Lee motel becomes Rodeway, joins franchise

By Bill SamplePrint Story | Email Story
Workers Corey McGrath of Cheshire, left and Mark Jones of Pittsfield were installing the new sign at the Rodeway Motel on Rt. 20 in Lee Wednesday morning
LEE — The Laurel Hill Motel on Route 20 has undergone renovations to the rooms, office, lobby and parking area over the past 18 months, and owner Mukesh “Mike” Desai, who bought the 3.5-acre property in March 2003, announced Tuesday that he has joined the Choice Hotels International franchise. His Laurel Hill Motel will change names to the Rodeway Inn starting this week. Choice Hotels International franchises include chains such as Quality Inn, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Rodeway Inn, EconoLodge and Clarion Inn, according to company spokesman Bill Duncan. It is the second largest lodging franchiser in the United States, with over 5,000 properties under its brand name and generates over $1 billion of room revenue per year, he said. “Mike has done a beautiful job on this property” said Duncan, operations manager for the transition, who was on site working with the computer systems on Monday morning. “We worked through a few minor physical changes to comply with standards. The most visible physical change will be the signs changing.” Duncan added that the new Roadway Inn will enable Desai and his wife, Shilpa, who will run the motel as a team, to become part of a nationwide central reservation system that makes it easy for customers to book rooms. The Rodeway franchise is supported by millions of spent annually on advertising and by listings on a comprehensive international Web site. Desai and his wife, daughters Zarna and Niral, and now teenage son, Pranav, moved here from Baroda, India, in 1995. A graduate of the University of Baroda, he worked as a marketing officer for the United India Insurance Co. before moving here “for the educational opportunities for my kids,” Desai said. The entire family became U.S. citizens in a ceremony in 2000. “That was a happy day for us,” Desai said. One of his daughters is married now and lives in New Jersey; the other is a student at the University of Massachusetts. Pranav lives and works at the motel with his parents and attends Lenox High School. Bringing a little bit of his country’s culture with him, Desai’s love of cricket blossomed into his organizing the Berkshire County Cricket Club, which attracts experienced players and newcomers to the game at West Memorial Park in Pittsfield on Sunday afternoons. Desai was a captain of his high school and college cricket teams, and as part of a Baroda team, he traveled extensively around the Far East in 1982. He is a past president of the Lions’ Club in his hometown of Baroda, which is in western India, near Bombay. The new Rodeway Inn will be an independent property, associated with the Rodeway franchise, and will be owned and operated by Mukesh and Shilpa Desai, under the name Pranav Inc., doing business as the Rodeway Inn. The refurbished motel features 23 rooms, some with Jacuzzis; rooms with single, double, queen and king-size beds, an outdoor swimming pool and 3.5 acres of landscaped grounds for guests to enjoy. It is close to Laurel Lake’s swimming and boating and is centrally located between Lee and Lenox, close to Tanglewood and other Berkshire attractions.
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Dalton Announces New Supplier for Energy Program

DALTON, Mass. – The Town of Dalton has signed a thirty-four month contract with a new supplier, First Point Power.
 
Beginning with the January 2026 meter reads, the Dalton Community Choice Power Supply Program will have a new rate of $0.13042 per kWh. The Program will also continue to offer an optional 100 percent green product, which is derived from National Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), at a rate of $0.13142 per kWh.
 
For Dalton residents and businesses who are enrolled in the Town's Program, the current rate of $0.13849 per kWh will expire with the January 2026 meter reads and the new rate of $0.13042 per kWh will take effect. This represents a decrease of $5 per month on the supply side of the bill given average usage of 600 kWh. Additionally, this new rate is 3 percent lower than Eversource's Residential Basic Service rate of $0.13493 per kWh. Residents can expect to see an
average savings of $3 per month for the month of January 2026. Eversource's Basic Service rates
will change on Feb. 1, 2026.
 
Dalton launched its electricity program in January 2015 in an effort to develop an energy program that would be stable and affordable. From inception through June 2025, the Program has saved residents and small businesses over $1.7 million in electricity costs as compared to Eversource Basic Service.
 
It is important to note that no action is required by current participants. This change will be seen on the February 2026 bills. All accounts currently enrolled in the Program will remain with their current product offering and see the new rate and First Point Power printed under the "Supplier Services" section of their monthly bill.
 
The Dalton Community Choice Power Supply Program has no fees or charges. However, anyone switching from a contract with a third-party supplier may be subject to penalties or early termination fees charged by that supplier. Ratepayers should verify terms before switching.
 
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