MountainOne Sponsors Steel Rail Races

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— MountainOne was excited to be the lead sponsor of Berkshire Running Center's flagship event earlier this month. 

This is MountainOne's third year partnering with Berkshire Running Foundation, a nonprofit agency established to support the running community and promote a healthier lifestyle in Western Massachusetts. The weekend's races included Mo Mile on Saturday, May 18, and the MountainOne Steel Rail Races on Sunday, May 19. 

The event included the  Mo Mile, a free half or full mile run event for children ages 12. All children who participated in the Mo Mile also received a free copy of "How to Climb a Mountain," MountainOne's new storybook, featuring Mo, the MountainOne Spokesgoat.

The MountainOne Steel Rail Races continued on May 19 with an 8K, a 13.1 half marathon and a Boston Qualifier Marathon Course, all starting and finishing at the end of the Ashuwilliticook Rail Trail, 850 Crane Avenue, Pittsfield.

Runners celebrated at the afterparty with music by the Housie Shakers, featuring Noah Cook-Dubin, Colin Ovitsky, Simeon Bittman, and  Jonathan Denmark, President & COO of MountainOne Insurance.

"Congratulations to all the runners who participated in this weekend's races," said Jennifer Meehan, VP of Community Engagement at MountainOne. "Your dedication and passion inspire us all. In particular, a highlight for me was witnessing the enthusiasm and energy of the young participants of Mo's Mile, who embody the spirit of our community's future."

MCLA Graduates Told to Make the World Worthy of Them

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:27PM / Saturday, May 16, 2026

Keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt was awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts. He told the graduates to make the world worthy of them. See more photos here.  

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Amsler Campus Center gym erupted in cheers on Saturday as 193 members of class of 2026 turned their tassels.

 

The graduates of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' 127th commencement were sent off with the charge of "don't stop now" to make the world a better place.  

 

You are Trailblazers, keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt reminded them, and a "trailblazer is not simply someone who walks a path. A trailblazer makes one, but blazing a trail does not happen alone. Every trailblazer is carrying tools made by somebody else. Every trailblazer is guided by stars they did not create. Every trailblazer stands on grounds shaped by ancestors, teachers, workers, neighbors, friends, and strangers."

 

Trailblazing takes communal courage, he said, and they needed to love people, build with people, argue with people, and find the people who make them braver and kinder at the same time.

 

"The future will not be saved by isolated geniuses, it will be saved by networks of people willing to practice courage together. The future belongs not to the loudest, not to the richest, not to the most certain, but to the most adaptive, the most creative, the most courageous, the most willing to learn."

 

Bobbitt was recently named CEO of Opera American after nearly five years leading the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He stressed the importance of art to the graduates, and noted that opera is not the only art form facing challenges in this world. 

 

"Every field is asking, who are we for now? What do we, what value do we create?" he said. "What do we stop pretending is fine. This is not just an arts question, that is a healthcare question, a climate question, a technology question, a community question, a higher education question, a democracy question, a life question. ...