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Community

10 Things To Love About Monterey

By Rachel Louchen For some residents, the selling point of Monterey is proximity to Great Barrington and other Berkshire towns. To visitors less familiar, Monterey is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it village with a big forest to hike. But it is so much more. There are active community members, great food,

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Community

A Rockin' Party Ushers In Greylock WORKS And 2016

This is not the year to settle for a quiet New Year’s Eve. Not when the organizers of the first-and-only Greylock WORKS New Year’s Eve event are engaging all resources to create a “choreographed intermingling of energies." The party, which they’re calling UNLOCK, opens up the

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Community

The Rural We: Barbara Zheutlin

Barbara Zheutlin, director of Berkshire Grown, which supports and promotes local agriculture, has had almost too many careers to name. Here are few: work in Hollywood as an author and documentary film producer, with Salvadoran refugees and involvement in global nuclear disarmament causes, all in Los Angeles, where she’s

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Community

The Rural We: Danielle Steinmann

If you live in the Berkshires, you know Danielle Steinmann. The curly-haired, smartly dressed smiling face at so many local events is the Director of Visitor Interpretation at The Trustees of Reservations, as well as the president of the Berkshire Art Association, and an IS183 gala volunteer. Originally from Queens,

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Community

Happy News For The New Year At The Bargain Barn

By Lisa Green You can practically feel the sighs of relief — and the air of jubilation — whirling around the filled-to-the-rafters Bargain Barn Thrift Shop, and not just because it’s Christmas shopping time. No, it’s because the Sharon, Conn. thrift shop — a community center, everyone insists — was saved from

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Community

Your Own Holiday Bubble — Made Of Glass, Made By You

By Lauren Curran You must believe us when we say our intention is to cover every nook and cranny of the Rural Intelligence region. But, okay, there still might be some pockets of wonderfulness here or there in that wide swath we haven’t explored as much as we should.

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Community

The Rural We: Amanda Judge

Ghent resident Amanda Judge is a brilliant example of a young, socially-minded entrepreneur. She is the creator and owner of Faire Collection, an accessories company that supplies fair trade jewelry, scarves and other fashion goods to thousands of boutique around the world. Since 2008,  Judge has set up 10 workshops

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Community

Treat Yourself To A Champagne Evening At The Vanderbilts

If you’re the National Park Service observing an important anniversary, it’s all well and good to spruce up some trails and a nature center for the hikers that come along. But when your “property" includes a Vanderbilt mansion, the celebration needs to be a bit more glamorous,

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Community

A New Beginning For The Ancram Opera House

By Jamie Larson It’s been said that art grows like a weed. No matter where it’s sprung, once rooted and flowered it remains forever. The humble Ancram Opera House (in Ancram, New York) is one such enduring place. Repurchased recently by theater professionals Paul Ricciardi and Jeff Mousseau,

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Community

The Rural We: Mary Anne Davis

Mary Anne Davis of davistudio in Spencertown, NY, is a nationally recognized ceramic artist whose work can be seen across the country in galleries, stores and museums. So, while her high-end dinnerware and adorable giftware can be found in homes everywhere, Davis, her husband and their two chihuahuas are happy

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Community

The Rural We: Lisa Nilsson

Berkshire County artist Lisa Nilsson began her career in painting and illustration for greeting cards and magazines, moved into 3D shadowbox work and then into quilling (intricate work with paper), which gained her worldwide attention from places like The Huffington Post, Smithsonian.com and "The Independent." She has

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Community

Blantyre Opens The Door To Be Manor-Born For The Moment

By Lisa Green They took the private sign down. “We want the local community to experience Blantyre," says Christopher Brooks, the new general manager, who served as its chef for 12 years. After a hospitality stint in Nantucket, he’s back at the exquisite Scottish-inspired country manor. Owner Ann

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