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Bass Water Grill is changing hands this week. The restaurant's been in business for 15 years.

New Owner of Bass Water Grill to Move Realty Company to Cheshire

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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CHESHIRE, Mass. — Lakeside restaurant Bass Water Grill will close its doors on Saturday after 15 years in business. 

The restaurant at 287 South State Road started operation in 2007, replacing the building's former restaurant, the Lakeside. Craig Kahn, owner of All Seasons Realty Group in Pittsfield, is buying the property and plans to move the group's office there and potentially open a cafe.

"I think there's a lot of cool things that we could do with it, too, that will be great for the community," he said this week. "It will be good all around. I think it'll be a really, really nice situation."

Restaurant owner Edward Bassi posted about the change in hands on the restaurant's Facebook last week. 

"After being a part of the welcoming community for the last fifteen years, the one thing we will miss most is our family," the post read. "We thank our staff and community for standing beside us for this crazy ride."

While he said plans are not final, Kahn intends to utilize the kitchen space and wants to make sure he does it right.

"I would like to have some sort of cafe in the front, possibly utilize the back part of the bigger kitchen for some catering or events or things of that nature," he said. "I don't have anything 100 percent set in stone or concrete. Right now, I'm really focused on just getting the office up and running and going."

Kahn said he and his firm have known that the building was for sale for several years. He highlighted the location and the floorplan as significant reasons for the purchase.



"We started thinking about it, and seeing the growth potential, having an open concept office and then working with the town trying to do a cafe possibly in there," he said. "And working with the lake and the trail, it just seemed like an overall good scenario," he said.

iBerkshires unsuccessfully reached out to Bassi several times for comment.

There's been a restaurant at the location for years. Jason Boucher had operated the Lakeside Restaurant for about decade before it changed hands and had overseen a renovation of the kitchen after a fire and added the reception hall in 2002. Bass Water is the last operating sit-down restaurant in Cheshire — Bea's Daily Buzzz closed in 2005, Christina's in 2007, and the Country Charm had closed its doors in 2004 after 33 years.

Tags: business closing,   restaurants,   

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Community Hero of the Month: Christine Hoyt

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Selectwoman Christine Hoyt, in green, came up with the idea of celebrating local business by having a ribbon cuttings with board members present. 
ADAMS, Mass. — Selectmen Chair and 1Berkshire Director of Member Services and Christine Hoyt has been nominated for the April Community Hero of the Month.
 
The Community Hero of the Month series, in partnership with Haddad Auto, recognizes individuals and organizations that have significantly impacted their community. Nominate a community hero here. 
 
Hoyt has been a valuable member of the Berkshire County community since moving to Adams in 2005 from central New York state. 
 
With no friends or family in the area, she became involved with her new community by working with numerous organizations and serving on multiple committees. 
 
She participated in the Berkshire Leadership Program through the then-Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. This started her on the path to working with nonprofit boards, so she started serving with Youth Center Inc. and then ran for election as a town meeting member. She has been on the Board of Selectmen since 2017 and is currently serving her second term as chair. 
 
"[Berkshire County is] a welcoming community. So, when I moved here, I didn't have any friends or family, and I still felt like I was able to connect with people. I was able to get involved in a number of different initiatives," Hoyt said.
 
"So, I've always felt like this community just opens their arms and welcomes everybody into it. I try to do my part to extend those arms and welcome people into the conversation and into various groups and committees."
 
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