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Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll takes a selfie with Coco's Candy owner Elise Contarsy on Thursday during a tour of Great Barrington's small-business community.
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Craig Bero, left, owner of Pleasant and Main Cafe and General Store, tells state officials the story of how he came to the Berkshires.
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A group picture at the eclectic organic restaurant.
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Driscoll speaks with with Rob Brannock of Rob's Records.
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Robbie Robles of Robbie's Community Market with Driscoll and Leigh.

Lt. Governor Driscoll Visits Great Barrington Businesses

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Housing Secretary Ed Augustus and state Rep. Leigh Davis are ready to chop wood out back of Pleasant and Main. 

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll did some holiday shopping on Main Street last week after announcing millions of federal Community Development Block Grant funds

She was glad to see an array of small-business owners thriving, and the eclectic items that Great Barrington has to offer. 

"We know that the vibrancy of communities can often be defined by what's happening on Main Street," she said. 

"It's great to be here in Great Barrington and see so many independent entrepreneurs who are running really, not only fun, but businesses that are doing well, and we want to try and find ways to uplift and support that work moving forward." 

State Rep. Leigh Davis coordinated a business tour with Pleasant and Main Cafe and General Store, Robbie's Community Market, and Butternut Ski Mountain. While downtown, Driscoll also stopped at Coco's Candy and Rob's Records and Audio. 

Earlier that day, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $33.5 million in federal CDBG funds at the Housatonic Community Center. Great Barrington, in conjunction with Egremont and Stockbridge, has been allocated $ 1.25 million to rehabilitate approximately 14 housing units.  A new Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Community designation for its Housing Choice Initiative was also launched. 

Davis emphasized the significance of the state announcing these dollars in the small village of Housatonic.  


Craig Bero, founder of Pleasant and Main, prepared desserts and hors d'oeuvres for the group at his cozy cafe across the street from the Housatonic Community Center. Bero opened more than a decade ago after migrating from New York City, and Pleasant and Main offers sustainable, organic meals for an affordable price while enjoying the museum of antiques that is the restaurant. 

He would come to the Berkshires to get wood and produce, and eventually, wanted to do something on a more human level and work with the local community. 

"There's never been a delivery truck that's pulled up here. We harvest, we grow our own food. I'm out every morning foraging our mushrooms, our berries, 90 percent of what we do is sustainable and organic, and we just tied it into the community where we started a community supper where, for 15-20 bucks, you come in, you get soup, salad, choice of three main courses, meat, fish or fowl, nice, organic vegetables," Bero said, explaining that this model calls back to his upbringing on a farm in northern Wisconsin. 

Massachusetts needs more than 200,000 additional housing units to meet demand, and housing is expensive to build. Driscoll said communities are stronger when younger and older adults can afford to stay there. 

"That's for us a key goal right now," she said. 

"So many people, young adults, in particular, are migrating out of the state because they can't find the housing they need or housing that's affordable, and so building more housing, we think, can really help ensure we keep people here. We allow people to age in place and continue to support strong community vibrancy and a high quality of life." 

Shopping local supports the individuals who give to Little League, give teenagers their first jobs, and who lean in when there is a need in the community, the lieutenant governor pointed out, "So having the housing we need to support the local talent and keep people here, it becomes a perpetual cycle, supporting the local economy, supporting jobs, and creating that vibrancy." 

She recognized that it is difficult being a small business owner, and said Great Barrington is working hard to drive a strong local economy that then supports a vibrant commonwealth. 

Correction: The identification for Coco's Candy store and its owner was incorrect in the initial version of this article. Elise Contarsy purchased the former Robin's Candy in June. iBerkshires regrets the error. 


Tags: driscoll,   small business,   state officials,   

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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

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