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Burger Kings Closed in Pittsfield, Lenox

By Joe DurwinPittsfield Correspondent

The signs at the Burger King on First Street assure patrons the closure is temporary.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A local Burger King franchise closed the doors on three of its eateries Thursday morning.

Signs at the drive-up window at the First Street location say "Closed temporarily, sorry for the inconvenience." The Burger King on Merrill Road is also closed with the same signage; someone who answered at the Burger King in Lenox said that eatery closed Wednesday night, but the closure is only temporarily.

When contacted about the closures, franchise owner Richard George of Pittsfield replied, "I'm not at liberty to say right now."

According to Manta, the private company has annual revenue of $1 million to $2.5 million and employs a staff of 20 to 49. It was established in 1984 in Pittsfield.



     

Berkshire Bank Branch Officer Completes Graduate School With Honors

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Bank announced that Heidi Higgins, assistant vice president and branch officer of the 99 North St. Pittsfield office, has completed the American Bankers Association Stonier National Graduate School of Banking at University of Pennsylvania. Higgins received her diploma on June 7, 2012, graduating with honors.
 
 “We are so proud of Heidi’s accomplishment," Tami Gunsch, senior vice president of retail banking, said. "She completed an intensive program designed to build upon her already well-established banking and leadership skills. All that she learned will enhance her professional career and benefit our customers.”
 
Stonier is an intensive three-year program for bank executives. Since its inception in 1935, more than 17,000 students have followed a curriculum of more than 45 courses and enjoyed networking opportunities with more than 400 fellow students. Between sessions, students keep up with trends by completing additional extension and online coursework. The program culminates with the Capstone Strategic Project, where students develop comprehensive business projects for their financial institutions.
 
Higgins joined Berkshire Bank in July 2011 following the bank’s partnership with Legacy Banks. She had been with Legacy since 2000, serving as both branch officer and marketing officer, previously working at Berkshire Federal Credit Union. She holds a B.S. in marketing from Bentley University. 
 
She is a registered para planner and was selected as a Berkshire County Young Careerist by Berkshire Business and Professional Women in 2009. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Berkshire County Chapter of Business and Professional Women as well as Pittsfield Citizen Scholarship.
     

Lenox Yarn Shop Offers 'Tasty' Designs

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
It looks almost good enough to eat ... if a little heavy on the fiber.

Colorful Stitches co-owner Bonnie J. Burton designed and knitted a variety of fast food and traditional summer fare for exhibit at the specialty yarn store at 48 Main St. in Lenox.

The yarn sculpture food — "Knitted Taste of Lenox" — includes hot dog and hamburger, pizza, cake, a bottle of wine, ice cream, full lobster dinner and more. (We particularly loved that lobster dinner, although the layered chocolate cake looks good, too.)

"Little did I know how addictive this project would become. I just kept coming up with new subjects to knit, but finally had to stop adding dishes so the exhibit could actually be installed," said Burton, in the announcement the store sent us. "I didn't get all my ideas created yet. The list goes on. My husband even suggested I could knit the Thanksgiving dinner this year and skip all the cooking."

Burton said the exhibit is the latest in a string of "yarn bombings" started last year when the store's staff covered its porch and entry with custom designed and knitted fabric. They say that led to further "yarn bombs" around Lenox, including Shakespeare & Company.

Burton has been knitting for more than 50 years and is often a contributor to the collection of custom fashion designs/patterns for hand knitters exclusively found at Colorful Stitches. Check out the shop's website here

     

Carr's Closing New York Location

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
Carr Hardware is calling it quits in Watervliet, N.Y., done in by long, long road reconstruction.

According to the Times-Union of Albany, N.Y., the Carr Hardware store at 701 19th St. is liquidating its assets and closing by October. A hardware store's been at the location for 50 years; the first 45 as the family-operated DeLollo Hardware and the last five as Carr.

Carr Hardware's Dave Paris told the Times-Union that the two-year road construction on 19th Street had made an untenable cut into the store's profits.

Road work has been tough on the Pittsfield-based hardware chain. The company's president, Barton Raser, said Carr had seen a dramatic decrease in traffic in Watervliet during discussions of yet another road project planned for Great Barrington, where Carr has a store on Main Street.

The small hardware chain also struggled in North Adams at the foot of multi-year bridge project that made it extremely difficult for customers to get in and out. That store has since moved to a larger facility on State Road - a corner lot with alternative access.

The Watervliet store's going out of business sale starts July 1. There are six employees. It was the only New York store in the chain; it also has a store in Lee.

     

Plastics Company Opening Location in Adams Park

ADAMS, Mass. — A plastic sheet supplier and recycler is opening a new site in the Adams Corporate Park.

Optiglass PC LLC is a supplier of polycarbonate sheet and film, in association with bGreenplastic, a customized recycling service for plastic companies, both headquartered in North Carolina.

Rick Filiault, president and found of both companies, is a former account manager with GE Plastics.

Filiault said his goals is to "reawaken the foundation of plastic services in Berkshire County, and facilitate this process with passion and integrity."

"After growing up and working in Berkshire County, I felt that I needed to expand my business here, as Pittsfield is a global center of the plastic industry," he said. 

Filiault said he is dedicated to the practice of sustainability and preventing plastic from reaching landfills.

Carrie Loholdt, the manager for the business's newest site, said the expansion will only better the quality of service for both Optiglass PC and bGreenplastic.

"Because our spectrum of business is continuously growing, the move to Adams ... made sense logistically in order to serve our customers ranging from northern New Jersey up to New York and Vermont with greater convenience."

Optiglass and bGreenplastic has two sites in North Carolina and one in Massachusetts, which allows the business to more efficiently service customers, as well as sustainable procedures, said Loholdt.
     
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