HooRWA Mushroom Walk

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POWNAL, Vt. — Join Berkshire Mycological Society president & expert mycologist John Wheeler and HooRWA for a streamside excursion to learn about fungi, how to identify them, their tree associates, and habitat on Tuesday, Sept. 2 from 5:00-6:30pm along Broad Brook in Pownal.
 
This program is free and open to the public and funded by a grant from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and sponsorship by Greylock Federal Credit Union. Participants will meet at the Broad Brook Trailhead on the border of Williamstown and Pownal. Directions will be in the confirmation email when registered. 
 
Register at HooRWA.org.
 
A dedicated mushroom enthusiast for 35 years, John Wheeler was self-taught for 10 years. Then he met Jonathan Caldwell who hosted a wild mushroom course at Berkshire Community College South. The next 2 years John and Jonathan split a foray group, taking people on mushroom walks. In 2000, The Berkshire Mycological Society was formed by John, Jonathan, Jim Berlstein and Don Roeder. John assisted Don, who was dean of the science department at Simon’s Rock College, with his mycology courses for 5 years. John has attended many Northeast forays with large groups, i.e. the Northeast Mycological Federation and Connecticut Westchester Mycological Forays. where collections of 400 – 600 species are not uncommon. He leads BMS walks every Sunday morning at 10:00 unless away.
 
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Coggins Auto Group Celebrates Five Years

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
BENNINGTON, Vt. — The family-owned Coggins Auto Group is celebrating five years of operations: Coggins Toyota of Bennington and Coggins Honda of Bennington, and Coggins of the Berkshires in nearby Massachusetts.
 
Mike Coggins purchased three dealerships — Honda, Toyota and Ford — in 2020 with a goal to restore trust and a "true sense of community-minded dealership culture." 
 
"My primary focus from day one was bringing back that connection to the region," Coggins had said back in 2021. "This area values real relationships. They want to know the people they're doing business with. We set out to rebuild that trust."
 
The Ford dealership was sold off in 2023 and Coggins of the Berkshires, with sales and services for used cars, opened the same year in Pittsfield, Mass. 
 
According to Coggins Auto Group, the dealerships had social media ratings of two stars when they were purchased; now all Coggins locations are garnering more than four stars in customer satisfaction reviews. 
 
"We sell cars, and we fix cars, and our goal is just to make our customers happy, and keep our employees happy, and that's what's made this really work these last few years," said General Manager Scott O'Connell.
 
Coggins Auto Group is also involved in events that benefit the community, including its popular annual charity golf tournament that funds local charities and organizations such as the Bennington Little League.
 
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