MountainOne Wins Award for Storybook Program

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— MountainOne is the recipient of a Silver Bell Ringer Award, announced during the 57th Annual PR Club Bell Ringer Awards ceremony, held June 3 at the Museum of Science in Boston. 
 
The Bell Ringer Awards recognize public relations and communications work that demonstrates excellence in creative planning and superior execution, stated a press release.
 
MountainOne earned Silver in the Communications Campaigns – Content Marketing category for its Mo's Storybook Program, a multi-faceted initiative promoting financial literacy and personal growth among children. Central to the program is the original 24-page illustrated book, "How to Climb a Mountain," featuring Mo the MountainOne Spokesgoat. The campaign also included strategic marketing, public relations, and community outreach efforts designed to bring Mo's message to life.
 
Over the past year, there have been more than 20 live readings across the Berkshires and South Shore, at schools, libraries, and community centers. To date, more than 2,000 copies of "How to Climb a Mountain" have been distributed, earning praise from educators, parents, and young readers alike.
 
Following the program's initial success, MountainOne recently launched "Something to Save," the second book in the series, continuing its mission to empower kids through storytelling and smart financial habits.
 
"We're incredibly proud to see Mo's Storybook Program recognized with this Silver Bell Award," said Jill Amato, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Community Banking at MountainOne. "What began as a creative way to promote reading and financial literacy has truly grown into something special. These books help spark meaningful conversations with kids about confidence, goal-setting, and smart saving habits."
 
MountainOne extended its gratitude to HATCH The Agency, storybook author Doug Murphy, illustrator Laura Salafia, and PRfirst for their integral roles in bringing Mo's storybook to life.
 
The Bell Ringer Awards ceremony brought together leading PR and marketing professionals from across the region. Founded in 1948, PR Club is one of the nation's oldest nonprofit public relations organizations, committed to advancing excellence in the communications industry.

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Main & Mill: A Vibrant New Restaurant on Main Street

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — You can now enjoy another eatery on Main Street by well-known restaurant siblings Colleen and Sean Taylor.

Their restaurant Main & Mill opened for the first time Tuesday, bringing their vision of creating something vibrant and new to downtown North Adams.

"We have created Main & Mill to be part of our day. It's very seasonal ingredients, thoughtful cooking, beauty, beautiful presentation and dishes. And we really wanted to be part of the community, the downtown area, and start a vibrant area on this end, which has been shuttered for a while," said Colleen.

The building is owned by Ginko on Main Street LLC, which has granted 20 years exclusive possession of the property to Latent Builds as the developer. Jack and Suzy Wadsworth, behind Ginko, are development partners with Karla Rothstein and Salvatore Perry of Latent.

The bank closed in early 2021 and was purchased by Ginko late that year. Plans for the property unveiled three years ago envisioned a restaurant, retail, a park and rooftop bar. 

Colleen saw potential and said she initially wanted the building when it first went up for sale. Being good friends with Rothstein and Perry, she helped them design the kitchen and the bar before learning in March that she could lease it as a restaurant space, something she told them would be a great idea.

She said one of the most important things about the restaurant was the collaboration between Rothstein, Perry, and the Wadsworths, who put a lot of time and energy into the building.

"If Sean and I had done it, we would not be able to do what the collaboration supported. The collaboration of the three of us being able to really have that kind of money to put in down here. The design that the architecture firm that Carla and Sal own is stunning," she said. "The time and effort, everyone came together to do this in a really trusting manner."

The two wanted the restaurant to be an all-day venture, so people could eat at any point throughout the day, all week long.

"We wanted it to be open for coffee and socialization in the morning where people can meet, have their cup of coffee, have a quiche, a vegetarian quiche, or croissant or yogurt. Something intentional with their coffee," she said. "Then move into a lunchtime for the downtown business or anybody, and then go into supper, dinner, with drinks later into the evening. So have it really be open all day long, so that there wasn't a void on any particular day."

They also wanted to do something different than the other restaurants they owned.

"We didn't want to mimic any other restaurant in town. We wanted to bring something that was inspiring, something that had some familiar things that people would see, and other things that we would bring to them for them to experience," she said.

As a woman business owner, Colleen said she wanted to bring a female chef into the kitchen. 

Colleen brought on Chef Anna DeRose, who she said puts twists on a lot of her dishes.

"So we have a creme brulee, but our creme brulee is topped with marshmallow," she said. "Our creme brulee is like almost two desserts in one. It's a s'mores creme brulee. So you could have a s'mores, and you could have a creme brulee - but when you put both of them together, fireworks go off."

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