Biz Briefs: Carr Hardware Opens 'Store of the Future'

Carr Paint opens

Carr Hardware, a family-owned Western Massachusetts business for more than 90 years, in conjunction with Benjamin Moore, has opened an all-new paint and decorating showcase store located at 358 Cooley Street, Five Town Plaza, in Springfield. The new store, Carr Paint, is a state-of-the-art "Store of the Future" collaboration with Benjamin Moore and will exclusively carry an expanded line of premium and professional grade Benjamin Moore products.

"We are truly proud to partner with Benjamin Moore and bring to Springfield a paint decorating center like no other in the market today. The store is specifically designed to serve the needs of local municipalities, institutions, contractors, interior designers and homeowners, alike," said Carr Hardware President Bart Raser.

Carr Paint also stocks the full line of fine Graber brand window treatments and offers in-home measuring, consultation and professional installation. Also featured are indoor and outdoor rugs by Kaleen, top quality rugs with fashion-forward designs. For the contractor, property manager, institutional and commercial customer, Carr Paint offers free local job site delivery, very aggressive pricing, convenient early store hours and a dedicated outside sales force.

Carr Paint is an approved supplier to the commonwealth of Massachusetts and Mass Higher Education Consortium (MHEC) through their statewide contracts. Store hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The store's direct phone line is 413-266-8235.

Xtraordinary Day

Berkshire Bank offices will close at noon on Wednesday, June 5, for employees to participate in volunteer projects as part of its Xtraordinary Day of Service. The day highlights the company’s commitment to supporting all of the communities that Berkshire Bank serves.

Berkshire Bank Employees will participate in 36 service projects across six states. In Berkshire County, employees will work with the Outreach Program to package over 100,000 meals, which will be provided to the Food Bank of Western MA and benefit those in need. Volunteers will help with everything from unloading and measuring supplies to weighing and packing meals for shipment.

MountainOne Insurance and Investments open

MountainOne Insurance and Investments has opened its doors at the company's newly renovated and expanded space at 85 Main St. in North Adams, adjacent to the bank's main office and headquarters. The significant investment in downtown North Adams enables MountainOne to bring all its financial service offerings of banking, insurance and investments together.

MountainOne Investment's North Adams team has moved back into the newly renovated space at 85 Main St. after a temporary move to its headquarters at 93 Main St. MountainOne Insurance’s North Adams team has relocated from 26 Union St. to the new 85 Main St. location. MountainOne Insurance’s Employee Benefits division and its partners from OneDigital, formerly located at 795 Main St. in Williamstown, have also relocated to 85 Main St., North Adams. MountainOne’s presence in Williamstown, which includes banking and Investments at 795 Main St., and Insurance and Investments at 296 Main St., remains unchanged.

"With this expansion, we look forward to better serving existing and prospective bank, insurance and investment customers. Having a convenient, one-stop, full-service experience, where our team of banking, insurance and investment professionals can completely and efficiently serve the needs of individual and commercial accounts will be a significant benefit to our customers," said Robert Fraser, MountainOne president and CEO. "Through this major investment in downtown North Adams, we continue our long-term commitment to our community."

WCMA Summer Space

WCMA Summer Space at 76 Spring St. in Williamstown includes an exhibit and shop. It is open while the museum is closed for renovations for the summer.

The Williams College Museum of Art Summer Space gallery and shop is now open at 76 Spring St. in Williamstown. Summer Space will replace the museum’s permanent home in Lawrence Hall while the building closes from June 3 through Sept. 5 to undergo a series of renovations.

Open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 2, and free of charge, Summer Space will be a place for visitors to gather, shop and sip a cold beverage while surrounded by works from the WALLS collection. WALLS, which stands for “Williams Art Loan for Living Spaces,” is a special collection of original artworks that go on loan to Williams students every semester.

WCMA also will continue its popular summer series, Ologies, with programs at different unique locations around the Williams College campus on Thursdays from July 11 through Aug. 15. A reception back at Summer Space will follow each program, which will include topics such as physiology, campanology and etymology. For complete program information, visit the website.

With an emphasis on contemporary design and local makers, the WCMA shop offers art and design-inspired books and zines, home goods, jewelry and gifts for all ages. It features local and international designers including poketo, areaware and Chronicle Press. This summer, a newly debuted selection of beverages by Yes Folk Kombucha, Green Bee sodas and Quivr coffee will be available for visitors to purchase and enjoy in Summer Space.

The main WCMA galleries in Lawrence Hall will reopen Friday, Sept. 6.

Flag collection

For the seventh year in a row, in honor of Flag Day, Big Y is collecting worn, torn, faded, or badly soiled American Flags for proper retirement. Big Y is working with local Boy Scouts, American Legions, VFW’s, and military organizations to properly retire the collected flags. 

Through June 12, all Big Y locations, including Fresh Acres and Table & Vine, will have special receptacles for accepting the worn flags. These flags will be delivered to the local organizations listed above to ensure proper retirement with dignity and respect. Since 2012, Big Y has collected close to 46,000 American flags for proper retirement.

The collecting organizations will hold a special flag retirement ceremony that conforms to the United States Flag Code. "United States Federal Law provides that "fhe flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning." (36 U.S.C. 176(k)) The burning symbolizes purification and rebirth when performed during a ceremony. After a final tribute, a flag is cut in 13 strips that represent the original 13 colonies, and the 50 stars to pay homage to the 50 states. The strips are then respectively placed on a fire. The ashes are then collected and buried after the Pledge of Allegiance is recited and a moment of silence is observed.

Flag Day was established in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. It is celebrated every year on June 14 to observe the adoption of the first national flag in 1777.

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.