Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, the heart of ten small towns, is a New England village located on the scenic and historic Mohawk Trail in the Berkshire foothills.

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Business Profiles

New Member Profile: Erik Doty of AspenCross Financial Group

Erik Doty, a Senior Associate with AspenCross Financial Group, a financial advisoryand investment management firm, and member of the John Hancock Financial Network, focuses his practice on helping individuals, families and business owners implement time-tested strategies and innovative solutions to address their unique financial goals, including:

• Accumulating the necessary resources for the retirement lifestyle they envision
• Ensuring their retirement income lasts as long as they do
• Funding their children’s/grandchildren’s college education
• Protecting their assets against escalating health care costs
• Leaving a legacy behind for the people they care most about
• Keeping a family business in the family

BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY:
A former performance management instructor and executive life coach, Erik knows that having a strategy in place to achieve ones goals and prepare for life’s challenges can help ensure personal happiness and financial peace of mind. As such, he works closely with his clients to gain a thorough picture of his clients’ personal financial goals, helping them set priorities and tailoring
specific strategies and financial programs to their unique financial needs and circumstances. Recognizing the need for a well-balanced financial strategy, Erik works in concert with his clients’ legal and tax advisors to help facilitate flexible solutions
that will adjust as individual, family and/or business needs change.

A strong believer in the benefits of financial education, Erik offers workshops and seminars on a number of financial topics for employee groups, clubs, and organizations in the community.

Credentials:
• Massachusetts Life, Accident & Health Licensed
• FINRA Series 6 & 63 ,Securities Registered
• Masters of Arts in Management, Webster University
• Bachelor of Science, Ithaca College
• Veteran: US Marine Corps / Naval Aviator

New Member Profile: David Arfa

David Arfa continues the millennia-old Jewish tradition of educational storytelling to address modern environmental issues.

Religion, education, and career all converged in David Arfa’s life to make him aware of his calling as a Maggid (Mah-geed; storyteller) a Jewish educator with a love of story. David’s specialty in Jewish environmental education explores the sense of wonder and interconnectedness of all life that lies at the heart of Judaism’s mystical tradition. Over 20 years ago he earned bachelor’s degrees in ecology and environmental policy at Michigan State University, and then engaged in a year of classical study of Jewish texts in Jerusalem. During this year, he became aware of the “continuing conversation” about the environment in Jewish holidays, blessings, texts, and prayer services.

David’s learning deepened when he earned a M. S. in Environmental Education at Lesley University’s Audubon Expedition Institute, which involved traveling across the country, visiting a variety of communities and landscapes, and learning about regional environmental issues. Through his travels and his early work with two national Jewish environmental organizations, Shomrei Adamah (Keepers of the Earth) and the Shalom Center’s Eco-Shalom Corps, David discovered that there are spiritual dimensions to our environmental crisis. In addition, he met networks of people who are actively exploring and sharing religious teachings that help reconnect us to each other and the land.

In the mid 1990’s, he studied storytelling at Greenfield Community College which enabled him to bring both environmental and storytelling programs to UMass Hillel Jewish Student Union. During that time, he was invited to tell stories at the National Yiddish Book Center and his professional storytelling career was launched.

David now travels throughout America and the world giving performances, workshops, and teacher trainings that allow participants to explore story images, the natural world, traditional texts, and contemporary life. His performances often take place at prayer services, family programs, and interfaith events. He particularly enjoys telling stories to children, since stories put generations in communion with each other and their shared past. As a “Shretelech guide” David imbues nature with a renewed sense of wonder. He explains that the Shretelech are magical little people from Yiddish fairy tales, and they traveled to America with other immigrants to live in our forests. For some reason, children seem to spot the Shretelech easier than adults

David has produced a CD of stories titled, The Birth of Love: Tales for the Days of Awe. This CD is filled with stories first told at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; high holy-day prayer services. These stories are filled with ancient Jewish mythology, medieval mystical tales, and old world Yiddish tales set here in the Berkshire foothills. David’s performance The Jar of Tears is the story of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapiro, the Rabbi of the Warsaw Ghetto. The Rabbi wrote of his spiritual struggles while in the ghetto and buried his writings; they were eventually found by a construction worker in the mid 1950’s. David’s performance imagines these sermons as personal letters to God. This performance won the Charles Hildebrandt Holocaust Studies Award in honor of its artistic excellence and depth of vision. Currently David is working on a lighter CD called Herschel of Ostropol: The Greatest Prankster Ever To Live.

David and his wife Kim moved to Shelburne Falls in 1996. Kim was studying landscape architecture at UMass Amherst at the time, and David would visit her from Philadelphia. They both fell in love with the region, with its cozy villages, busy campuses, and rich spiritual life. About living in Shelburne Falls, David says, “It’s a gift.”

David Arfa
16 Wilde Road.
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Phone: (413) 625-2164
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://www.filbert.com/pvfs/arfa/default.htm

New Member Profile: Carrie Ledoyt of Your Personal Best Fitness Training

Carrie Ledoyt offers one-on-one fitness training that is tailored for individual needs.

Carrie Ledoyt started Your Personal Best Fitness Training a year ago to give her community a more personalized fitness experience. She previously worked as a personal trainer and manager of Ladies Workout Express in Shelburne Falls, so she brings that expertise and connection with the community into her new business. In fact, she has served some clients for seven years straight, demonstrating her commitment to the continued betterment of individuals.

Carrie moved from Greenfield to Shelburne Falls seven years ago, since she fell in love with the people and “down-to-earth” atmosphere of the village. Her passion for fitness has been evident throughout her life; she has always played sports, and she is currently majoring in kinesiology. In addition, she studied exercise science and served as an EMT. Her concern with others’ health as an EMT carried over into her fitness training. She works in fitness because she finds fulfillment in helping others feel better about their health and themselves.

At Your Personal Best Fitness Training, Carrie offers one-on-one attention to each of her clients, even working with them in their homes when that is most convenient for them. She uses Swiss balls, BOSU, free weights, kettlebells, and other tools to create individualized workout plans. With experience gained from the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Carrie ensures that her clients improve both their health and their self-image.

Your Personal Best Fitness Training

100 Bridge Street
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370

Phone: (413) 522-3716

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

New Member Profile: Rick Feldman of Ostberg & Associates

As a Financial Services Professional at Ostberg & Associates, Rick Feldman uses his expertise for the betterment of individuals, organizations, and communities.

In serving the communities around him, Rick Feldman draws from years of experience as both a volunteer and a leader. He is the past president of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Northampton Center for the Arts, and Support Our Schools. In the business world, he founded, owned, and sold two information technology businesses. The first produced high-end economic software and offered consulting in regional economic analysis, and the second worked in computer and system networking for government and nonprofit organizations.

Rick’s expertise in financial services also benefits from his experience in education. He completed graduate studies in adult education and counseling, public administration and public finance, quantitative analysis, and political philosophy. During his time at UMass Amherst’s School of Education, he participated in the team that created the University Without Walls program. Moreover, he taught in the Master’s for Public Administration program.

Rick eventually chose to focus his talents on financing. His high-level work in economics sometimes felt distanced from the concrete conditions of communities, so he began working in financing to gain a “street-level” view of individuals’ economic situations. With his experience in both economics and financing, he is uniquely capable to connect the macro and micro forces that impact communities. He is particularly focused on socially responsible investing, since he seeks to relate his work to the social issues of the communities around him.

Rick joined Ostberg & Associates in 2008. He originally consulted for the firm, but he loved it so much that he decided to join. He now employs his organizational management skills in furthering the firm’s mission to help people plan on how they can contribute to their community. Most recently, he has been invited to be a registered Associate Financial Advisor with Eagle Strategies, LLC., the Registered Investment Advisory through which Ostberg and Associates reports. Eagle Strategies LLC. is a subsidiary of New York Life.

Ostberg & Associates Financial Services and Insurance
351 Pleasant Street – Unit C
Northampton, MA 01060
Phone: (413) 586-6725
Fax: (413) 585-9564
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.OstbergAssociates.com

New Member Profile: Brolin Winning, Smoky Bro's BBQ

Smoky Bro’s BBQ offers meats that are slow-smoked with Western Massachusetts apple wood.

Smoky Bro’s BBQ evolved from a summer project into a delicious local business. In the summer of 2010, Brolin Winning and his friend, a professional welder, built a smoker from scratch based on Brolin’s designs. First used in the Cummington Fair, the smoker is the creative center of Smoky Bro’s, which offers slow-cooked meats and homemade sides.

Before moving to Shelburne Falls, Brolin lived in California for eleven years. While working for internet music companies, he kept his love of cooking alive by catering on the side. He had always loved eating good barbeque – not abundant in San Francisco – so he bought a smoker from The Home Depot and began experimenting with sauces and spice rubs. Sharpening his culinary skills allowed Brolin to shift from the music industry to the barbeque business. Explaining his change in vocation, he says, “You can’t download a rib for free on the Internet!”

Brolin is particularly proud of the large pork spare ribs he serves. The pulled pork, chopped chicken, and kielbasa get raves from customers, too. As for sides, the cole slaw is the “super outstanding” customer favorite, since it’s Brolin’s secret recipe. Homemade potato salad and spicy beans make more tasty complements to the main courses. Brolin plans further experimentation and menu expansion, including lamb.

The best part of the business, according to Brolin, is simply making people happy. It’s an effective way to bring people together and make new friends over a hot meal. Customers and other event vendors notice the friendly atmosphere of Smoky Bro’s, making the business an exciting new find. Even visitors from the South, the capital of barbeque, compliment Brolin’s cooking, which makes Smoky Bro’s a must-eat for slow-smoked barbeque from scratch.

72 Main Street
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Phone: (413) 489-1515
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://www.smokybrosbbq.com/

New Member Profile: Jim Wallace, Cheese Consultant

Jim Wallace Travels The World Searching For The History And Science Behind The Best Cheeses

Jim Wallace’s career has transformed over time, appropriately, as milk transforms into fine cheese. After studying pre-med, he taught environmental biology at a high school in Niagara Falls. His fascination with the environment lent itself to travel and photography, in which he worked for over 25 years taking and selling photographs from both civilization and the wilderness (http://www.loganandwallace.com/). Through his travels, he became interested in traditional beer-brewing in the United Kingdom and Belgium, where traditional cheese-making thrives partly due to its connection with beer. In the private cheese industry, Jim found that his skills and interests converged; the microbiology from pre-med, the instructing from high school, and the travel and attention to history from photography all contributed to developing and teaching his craft of cheese-making.

Now, Jim’s workshop in Shelburne Falls is one of the very few places in the United States of America that focuses on old-fashioned methods over large-scale industry. He has been crafting cheeses full-time for about ten years, experimenting with the process, consulting for other artisans, and teaching workshops. To hone his craft, he has continued to travel throughout Europe searching for new methods. For example, last September, he investigated how cheese is made above 8000 feet in the mountains of France, Italy, and Switzerland. Next September, he plans on visiting the Auvergne Mountains in France. Because the final product can change drastically due to minor changes in the process, Jim is always learning.

Those interested in cheese-making can learn the lessons of Jim’s labor in the eight workshops he offers per year. Artisans from places like Tunisia, Tibet, India, and Mexico have visited his workshops, trading their knowledge of the craft for his. Like any teacher, he learns from his students and colleagues. Jim also contributes recipes to http://www.cheesemaking.com/. Visit the website or his workshops to partake in a delicious tradition that spans continents.

11 High Street
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Phone: (413) 625-2494
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Blog: http://cheesetravels.blogspot.com/

New Member Profile: Pages Coffee Bar and Used Bookstore

Pages Coffee Bar and Used Bookstore provides a cozy gathering place for the whole community.

Started by Laurie Vondung and Kate Eugin-Moore on August 1, 2009, Pages Coffee Bar and Used Bookstore is grounded in tradition. The name “Pages” serves as a pun that honors Laurie’s mother, whose nickname was Paige. Also, the business sits in a former Masonic lodge from 1897. With all this tradition behind it, Pages is establishing itself as daily tradition for its growing fan-base.

Part of the appeal stems from Pages’ support of local businesses. It brews coffee from only local, organic, fair-trade beans. In a region of great coffee, Laurie and Kate swear by Indigo Coffee of Northampton, the provider of the beans. The tea is local as well; one variety of loose leaf herbal tea comes from Goldthread Herb Farm & Apothecary of Conway. If customers crave food with their coffee or tea, they can order from a selection that includes home-made chicken tortellini soup, which has been receiving rave reviews since its appearance on the menu.

With their appetites satisfied, customers can get comfortable with a good book. Pages offers fifteen to twenty thousand books from the Raven book dealer, who has locations in Cambridge and Boston.

Laurie and Kate hope to make Pages even more of a hotspot for gathering and comfort. The lounge is currently equipped with Wi-Fi, and the owners would like to install a big-screen TV for sports games and other events that unite the community.

98 Main Street

Conway, MA 01341
Phone: 413-369-0244
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Website: http://www.pagescoffeebar.com/

New Member Profile: Chris Macek

Creating web-based systems for the well-being of communities around the globe.

At the age of fourteen, Chris Macek had a moment of realization. Bringing in the mail at his Duxbury home in 1979, he saw the first computer available for the public in a Radio Shack catalogue, and he immediately knew he wanted it. He began experimenting in computer programming on the primitive machine, and he has continued that work into the present.

Chris graduated from Middlebury College in 1987 with a degree in Math and Computer Science. After college, he worked first as a programmer and then as a secondary school teacher for six years, with a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. However, he left the field of education to become a computer consultant.

Relyon Media evolved from Chris’s time as a consultant. About twelve years ago, he started hiring people to help with the increasing workload, and the growing group became Relyon Media. The business currently employs six full-time and three part-time workers in Shelburne Falls, with another four full-time telecommuters. They work as subcontractors to organizations and the federal government, developing sustainable, web-based solutions for the well-being of people and a healthy environment. For example, the business has worked on projects for the National Homelessness Resource Center and the Franciscan Hospital for Children.

Chris is particularly proud of the work they are doing for the United Kingdom's Department for International Development to develop a system that tracks the overhaul of Nigerian Health Care. The system gauges whether the project is meeting its goals, such as the reduction of child mortality rates. By designing and implementing such systems, Relyon Media works for better technology in a better world.

Relyon Media, LLC
31 Bridge Street
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
Phone: 413-625-6009
Fax: 413-691-0001
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Website: http://relyonmedia.com/

New Member Profile - Jeff Grader

Local artist Jeff Grader with his first published book, Change

(9/13/2010) "Like Neil Gaiman meets The Little Prince"

New Member Profile: Zoar Books and Gallery

Zoar Books and Gallery is located in the woods by the Deerfield River

(7/13/2010) Dale Bulmer of Zoar Books & Gallery has been in business in Charlemont since 2003.

New Member Profile: Bonnie Losick

Bonnie Losick: "It's only too late if you don't start now!"

(6/15/2010) That's what bookkeeper Bonnie Losick said to herself when she went out on her own seven years ago. She has no regrets.

New Member Profile: Waugh Agency LLC

Waugh Agency provides affordable Health Insurance for individuals and businesses

(4/14/2010) Waugh Agency, LLC, based in Easthampton, recently joined the Shelburne Falls Area Business Association. Matt Waugh, the owner, says he really likes the town of Shelburne Falls and sees great business opportunities in the area.

New Member Profile: Jean Gran

Jean Gran helps individuals and couples heal their relationship with money

(2/23/2010) "We're not educated about money as kids, and as adults we’re not supposed to talk about it!" As a result, many people caught in this “catch-22” struggle with financial problems in shame and isolation.

New Member Profile: A Colorful Affair

A Unique Artistic Partnership - Nancy Katz and Mark Liebowitz

(12/15/09) Nancy Katz grew up in Worcester, and spent twenty five years in California. She moved back east to be close to her parents. Katz has been painting on silk for fifteen years, creating her own work

New Member Profile: SF Booksellers

From a John Updike novel to a 19th century hand-colored print

(11/27/09) The three founders of Shelburne Falls Booksellers joined forces to fill the gap left by the closing of several independent bookshops in our area.

New Member Profile: Pam Walker

Walker Career Coaching - Helping people find the work they truly want

(11/13/09) Pam Walker’s approach to career counseling is holistic. She works through different phases of a career or job change with her clients, beginning with assisting them in envisioning their ideal life, clarifying the client's dreams, values, skills and interests, then moving on to setting goals, and creating a road map for the job search journey. Walker gives guidance on researching professions, careers and organizations to help each client focus their individual search.

New Member Profile: Kathy Puckett

Speech-Language Pathologist Addresses Communication Problems

(10/14/09) As a speech-language pathologist, Puckett works with children and adults to help her clients communicate better.

New Member Profiles: Upstream Advertising and Paint Relief

Creative Energy Combo - Painting and Advertising Design

(10/7/09) The combination of advertising/graphic design and house painting may seem strange to some - but to Diana Hardina, owner of two businesses: Upstream Advertising and Graphics, a full-service advertising agency,
and Paint Relief, a full-service painting company - it's totally natural. "It reflects my sound-body / sound-mind philosophy.

New Member Profile: Hager’s Farm Market

"It's like a permanent Farmers' Market...and More!"

(9/23/09) The new Hager's Farm Market on Rt 2 in Shelburne near Colrain-Shelburne Road, which opened on June 27, 2009, is off to a fast start. Fruit, vegetables, beef, pork, milk, cheese, eggs, preserves, maple products, and home-baked goods are just some of the fresh, reasonably-priced items on sale at the Farm Market.

New Member Profile - Daniel Lieberman

Technology Consultant Wants Everyone to Use Technology for Fun and Profit

(9/8/09) Daniel Lieberman worked as a manager and software developer in Lieberman's Gallery, a successful family-owned business for many years. "I was building applications for our small business with microcomputers before there were IBM PCs. I was using the Internet before there was a World Wide Web," he says.

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