BUSINESS BRIEFS: Berkshire Agricultural Ventures meals security hotline; PCTV annual assembly; MCLA Alumni awards; Frost Stone Home Museum receives grants; BCC enrollment enhance; Over 25? Attend BCC totally free!; ‘40 Below Forty’ nominations open

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures celebrates a new food safety hotline

Great Barrington—  Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV) is excited to announce two significant milestones in its mission to bolster the regional food supply chain: the opening of the BAV/AgriForaging Food Safety Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Hotline and a successful visit by the USDA to BAV’s headquarters in Great Barrington.

BAV has partnered with AgriForaging Food Safety to introduce the AgriForaging Food Safety HACCP Hotline. This initiative is part of the Local Meat Processing Support Program, which strives to provide guidance and support for meat and poultry processors across the region. 

This dedicated hotline is open every Thursday from noon to 4 p.m., offering industry experts’ insights into state and federal meat and poultry compliance regulations, as well as HACCP principles. The hotline is committed to providing personalized solutions for a wide range of compliance questions, ensuring peace of mind for local processors as they navigate the complexities of food safety regulations. For more information or to schedule a call, visit https://www.berkshireagventures.org/haccp-hotline.

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Pittsfield Community Television hosts 36th annual meeting and celebration 

Pittsfield — Pittsfield Community Cable Broadcasting, Inc., which operates Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM, held its 36th Annual Meeting and Celebration on Thursday, September 21st at the Polish Falcons Club on Belair Avenue in Pittsfield. New board members were elected, and recognitions of achievement in programming and community service were awarded.

The annual meeting began with PCTV’s Executive Director Shawn Serre championing a successful year. Serre advocated for modernizing the funding models for community media and highlighted a bill currently in committee in the state legislature which would help support organizations like PCTV. “It’s a fair and equitable method of providing support for the critical local news and programming that PCTV and similar organizations around the state provide. We need to act together, right now, to preserve and promote the services that PCTV has been providing our community for almost 40 years,” Serre said.

PCTV President Susetta Doucette gave a report to the members of the organization and emphasized the work that the board and staff have accomplished in the past year. Treasurer Cindy Shogry-Raimer delivered the treasurer’s report to the members and informed them that the financial position of the organization is strong. Two incumbent board directors were re-elected during the annual meeting. Returning for new three-year terms are board Vice-President Jonah Sykes and Assistant Vice-President Brian Andrews; newly elected to the board at this year’s meeting are Joshua Cutler and Charles Walker.

Jonah Sykes, re-elected incumbent board member of PCTV.

Jonah Sykes is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Berkshire Community College. He has served on the PCTV Board since 2017 and has contributed to the Advancement Committee as a co-chair. Sykes previously worked at Berkshire United Way in fundraising and marketing and has served on the board of 1Berkshire, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, and Berkshire Young Professionals, as well as several community initiatives across the Berkshires. He is a graduate of Taconic High School, earned his bachelor’s at MCLA and his master’s degree from St. Rose College in Albany.

Brian Andrews, re-elected incumbent board member of PCTV.

Brian Andrews is a nationally certified Paramedic and President/CEO of County Ambulance, Inc. in Pittsfield, which provides paramedic-level ambulance and intercept service to the Berkshire County area. Brian is also President of EMSCO of Berkshire County, past President of Western Massachusetts EMS, and a member of its executive committee. He is a member of many local task forces. Andrews was first elected to the PCTV board in 2018 and chairs the equipment and facilities committee.

Joshua Cutler, newly elected board member to PCTV.

Joshua Cutler is a fourth-generation Pittsfield native who is deeply invested in the local business and nonprofit communities. A veteran of the banking industry of a decade, he is now the Manufacturing Project Lead/Program Performance Analyst at General Dynamics in Pittsfield. He has served on the Pittsfield Public School Committee, has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Temple Anshe Amunim for the last 11 years, serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Eagles Band Inc., and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires.

Charles Walker, newly elected board member to PCTV.

Charles Walker is a broadcast television and digital media content producer with more than 45 years’ experience. After more than 35 years at Disney/ABC News he recently retired. At ABC News he contributed significantly to the development of ABC News Digital, the company’s media streaming service for news content acquisition and distribution. His experience includes production at television stations in Oklahoma City, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as nationally and internationally for ABC News, Tribune Broadcasting and other communication and entertainment industry leaders. He lives in Pittsfield, where he continues to produce television programs, independent films and live streaming media content. 

The Celebration portion of the event was lively, as the organization handed out several awards for excellence in programming and community service. Finally, PCTV awarded Community Programming Accomplishment certificates to several member producers. The certificates recognize five, ten, and fifteen-year milestones in producing community programming.

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MCLA Alumni Association to hold awards ceremony for distinguished alumni and friends of the college

North Adams — On Saturday, October 21st, the MCLA Alumni Association will hold its annual Alumni Awards Brunch to recognize distinguished alumni and friends of the College for their accomplishments.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Photo courtesy of coplac.org.

The event will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on campus in Murdock Hall Room 218, with a special time set aside for photos of awardees from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The following recipients will be recognized:

• Kevin Pink ’09, 2023 Vanguard Award
• Benjamin Lamb ’07, 2023 Service to the College Award
• James Chapman ’15, 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award
• Lindsay St. Pierre-McGinnis, M.Ed. ’08, 2023 Outstanding Educator Award
• Laurie Dias-Mitchell ’81, 2023 Community Service & Citizenship Award
• Arlene Wynn ’63, 2023 Outstanding Educator Emeritus Award (posthumous)

To purchase tickets and view descriptions of each award, please visit https://lnk.mcla.edu/snjc2.

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Frost Stone House Museum receives two grants totaling more than $24,000

Bennington — The Robert Frost Stone House Museum at Bennington College has received a total of $24,250 in grants from the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s Historic Preservation Barn Grant program. Both grants will help restore the property’s distinctive New England barns and make greater use of these spaces for programs and events.

“The barns on this property are part of the landscape that inspired Robert Frost’s poetry and supported his life as a farmer,” said Erin McKenny, the director of the Robert Frost Stone House Museum at Bennington College. “These funds are tremendously useful in our efforts to restore  these beautiful and historic agricultural spaces and to welcome the public to experience their continued significance and enduring charm.”

Robert Frost Stone House Museum. Photo by Phil Holland.

The Historic Preservation Barn Grant of $5,500, which must be matched by the College, will be used to replace the metal roof on the largest of the property’s outbuildings. With the roof repaired, the museum will expand the use of the barn for readings, concerts, art installations, workshops, and their annual Holiday Makers’ Market.

The Vermont Arts Council’s grant of $18,750 will support the installation of electricity and plumbing to the historic barn. The grant was a part of more than $300,000 in Cultural Facilities Grants to nineteen Vermont arts and community organizations. The funds provide organizations with resources to enhance, create, or expand the capacity of existing buildings that offer cultural activities for the public.

For more information, visit https://www.bennington.edu/robert-frost-stone-house-donation-page.

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Berkshire Community College sees significant increase in enrolled students

 Pittsfield — Berkshire Community College (BCC) reports an increase in students from 1,367 in 2022 to 1,601 in 2023, representing an increase of 17.1%, the largest percent increase in students since the institution started tracking this metric in 1991. The last time BCC experienced an increase of this magnitude was 2009, when the number of students increased by 14.3%.

For matriculated students, BCC reported an increase from 1,079 in 2022 to 1,173 in 2023, an 8.7% increase. A matriculated student is any student who is enrolled in a program to pursue a degree or a certificate. For overall credits taken by students, the institution reported a 12.0% increase.

The largest share of these gains comes from dual enrollment students (high school students) and Pre-Nursing students, followed by Liberal Arts and Business Administration students.

Berkshire Community College. Photo courtesy Berkshire Community College.

Adam Klepetar, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said that while the increase in enrollment cannot be definitively linked to any particular source, positive indicators include the Commonwealth’s new MassReconnect program, the recent funding supporting scholarships for community college nursing programs, and BCC’s increased online offerings.

MassReconnect provides Massachusetts residents ages 25 and older with access to free associate degrees and certificates at community colleges. This fall, 47.5% of matriculated BCC students are in the age group eligible for the program.

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Learn how anyone over age 25 without a degree can attend BCC for free

Pittsfield — Berkshire Community College (BCC) continues its series of special community college information sessions on Wednesday, November 1st at 5 p.m. and Thursday, November 30th at 5 p.m. The November 1st session will be held in Room G-12 on BCC’s main campus, located at 1350 West Street in Pittsfield. The November 30th session will be held online. Both sessions are free.

To register for either session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/massreconnect. Financial aid, admissions, and advising staff will be on hand.

The event is part of MassReconnect, a program that pays the full costs of community college for adults 25 and older who do not already have a college degree. MassReconnect covers tuition and fees for eligible students, who also receive an allowance to pay for books and supplies.

Students are eligible for the MassReconnect program if they:

• Are 25 or older on the first day of classes
• Are enrolled in and pursuing a program of higher education at a public community college
• Have not previously earned a college degree
• Are enrolled in at least six credits per semester
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Are a Massachusetts resident

For questions regarding the MassReconnect program, contact the BCC Admissions Office at admissions@berkshirecc.edu or 413-499-4660. Further information, including full program guidelines, is also available at www.mass.edu/osfa/programs/massreconnect.asp.

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Nominations open for Berkshire Community College ‘40 Under Forty’ awards

Pittsfield — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces nominations are now open for the annual “40 Under Forty” awards, which will be held Thursday, March 21st.

“40 Under Forty” is an annual celebration of talented people in the Berkshires, under the age of 40, who have a deep dedication to improving the quality of life for those living and working in our community. 40 Under Forty awards honor people from all walks of life who are making a difference in the Berkshires.

Nominees are eligible for this award through:

• Their professional work and how it makes a difference; or
• Their personal commitment to their community; or
• Other efforts to improve the quality of life for those living and working the Berkshires.

1Berkshire, BCC’s strategic partner, has identified recruiting and retaining young people as an economic imperative for Berkshire County. By celebrating this younger generation of people in the Berkshires, we underscore the importance of their contributions to our community and to its future prosperity. To make a nomination, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/40-under-forty. Nominations close Wednesday, November 29th. For more information, email 40under40@berkshirecc.edu or call 413-236-2185.