Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club has launched a nifty app for iPhone and Android. The Cranwell app offers a guide to the hotel's amenities, recommendations and special offers. Plus it features a map of activities in the Berkshires.

"The way that our customers search for and book their vacation experience is shifting," said Norma Probst, director of marketing for the resort. "This new feature will enable us to connect with our guests and prospective visitors before, during and after their stays."

The app, one of 20 hotel and resort apps developed by DeCare Systems Ireland Ltd., offers quick access to real-time reservations and Cranwell phone and email contacts and images of the historic resort. App users can explore all the facilities of the resort in a few easy taps — from information on wining and dining at the hotel's restaurants and bar, to room and suite accommodations.

Users can access sections on the Spa at Cranwell, golfing or skiing, as well as a profile of their conference and wedding facilities. Then they can shoot off an e-mail to tell their friends all about it.
 
The app also offers an area guide (notably clustered mostly in South County along Route 7) for taverns, dining, shopping, outdoor and cultural activities, hospitals and transportation, along with a Google map to show you how to get there. We're not sure where they're drawing the information, but the North County section is pretty skimpy. The locations do, however, get you not only a location but access to contacts and Web pages.

The "news" section is also sparse, consisting of mainly tweets and retweets from Cranwell. But then it is designed to promote Cranwell and areas of interest to its patrons, not the local or national media.

Cranwell Resort says it partnered with O'Rourke Hospitality's Smart Stay App to provide "a highly specialized service solution for mobile travelers to the Berkshires."

We downloaded the app to try it out and found it very easy to use. If you're coming to the Berkshires and don't know your way around, this is a nice littlemobile concierge. The free app can be downloaded for iPhone, iPad and Android systems.

Looks like Cranwell is out front with offering the area's first mobile application — at least we can't find anyone else who's doing it.

 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Guidance systems for nuclear missiles deployed on new and old Navy submarines will come from the hands of local workers.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Storey Publishing is slated to host Berkshire Creative Economy Council's next Creative Challenge competition.

The Creative Challenge seeks to connect Berkshire manufacturers and businesses to local designers, engineers and creative workers with the aim of stimulating innovative research and development for existing and/or new product line. The Creative Challenge was born from “Design It Here, Make It Here”; an initiative outlined in the 2007 Berkshire Creative Economy Report, which suggested developing a campaign to explore the interest in and capacity for manufacturers in the county to take on the production of “creative products.”

Storey, located in the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art building, publishes nonfiction books on a range of do-it-yourself topics, from gardening, cooking, knitting and other crafts to backyard building, animal care, small-scale farming, brewing and winemaking, woodworking, nature, personal care and home improvement.

According to Berkshire Creative's website, the publisher is looking for "actionable" new book ideas that provide practical information and encourage personal independence in harmony with the environment. The book ideas need to relate to Storey’s publishing categories.

Eligible ideas may be for books the winner would be qualified to write him or herself, or that could be written by another person. In the former case, if Storey decides to publish the book, the company would contract directly with the winner in a standard author-publisher contract. In the latter case, if the publisher identifies an author and develops the book idea, Storey would pay the winner a book development fee of $500.

Applicants of all ages, backgrounds and training are encouraged to submit ideas. Applicants must live, work or go to school in Berkshire County. To apply, submit a resume and a short application on berkshirecreative.org. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on Feb. 7. Selected participants will be invited to Storey for a tour on Feb. 23, and will have the opportunity to submit their book ideas.

Storey will be the fourth Berkshire organization to host a Creative Challenge, and will join past hosts Pittsfield-based Décor Printer, Interprint, Dalton-based Paper Manufacturer, Crane & Co, and most recently the MASS MoCA stores.

“Our past Creative Challenges have been incredibly successful for both the businesses and participants,” said Berkshire Creative Director Helena Fruscio in a statement. “We are so excited to build upon this trajectory and connect more local creative workers with local creative businesses."

“Storey is extremely pleased to be partnering with Bershire Creative on this challenge”, said Pam Art of Storey Publishing, “We know that the Berkshires are full of people that can contribute to our publishing program. We already have over two dozen book authors from Berkshire County and we work with several dozen more as freelance editors, artists, designers and photographers.  We look forward to seeing what new ideas emerge from this challenge!”

For more information on Storey, visit www.storey.com.

Companies interested in hosting a Creative Challenge should contact Fruscio at 413-822-8324 or helena.fruscio@berkshirecreative.org.

 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — All the cars at Carbone Ford-Mercury on Route 2 should be gone by the end of the weekend.

On Friday, staff began driving the vehicles to a brand-new $4 million location in Bennington, Vt., which will open on Monday. Carbone Auto Group purchased the former Haddad dealership about two years ago and constructed the new location adjacent to its current Toyota lot on North Bennington Road.

"We are moving cars as we speak," said Michael Larochelle, a sales associate for Carbone, on Friday. "We should be completely out this weekend."

Closing the State Road location has been in the works for about three years. In 2008, Carbone purchased the dealership from Haddad Motors with the plan of moving it to Bennington. The company was expecting construction to last shortly more than a year.

Construction on the new 27,000-square-foot showroom began in April and was not expected to be complete until the spring 2011. Ahead of schedule, the dealership will have a soft opening on Monday.

"It's a brand-new location. I think I heard it cost $4 million," Larochelle said. "I assume they'll do some type of grand opening."

New car dealerships have continued to leave the county, or consolidate. North County is now down to three new-car dealerships — K&M Toyota in North Adams, McAndrews-King GMC in Adams and the massive Bedard Brothers Auto Sales in Cheshire.

In 2007, Bedard Brothers Auto Sales purchased and consolidated Gateway, formerly known as Shapiro Chevrolet, on Union Street. That dealership was added to the company's Cheshire location. In 2009, Berkshire GMC in Sheffield closed when GMC closed 1,100 of its dealerships.

The dealership at 179 State Road was known for years as Dick Scarafoni Ford and later as Calgary Motors. Carbone's consolidation leaves another large, empty commercial property in the city. The former Gateway site still has not found new tenants although it is being used for leasing vehicle storage space. Both locations are owned by Scarafoni Associates.

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce has announced its new board of directors for 2011. Daniel Kinney, VP regional market manager, Legacy Banks will leads the board as president. Kate McCormick, partner at McCormick, Murtagh and Marcus is vice president. Edith Gilson, owner of Cupboards and Roses in Sheffield is the treasurer and Scott Rote of Wheeler & Taylor Realty's Sheffield office is the new secretary of the board.

Other members of the chamber board include: Janet Dohoney, Fairview Hospital; Rich Edwards, Catamount Ski Area; Robin Hare, Shopper’s Guide; Pat Melluzzo, Wheeler & Taylor Realty; Cheryl Raifstanger, Kwik Print; Richard Aldrich, Lee Bank; Dan Burke, Iredale Mineral Cosmetics;  Carrie Herrington, WearHouse; Bruce Howden, Howden Farm and Kevin Schmitz, Marketplace Kitchen.

Other new members to the board are:  Vijay Mahida of the Comfort Inn; Georgann Farnum of Salisbury Bank; Karin Watkins of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center; and Karen Climo of Karen Climo Real Estate.

Said Christine Ludwiszewski, chief executive officer of the chamber, “The Chamber is working hard to extend its reach and to include members from a variety of businesses in South County.  By engaging new leaders, we can continue to advocate on behalf of the business community as well as provide the networking and educational opportunities that our members need.”

At the chamber's recent annual meeting, Kinney reviewed the chamber’s accomplishments in 2010, including new welcome signs at both entrances to Great Barrington; successful workshops on social media, Excel and QuickBooks; two breakfasts featuring state Sen. Benjamin Downing, D.-Pittsfield, and state Rep.William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox; an updated website; the September raffle annual fundraiser; the Business Person of the Year event which honored the Ward Family; and a very successful Holiday Stroll.

The Chamber’s first Business After Hours of the year will be held on Thursday, Jan. 13, at the Stagecoach Tavern in Sheffield. More information can be found here.