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The cafe at 216 Elm St. has reopened under new management.

Elm Street Java House Under New Ownership of 'Billy J'

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Elm Street's coffeehouse is now under new ownership as "Billy J's Elm Street Java House."

Owner William Jones, known as "Billy J," is keeping the same spirit of the cafe alive with some new menu items.

"I bought it on Nov. 1 and was going to leave it as it was because everyone loved what was already there, all the sandwiches, the salads, the breakfast sandwiches, the muffins, the pastries," he said.

"So we'll leave it basically the same as it was, we've got some signature sandwiches on there. Nothing crazy."

The java house had a grand opening earlier this month and has been well received, he said. It offers regular lunch specials such as soup and sandwich deals with clam chowder and a soup of the day to choose from.

Jones describes the menu as having an upscale coffee shop vibe. Aside from the soup and sandwiches, there is an array of coffee drinks that range from a regular cup of joe to an americano or red eye, hot and cold drinks, breakfast, bakery items, and salads.

He said the bread is delivered fresh every day and the meats and cheeses are also fresh.



"It's a good atmosphere," Jones said. "It's a beautiful place."

The goal right now is to get the cafe back on its feet and, in the future, he sees adding fruit bowls and smoothies to the menu. In the new year, Doordash and online delivery will also be available.

Jones, who is originally from Fall River, has been in the Berkshires for about 20 years and also owns a plumbing business. His children's mother is the manager of the java house and was part of his reasoning for purchasing it, as he wanted to provide a career where she could work for herself for better wages.

Angela Borden owned the Elm Street Java House for around seven years after purchasing it from the Juice N' Java franchise. She closed the cafe in the fall before it was purchased by Jones.

Billy J's Elm Street Java House, located at 216 Elm St., is open every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and can be found on Facebook.


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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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