Final Knox Trail Programs in Monterey

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MONTEREY, Mass. — Join the Monterey Historical Society, Monterey Library and the Bidwell House Museum to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Henry Knox's Noble Trail of Artillery through the Southern Berkshires.
 
Beginning in December of 1775 from Fort Ticonderoga in New York, twenty five year old Henry Knox led an expedition to move 60 tons of captured British artillery to the Continental army in Boston in order to force the British to evacuate the city. Knox's journey took three months and came through the Berkshires in January of 1776, during the depths of winter, using little more than ox and horse-drawn sledges and manpower.
 
On Thursday April 16th at 7 p.m., you can attend the final talk in this series about the Knox Trail where Tom Ragusa will discuss how he has traced and marked the route of the old road for 8 miles, and his effort to list the road on the National Register. 
 
This is the longest undisturbed stretch of the historic road in Western Massachusetts. Tom Ragusa has spent almost twenty years researching and documenting the location of the old "Great Road" road through Sandisfield and Otis. This road was used by Henry Knox and countless others through "The Greenwoods." 
 
He retired from Mass. DCR after 42 years, is a long-term member of the Otis Historical Commission, and is one of the authors of the upcoming book, Ye Trodden Path. This talk will be held at the Monterey Library and will also be available to watch on Zoom. To register, head to the Bidwell House Museum website: https://www.bidwellhousemuseum.org/event/ye-trodden-path-2/
 
The exhibit and programs are sponsored in part by grants from Housatonic Heritage and the Friends of the Monterey Library.  Both programs are free and open to the public. Parking for the Monterey Library is limited and visitors can also park in the public lot behind the Monterey Town Hall. 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Greenagers Founder Will Conklin Honored as Business Person of the Year

By Breanna Steele

Casey Pease of state Sen. Paul Mark's office presents William Conklin, right, with a state Senate proclamation.
EGREMONT, Mass. — The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce honored a local businessman and nonprofit leader on Sept. 24 at Catamount Mountain Resort.
 
William Conklin was this year's Business Person of the Year, recognizing his work as founder and executive director of Greenagers, a nonprofit that helps youth and children engage in work in environmental conservation, sustainable farming, natural resource management, and vocational skills building. 
 
Conklin and his family also run Sky View Farm and he is a managing partner of Konkapot Tree and Timber, a small-scale forest products business.
 
"If you spent any amount of time in Southern Berkshire, chances are you've heard his name, whether you realize the connection at the time or not," said board member Sierra King Watson, who emceed the event. "You might be having a conversation about farming, a new barn or structure that was built, students learning hands-on skills in sustainable agriculture, or a family that receives donated firewood to help keep their home warm through a cold Berkshire winter, or maybe you're simply talking about one of those community leaders who somehow manages to show up, support everyone, and seemingly be everywhere all at once.
 
"Well, one name has a way of continuously popping up, and that is Will Conklin."
 
Board President Mark Rulison said the region has more than 1,200 nonprofits. One in four jobs in the county is in the nonprofit sector, which ranks 27th nationally for nonprofit employment. He said the economic impact on the community is huge, thanking those who help.
 
For the event on Thursday, Conklin requested that as much of the food as possible was sourced locally. Most of it came from Greenagers, Sky View Farm, Indian Line Farm and Fancy Feast Supper Club, creative dinner series. 
 
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