Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Presents October Businesses in the Spotlight| 12:32PM / Friday, October 02, 2020 | |
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October Members in the Spotlight
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Our Mission - At the Thornewood Inn, the Thorne family provides a serene getaway for visitors in an exceptional turn-of-the-century Dutch Colonial Inn in the heart of the beautiful Berkshire Hills.
Our Background - The Thornewood Inn was originally a Dutch Colonial home constructed in 1919. Over the years, the home fell into disrepair until it was purchased by David and Terry Thorne in 1983. Terry had a background in decorating, and David's background was in music and performance. The inn gave them the opportunity to combine their talents.
Thornewood opened in the spring of 1984 with a modest four guest rooms. After a few years, nine more guest rooms and a full-service restaurant were added, with a beautiful dining space for weddings and private events. Up until the pandemic, the Tavern offered tapas and beverages, including a full bar, along with entertainment by David and guest artists.
Our Blueprint for Success - During the current epidemic, the Thornes have made adjustments for guests' safety and comfort. New procedures include "contactless" check-in; providing towels and amenities instead of housekeeping during a stay; and sanitizing all common surfaces, remotes, handles, etc. Coffee and teas are self-service along with individualized light breakfast offerings, and beverages from the Tavern are available although the Tavern is closed for the time being.
Contact Information - Thornewood Inn
453 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
Phone: (413) 528-3828 | Website: thornewoodinn.com
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Our Mission - Defining what it means for you to live engulfed in a world of quality, history and craftsmanship. Bringing you the classic, traditional, refined English formal antiques that find a home in my shop and will ultimately make your life more enjoyable! I love my travels abroad, seeking to fill my shop with the very finest treasures. The good looks and excellent proportions of these stylish antiques will add to the beauty of your home and lifestyle!
Our Background - My mother, an interior designer in New York, helped me develop an early interest in antiques. About forty years ago, I realized that beautiful antiques make my heart race! My passion for English and Continental antiques led me away from my career creating sets for commercial film advertising, and I opened a shop in Sheffield specializing in antique 18th and 19th century furniture. The Georgian and Regency periods are my favorites, along with antique ceramics and accessories. There has to be a unique quality that would elevate the piece from the very nice to the exceptional.
Our Blueprint for Success - On one hand, closing for weeks during the pandemic eliminated my shop activity just when visitors usually start arriving here in the Berkshires. On the other hand, online shopping ultimately saved me from the worst of the impact. My website got new visitors looking to add some joy to their homes while cooped up inside. Now, though people have been visiting again, it is nothing like a normal summer. Keeping up with my Google, Instagram and Facebook presence seems to help attract vacationers to the shop.
I am finding that people are very cooperative about the guidelines of mask wearing and social distancing, which I really appreciate. I follow the government's guidelines on cleaning after visitors leave. Challenges are bound to continue, but I am optimistic because I have operated this shop for over forty years. My reputation as a quality dealer in English antiques will survive and shopping and home decorating will never go out of style!
Contact Information - Susan Silver Antiques
755 North Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257
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Our Mission - Spirit Ballooning LLC is a locally owned and operated hot air balloon adventure company based in Northwestern Connecticut. We fly in and around the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Connecticut's Litchfield Hills, and New York's Hudson Valley.
Our Background - In the winter of 1986 Laurie and Darrel Long went on their first hot air balloon ride with Jim Chubbuck in Middletown, CT. Enamored with the experience, they became balloonists themselves. Darrel constructed his first hot air balloon, "Spirit," in 1994 as a winter project and shared his creation with family and friends. The two also constructed a 4-person chase crew, with each of the children growing up around hot air balloons.
Spirit Ballooning emerged in 2009 as a way to share the family's balloon experience with as many people as possible. Guests fly over our scenic hometown between the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut and the Berkshires. Owner and chief pilot Darrel Long has been a licensed pilot for over 30 years and is experienced in hot air balloon, glider, and fixed-wing aircraft. He is an FAA certified commercial pilot and instructor and a member of the Balloon Federation of America, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Connecticut Lighter Than Air Society.
Our Blueprint for Success - Balloon tours allow people to experience the outdoors in a unique and safe way. For safety reasons during the Covid-19 pandemic, shared tours of multiple parties have been discontinued.
Contact Information - Spirit Ballooning
41 Moses Meade Road, Canaan, CT 06018
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Our Mission - To protect and preserve the natural beauty and ecological integrity of the Berkshires for public benefit and enjoyment.
Our Background - In 1967, the early days of the American land trust movement, the Berkshire Natural Resources Council was founded to preserve open space and natural lands. BNRC grew out of a partnership between Donald B. Miller, publisher of the Berkshire Eagle, and George S. Wislocki, who had been trying to establish a land trust in the Hudson Valley. At first, Wislocki worked to help municipalities find funding to buy land, leading to the protection of Brattlebrook Park in Pittsfield and Gould Meadows in Stockbridge. BNRC was given land of its own in 1971 at the Yokun Ridge site of "Olivia's Overlook." In 1972, following the passage of legislation sanctioning perpetual conservation restrictions, Frederick Crane, Sr. and BNRC used this new legal tool to protect 1,900 acres of Holiday Farm in Dalton in 1972. It was one of the state's first conservation restrictions and remains the single largest acreage transaction in the Council's history.
Today, BNRC owns over 11,000 acres on 56 reserves throughout the Berkshires and holds conservation restrictions on 13,000 more, ensuring the land's protection in perpetuity. We manage over 60 miles of trails and welcome thousands of people into nature, to enjoy the beautiful Berkshires through recreation from walking to mountain biking, fishing and hunting, birdwatching and sketching, and just gazing at the view. BNRC and its supporters are pursuing plans and lands to create the Berkshire High Road. This vision of connecting the trails and hikes of the Berkshires to the charming towns and world-renowned cultural institutions is already underway.
Our Blueprint for Success - While some organizations closed their trails, BRNC decided to keep ours open because getting outside was one of just a few safe activities to support people's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Through remote work and new procedures, we have continued almost all of our projects for 2020. The support has been incredible, with no drop in donations and more first-time donors this year than ever before because so many people have discovered the trails. We will survive by staying flexible, adjusting as needed and making sure our staff have the support and resources they need - it's the staff that makes the work happen.
Contact Information -
Berkshire Natural Resources Council
20 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01210 | Phone: (413) 499-0596
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* Each month, member businesses are selected for a Business Spotlight by a random drawing. To be featured, members must submit requested information. We hope your business is drawn soon!
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