Cohen Kinne Valicenti Cook LLP Welcomes Partner

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Cohen Kinne Valicenti Cook LLP announced that Jaan Rannik has joined the firm as a partner, effective January 1, 2026.
 
Rannik is an experienced civil and commercial litigator who handles a range of disputes, including contractual matters, business torts, real estate disputes, intellectual property issues, and construction litigation.  He has obtained more than $20 million in judgments and awards for his clients.
 
Prior to joining Cohen Kinne, Rannik practiced in Charleston, South Carolina, where he was a partner in the boutique commercial litigation firm Epting & Rannik.  Over the past decade, he has successfully tried cases in state and federal courts in South Carolina and handled arbitrations and appeals across the country.
 
"We feel incredibly fortunate to welcome Jaan to the firm," said Kevin Kinne, partner at Cohen Kinne. "Not only because Jaan is an outstanding attorney, but also because he is a wonderful person who will fit in well with our firm culture and in the community.  We are pleased our clients will have the opportunity to work with another first-class litigator and trial attorney."
 
Rannik brings with him an established client base and will also support Cohen Kinne existing clients in complex litigation and trial matters.
 
Before pursuing a legal career, Rannik was a performing classical guitarist.  He met his wife, Lydia Chernicoff, while attending music conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland.  Lydia grew up in the Berkshires, and the couple has long hoped to make the region their home. 
 
"It's a dream to be living and working in the Berkshires.  I'm thrilled to have joined such an outstanding group at Cohen Kinne, who are great human beings in addition to being great professionals, and look forward to our work together to serve our clients."
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Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said. 

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