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The Rural We: Erik Bruun

Erik with his daughter, Rebecca. Last year, Erik Bruun stepped into the job of CEO at SoCo Creamery. This isn't his first engagement in a notable South County institution, though; he's a founding board member of both Railroad Street Youth Project and Project Native. His unexpected

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The Rural We: Ormond Gigli

Ormond Gigli made a name for himself in the early 1950s by photographing fashion models — and then moving on to stars of the stage and screen, musicians, artists, presidents, kings, and foreign lands — for Time, Life, Sports Illustrated, Saturday Evening Post and others. The 90-year-old Gigli, who lives

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Community

A Renewed Acquaintance: The Village Of Chatham

By CB Wismar Like the mythical village of “Brigadoon" emerging from the Scottish mist for one day every 100 years in Lerner & Lowe’s epic musical, the Village of Chatham, New York has reappeared. The reassuring news is that, unlike the legendary Scottish village, Chatham is not likely

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There Are Options To Packing A Picnic At Tanglewood

Yes, we know that the picnic culture at Tanglewood is one of the great joys of the season, something many of us wait and plan for all year. But if on occasion schlepping all that stuff through the parking lot to the lawn feels like too much, you should know

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The Rural We: Aura Whitman

Locals may know Aura Whitman as the proprietor and chef of the beloved Café Reva, which she ran for 11 years on Pittsfield’s Tyler Street, or from her newer venture, nAtURAlly Catering, whose home base is located inside Berkshire Organics. But now there’s a new place to experience

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Berkshire Woodworkers Guild: Beautiful And Built To Last

By Amy Krzanik We’ve all been there. Whether it was the three-drawer dresser in your first apartment that never made it to your second apartment because the front of it ripped right off (true story), or the shirt you wore only once because it completely changed shape, size

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The Rural We: Pamela Dalton

Hillsdale, New York's Pamela Dalton is a master of the art of Scherenschnitte, a type of paper cutting which was popular in the Pennsylvania Dutch regions of the U.S. in the early 19th century. Each piece is sketched and cut by hand, so no two are exactly

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Quilts Uncovered: Jane Fitzpatrick’s Collection Reflects Love Of Textiles And Community

By Shawn Hartley Hancock For years, the late Jane Fitzpatrick, whom we’ve unreservedly and respectfully called the queen of the Berkshires, displayed a crazy quilt on the wall of her office at Country Curtains, the business she founded with her husband Jack back in 1956. Country Curtains is headquartered

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The Rural We: Steve Katz

Steve Katz is a founding member of the Grammy-winning band Blood, Sweat & Tears; the producer of two albums by his friend, the late Lou Reed; a former vice president of Mercury Records; and a professional photographer. The Kent, Connecticut resident published his memoir, "Blood, Sweat and My

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The Rural We: Cynthia De Pecol

Cynthia De Pecol is a holistic life coach, wellness expert, yoga instructor and “student of life." She lives in Washington, Conn. with her husband Mark, a commercial real estate developer. The pair have purchased property in Roxbury and are planning to build a net zero, fully sustainable home there.

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10 Things To Love About New Lebanon

The Kendall House By Lisa Green In 1787, the Shakers settled in New Lebanon, NY and established a thriving community that today is still a pretty bustling scene, sans the Shakers. If you’ve only thought of the town as the place you pass through as you make your way

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The Rural We: John Davidson

Photo: Lisa Vollmer Photography Many Rural Intelligence readers are familiar with John Davidson, the singer, actor and television host, but now they can meet him and take a front seat at his performances. As a new resident of Lenox, Mass., he takes center stage at The Gateways Inn lounge in

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