image description — John Goerlach, second from left, is honored at Monday's Select Board meeting for his 18 years of service on the board in this screenshot from Lanesborough Cable Access Television. With him are Town Administrator Gina Dario, left, Chair Michael Murphy and members Timothy Sorrell and Deborah Maynard, who was elected June 18.

John Goerlach Thanked for 18 Years of Service to Lanesborough

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:46PM / Tuesday, June 25, 2024Print Story | Email Story

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — John Goerlach was presented with his nameplate for the Select Board and thanked for his nearly two decades of service to the town.

Monday's Select Board meeting began with a baton passing of sorts as newly elected Deborah Maynard started her term and town officials marked Goerlach's departure.

He served Lanesborough for 18 years; first elected in 2006, he did not seek re-election this year.

"You've been an influence and a mentor to me as I joined the board and I'll never forget that," Chair Michael Murphy said. "I value the friendship we've developed as well as the professional relationship."

At the annual town meeting earlier this month, voters approved an article that expands the number of Select Board members from three to five. The home-rule petition has to be approved by the Legislature and did not affect this election.

"I'm sorry you're going. When we expand to five members next year, I'd love to welcome you back," Murphy said, and Goerlach joked that he would save the nameplate for that time.

Select Board member Timothy Sorrell, the town's former police chief, has worked with Goerlach in varied capacities.

"John, it's been quite the run you and I have had over these years," he said.

"You've been a great friend, a fantastic servant to the town, and a fantastic leader. It's an honor and privilege to have known you, to be friends with you, and to work with you."

Maynard noted that she is the "newbie" to the board but said Goerlach is a great friend to her brother and has done well.

She outpolled Joseph Trybus 181-87 to fill the vacant seat for a three-year term. The town's finances led her to seek a seat on the Select Board.

"I just think we need to get a handle on our finances and get back to basics really because until something happens with the Berkshire Mall, it's just draining our coffers," she said on election day last week.

"And our budget has just increased to accommodate for the Berkshire Mall revenue and we don't have it anymore."

Town Administrator Gina Dario presented Goerlach with citations from state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III, which noted that Lanesborough is better off because of his contributions.

Murphy was unanimously re-elected as chair for fiscal year 2025 after being nominated by Maynard who thought he did a good job in the role.

In other news, acting as the Licensing Board, the Select Board approved a liquor license change from malt and wine to all-alcohol for the Mobil gas station on Main Street. Owner Manishkumar "Mike" Patel said he wants to sell liquor to improve the business in light of tobacco bans amongst other reasons.

"There is no other thing that I'm going add at this point so we're just trying to do the liquor and see if that's going to work out," he said. "Since beer and wine, we had it for the last four years, and we're doing so good with it."

It was confirmed that the business hasn't had any run-ins with the police concerning alcohol and Murphy noted "That's a good indication right there."

The board also approved a renewed entertainment license for Berkshire Mantiques at a new location on 405 South Main St., the former Skyline Country Club.

"For those who may not be aware, Mantiques is making a move from the former Vacation Village up to the former Skyline Country Club," Murphy explained, adding that the building inspection has been completed.

Owner Joe Prince said he is going to do private events at the antique shop and will host a grand opening for the new location.

"I don't want a bar up there, that's not what I'm going for," he said.

Town Administrator Gina Dario clarified that Berkshire Mantiques is located on a parcel separate from what the town bought for the rejected public safety building proposal. It is the site of the former clubhouse of the skyline property so it is not part of the possible land for a police station, she said.

Tags: license board, recognition event,

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Prospect Meadow Farm Opens New Vocational Barn

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:40AM / Thursday, June 18, 2026

A charcuterie board at the event displays fare from some of the regional producers.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prospect Meadow Farm last week officially opened a new barn to sell plants and other goods it produces.

Prospect Meadow Farm Berkshires is an expansion of ServiceNet's first farm in Hatfield that has provided meaningful agricultural work, fair wages, and personal and professional growth to hundreds of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since opening in 2011.

The Berkshires farm opened on Crane Avenue two years ago and has now introduced a new vocational and unwinding space for the more than 25 farmhands who get paid a minimum wage.

"This is a facility for our folks who work on the farm to learn additional skills and do additional work," said Vice President of Vocational Services Shawn Robinson at the Friday event. "So we have a food packaging space, we've got a walk-in cooler space, we've got a floral design space, we've got a farm store room for staff, lunch room, and then a meditation room that we're standing in now, which is when you're having those hard moments and you need to get away from everything.

"This is going to be a peaceful place you can find and sort of find some comfort, and then hopefully get back to work."

The barn was built by funds from the state Executive Office of Economic Development and the state Department of Agricultural Resources that equated to around $600,000, with ServiceNet contributing around the same amount. The structure took over a year to build.

The state's Department of Developmental Services Commissioner Sarah Peterson spoke on how meaningful this farm and ServiceNet is to her and that this place is important to those who need it.

"Places like this are so crucial because they create opportunities for people living with disabilities that aren't plentiful," she said. "People living with developmental and intellectual disabilities have an unemployment rate over 25 percent five times the rate for people without disabilities, even more jarring is under appointment, which is at 80 percent. That means that four out of every five people with disabilities earn below market rate wages and have limited upward mobility.

"The building itself is really impressive, but what you're really seeing here is the result of vision. It's about opportunity, it's about community, and it's founded in the belief that every person deserves the chance to learn and work and contribute to thrive under the leadership of ServiceNet."

One aspect of the barn will be the market where produce from the farm and other local growers will be sold as well as keeping the tradition of Jodi's Seasonal, which previously occupied the location, alive with plant sales. The market will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"Everything you see in terms of the tomatoes, the fresh produce, that's all done with the hands of our farm hands here, individuals with disabilities who get out every single morning, get in those greenhouses, put their hands in the dirt, and make all of this happen, and this is just the start," said Robinson. "This farm is a little over a year old at this point, but give it another two years, and we hope to be growing enough food to share throughout the Berkshires."

Robinson said the farm is focused on local food security, recently partnering with the Hatfield Council on Aging and planning to work toward making enough food to partner with places in the Berkshires.

He said the barn serves the Hatfield farm and what the employees here needed.

"We've been able to learn the needs of the farm hands who work there and so we have learned that they need a comfortable break space for those times where it's hard to be out in the fields, we've learned that a quiet space for when you're going through something you need to be away from people are key, and then also we have a small farm store in Hatfield, but we've seen increasing interest in retail work from our participants, so we thought it was time for a larger-scale farm store," he said.

Robinson noted that Prospect Meadow Farm has helped the individuals working there feel valued and head.

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