BCC Honors Scholar Students to Present Free Public Reading

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Three Berkshire Community College (BCC) Honors Scholar Program students who were awarded Melville Fellowships for the spring semester — Rowan Boyer, Mwila Malama and Clarise Seguin — will present a public reading of their works on Wednesday, May 8 at 4:30 pm. 
 
The reading, which is free and open to the public, will be held at BCC in Melville Hall, Room M-212.?Light refreshments will be served. 
 
For those who cannot attend in person, a virtual recording will be accessible on Zoom. To join online, visit
 
The three students were awarded Melville Fellowships by the Berkshire County Historical Society.  They have been busy creating original writings and art while spending time at Herman Melville's Arrowhead, the location where Melville wrote 
Moby Dick, working with Writer-in-Residence Emeritus Jana Laiz. The students are also earning experiential learning honors course credit. 
 
The students' readings represent the progress they have made towards the goals they set in January, as described in their own words. 
 
Rowan Boyer planned to work in creative writing, poetry and visual art. "My initial gut feeling is to write a story about woodland animals set in the land surrounding Arrowhead," Boyer said. "I would also love to experiment with poetry and create illustrations along with my writing." 
 
Mwila Malama planned to research Arrowhead as a non-profit organization, specifically "how it conducts its operations to ensure continuity and relevance
 to the society that it seeks to serve." With a focus on the museum's finances and its impact on the community, Malama will also take part in creative writing, poetry and other activities. 
 
Clarise Seguin planned to write poetry and stories that touch on the life of Herman Melville, as well as writing about the scenery that surrounds the museum, combined with art pieces. "With these goals in mind, I hope to create art and stories that inspire and evoke strong emotions," Seguin said. 

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Lenco Celebrates $5M in Capital Investments

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Executive Vice President Lenny Light says it's not the equipment but the staff that gives Lenco its competitive advantage. 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Lenco Armored Vehicles has embarked on a $5 million capital investment project for faster, better manufacturing. 
 
A ribbon was cut on Monday in front of the company's new Trumpf TruLaser 3080, a machine designed to cut extra-large sheets of metal. This will increase the efficiency of building armored tactical vehicles, such as the BearCat, by about 40 percent. 
 
Executive Vice President Lenny Light recalled the Lenco's beginnings in 1981, when it operated out of 3,000 square feet on Merrill Road with 15 employees.  Today, Lenco has 170,000 square feet of manufacturing space and nearly 150 employees. 
 
"The work that we do here in Pittsfield contributes to millions of dollars being put back into our local economy. We're the largest commercial armored rescue vehicle manufacturer in the United States. We're one of the most respected brands locally. We also now own the largest fiber laser in the United States. It's the only one of its kind in the Northeast," he said, motioning to the massive, modern machinery. 
 
"But the equipment that we have is not our competitive advantage — our welders, our forklifts, our cranes — any company can buy this same exact equipment." 
 
Rather than the equipment, he said, it's the staff who shows up every day with a can-do attitude that gives Lenco its competitive advantage. 
 
Planning for the industrial cutter began 18 months ago, when the company needed to decide if it was the right equipment for the future. Trumpf, named for its founder, is a German-headquartered global manufacturer of high-end metal processing (computer numerical control) machines, including laser technology. The TruLaser 3080 uses a high-intensity laser beam to cut through metals with speed and accuracy.
 
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