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Community Leaders Read to Kids at St. Mary's School

Participants in Read Across America Day at St. Mary's included community, business and spiritual leaders and a local author. 

LEE, Mass. — In conjunction with Read Across America, St. Mary's School is starting its big reading challenge.

"For every 10 minutes a kiddo reads they get a coin that goes into a big bin. At the end of the month, they will get either an ice cream party for whoever reads the most or a pizza party, something like that," said Principal Cara Maiorana-Culver. "March is literacy month and literacy is so important to schools and something that doesn't get enough emphasis."

Third-grade teacher Amanda Reis invited Town Administrator Christopher Brittain, Police Chief Craig DeSantis, Stacy Simms from Lee Bank, Loren Nazarov from Lee Library, the Rev. Brian McGrath, local author Michelle Cuevas, and state Rep. Leigh Davis to come and read to classrooms Monday.

The community leaders spoke to different grades and read a book of their choice or had conversations about what the books meant or about the leaders' work.

Leigh Davis spoke to Grades 6-8 about what she does and read the book "The Dreaming Tree," the story of a young girl advocating for a tree to not be cut down in her neighborhood, saying anyone can raise their voice for what they believe in.

"Being a role model in the community you live in is so important and I hope that I can provide that and one of the topics were talking about is how can you advocate for yourself how can you advocate for your community, for your school, for your town, for your district and the power that you have within you to make a difference so that is something that I really tried to get across to the students," Davis said. 

The newly elected representative for the Third District brought up topics like road conditions, bridge maintenance, and animal rights. Davis told the students about how she became a representative and asked what they would like to be when they are older. 

Seventh-grade student Eva Sinopoli thinks it was important for Davis to speak to her class about her job and the different things they can do to help and that they have a voice.

"I think it's really important because some people like whether it be us in school feeling like we don't really have a voice because of our age being younger than others but it's a really important thing to bring up because some people think there are things that need to be spoken up for and you might not have that happen unless you speak up yourself," she said.

"I think that was helpful that if you believe in something you should be passionate trying to change something for better in your community," said eighth-grader Gus Gleason.

Seventh grader Sophie Sparks said Davis was nice and that it was cool to be able to meet a representative and that she encouraged them to follow their dreams.

"If there's any issues or if there is something that you want to be fixed and follow your dreams see what you want to be," she said.

DeSantis spoke to kindergarteners and read them "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie." He said he likes community engagement and interacting with kids at all the schools. 

"It's a great way for different people and kids to interact with different professions and different people in our community, community leaders, and it's a chance for the kids to interact," he said. "And on a personal level with law enforcement anytime we get to go in and interact with kids in a positive way like this is a win I love to do it and it gives them a chance to see us as normal people so that they feel comfortable and be able to start building those relationships."

"I liked when he talked about when the mouse was drinking the milk and when he was eating the cookie and then I liked him when he was reading," said kindergartener Natalee Sedelow. 

Brittain spoke to the third and fourth graders and read "What If There Were No Bees."

"It was important for two reasons. One, you know, to promote reading it. But also, in this case, there was a message about, you know, the environment and our food supply, and also about, you know, ecosystems and food webs and the interrelationship between mechanisms," said Brittain.

"Community is so important to St. Mary's and we love getting community members in just to see all the amazing things we have going on here and just so that the kiddos can make connections outside of our school as well," said Maiorana-Culver.

Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:17AM / Friday, August 21, 2026

 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said.