NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Erika Bailey decided this year it was time to take a leap and leave her corporate career for cupcakes.
The result is Bailey's Bakery, which opened in the former Empire Cafe on Main Street last week.
"I have been baking since I was a little girl with my grandmother," she said. "It's always been something that I've loved to do but I went to school and thought I was supposed to do the corporate thing. I did that for a while and it's definitely not what I wanted to do."
Bailey, of Stamford, Vt., was approved by the Planning Board in July but it took awhile to prepare the space inside Keith Bona's Berkshire Emporium into a bakery. The bakery now has ovens and display cases and coffee from Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters. There's still some tables to get in place for when people stop for muffin and a coffee.
She plans on having a changing variety of baked goods — cupcakes, muffins, whoopie pies, pastries, brownies, cookies and other goodies. Gluten-free goods may also be available and she takes orders including for cakes.
Bailey said her specialties are probably her cupcakes and cakes. In fact, she had a couple wedding cakes on order. But she also has a sugar cookie that her customers have compared to those once made at Molly's Bakery.
"My sugar cookies are very similar to the Molly's cookie," she said. "People have said that they have liked those as well."
The sublet space has been the site of several ventures, including an earlier bakery, Luma's Muffin & Mug. Bailey said she had originally been interested in the old Molly's on Eagle Street but the cost of putting a kitchen back in, and the size of the space, was prohibitive.
"Brendan [Bullett] had given my name to Keith because this was opening so it just kind of worked out," Bailey said.
The first week had been a little slow, she said, probably because of the cool, wet weather and that her opening had been quiet.
"There were two guys who came in this morning that said they were going to put a little message out I was here and to figure out when they could all come down," Bailey said.
Bailey's Bakery is open Mondays and Tuesdays 7 to 3; closed Wednesdays; Thursdays and Fridays 7 to 5; and Saturdays 9 to noon. Hours may be subject to change.
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Colegrove Park Recognized as Top 10 School Statewide in Attendance
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Superintendent Barbara Malkas, left, Colegrove Principal Amy Meehan, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Dean of Students Jonathan Slocum pose with the Celtics basketball award on Friday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year.
Tim Connor, assistant director for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's west and central district, arrived with a gold basketball signed by the champion team to reward the students for their achievement.
"An award like this doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of work from all of you, the students, the parents, and especially Ms. Meehan and her wonderful staff, so a big round of applause," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey, after leading the assembly in the gym to chants of "Colegrove rocks!" "I am so proud of this school and the community that all of you have built. So everyone should be really excited about today, and this is an excellent way to start your school."
Superintendent Barbara Malkas asked last year's fifth-graders at Colegrove to join her at the front of the gym for a special applause.
"When we track attendance of all the students in the whole district, these students have the highest attendance rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the entire district," Malkas said. "While all Colegrove students have been recognized as attendance all-stars, these students led the way in being attendance all-stars, so let's give them one more round of applause."
Colegrove switched this year to house Grades 3 to 6, so some of the younger students who helped earn the award are now at Brayton Elementary. However, all three elementary schools open last year saw improvement in attendance.
Schools statewide have been working to reduce chronic absenteeism — the percentage of students missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days — which peaked during the pandemic.
Last week, the nonprofit held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a 900-square-foot wooden structure with a full foundation and a composting toilet. The excavation process began this week, and completion is expected in 2026.
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The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year. click for more