BERKSHIRE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Invite you to attend Happy Hour @ Union Bar & Grill, Thursday, June 20, 2002, 5:30 - 7:30 PM Featuring a discussion with Barrington Stage Artistic Director, Julianne Boyd AND Roger & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC @ Barrington Stage Company 8:00 PM. Co sponsored by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Happy Hour is free. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be provided. Theatre tickets are $18 for all Berkshire Young Professionals. Open to all young professionals in Berkshire County. Union Bar & Grill, Main Street, Great Barrington Barrington Stage Company is located at the Consolati Performing Arts Center at Mt. Everett High School in Sheffield. Reservations are required NO LATER THAN June 15th! Call the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce at 413-499-4000 or register online at www.berkshirechamber.com .
THE DIAMOND IS STILL OUT THERE!
At the April 10th Good News Business Salute, Charland Jewelers handed out hundreds of cubic zirconias to the Chamber members in the audience! So far, 190 members have brought their stones in to the store! That's good news for Charland Jewelers.
There is even better news for the remaining 210 Chamber members yet to stop in! YES, THE REAL DIAMOND IS STILL OUT THERE! Don't delay. Find your stone and bring it in…who knows, you might be the lucky winner!
If we find the winner, he or she will be prominently featured in an upcoming edition of Berkshire Business News.
CELEBRATE PITTSFIELD STREET FESTIVAL
Produced by Downtown, Inc. in cooperation with the City of Pittsfield
Saturday, June 29, 2002
10 AM - 4 PM
McKay Street
Downtown Pittsfield
Ride the Giant Carousel sponsored by Berkshire Bank. Listen to David Grover & The Big Bear Band on the Festival Stage. Festival Stage sponsored by KB Toys. Attractions include clowns, pony rides, baby animals, and The Raptor Project Birds of Prey, sponsored by Banknorth Massachusetts where you will come face to face with eagles, snowy owls, and more!
Visit the Food Court for festive libations and enjoy The Jeff King Band in the Beer Garden.
Entertainment Sponsors: Greylock Federal Credit Union and Hillcrest Commons, Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. Media Sponsors: The Berkshire Eagle, Boxcar Media and Live 105.5. Festival Partners: Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America, Legacy Banks, Maxymillian Technologies, Inc., The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, and Richmond Networx. Festival Friends: Bagels Too, Berkshire Family & Individual Resources, Berkshire Opera Company, Berkshire West Athletic Club, Councilor Matt Kerwood, Family & Sports Physical Therapy Plus, Link to Life, New England Security, Pittsfield Municipal Federal Credit Union, Rita & Cal Kane, and Rodhouse Tax Service.
MAYOR'S OFFICE OF TOURISM & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Upcoming Events:
First Friday ~ held the first Friday of each month in North Adams… Eat, drink, shop and enjoy our downtown from 7-10:00 PM. Many businesses will be open extended hours and all those open will offer some kind of giveaways or specials and live entertainment, right on the street!
DON'T MISS the annual Northern Berkshire Food Festival featuring the cuisine of dozens of local restaurants along with cooking demonstrations, microbrewery beer and fine wine tasting, entertainment, prizes and competitions. Bring your family to Main Street North Adams, on the third Sunday in June. The festivities begin at Noon. Call the Mayor's office of Tourism in North Adams for more information.
Windsor Lake Concert Series, Wednesday nights from 7 - 8:30 PM, from June through August. Enjoy the music of some top-flight area bands. Free. Rain dates are Sunday nights from 7-8:30 PM.
Massive fireworks display, sponsored by LaFesta, inc. July 4th, 9:30 PM, North Adams Athletic Complex, State Street. Free to the public.
For more information on these events, call the Mayor's office of Tourism and Cultural Development
at 413 663 9204.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2002 DUST CLOUD AWARD WINNERS
For being such hardworking loyal participants in Downtown Pittsfield's Corporate Clean Up.
BERKSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TEAM Get Creative:
Top 10 Tips for Adding Creativity to Your Work & Life
1. Find Inspiration - nurture your creative spirit!
2. Take small steps - try a new restaurant, take a class, run the next staff meeting, make a suggestion to your boss!
3. Get comfortable with change - suggested read: Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Anderson
4. Implement brainstorming sessions as a way of creating action or generating solutions to a problem - write it all down and think about it!
5. Read business publications, follow your industry, search the web.
6. Clip ideas and articles, or save labels and items that get a response from you. Keep them in a notebook or special box.
7. Practice, make mistakes, accept it, learn, and move on….
8. Find your creative passion outside of work - whether it's music, art, nature, building, restoring, coaching - and make space for it!
9. Keep a basket of toys in your office to liven up meetings, or to use as a stress reliever
10. Remind yourself not to take it all so seriously!
The Chamber wishes to thank Joanna Roche, associate publisher of The Women's Times, for providing these tips for our readers.
GOOD NEWS BUSINESS SALUTE
Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Crowne Plaza Pittsfield ~ Berkshires
7:45 - 9:00 AM
Keynote Speaker:
William R. Wilson, President & CEO, Berkshire Visitors Bureau
Emcee:
John Bresnehan, President, DeVanny Condron Funeral Home
Saluting:
Lee Bank
Pittsfield Generating Company
Performance Automotive
Donovan & O'Connor
Sugar Hill
Special Recognition Of: SUPERKIDS
SPONSORED BY BERKSHIRE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA
Reservations are required and may be made online at www.berkshirechamber.com or by calling or faxing your reservation to the Chamber office today!
Mount Everett Student is Winner of Najimy Award
Megan Marchione, a senior at Mt. Everett Regional School, has won the Norman Najimy Fine Arts Award sponsored by the Education Council of the Chamber. This is the fourth year of this award, named after Norman Jajimy who was instrumental in bringing fine arts into the public schools of Berkshire County. This is the second year in a row, a student from Mt. Everett has one this prestigious award.
Theatre is Megan's first love. She has appeared in the annual Shakespearean productions as well as the annual musical events. In March of this year, she earned the role of Rose in the production of Gypsy. Megan is a member of the National Honor Society (NHS) and received the Wellesley College Book Award last year. As a member of the NHS she gives four hours a week of community service. She is a member of the Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), Yearbook Staff, Peer Mediation, and Peer Leadership groups.
The award, presented at Mt. Everett by Jackie Najimy, Norman's widow, consists of a check in the amount of $500. A plaque with her name, along with the previous three winners, is on display at the Chamber office in Pittsfield. Megan will attend Marymount-Manhattan in the fall and will major in Theatre Education.
The Chamber recruited 143 new members during our annual membership drive.
Congratulations to our Top New Member Recruiters:
Hank Ervin is Vice-President of Commercial Lending with the Pittsfield Cooperative Bank which he joined in 1996. Hank was formerly Vice-President with Bank of Boston and The First Agricultural Bank. He has two children, Alex and Nikki and was recently re-married in November to Christine Regnier of Lenox where he now resides. Hank stated his primary distractions are golf and writing and he was uncertain which one was the greater handicap.
As our top new member recruiter, Hank won two round trip first class air line tickets to Paris and four nights stay at the Marriott, which he plans on visiting in the spring of 2003. He enrolled over 20 new members during the campaign. When asked how he found so many new members he stated, "I"m just lucky to have known so many new and successful business people in the Berkshires who are committed to the economic success of the County."
Michael Ferry currently holds the position of First Vice President and Senior Commercial Loan Officer with Berkshire Bank where he has been employed since March 1987 with all of his tenure in the Commercial Loan Division. He is responsible for the bank's Commercial Lending and Commercial Services groups that provide commercial loan, and cash management services, for Berkshire County and surrounding areas.
Michael's outside interests revolve primarily around his wife and two sons. As the runner up in new member recruitment, Michael signed up 12 new members and won a week's stay in a private condominium in Destin, Florida. He is delighted to have this additional time with his family. His other interests include weekly ice hockey pick up games in North Adams with a group that includes many local professionals.
THE NEWS IN REVUE, the five-time Emmy Award winning musical satire troupe, is kicking off its eighth summer in the Berkshires by issuing a special invitation to members of the Chamber. While the show opens to the public on Saturday, June 29, Chamber members are invited to attend a private performance as guests of the producers, on either Thursday, June 27, or Friday, June 28. The show will begin at 8pm and doors will open at 7:30pm.
This year's brand new 2002 edition is chock-full of songs and sketches skewering politics and current events. It's "Saturday Night Live" meets "Sixty Minutes". This summer the group is proud to be performing at Cranwell Resort in Lenox. Dessert, coffee, and a cash bar will be available.
Tickets for the preview nights are limited to two people from each business. Please RSVP before Friday, June 21st to 1-888-401-NEWS or via e-mail to nholson@newsinrevue.com.
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION THE FEIGENBAUMS AND GENERAL SYSTEMS COMPANY, TOGETHER WITH THE BERKSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCE FORMATION OF SCHOLARSHIP
By Victoria Ross
The Feigenbaums and General Systems Company, Inc., an internationally recognized corporation, with headquarters in Pittsfield, and the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce recently announced a major educational partnership initiative.
This June, the Feigenbaum Scholarship in Engineering and Technology, in the amount of $5,000, will be awarded to a deserving graduating senior in one of the three Pittsfield high schools, Taconic, PHS, or St. Joseph's, who plan to go on to study engineering and technology in the fall of 2002.
The scholarship is offered by the Feigenbaums in conjunction with General Systems Company Incorporated and the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. The Guidance departments at each of the three Pittsfield high schools will recommend two finalists for the scholarship and must submit at least one letter of recommendation on behalf of each student.
Finalists are graduating seniors with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Each is asked to submit an essay summarizing the reasons for pursuing the field of engineering, technology or the related sciences of mathematics, chemistry, or physics at a four-year college. Finalists must also have a demonstrated proficiency in engineering, technology, and/or related sciences.
A committee, made up of members of the Chamber's Education Council, Berkshire County educators and administrators, will interview the six finalists and submit their recommendations to Drs. Armand V. Feigenbaum and Donald S. Feigenbaum.
The scholarship will be awarded in June.
According to Dr. Donald S. Feigenbaum, "Engineering and technology have become a basis for constant improvement in the economy and quality of life here in America, and throughout the world. Berkshire County men and women have long been a center point of engineering and technology and it's growth, and we feel it's time to encourage the continuation of this growth through recognition of young people who will continue this tradition."
"The Chamber is committed to education. We are honored to have this opportunity to work with the Feigenbaums and General Systems Company, Inc., in awarding this scholarship to a deserving, well rounded individual with outstanding leadership skills", said David R. Bissaillon, President & CEO of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber Board Chair, David Kalib, of Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America, said, "It is paramount that we make education a priority among the children of our community. One of the best ways of ensuring this is for us, as business leaders, to provide assistance to children in the public education system. I would like to personally thank the Feigenbaums for establishing this important scholarship."
In 1968, General Systems Company, a global systems engineering leader, was founded by brothers Dr. Donald S. Feigenbaum, executive vice president and one of the acknowledged world leaders in systems management and systems engineering, and Dr. Armand V. Feigenbaum, president and originator of Total Quality Control, the approach to quality and profitability that has
profoundly influenced management strategy for business growth and success in today's intensely competitive markets.
In 1992, Dr. Armand V. Feigenbaum was named to the National Academy of Engineering of the United States, in Washington and serves as the founding Chairman of the Board of the International Academy for Quality. He has served two terms as President of the American Society for Quality and one term as Chairman of its Board of Directors. He was appointed by the Secretary of Commerce in Washington, D.C. to the first Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. In 1992 the Governor of Massachusetts announced establishment of the Armand V. Feigenbaum Massachusetts Quality Award to annually recognize the business organizations displaying the strongest competitive leadership.
Dr. Donald S. Feigenbaum has received the Doctor of Science degree from Union College and has been awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Massachusetts. He was named a Life Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and a Fellow of the American Society For Quality. Among his interests has been the establishment of the Feigenbaum Professorship in Quality at the University of Massachusetts Medical School for improvement in the quality of health care, and Feigenbaum Hall, the Administration Building at Union College. He is involved with many civic activities in Pittsfield.
The Small & Micro Business Committee of The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Presents:
Where Do I Start? Resources for Starting Or Growing Your Business
Wednesday, June 26
8- 9:15 AM
Featured Guest Speakers:
Tom Kelly of Hoosac Bank
Steve Fogel of Berkshire Enterprises
Susan Mongue of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center
Free and Open to the Public.
A light breakfast, underwritten by Boxcar Media, will be provided.
Heritage State Park Shippers Office, Route 8 (between State and Furnace Street) North Adams.
Reservations are required by June 24th. Call the Chamber at 413-499-4000 or register online at www.berkshirechamber.com.
THREE CHEERSAPPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS, RECOGNITIONS & EXPANSIONS
The British edition of Conde Nast Traveler has named The Porches Inn to its annual list of the world's most distinctive new hotels. The magazine's Hot List 2002 recognized 32 properties, on five continents, that exhibit both a singular sense of style that sets them apart from the rest and a commitment to service.
The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute has appointed Tony King to the new position of Deputy Director. King, of Pittsfield, has been Director of operations and finance at the Clark since 1998. In his new position, King will be second-in-command and will oversee the implementation of the Clark's master plan for the expansion and enhancement of its campus.
PROGRAMS, AWARDS, GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS
The full service advertising, marketing communications and public relations firm, Winstanley Associates, walked away from the Albany Ad Club's annual NORI awards ceremony as one of the top-honored agencies in the area. The firm scored six NORI awards in the categories of single billboard design for Colt Insurance Agency; logo design for the Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts; corporate identity package for Winstanley Associates; non-profit campaign for Simon's Rock College of Bard; non-profit brochure for Simons Rock; and trade show booth for Mead Specialty Paper. In addition the agency dominated the Western Mass Ad Club's annual awards ceremony by taking home a total of 15 awards including but not limited to: the Charles A. Stein Excellence in Design Award for Spalding Sports Worldwide; and the Member's Choice Award for "Get A Head" promotion for Winstanley Associates.
ARTS & CULTURE
Recently, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival won two awards from the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT). In the category of Performing Arts, the Pillow won for "Best Tourism Creative Executions",, and they won in the "Best of the Web Category" for their website www.jacobspillow.org. The awards are particularly well timed as Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival celebrates their 70th Anniversary Season..
Inspired by the interactive artwork of Camille Utterback now on display in Kidspace at MASS MoCA, the Prospect Foundation and Kidspace joined forces to create a week-long workshop for students ages 12-16 entitled Interactive Letterforms & Words. The workshop will take place in the Kidspace Gallery and C4 Computer Lab at MASS MoCA from Monday, July 8, through Friday, July 12, from 9 a.m. - noon every day. Tuition is $60.
To help celebrate The Vienna Project, lectures, concerts, films, an authentic Viennese biergarten, and an outdoor family festival are among the public programs to be offered at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute this summer in connection with the exhibition Gustav Klimt Landscapes. The exhibition, the first devoted to the landscapes of Viennese Symbolist Gustav Klimt, will be on view June 16 through September 2, and will be accompanied by three focused exhibitions about Vienna in the 18th and 19th centuries. Throughout the exhibitions, the Clark galleries will be open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults (members, students, and children free) and includes all special exhibitions and permanent collection galleries. Advance reservations are not required. For
more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
H.R.A.B.C. is sponsoring its 1st Annual Vendor Showcase on Thursday, June 13, 2002, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, in the Crowne Plaza Ballroom in Pittsfield. A wide spectrum of businesses and consultants will exhibit their products and services to the Human Resource and business community. Admission is free and open to the public. Table rentals are available on a limited basis. For further information, contact Debra Blatt at 413-443-4771, e-mail dblatt@cainhibbard.com or Aimee Battaglini at 413-445-0252, e-mail hr@berkshiregas.com.
Celebrate Teaching and Learning in The Berkshires: Best Practices, Educational Standards, Community Collaborations, A Professional Development Day for Berkshire County Educators. Sponsored By: The Berkshire Educational Collaborative in cooperation with Berkshire Community College, Berkshire County Superintendent's Association, Berkshire Hills Regional School District, Berkshire Tech Prep Consortium, Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, Cultural Educator's Organization, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams Public Schools, and the Pittsfield Public Schools Friday, October 18, 2002 7:30 AM - 3: 30 PM Taconic High School, Pittsfield * Monument Mountain Regional High School, Great Barrington * Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams. For information on how to participate, please contact Joanna Ezinga, 413-499-4660, extension 478, or email at jezinga@berkshirecc.edu before July 1, 2002.
UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTSWednesday, June 5 ~ What Every Startup Business Should Know ~ Co- sponsored by: the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center. This workshop, developed for those who wish to start their own businesses, will provide an overview of state and federal filing requirements. 9:00 - 11:00 AM ~ Cost: $25 ~ Please call Sue Mongue at 413-499-0933 for reservations. Please make checks payable to MSBDC. Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, 75 North Street, Suite 360, Pittsfield.
Thursday June 6 ~ Berkshire Regional Skills Summit ~ Sponsored by: Representative Peter Larkin and The Mass Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC). Project of MassINC's New Skills For a New Economy Awareness & Action Campaign. CO-SPONSORED BY: Berkshire County Regional Employment Board; Pittsfield Economic Development Authority; Berkshire Chamber of Commerce; Berkshire Community College; Senator Andrea Nuciforo; Representative Dan Bosley; Representative Shaun Kelly; Representative Chris Hodgkins; and Mayor Sara Hathaway. From 9:00 AM to 12:45 PM ~ Berkshire Community College, West Street, Pittsfield. BRING A BROWN BAG LUNCH. Call the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board @ 413-442-7177 or e-mail jschneider@massinc.org for reservations.
Wednesday June 12 ~ Good News Business Salute. Sponsored by: Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America. Master of Ceremonies, John Bresnahan of Devanny-Condron Funeral Home. Keynote Speaker, Bill Wilson of the Berkshire Visitors Bureau. Salutees: Donovan & O'Connor, Lee Bank, Performance Automotive, Pittsfield Generating Company,and Sugar Hill, A Senior Living Community. Special recognition of Superkids. 7:45 - 9:00 AM followed by New Member Orientation at 9:15 AM$15 for Chamber Members, $23 for nonmembers - includes Buffet Breakfast ~ The Crowne Plaza Hotel - Pittsfield. Reservations are required.
Wednesday, June 12 ~ Chamber Nite @ Steeples Restaurant followed by a Steeplecats Baseball Game ~ 5:00 - 7:00 PM Chamber Nite @ Steeples followed from 7:00 - 10:00 PM by a Steeplecats Baseball Game. Free to Chamber members and their employees. CHAMBER NITE IS FOR ADULTS ONLY. FAMILIES ARE WELCOME AFTER THE GAME. Steeples Restaurant at Holiday Inn Berkshires, downtown North Adams and Joe Wolfe Field in North Adams. Reservations are required for Chamber Nite. Watch your mail for game tickets.
Wednesday, June 19 ~ Open House at Williamstown Savings Bank ~ 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Free to Berkshire Chamber of Commerce members and the entire Berkshire Business Community - Complimentary refreshments will be served. Williamstown Savings Bank, Main Street, Williamstown. Reservations are required.
Thursday, June 20 ~ BYP Happy Hour @ Union Bar & Grill & Cultural Event @ Barrington Stage Company ~ 5:30 - 7:30 PM Happy Hour at Union Bar & Grill (includes discussion by Barrington Stage Artistic Director, Julianne Boyd) ~ followed by an 8:00 PM performance of Rogers & Hammerstein's South Pacific at Barrington Stage. Happy Hour is free. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be provided. Theatre tickets are $18 for all Berkshire Young Professionals. Open to all young professionals in Berkshire County. Union Bar & Grill, Main Street, Great Barrington ~ Barrington Stage Company and the Consolati Performing Arts Center at Mt. Everett High School, Sheffield. Reservations are required.
Wednesday, June 26 ~ Where Do I Start? Resources for Starting Or Growing Your Business ~ Sponsored by: the Chamber's Small & Micro Business Committee ~ Featured Guest Speakers: Tom Kelly of Hoosac Bank, Steve Fogel of Berkshire Enterprises and Susan Mongue of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center. From 8:00 - 9:15 AM. Free and Open to the Public. Light breakfast underwritten by Boxcar Media. Heritage State Park Shippers Office, Route 8 (between State and Furnace Street) North Adams. Reservations are required.
Open House at Williamstown Savings Bank, Wednesday, June 1, 2002 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Free to Berkshire Chamber of Commerce members and the entire Berkshire Business Community Complimentary refreshments will be served. Williamstown Savings Bank, Main Street, Williamstown. Reservations are required. Please call the Chamber at (413) 499-4000.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTBEST PRACTICES FOR OBTAINING GRANTS
By Heather Putnam
Why are some companies and organizations more successful than others in obtaining training and other types of grants? Some of the best practices for successful grant applications were outlined in a recent workshop sponsored by the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board. They include:
§ Is this a good fit? Take a close look at the grant's mission statement and goals to see if your own employer's mission matches well.
§ Do you have enough time? Applicants spend an average of 40 hours to prepare a Workforce Training Fund general application. Other grants may require even more time, so don't wait until the last minute!
§ Is there management support? A "buy in" from the CEO and management greatly improves your ability to gather information for the grant application and successfully implement a program.
§ Do you have a team in place? Don't try to write the grant by yourself if at all possible. Develop a team that represents the entire company or organization, from front line workers to senior management, including individuals who can best champion the cause and provide the necessary quantitative and qualitative information for the application. A team approach is particularly effective for the Workforce Training Fund and can also be useful in providing feedback for all types of grants, from the initial application through the implementation process to the final evaluation.
§ Do you have a convincing story to tell? When you're competing with others for funds, a well-written story can make the difference. Use a good writer, and assume that the people reading your application do not know anything about your company or organization.
§ Can you talk about what's not working? Give convincing examples to justify why you need the funds. Be realistic and honest.
§ Are you following directions? This is critically important. Using the wrong type size or including too many pages can have a negative impact on your application.
§ Are you starting from scratch? Most grants provide samples of successful grant applications to serve as a guide. Samples can also reveal the more subtle strategies and language usage that makes an application stand out.
§ Are there measurable goals? Nearly all grants look for quantitative measures of success in terms of numbers and percentages. This can include increased sales or profitability, reduced turnover, development of training manuals, and standard operating procedures. For more qualitative areas, such as soft skills training, improving employee morale, or the development of internal coaching programs, a climate survey can provide a numeric measure of success. Another valuable resource to help you articulate realistic outcomes and measures of success is the training or program implementation provider.
The $18 million Workforce Training Fund was established in 1998 and is operated by the Division of Employment & Training. Technical assistance is available at no charge from Johanna Hall, who facilitated the Training Grant workshop and serves as the western Massachusetts regional coordinator for the Commonwealth Corporation's Applicant Assistance Program. Any Massachusetts employer that contributes to the Unemployment Fund is eligible to apply for the three programs outlined below:
§ The General Program provides $2,000 to $250,000 in training grants to employers, employer organizations, labor organizations, and training providers. Companies of any size are eligible to apply. Employers must pledge matching funds, but the funds can be in the form of benefits & wages paid to employees during training, materials, equipment, and other in-kind donations. Applications for these grants are more detailed. The next deadline is July 8. Deadlines are three times per year.
§ The Technical Assistance Program provides up to $25,000 in technical assistance grants to industry associations, labor organizations, community colleges, and regional employment boards to conduct needs assessments and help design training curriculums. Application requirements and deadlines are the same as for the General Program.
§ The Express Program provides up to $15,000 per year to employers with a maximum of 50 employees in Massachusetts, and to labor organizations. It offers an easy-to-complete application, open application period, online database of training providers, and a 21-day turn-around grant decision. Employers must pay at least 50% of the total cost of training with a cash contribution.
For more information regarding the Workforce Training Fund program, contact the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board at 442-7177, visit the Workforce Training Fund website at www.detma.org/workforce, or contact Johanna Hall at 413-259-1870 or jhall@commcorp.org.
Heather Putnam is the Executive Director of the Berkshire Regional Employment Board and provides a monthly column on Workforce Development.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
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.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
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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