Children at play at the YWCA of Ulster County in Kingston. Last March, at the beginning of the quarantine, the YWCA of Ulster County hoped to stay open and promised to continue their programs and services to the community for as long as they could. They kept that promise and never closed, but unfortunately many people who were now working from home didn t need their early childhood programs. Lack of attendance seriously impacted the YWCA s bottom line. It was an enormous financial hit, with the programs being reduced by 75 percent, says Susan Mack, executive director of the YWCA of Ulster County.
Photos by Bill Wright Railroad Street is a neat thoroughfare off Main Street that houses a number of restaurants and retail businesses like Baba Louie’s Sourdough Pizza and Karen Allen Fiber Arts. This year here, there, and everywhere was really, really bad, but in Great Barrington a surprising sentiment endures: optimism. We want the Berkshires to remain the Berkshires, says Betsy Andrus, executive director of the Southern Berkshires Chamber of Commerce. The key thing now is getting people to understand that shopping local isn t just a phrase. It s hugely important. You need to invest, eat, shop, and donate if you want to keep the character of your community intact.
Quality CBD from Seed to Sale Last Updated: 01/06/2021 11:23 am After the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp-derived CBD, THC s little sibling had a major glow-up. Walk into a natural foods market or even a well-stocked home goods store today and you ll find a dizzying array of CBD tinctures, oils, gummies, softgels, lotions, and salves. Since CBD (short for cannabidiol) isn t psychoactive like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the Farm Bill made growing cannabis legal as long as it contains less than 0.3 percent of THC (which then classifies the plant as hemp). But with almost no other regulations in place, the CBD market has become a bit like the Wild West.