image description

Mount Everett Tops McCann Tech to Go to 6-1

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
Print Story | Email Story
SHEFFIELD, Mass. – Brady Carpenter recorded a double-double, and James Green played lockdown defense Friday as the Mount Everett boys basketball team beat McCann Tech, 49-33.
 
Carpenter scored 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the Eagles, who bounced back from their first loss of the season and improved to 6-1 this winter.
 
Green drew the defensive assignment on McCann Tech’s Zach Howland, who came in averaging more than 18 points per game but scored just 10 – two in the second half.
 
Mount Everett coach Jowe Warren was happy to get out of the game with Howland scoring just 10.
 
“That’s what we worked on, leading up to this game,” Warren said. “Zach was a kid we were going to look to try to stop, make somebody else beat us. I thought James did a great job.
 
“[Howland] got some space here or there, made some buckets. But he’s going to. Holding to 10, you know, that’s a fantastic night.”
 
Mount Everett’s offense got eight points apiece from Green and Darius Taliaferro. Green also pulled down nine rebounds.
 
The Eagles jumped out to an early double-digit lead, going ahead, 15-4, when Green finished an and-one with 3 minutes, 12 seconds left in the first quarter.
 
McCann Tech answered with back-to-back 3-pointers by Jaxson Pilot and Howalnd to end the first quarter down by just five points, 15-10.
 
Mount Everett then held the Hornets to five points in the second quarter and just four in the third to take a commanding 41-19 lead.
 
For the Hornets, it was a second straight game when they were held to 41 points or fewer.
 
“We’re struggling,” Hornets coach Chris Bullett said. “Our guys aren’t moving on offense. Too many turnovers. So I don’t know if we’re going to have to change the rotation up or figure something out, but you can’t play a team like Mount Everett and play offense like that. Way too stagnant.”
 
Warren said the Eagles wanted to “make someone else” beat them. Bullett agreed that the Hornets have to find offense to complement Howland.
 
“If we’re not going to shoot it, if all the shooters are going to pass on the open shot in the corner and stuff like we did today, they’re going to key on Zach all day,” Bullett said. “And if the other guys aren’t going to step up, it’s going to be a lot of pressure on him, which he’s definitely feeling a little bit.
 
“He took a few bad shots tonight, probably. I think the first three or four games he didn’t take a single bad shot the whole time. You could tell he was feeling the pressure to try to get us some baskets tonight.”
 
The Eagles also had trouble at times with ball security in the half-court offense, but Mount Everett was able to take advantage of enough transition opportunities to build and maintain its double-digit lead throughout.
 
“We’ve got some athleticism and some kids who can score in transition, so if we can get after it on the defensive end – get some turnovers or make them take a bad shot, we can get out and run and get some easy two points here and there,” Warren said. “We’ve had that happen against us in the past, so we’re trying to turn the tables.”
 
Friday’s game marked the third time in seven outings that Mount Everett has held an opponent in the 30s this season.
 
“The boys are definitely hanging their hat on defense and rebounding and trying to keep the game as low-scoring as possible, at least on the defensive end of things,” Warren said. “And they’re buying into it. They’re playing unselfish on the offensive end. A few unforced turnovers tonight hurt us a little bit. Hopefully, we can clean those things up.
 
“But they’re coming into practice, working hard, understanding the game plan and executing during the games.”
 
Mount Everett hosts Libertas Charter on Monday night.
 
McCann Tech (3-2) hosts Smith Vocational on Monday.
 
Photos from this game to come.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

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. 

View Full Story

More South Berkshire Stories