NEW MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — Construct Inc., a nonprofit provider of affordable housing and supportive services to residents in 15 towns across the Southern Berkshires, will hold its first Designer Showcase event/exhibition.
Slated for the entire month of June 2024, the Designer Showcase will highlight the work of more than a dozen local and regional designers, as well as landscape architects and visual artists. Each exhibitor has been assigned a space at Cassilis Farm, a 27-acre, Gilded Age estate that Construct, along with the New Marlborough Housing Development Committee, purchased at auction with the intention of renovating and converting it into 11 much-needed affordable housing apartments.
"We have the opportunity to take advantage of Construct having acquired this magnificent estate," said board Secretary Hinda Bodinger, who is also co-chair for the Designer Showcase Committee. "Utilizing such a beautiful space allows us to highlight the talent of the designers, and to share our mission in a unique way with the greater community."
"As we've reached out to interior designers, landscape designers and others with our appeal to help us with the Showcase, the overwhelming response has been 'YES!,'" said co-Chair and board member Laura Jordahl. "Because they, like many businesses, have been directly affected by the shortage of affordable housing. All of us know that working to make Cassilis into a place that 11 families will call home will help to strengthen our community ties."
The Designer Showcase, themed "Nature in the Berkshires," will be a timed, ticketed walkthrough and will be open to visitors through five weekends in June. Additional events surrounding the fundraiser include a New Marlborough community day as well as a special opening night tour and reception at Cassilis Farm.
Berkshire Magazine is the official media sponsor of the Construct Designer Showcase.
Information about the Designer Showcase will be updated here, as well as via Construct's social media handles. Tickets may be purchased online
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Meeting on Potential Purchase of Housatonic Water Works
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The town will set an October outreach meeting to gain residents' feedback on draft findings from an investigation into the feasibility of the town acquiring and operating Housatonic Water Works.
The decision over a town acquisition of HWW would ultimately be made by voters at a town meeting.
The outreach discussion will follow several years of legal and financial study into the town's possible acquisition of the water company, due to water quality issues for many HWW customers. The town hired DPC Engineering from Longmeadow and Harwich Port to evaluate the potential operation and acquisition of HWW.
Town Manager Mark Pruhenski said he also hopes to clarify the role of the town manager and Selectboard in the HWW matter.
"We are responsible for representing customers of Housatonic water in a pending rate case with the state Department of Public Utilities and for investigating the possibilities for a long-term solution to the ownership and operation of the company," said Pruhenski.
The town Board of Health is accepting and forwarding water quality complaints to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
"While the Selectboard is focused on questions of potential future ownership and operation of HWW, we urge town residents to contact the Board of Health and state DEP regarding water quality," said Pruhenski.
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