Kenver, Ltd. will hold an open house on Thursday, Nov. 4 from 4-6 p.m. The public is invited to meet the shop’s new owners while enjoying light refreshments. Illustration courtesy Kenver
SOUTH EGREMONT — On August 31, longtime South Egremont sportswear boutique and outdoor retail hub Kenver, Ltd. was sold to OvareVentures, which is headquartered in Glendale, California.
On Thursday, Nov. 4 from 4-6 p.m., the public is invited to meet Kenver’s new owners at an Open House. The South Egremont Spirit Shoppe will supply the beer and cheese, and Rubiner’s Cheesemongers & Grocers will bring the charcuterie.
Founded in 1959 by the late sportsman and skier Ken Vermeulen, Kenver specializes in best-in-category sports equipment, including skis, bikes, snowboards, and ice skates. Kenver also sells seasonal designer sporting apparel and footwear, and features a dedicated bootery cellar with fitting specialists as well as a curated collection of artisan wares and home accessories.
Kenver’s historic building at 39 Main Street was built in 1731 as a stagecoach stop, and it maintains its ambiance with fireplaces and antiques. Kenver has twice been named “Best of New England” in the Ski, Snowboard and Cross-Country Shop Awards presented by New England Winter Sports Representatives, Inc.
—A.K.
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PS21 welcomes four new board members
CHATHAM, N.Y. — PS21 has welcomed Judith Albert, Sarah Chalfant, Louis Hedgecock, and Leslie Lassiter to its board of directors. Distinguished professionals in the fields of architecture, finance, law, and literary agency, they all share PS21’s commitment to expanding the audiences for original contemporary performing arts and artists in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Judith Albert is board chair of Cornerstone Capital Group, which develops and manages investment strategies whose goals are to combine environmental and social impact with financial performance. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School who has studied and worked in Latin America, her career has taken her from the Ford Foundation to corporate law at Paul Weiss, investment banking at JP Morgan and Bear Stearns, and Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a community of business leaders who promote sound environmental policy to grow the economy. Albert serves on the boards of Inside Climate News and the North Chatham Library and is on the finance committee of the Latin American Studies Association. Since 2015, she has taught a course in Corporate Social Responsibility at The New School.
Sarah Chalfant is a director and board member of The Wylie Agency, a global literary agency with offices in London and New York. Educated at the University of Cambridge, she divides her time between the U.K. and the U.S. and has a home in Livingston, New York.
A native of Texas, Louis Hedgecock graduated from Rice University with a BA in architecture, art, and English and received an M.Arch. from Columbia. A practicing architect for more than 40 years, he has designed hotels and office buildings in New York, Asia, and elsewhere, was managing partner for BBG-BBGM, and director of hospitality for HOK Architects. Hedgecock and his late husband Jerry Croghan began spending weekends in Columbia County in 1982; 10 years later, they bought a house in Spencertown, which is now his principal residence. A trained pianist and vocalist, Hedgecock’s deep interest in contemporary classical music aligns with PS21’s commitment to this body of work.
Leslie Lassiter, who recently retired as managing director head of the Entertainment Practice at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Los Angeles, had a career spanning more than 40 years in leadership positions in investment and private banking with Chase Manhattan and J.P. Morgan, which she joined in 2000. She earned a BA in economics from Scripps College and an MBA from the University of Chicago, and served on the Scripps Board of Trustees for 15 years. Lassiter has also been a board member of the United Way of Los Angeles, The Ojai Music Festival, and River LA, and is the chair of the board of directors of The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. She first discovered Columbia County more than 20 years ago and made a second home in Hillsdale in 2004.
—A.K.
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Salisbury Bank to hold 14th annual Fill-the-basket food drive
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — As part of its ongoing commitment to helping local food pantries feed those in need, Salisbury Bank has announced its 14th annual Fill-the-Basket food drive.
Starting November 1, all 14 branches of the Bank — located in Berkshire, Litchfield, Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties — will be collecting donations of non-perishable food items and household supplies. Cash donations will also be accepted. All donated items, as well as the monetary contributions collected, will go directly to local food pantries serving each area.
Local pantries are in need of a variety of items, including but not limited to: canned goods, cereals, macaroni and cheese, cake mix, peanut butter, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and tomato sauce. Household necessities such as paper towels, diapers, shampoo, and soap are also appreciated.
The Fill-the-basket food drive will run from November 1–December 17, 2021.
—A.K.
