non-members. All are welcome and the public is encouraged to attend. For reservations call, 458-9077, mailbox #4.
Christine Ross, Executive Director
Williamstown Chamber of Commerce Temporary E-mail Information
You can contact us at the following e-mail addresses:
christine.ross3@verizon.netwilliamstown.chamber@verizon.net
We will publish our new, permanent e-mail addresses in the next newsletter. Until then, you can reach us utilizing the addresses above!
WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE CHAMBER'S NEW ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT:
Amber Braman has now joined us at the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce as Christine Ross's assistant. For the past 4.5 years, she has worked in the Internet industry in marketing, quality assurance, customer care, inside sales, and the development of a new e-commerce company at Streetmail.com, Inc., Tripod, Inc., and bigredchair.com. Prior to this, she worked in the development, event planning & administrative fields at Bennington College and as a court reporter in North Carolina. Amber lives in North Adams with her husband Scott and two young children. Welcome, Amber!
Upcoming ActivitiesMay 3, Friday, A Conversation with Francis T. "Fay" Vincent and Larry Doby: Baseball Shows the Way: Blacks Come to the Big Leagues, 4:30 PM in Griffin Hall, Room 3 on the Williams College Campus. Come talk about baseball past and present with two men who have contributed considerably to the sport. Fay Vincent served as the eighth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from September 13, 1989 to September 7, 1992. Mr. Doby was the player who broke the color barrier in the American League and only the second African-American (After the National League's Jackie Robinson) to play Major League Ball. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. This program is produced by the Program in Leadership Studies and is free. Parking is available behind Griffin Hall. For more information, call Lisa Carey Moore, Leadership Programs Coordinator, 597-2545.
May 8, Monthly Chamber Meeting: Breakfast at the Faculty Club, 968 Main Street, Williamstown, beginning at 7:30 AM. Speakers: John Kemp of bTech and Pat Larkin of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, discussing the findings from the recent UMass Donohue Institute Report entitled, Technology Enterprise in Berkshire County, Economic Analysis. They will focus on the cause of the growth described, and how we can attempt to sustain and support the emergent tech economy in the Berkshires. They will also discuss what the challenges are; how we can better integrate tech companies into the rest of the local economy, and how we might attract other tech companies to the region, all things that are as important to the Chamber as they are to bTech. Cost for the buffet breakfast is $12 for members $15 for non-members. Call 458-9077, mailbox #4 for reservations.
May 23, Plum Gallery Opening Reception from 5 to 7PM: Visit and view the inaugural show featuring 12 artists, 121 Water Street, Williamstown. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Please let us know if you will attend by calling 458-9077, mailbox #4.
June 12, Monthly Chamber Dinner: Gala Cultural Season Preview at The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Join us for a sneak preview of the Clark Art Institute's newest exhibition -- a highlight of the Berkshire-wide Vienna Project -- with Gallery Talks, a buffet dinner and the summer season preview from seven of our celebrated cultural attractions. We will begin with Gallery Talks of the Clark's Viennese exhibitions at 5:15 PM and 5:45 PM, followed by a buffet dinner and speakers at 6:30 PM. We will also be presenting the 2002 Business Development Awards at this time. Social hour with cash bar begins at 5:30 PM. Cost for members is $25, non-members $30. For reservations, call the Chamber at 458-9077, mailbox #4.
June 19, Williamstown Savings Bank: Steve Crowe, President of Williamstown Savings Bank, the Trustees, Corporators and Staff cordially invite members of the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce to an Open House from 5 to 7 P.M on Wednesday the 19th to celebrate the bank's newly renovated offices at 795 Main Street. Please respond to the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce no later than Monday June 17, by phone (458-9077) or e-mail (williamstown.chamber@verizon.net).
June 20, Business After Hours Networking Event: Sue & Denise invite you to see their new "Barnside" Luxury Suites and "Brookside" & "Pondside" Motels at the 1896 House in Williamstown. From 5 to 7 PM, enjoy wine, beer or soft drinks & mingle with friends. Hors d'oeuvres provided by Colonel Bullock's Tavern. For reservations, please call the Chamber at 458-9077, mailbox #4.
Restaurant - Important Notice
Many lodging facilities keep menus from the local restaurants to give visitors an idea of what is offered for dining in our area. We would like to have your newest menus so that guests can see what you have to offer. To make this as easy as possible, please drop off 15 copies of your menu to the front desk at the Four Acres Motel. The lodging facilities will pick up a "package" of menus from participating restaurants on or around May 5. PLEASE DROP OFF MENUS BEFORE MAY 3rd in order to be included. Many thanks, The Williamstown Lodging Association.
Welcome new members
Atlantic Traders Unlimited, Inc.
Business Focus: Import/Export with Spain specializing in wine and consulting.
Robert P. Ross
917 Main Street
Dalton, MA 01226
(413) 329-1873
atltraders@aol.com
Diane Gottardi Graphic Design
Business Focus: Graphic Design
Diane Gottardi
45 Sabin Drive, #2
Williamstown, MA 01267
(413) 458-9645
dgottardi@earthlink.net
The Resource Planning Group
Business Focus: Management Consulting, assisting growing companies to build their infrastructure.
Jayne Ryan
2231 Hancock Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
(413) 458-5328
rpginc@resourceplanning.com
Northern Consolidated Services, Inc./Gendron Computer Center
Business Focus: Rental and Retail Consumer Products
Dan Gendron
238 Main Street
Williamstown, MA 01267
(413) 458-9171
dangendron@adelphia.net
North County Community Development Corporation
Business Focus: Community and business development and housing
Robert F. Clairmont, Sr.
243 Union Street
North Adams, MA 01247
(413) 664-8500
nccdc@bcn.net
Green River Produce and Stables
Business Focus: Farm and Garden
Patrick Wyman
2480 Green River Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
(413) 458-2470
info@greenriverproduce.comBUSINESS FORUM
Interlink Business Services (IBS), our healthcare administrator for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, is now having opening enrollment for Chamber members until May 15, 2002. This is the time to enroll or make changes to your coverage for existing members. For information, please call our Chamber Relations Specialist, Stephan Ward-Smith at 800-487-4427, ext. 1800.
WilliNet has launched their first newsletter, WilliNotes. Designed by Redspring, a custom communications firm in Saratoga Springs, it gives a one-stop look into the activities currently brewing at WilliNet both in the studio and on the street. Look for the special section on the first annual Friends Campaign currently underway. Help WilliNet continue the community programming we have all grown to depend on.
New Member Profiles
The LiAsia Gallery is a new retail store at 31 Spring Street (former location of The Harrison Gallery). This venture is a collaboration of two partners, Ed Fauteux of Library Antiques and John Meyer of Charlemont who has imported fine antiques from China for over 25 years. The success of selling fine Chinese antiques at Library Antiques, and the availability of the space on
Spring Street prompted the partnership. LiAsia will provide a gallery setting to properly market the furniture and architectural pieces from China and will be managed by Mr. Meyer. Mr. Fauteux will continue to run Library Antiques and expand its gift and furniture collections. Hours of operation are Monday - Saturday: 10 AM to 5:30
Green River Produce and Stables
Green River Produce, located at the Five Corners in South Williamstown has opened for the year. We are featuring three greenhouses, a nursery/garden shoppe, a petting farm, and a friendly, knowledgeable staff to ensure planting success.
Throughout May we are hosting a gardening workshop series beginning May 4th with a window box planting and care session entitled, "Bring Spring to your Window!" On May 11, we will have our annual Apple Blossom Festival complete with a hayride, cider and an apple tree planting and care lecture all set against the beautiful backdrop of our blooming hillside orchard. May 18th we will continue our tree workshop series with a guide to selection, planting and care for the wide variety of trees we are featuring in our nursery. Finally, on June 1st we will have a session on container plants for porches, patios and decks. All workshops are free and we will have materials for sale to bring home to your garden. Beginning in mid-June with our U-pick strawberries, our farm store will be featuring our own farm grown produce. Crops for this year include corn, tomatoes, summer squash, peppers, cucumbers, apples, cider and winter squash. We will round out our offerings with quality produce and products from other local growers as well as fresh cut flowers from local gardeners.
Throughout the summer and fall, Green River Produce will be a fun destination for families to come and enjoy the beauty of the Berkshires. With out petting farm, children can have a chance to enjoy farm life on Green River Produce's stunning acreage while the family enjoys a picnic at one of the many tables up on the hillside. Please come down and visit us!
Patrick Wyman
Farm Store Manager
2480 Green River Road, Williamstown
458-2470
Resource Planning Group
The Resource Planning Group (RPG) is a people services consulting firm. We have two divisions--Corporate Services and Career Strategies. (www.resourceplanning.com)
The Corporate Services group provides top quality, client-centered, process-driven human resource services to small and mid-size companies. Our focus is on building infrastructure to help businesses grow. We provide staffing/recruiting, benefits selection, compensation, on-site employee relations, performance management, training, and retention programs. All of our programs are customized to meet the needs of each of our clients.
The Career Strategies group provides individual job search campaign services and strategies, such as resume and cover letter development, multi-level research and coaching/counseling to executives in transition. We maintain leading edge databases and technology to structure successful marketing and job campaigns.
The Resource Planning Group
2231 Hancock Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
413-458-5328; 914-637-0224
WILLIAMSTOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING
7:30 AM Breakfast Meeting
WEDNESDAY,
MAY 8, 2002
Join us at the
Williams College Faculty Club
968 Main Street
Williamstown, MA
The delicious buffet-style breakfast will include:
Orange Juice and Cranberry Juice
Fresh Cut Fruit Bowl
Scrambled Eggs
Egg Beaters
Lemon French Toast
Vermont Smoked Bacon Strips
Fresh Baked Assorted Muffins
Coffee, Tea, Decaf
Featured Speakers: John Kemp of bTech and Pat Larkin of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, discussing the findings from the recent UMass Donohue Institute Report entitled, Technology Enterprise in Berkshire County, Economic Analysis. They will focus on the cause of the growth described, and how we can attempt to sustain and support the emergent tech economy in the Berkshires. An executive summary of the report is available at the chamber office.
The cost for the breakfast is $12 for members and $15 for non-members. For reservations, please call us at 458-9077, mailbox #4 by Monday, May 6th at noon. Cancellations must be made by Tuesday, May 7th at noon.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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North Adams Double Murder Case Continued to March
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The case of a city man charged with killing his parents was continued to March on Monday.
Darius Hazard, 44, was scheduled for a detention hearing on Monday in Northern Berkshire District Court.
Prior to the start of the court's business, the clerk announced that Hazard's case was continued to Monday, March 2.
Hazard is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson in connection with the Nov. 24 fire that claimed the lives of Donald Hazard, 83, and Venture Hazard, 76.
Police say Hazard confessed to the killings and starting the fire and fled the Francis Street home where he lived with his parents.
Samuel Currence served his country in the Air Force with distinction, professionalism and unparalleled humility from 1962 to 1985, retiring as a technical sergeant. click for more
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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