Biz Briefs: Balance Rock Investment Group Celebrates 20 Years With Move

Happy anniversary

Balance Rock Investment Group closed out 2018 with after celebrating the firm's 20th anniversary and move to its new office space on South Street in Pittsfield. Formerly known as Colt Investment Services, Balance Rock Investment Group was founded by David Milligan in 1998. Specializing in developing retirement income strategies built on the best interests of each client and designed to promote clarity across all chapters of life, the firm’s personalized approach has attributed to its 20 years of growth and success.

In early 2011, in conjunction with its rebranding, Balance Rock Investment Group moved to new offices on Elm Street. Since that time, the firm's client base and assets under management have nearly doubled, as its focus on asset management and retirement income planning proved to be greatly needed in this marketplace. To support this growth, Balance Rock purchased the White Horse Inn, located at 378 South Street in Pittsfield, in the spring of 2018, and set forth to both preserve and transform the beautiful historic building into a welcoming space better suited to meet the growing needs of clients and employees. Renovations and improvements were finished and the entire staffed moved in in late July.

"This is an exciting time for Balance Rock Investment Group," Milligan said. "This anniversary and move are both a testament to the trust that our clients have placed in us, and to the strong future that we will have together."

Bank fundraising

The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank collected $16,200 during fundraising efforts for its 2017-18 Berkshire United Way Campaign. Soon after all employee contributions had been tabulated, the bank's board of directors announced that it would match the staff's donation, thus bringing the campaign's total to $32,400.

"The bank's commitment to the Berkshires spans 130 years and we are proud of the significant impact that we continue to have on the community.  And, the fact that we maintain a relatively small staff makes the amount raised all that more impressive," said J. Jay Anderson, president and CEO of the Pittsfield Co-op. "One-hundred percent of our workforce made a financial contribution in support of the campaign helping achieve the Pinnacle Award Criteria for workplace campaign excellence. This level of participation says a lot about the people who work here, especially Janice Acklin and Vicky Kolodziej – the employee coordinators this year."

Kristine Hazzard, president and CEO of Berkshire United Way, expressed her gratitude to the bank for its donation. "“In addition to funding local programs, we also do the research to ensure donors'  contributions are invested where they are needed most, and build community partnerships to promote pathways for individuals and families to thrive."

Bank scholarships

Berkshire Bank's 2019 NeXt Gen Scholars scholarship awards program offers individuals planning to attend a two or four-year college or technical school in the fall of 2019 the opportunity to receive one of 40 scholarships. A total of $100,000 in scholarship money will be awarded by the Berkshire Bank Foundation to those who live or attend school where Berkshire Bank has a presence in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
 
The NeXt Gen Scholar recipients will embody academic excellence while sharing Berkshire Bank's commitment to community service and volunteerism. Applications will be evaluated based on the individual's record of volunteer service, academic success, and financial need. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of a 3.0 and a household income under $100,000 (or individual income of $50,000) to be eligible to apply. Each NeXt Gen Scholar will receive $2,500 in funding to support their education efforts. A team of more than 200 Berkshire Bank employee volunteers will review the applications and select the 2019 recipients. To be considered, all applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31.

Greylock statement

As part of its mission, Greylock Federal Credit Union pledges to partner with its members and lead with compassion and creativity. That is what has driven CEO John Bissell to initiate solutions to help local members who have been impacted by the partial shutdown of the federal government.

Donor research workshop

The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is offering a workshop titled "The Value of Donor Research" on Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge.  The fee is $25 for NPC members and $35 for non-members. Register online or call 413-645-3151.

If you have ever wondered whether you are asking a potential donor for the right amount or if a donor can give more than what he or she has given in the past, you will learn how to get a more complete picture of a donor in this workshop which covers both free, do-it-yourself web-based research and the use of paid "wealth screening" databases. Participants will discover how the components of such research fit into the formulation of a wealth capacity rating and overall prospect profile.

Ten research components will be explored, including real estate valuation, charitable donations, political donations, earnings and more. Samples of free Web and fee-based products will be demonstrated and the pros and cons of each will be examined. Presenter Roger Magnus and provide a list of free and subscription resources and show how they work together. Magnus operates a research consulting firm that helps nonprofits locate donors and foundation funding.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.