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Biz Briefs: New Boston Crane Service & Sleds Expands Reach with U-Haul Trucks, Trailers

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The long haul: New Boston Crane Service & Sleds has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Sandisfield community. New Boston Crane Service & Sleds, located at 85 South Main St., will offer U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment, support rental items and in-store pickup for boxes.  

Hours of operation for U-Haul rentals are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. After hours drop-off is available for customer convenience. Reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location by calling 413- 258-7254 or online.

New Boston Crane Service & Sleds owner Billy White said he is proud to team with the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage to better meet the demands of Berkshire County. U-Haul and New Boston Crane Service & Sleds are striving to benefit the environment through sustainability initiatives. Truck sharing is a core U-Haul sustainability business practice that allows individuals to access a fleet of trucks that is larger than what they could access on an individual basis.

Every U-Haul truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road. Fewer vehicles means less traffic congestion, less pollution, less fuel burned and cleaner air.



HELP is here: The Berkshire Co-op Market is launching a new program to allow greater community access to local and sustainable foods. On Oct. 1, the cooperatively owned natural food store will launch the Healthy Eats for Lower Prices (HELP) program, which will give eligible shoppers a 10 percent discount on all co-op purchases.

Additionally, the co-op will extend its current discount for seniors who are co-op owners to all seniors who shop at the co-op, whether they are owners or not. The 10 percent senior discount, which will also take effect on Oct. 1, will replace the current owner only 7 percent senior discount and will be available on Wednesdays and Sundays only.

Customers who currently qualify for other state or federal assistance programs (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program among others) will automatically be eligible for the new HELP program. Details for signing up will be available at the store when the program rolls out on Oct. 1. For more information, contact Berkshire Co-op Market at 413-528-9697 or community@berkshire.coop.
 


Meet and greet: The Outlet at Pine Cone Hill, located at 125 Pecks Road in Pittsfield, will hold a "meet and greet" event with company founder and CEO Annie Selke on Friday, Sept. 16, from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

During the event, which is open to the public, Selke will discuss the product development process, share her latest design inspirations and answer questions from guests. Light refreshments will be served. To RSVP for the event, contact Kate Hill Tapia via e-mail (RSVP@annieselke.com) or via phone (413-629-2314) by Tuesday, Sept. 13.





That's wild: Greylock Federal Credit Union has introduced a new debit card featuring the Lee High School Wildcats logo and school colors. Every time a credit union member signs up for a Wildcats debit card, Greylock will make a donation to Lee High School.

The new card was created after a design competition was held among Lee High School students. The competition was won by Jessica Sammons, a 2016 graduate.

For more information about the Lee High School Wildcats debit card, call Greylock at 413-236-4000 or visit www.greylock.org.



Buy in the Berkshires: BerkShares and the Berkshire Office of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network are teaming up to co-facilitate a series of interactive workshops with host organizations across Berkshire County to strengthen efforts to "buy local" by aggregating community-generated local business ideas.

The five workshops will expand on the community engagement and experiential learning principles embedded in the Entry To Entrepreneurship business planning program for young people that BerkShares, Inc. and the Berkshire Office of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network have developed over the past two years, where students age 14-25 write and present business plans for locally focused businesses.

In this new series of workshops, groups of participants will be lead through a Rapid Business Build Out process to develop a one-page plan for viable local business opportunities. Collectively, these will become a library of business possibilities that seed the next cohort of youth entrepreneurs in the Entry To Entrepreneurship program, which begins January of 2017.

The following five workshops are scheduled: Monday, Sept. 12, 12:30 p.m., Adams Council on Aging, 3 Hoosac St.; Tuesday, Sept. 20, 5:30 p.m., Williams Inn, 1090 Main St.; Wednesday, Sept. 28, 4:30 p.m., Blodgett House at Simon’s Rock College of Bard, Great Barrington; Saturday, Oct. 1, 1 p.m., The Common, Pittsfield; Monday, Dec. 12, 5:30 p.m., location TBA. Info online.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Cannabis Cultivator Plans Dispensary

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD. Mass. — A cannabis cultivator and manufacturer has opted to sell its products on site in Downing Parkway. 

The Zoning Board of Appeals this month approved a special permit for J-B.A.M. Inc. to operate a dispensary out of its existing grow facility. There will only be changes to the interior of 71 Downing Parkway, as there will be less than 500 square feet of retail space in the 20,000-square-foot building. 

"My only concern would be the impact, and really would be traffic, which I don't think is excessive, the odor, if there was one, but that doesn't seem to be an issue, and I think it's a good location for a marijuana facility," board member Thomas Goggins said. 

The company's indoor cultivation site plan was approved in 2019, an amendment to add manufacturing and processing in 2021, and on the prior day, a new site plan to add a retail dispensary was approved by the Community Development Board. 

J-B.A.M. cannabis products are available in local dispensaries. 

The interior of the facility will be divided to accommodate an enclosed check-in area, front entrance, retail lobby, secure storage room, offices, and two bathrooms. There are 27 parking spaces for the facility, which is sufficient for the use. 

No medical or recreational cannabis uses are permitted within 500 feet of a school or daycare, a setback that is met, and the space is within an industrial park at the end of a cul-de-sac. 

"The applicant desires the restructuring of the business to be more competitive in the industry with the ability to grow and sell their own cannabis products so they have more financial stability," Chair Albert Ingegni III, read from the application. 

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