Biz Briefs: Railway Museum Seeks Volunteers for Christmas Train Rides| 02:29PM / Monday, November 14, 2016 | |
 BSRM has one final special event to present to the community: Christmas Train Rides featuring a visit from Santa Claus himself. |
Back on track: The 2016 season was Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum's first year "back on track" operating traditional train rides since December of 2011. A new train ride experience in the Hoosac Valley between North Adams and Adams enjoyed a very successful inaugural season. Winding down the 2016 operating season, BSRM has one final special event to present to the community: Christmas Train Rides featuring a visit from Santa Claus himself.
Volunteer help is needed in a few different places from routine summer operations. Experienced volunteers are placed in positions requiring skills, qualifications or certain levels of knowledge; however our Christmas trains are a great opportunity for potential new volunteers who wish to get involved. New volunteers are warmly welcomed and will be placed in positions where they can contribute and enjoy their time without having having to worry about technical details and get to know the BSRM.
Volunteer roles include Welcome Coach (3/4 assigned volunteers needed per day) and Santa Crew (2 assigned volunteers needed per day). The dates of operation are Nov. 25-27, Dec. 3-4, Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 17-18. Email jgreen@berkshirescenicrailroad.org with questions.
This year's Christmas Train operation is themed to a 1950's Christmas. The museum has chosen the name Tinseliner in honor of our 1955 Budd RDC (Buddliner) and is a living exhibit of traveling by train in New England during the post war years and beyond. The goal is to evoke and celebrate the nostalgia of a 1950's Christmas; passengers are encouraged to dress in their travel best, as are volunteers.
BSRM has partnered with the North Adams nonprofit PopCares, an organization dedicated to supporting cancer survivors and those fighting the battle, to set up a traditional working Christmas Tree lot at the Station Complex with traditional overhead lot lights and traditional Christmas lights. Passengers can take the Tinseliner, meet Santa and bring home the family Christmas tree. All proceeds from the tree sales will remain with POPCARES. Efforts are also underway to set up a 55 gallon drum fire pit for marshmellow roasting, outdoor music, vintage NAFD fire truck on display and independent vendor for hot chocolate/cider.
Tyler renewal: BerkShares is partnering with the Morningside Up coalition and the Alchemy Initiative to offer a neighborhood-specific workshop where participants imagine food or art-oriented businesses for the Morningside area of Pittsfield from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, at La Fogata Restaurant at 770 Tyler St. RSVP by emailing alchemy.initiative@gmail.com.
Keith Girouard, regional director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network, will facilitate. The business ideas generated during this autumn's series of workshops will become part of a library of business possibilities that seed the next cohort of youth entrepreneurs in 2017's Entry To Entrepreneurship program, for which the application period opens on Wednesday, Nov. 16. The ideas will also be available on the BerkShares website so that other potential entrepreneurs to may draw inspiration from them.
Renovation work: The Mount, Edith Wharton's home in Lenox, Mass. received a match challenge from the Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick Charitable Trust this past summer to raise $50,000 toward the restoration of the exterior of the historic Stable. Thanks to the quick and overwhelming response of the community, The Mount exceeded this goal, and raised an additional $65,000, therefore securing the grant. This is in addition to an initial $50,000 given to The Mount by the Trust. All monies raised will be used to continue the restoration of the exterior of the Stable including repairing foundations, sills, sashes, doors and window frames; demolishing a coal bin; and installing utility upgrades.
This phase of restoration was started in fall 2015 thanks to a gift by a private donor. Jan Winkler and Hermine Drezner gave an initial donation and made a second generous gift in early spring so work could continue uninterrupted as The Mount waited to hear from additional funding sources. In May, The Mount received two major grants to assist in the necessary renovations. The Massachusetts Cultural Council awarded $100,000 to The Mount from its Cultural Facility Fund. In addition, The Mount secured $150,000 from a private foundation. Now, thanks to the Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick Foundation and the support of the community, the restoration work will continue through spring 2017.
The Stable was designed and constructed by Hoppin & Koen in 1901-02. Architecturally, the building is a based on the stable at Belton House, an estate in Lincolnshire, England. Its original purpose was to shelter the Whartons' horses and carriages. Before long, it was transformed into a garage for a succession of the Whartons' motorcars. Servants and their families lived on the second floor. Today, the Stable is The Mount’s primary programming space, and is used to host lectures, dramatic readings, theater, music, storytelling, workshops, films, and literary panels.
Tis better to give: Berkshire Bank has launched its fifth "Season of Giving," the bank's annual initiative to assist children and families in need during the holiday season. The campaign runs through the end of the holiday season and engages Bank employees in a variety of community service projects throughout the cities and towns that Berkshire Bank serves. These projects benefit nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont and the Mid-Atlantic region.
In addition to local volunteer efforts, Berkshire Bank is inviting the public to participate in the initiative through You Give Goods, an innovative virtual collection site. Individuals can purchase goods online for a selected nonprofit organization in their region through early December. Purchases are 100 percent tax deductible and items are shipped directly to the organizations. To participate, simply visit www.yougivegoods.com/berkshirebank. Berkshire Bank Foundation, the charitable arm of Berkshire Bank, also plans to contribute grants to local nonprofit organizations serving those in need this holiday season.
Local activities, organized by bank employees in each of its geographic markets. In Berkshire County, bank offices are supporting local children in need this holiday season by collecting unwrapped new toys for the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots. Donations, which can be dropped off at any Berkshire Bank location in Berkshire County through December 16 or purchased online at yougivegoods.com/berkshirebank through December 6. Additionally, bank employees will help distribute Thanksgiving meals, assemble bikes for children in partnership with Berkshire Theatre Group, and take a turn ringing the bell for the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign. Employees also plan to assist the Salvation Army in giving out Christmas gifts and food to families in need.
Toys for Tots: Deep Associates Insurance Agency at 34 Ashland St. in North Adams is a dropoff location for Toys for Tots this holiday season.
The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.
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