Hundreds of athletes from around the county competed in running, jumping and throwing events in Spartan Stadium at Monument Mountain Regional High School.
The athletes included teams from several local high schools.
The Monument Mountain band marches onto the field for the opening ceremony and played the 'Star-Spangled Banner.'
Special Olympians compete in various distances on the Monument Mountain track.
The long jump pit was a hub of activity throughout the competition.
Special Olympics is marking its 44 years in Berkshire County.
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — A big piece of the Berkshire County Special Olympics was missing as it marked 44 years on Wednesday at Monument Mountain Regional High School.
But her spirit lives on in the games.
"The Monument Mountain Special Olympics Games were Anne Marie [Comerford's] pride and joy," Nancy Duryea said in dedicating the event in Comerford's honor during Wednesday's opening ceremony. "As one of the event directors, Anne Marie was responsible for getting the track at Monument, the high school band, the banners parade, the high school volunteers and the opening and closing ceremonies."
Comerford also was responsible for making sure the weather cooperated.
"Anne Marie would step on the field every year and point to the sky and say, 'Well, kids, let the sun shine," Duryea continued. "Where is she now?"
The sun did poke through the overcast skies on occasion Wednesday morning as hundreds of athletes from around the county, including teams from several local high schools, competed in running, jumping and throwing events in Spartan Stadium.
Comerford, who died on April 26, was unfortunately not there to provide protection from the rain, but her legacy and that of countless coaches, volunteers, parents and athletes ensured that the decades long tradition continues.
Monument Mountain Principal Christopher Barnes addressed the crowd and noted that the Special Olympics movement allows people with disabilities to "participate in sports, build confidence, develop leadership ability and foster a sense of inclusion and belonging within their communities."
"Like many of you, I am a parent of a child with disabilities, and he is here today to compete," Barnes said. "Also like many of you, Special Olympics has had a direct and positive impact on myself, my family and our community. I want to thank you all for your part in putting this event together, and I want to thank all the athletes for their courage and participation."
One of people who helped put Wednesday's event together, Berkshire Hills Regional School District Special Education Director Kate Burdsall, served as the emcee for program, directing teams of athletes to rotate through event venues, getting the banner parade of athletes going around the track and introducing speakers for various awards bestowed during the opening ceremony.
"The Special Olympics has me riding high for the first two weeks of May every year," Burdsall said in a news release for the competition. "It fills my heart."
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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.
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