Volunteers have been identifying and recording the graves of veterans for Wreaths Across America.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The organizers of the local Wreaths Across America effort knew they'd taken on a big challenge with their goal to place a wreath on the gravestone of every city veteran.
But they didn't know just how big a challenge it would be.
Donna Engels and Donna Whitcomb were planning to raise $25,000 to put wreaths of remembrance on the graves of about 2,500 veterans. But when all the research and plotting was done, the full picture of the city's commitment to national service was revealed.
The full number of graves: 3,218.
Southview Cemetery alone has 2,867 at last count. So, the group's changed tactics to focus on Southview alone but it's still come up about 500 wreaths short.
"We're trying to cover Southview," Whitcomb said. "What we're doing with the other cemeteries, we're going to have a member ... reading slowly the list of names of the veterans because we just don't have enough to do all of the cemeteries."
The plan is to give Hill Side, St. Joseph's and Blackinton cemeteries one large wreath and then read the names of the nearly 400 veterans buried in those three cemeteries. The larger ceremony will take place at the Veterans Memorial on Dec. 15 at noon, the same time as the ceremonies taking place across the nation.
Whitcomb last week had been out trying to raise more funds to cover the final 500 wreaths for Southview. Each wreath sponsorship is $15; for every two purchased, the nonprofit Wreaths Across America provides a third.
"I'm optimistic," she said. "It's pretty amazing and I'm amazed at the generosity of the small businesses down here ... they hand you check of $250, $500, $1,000."
The deadline for donations is Friday, Nov. 30, to allow enough time to place the order for delivery.
A dedicated group of volunteers has plotted all the graves over summer and placed all the markers in Southview in preparation for the wreath laying. Setting the wreaths on Dec. 15 is expected to take two to three hours.
Whitcomb said nearly two dozen teachers and students from McCann Technical School will be helping out. Drury High School students have also done a community service learning project to interview veterans. Their work will be on display in the lobby of MountainOne from 10 to noon on Dec. 15.
"We've got a lot of volunteers pulling out to get this together," she said. However, "anyone's welcome to come to the setting out."
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Myotherapy Practice Opens in North Adams
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
Holistic Myotherapy in Greylock Works offers a calming area for clients to discuss their treatment and problems.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A new mind and body therapist has opened for business in Greylock Works.
Owner of Holistic Myotherapy, Georgette Yannetti, started her muscle therapy practice in her native Brooklyn, N.Y., to help those with spinal problems like herself.
"I started my practice in Brooklyn in 2015 specifically to help teenagers with spinal deformities, scoliosis, because I myself struggle with that since I was an adolescent, I had four spinal surgeries and was disabled," she said.
Yannetti worked as a massage therapist at the Greenwich Hotel and started doing myotherapy as a side project until it took off and she could focus on it full time.
Myotherapy is a deep-tissue massage and stretching treatment that focuses on muscle and joint pain.
"The practice just took off, and it wasn't just for scoliosis," she said. "It branched out to other spinal deformities and just other kind of people suffering with other kind of disabilities, and not even just physical disabilities, but psychological, you know, anxiety, depression, anything that people really needed space to be held for."
She explained her process as building a connection with clients and being able to talk with her about their problems before they get on the table.
"It needs to be more than just like, well, you're gonna get undressed and now I'm gonna touch you for like 60 minutes. To go from I don't know you to now get on the table — you can't, there needs to be more," Yannetti said. "So I provided this seating area and tea and like a little bit of connection. So even though I'm not a psychotherapist, I mean, I am very clear with people, like I'm not your therapist ... but I provide the space for people to also share more about themselves, what's happening."
She said she couldn't find the type of service she is now giving and wanted for herself.
"I basically started my practice, and I was like, when I receive body work, this is what this is the kind of work that I would want because this is what I need when I'm receiving body work because of my trauma, and I can't find that," she said.
Yannetti moved to Berkshire County earlier this year because she had always enjoyed visiting the area, saying this was her preferred vacation spot and even came here for her honeymoon.
"I've been visiting consistently for the past 10 years, specifically to Berkshire County, just because I love it here. It's been a safe space for me. I never wanted to leave," she said. "Every time I came, I was always like, I don't want to leave, and that said something to me. Whenever I had the opportunity to travel, if it wasn't internationally, I was like, I want to go to the Berkshires."
She was looking online one day and found a house, and her husband agreed it was their perfect place. On a whim they decided to buy it and move out here. While she was not initially planning to restart her practice, she decided to do a free class with Greylock Yoga and fell in love with the renovated mill building. She immediately asked about a space for rent and signed the lease in early June.
She held her soft opening on July 1.
She hopes her clients know this is a safe space where she will support them.
"That I'm here to support them in whatever their process is. That this is a safe space. A lot of people release emotionally in here, because the body stores emotion. A lot of people are still learning that."
Check out the events happening in the Berkshires this weekend including a circus, movie nights, parties and more. (Note that the Clarksburg Pickle Fest has now been postponed to Aug. 29.)
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It was the year that Arlene Vachereau, clad in a skirt suit and white gloves, had an interview with attorney Walter J. Donovan. She was immediately hired.
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