MountainOne Recognizes Mountaineers with Volunteer Awards

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MountainOne hosted an evening of celebration at the Publick House Historic Inn, bringing together employees (known as Mountaineers) from across Massachusetts for the All-Mountaineer Event on Thursday, Sept. 5. 
 
Mountaineers from the Berkshires, South Shore, and Pioneer Valley gathered to recognize and celebrate the remarkable contributions made over the past year.
 
The event also highlighted MountainOne's recent honor from the Boston Business Journal, which named the company one of Massachusetts' Most Charitable Companies. 
 
To express appreciation for their dedication, MountainOne presented Mountaineer Volunteer Awards to Mountaineers who exemplified exceptional service, leadership, and community spirit. Each award recipient received a certificate and $1,000 to donate to charities of their choice. The selected organizations include Abington Youth Football & Cheer, Chesna Soccer Jamboree, Berkshire Dream Center, and No Paws Left Behind.
 
The award winners include:
 
Erin Galvin, Community Banking Officer – Mountaineer Volunteer Spirit Award
 
The Mountaineer Volunteer Spirit Award recognizes a Mountaineer who embodies the MountainOne spirit through enthusiasm, dedication, and a positive attitude in all volunteer activities and community engagement initiatives. Erin is a standout Mountaineer who exemplifies just that. She is a vibrant representative at numerous Quincy events, including Quincy Pride, the Albanian Festival, and the Quincy Asian Resource events. Additionally, she provides steadfast support at other branch events like the Scituate Parade and Rockland Day. Erin's professionalism, reliability, and pride in representing MountainOne highlights her deep commitment to our community initiatives.
 
Alyson Lesure, Claims Representative & Branch Support Supervisor – Peak Mountaineer Volunteer Award
 
The Peak Mountaineer Volunteer Award recognizes a Mountaineer who consistently supports team efforts and collaborates effectively. Alyson's contributions this year have been outstanding. From her involvement in the MountainOne Steel Rail Races, Steeplecats games, and North Adams Farmers Market, Alyson has been a reliable and impactful force in our volunteer initiatives. Her readiness to contribute wherever needed and her strong commitment to teamwork have significantly enhanced every event she's been part of.
 
Erik Ray, Community Banking Officer – Mountaineer Volunteer of the Year Award
 
The Mountaineer Volunteer of the Year Award honors a Mountaineer with exceptional dedication to volunteerism and community engagement. Erik's commitment extends well beyond community events, including North Adams Pride and Downtown Trick-or-Treat. His active involvement with local nonprofits, such as serving on the board of Child Care of the Berkshires, and the Northern Berkshire United Way, underscores his significant impact on the community. Erik's ability to inspire and motivate his colleagues to participate in MountainOne's initiatives truly embodies the spirit of volunteerism and makes a meaningful difference both within and outside the company.
 
"Congratulations to Erin, Alyson, and Erik for their outstanding contributions," said Robert Fraser, president and CEO of MountainOne. "Their efforts demonstrate the dedication we value at MountainOne. I am also proud of all our Mountaineers for helping us earn recognition from the Boston Business Journal and for collectively contributing over 600 hours of volunteer service. This honor is a testament to the collective commitment of our entire team."

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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.

Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.

We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.

In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.

Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear. 

The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.

"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."

Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.

In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.

The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.

"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.

They are hoping their display carries on the tradition of the Arnold Family Christmas Lights Display that retired in 2022.

The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.

In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.

"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said. 

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