PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Margo Chevers remembers the night she was called to take in her two granddaughters, once almost 10 months, the other 23 months.

She wasn't prepared for the physical and emotional toll or the financial needs. It was, she said, a wake-up call.

"I dropped $50 just to get through the night," Chevers said of the supplies she had to get - diapers, food, pajamas. And there was the "mental calisthenics of how I'm going to get through the day."

Within two years she was facing a major health crisis, and saw

0 Comments
Read More >>

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Dr. Everett Lamm has been named chief medical officer for Community Health Programs. He will also practice pediatrics and adolescent medicine in the CHP Great Barrington office.  

Dr. Lamm is a board-certified pediatrician who has practiced community pediatrics on New Hampshire's Seacoast for 14 years before to relocating to the Berkshires.  He is a strong advocate of primary care medicine, population health and community well-being.

"We are so happy to welcome Dr. Lamm to the CHP organization," said Lia Spiliotes, interim CEO. "His expertise and commitment to healthcare, and to children in particular, will only enhance our

0 Comments
Read More >>

Fall Foliage Festival extravaganza: It's Fall Foliage week, and with that comes lots of news, notes - and pleas for help.

First, the pleas: The North Adams Chamber of Commerce is in need of six cyclists to help power its human powered vehicle for the Oct. 2 parade. Email Phil Sellers at phil@riverhillpottery.com. Remember, the parade kicks off at 1 p.m. from the Ocean City Job Lot parking lot. All of this week's events can be found online.

Now, some news: Before the parade, Greylock Federal’s Fall Classic 5K Road Race will begin at noon at the top of Main Street near the North Adams Public Library and travel west down Main, then south on (Route 8) State Street before

0 Comments
Read More >>

Outlet additions: Popular apparel retailer Guess has opened a factory store at the Lee Premium Outlets, and Toys 'R Us Express and Ten Thousand Villages are open at the center through the fall and holiday shopping seasons.

Guess offers a full range of denim, apparel and accessories for women, men and kids and, with a presence in over 80 countries, is a truly global brand that will appeal to the shoppers from far and wide who visit Lee Premium Outlets. The store is located on Main Street at the center, between Johnston & Murphy and Lindt.

Ten Thousand Villages, open through Dec. 31, showcases handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and sculpture, textiles, serveware and personal

0 Comments
Read More >>

LENOX, Mass. — State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli said despite a slow start to a short session, the Legislature was able to make some progress on big issues.

"It was an interesting session. We have two-year legislative sessions and it was a slow start to the session mainly because of the change in leadership in the Senate and we had a lengthy discord that is still going on about the rules and the joint rules of the Legislature," Pignatelli said. "That slowed our process down a little bit. ...

"But the second year was productive. There were a lot of things we left on the table because it was a short session."

The Lenox Democrat says his focus

0 Comments
Read More >>

0 Comments
Read More >>

ADAMS, Mass. — The rumble of engines echoed through Adams on Sunday morning as more than 1,000 motorcycles queued up at Bowe Field for the 60-mile Fall Run motorcycle ride.

Mike Roberts, owner of Custom City Cycle Shop and co-founder of the annual fundraiser, said although the 35 years marks a milestone for the run, it almost marked the end of Bike Night.

"The biggest issue we had this year was there was no Events Committee in Adams, they disbanded recently," he said. "They helped organize Bike Night and that was a big hit to

1 Comment
Read More >>

Investors have been waiting all year for that elusive interest rate hike promised by our central bank. September proved to be another false start. Once again, markets rallied on the news, the dollar fell, and investors were happy. So what's new?

As we have written so many times in the past, investors and markets are fixated on a Fed rate hike. Now everyone's attention is on December. Janet Yellen, the Fed chieftain, indicated that she could see at least one rate hike this year — if the data warrants it. The problem is the economic numbers are, at best, inconclusive.

Even the central bank, in this last go-around at the FOMC, lowered its forecast for the future, long-term,

0 Comments
Read More >>

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Norman Rockwell Museum welcomed new members to its Board of Trustees and National Council during the museum’s annual meeting held on September 16. 

Robert Babcock, Peter Blum, Terry Burman, Marian Raser, and David Schwartz were elected as new trustees, starting this fall. New members for the National Council are Elizabeth Bender and William Zavarello, Douglas Clark and Ruth Ann McNeese, and Tucker Reed.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome such a talented group of new board and National Council members to Norman Rockwell Museum,” said Board Chairman Robert T. Horvath. “Their diverse talents and networks will help us continue to reach

0 Comments
Read More >>

ADAMS, Mass. — From comic and cartoon characters to paeans to nature, this year's Great Chair Auction offering up some fantastical seating for enjoying — or just viewing.

The annual fundraiser for Youth Center Inc. commenced after an official ribbon cutting Wednesday at the former Simmons Furniture Store on Park Street.

Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco got to clip the ribbon before joining in on the Artists' Walk along Park Street, where many of the items for auction can be seen on display in store windows.

"This is a great event and I look forward to cutting the ribbon every year," Mazzucco

0 Comments
Read More >>

For years, the mantra of Corporate America has been that they are drowning in government rules and regulations. Small business has echoed that refrain, as has Wall Street. The problem is that these same entities continually shoot themselves in the foot.

Over the last two weeks, thanks to Wells Fargo in the banking sector, and Mylan Labs in pharmaceuticals, Corporate America has once again reminded us of that business just can't be trusted. In the case of Wells Fargo, over 2 million fictitious customer accounts were opened over several years in order to meet sales goals.

Critics say Mylan Labs' 500 percent increase (since 2007) in the cost of a device called EpiPen that treats

1 CommentRead More >>

While the average gestation period for human women is nine months (280 days to be specific), it sure seems to take a lot longer in the sweet, cute but oh-so-slow moving "Bridget Jones's Baby."

Folks who just absolutely love this franchise, featuring Renée Zellweger's intrepid single gal, perhaps won't mind the ultra-dawdling exposition, wherein she takes inventory of her unmarried life thus far. As iterated by her properly British, office-seeking Mum, while still (accent on the still) unwed, she has a great job as a TV news producer, and a nice flat. But then there's the truth.

Tsk, tsk. Maybe things will take a turn for the romantically brighter which,

0 Comments
Read More >>

• Most Read

• Most Comments

• All News

• Blogroll