North Adams Council On Aging Elder Law Presentation

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Local seniors can learn about Elder Law issues at a free event hosted by the North Adams Council on Aging on May 13, 2026 beginning at 10AM at the Mary Spitzer Center.
 
The event is part of the statewide Elder Law Education Program presented by the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA). It corresponds with the publication of the revised and expanded "2026 Elder Law Education Guide," the 17th edition of the resource guide, which is available at the Mary Spitzer Center and online at the MBA's companion website, www.massbar.org/elderlaw
 
Among the topics discussed at in-person and virtual events throughout the commonwealth this year are Veteran Affairs Financial Benefits, how to protect your home and assets, power of attorney and health care proxies, reverse mortgages, Homestead and Life Estates, Medicare/Medicaid changes, and alternatives to nursing home care.
 
The Elder Law Education Program matches attorneys from the MBA and the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) with more than 70 councils on aging or senior centers throughout the state to make free presentations about the law.
 
Volunteer attorneys have participated in the Elder Law Education Program since 1987. Past topics have touched on the Homestead Act, estate planning and long-term health insurance. The program is presented with the generous assistance and continued collaboration of the Massachusetts Chapter of NAELA.
 
For more information about the event at the Mary Spitzer Center presentation on May 13, 2026, contact Pat Lescarbeau at 413-662-3125 or email spitzercntr4@yahoo.com
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Eagle Street Shop Peddles in the Unique and the Utilitarian

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Kitchenware, historic prints, spiritual accessories, local makers, books, artwork and a range of tchochtkes from around the world.
 
Jared Shockcor's little shop on Eagle Street offers new and thrifted wares from the utilitarian to the unique. 
 
The software engineer's turned the former Hearts Pace Tea Lounge into Mastic, fulfilling a dream of doing something different.
 
"I've always liked retail, particularly like finding weird and unusual things. So last year I became gainfully unemployed and so I decided to try it," he said.
 
He chose to name his shop Mastic after tree resin, an old form of chewing gum. 
 
"It's a tree resin. It's used in cooking. It's a flavoring ingredient, and a lot of Greek cooking, or some Greek cooking particularly, and it's also used in esoterica as an incense. So it seems like a kind of, it was kind of crossing the things that I do," Shockcor said.
 
He felt the name fit because it bridges the two worlds he loves and stocks in the shop: kitchen items and unique items, so it reflects the blend of themes in his store. 
 
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