The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College will present Jacob's Pillow Dance director Pamela Tatge in a talk about the Pillow's new direction at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield on Saturday, April 29 (see item below). Photo: Hayim Heron

Bits & Bytes: Rx Round Up; Arbor Day Fest; Tatge to discuss Jacob’s Pillow; Jesse Harris in Egremont; winter clothing drive

The Pillow recently announced the receipt of a $100,000 grant to expand and create new programs engaging local Berkshire County residents, organizations, and businesses.

Pamela Tatge to discuss new directions for Jacob’s Pillow

Pittsfield — On Saturday, April 29, at 2 p.m. at the Berkshire Museum, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College will present “New Directions for Jacob’s Pillow,” a talk by Jacob’s Pillow Dance director Pamela Tatge.

The Pillow recently announced the receipt of a $100,000 grant to expand and create new programs engaging local Berkshire County residents, organizations, and businesses. The funding will also allow the Pillow to plan and implement dance field convenings in 2017 and 2018, offering new and necessary resources to the larger arts community. These new initiatives and more will be discussed.

Tatge is responsible for setting the artistic vision and strategic goals for the Pillow’s programming, education, preservation, audience engagement, residency programming and artist support, collaborative programming, fundraising and more. For nearly 17 years, she served as the director of the Wesleyan University Center for the Arts in Middletown, Connecticut,. Initiatives that were launched and developed during her tenure include the Creative Campus Initiative, integrating arts into non-arts areas of the curriculum; the Green Street Center for Teaching and Learning; Feet to the Fire, examining environmental sustainability through an arts lens; and the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance, the first-ever Master’s degree in Performance Curation.

Tickets are $10 for OLLI and Berkshire Museum members and $15 for the general public. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact OLLI at (413) 236-2190 or olli@berkshirecc.edu.

–E.E.

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Berkshire County Rx Round Up

Berkshire County — Community coalitions from across the county have joined forces to host an Rx Round Up at the North Adams Police Department, 510 North St. in Pittsfield and the Lenox Police Department on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Anyone with unused, unwanted and expired prescription, over-the-counter and controlled medications may stop by to dispose of them safely. Personal needles will also be accepted in puncture-proof plastic containers. The process of dropping off medication is anonymous, takes only a minute and is better for the environment.

There are 12 drop off boxes across the county that may be used at any time for unwanted, unused or expired medications. They are located inside police stations in Pittsfield, Adams, Dalton, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, North Adams, Sheffield, Williamstown, Otis and Stockbridge.

The 2017 prescription Rx Round Up is a continuation of year-round efforts by the Berkshire County district attorney’s office and several community partners to curb prescription drug abuse. Prescription drop boxes are an easy and accessible way to safely dispose of unused medication throughout the year. It is essential that disposal of unwanted drugs is continuous, and that they are not saved for collection days, as this can increase the risk of inappropriate use.

Because the aim is to collect prescription medications, the round-up locations cannot accept thermometers, IV bags, blood or infectious waste, nebulizers or oxygen tanks.

For more information about the Rx Round Up or continued drug disposal-related efforts, contact area representatives: Wendy Penner for north Berkshire at wpenner@nbccoalition.org; Nataly Garzon for central Berkshire at ngarzon@berkshireunitedway.org; and Jayne Smith for south Berkshire at jayne@rsyp.org. For more information about the Berkshire Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative, contact Jennifer Kimball at jkimball@berkshireplanning.org.

–E.E.

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Tamarack Hollow to present Arbor Day Fest

Trio Candela
Trio Candela

Adams — Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center will hold and Arbor Day Fest on Saturday April 29, at 6 p.m. at the Polish National Alliance.

The family-friendly event will feature Trio Candela with members of Sifer; C.J. Field, Tom Corrigan, Chris Samson and Josh Pisano; drumming with the Berkshire Rhythm Keepers and Youth Center Inc.; tree exhibits and activities and a boreal forest slideshow with Tamarack Hollow director Aimee Gelinas; tree yoga demonstrations with Mary Parkman and guests; a nature and tree craft marketplace; locally sourced food with Ooma Tesoro’s; and edible tree snacks. The event will also include a mini silent auction with Canyon Ranch, ARh Lab Tattoo, art by Josh Pisano, Gaia Roots, Relishing the Jams with Janet, Berkshire Pulse and more.

There is a suggested donation of $5 to $20. Youth ages 12 and under will be admitted free. All event proceeds will support Tamarack Hollow. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact aimee@gaiaroots.com.

–E.E.

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The Barn at the Egremont Village Inn to welcome singer/songwriter Jesse Harris

Jesse Harris. Photo: Martine Langatta
Jesse Harris. Photo: Martine Langatta

South Egremont — The Barn at the Egremont Village Inn will welcome singer/songwriter Jesse Harris Saturday, April 29 at 8 p.m.

Originally from New York City, Harris is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer who has been making records since the mid-1990s when he started in the group Once Blue. Combining folk, jazz and pop, the group defined a direction for Harris. In 2003 Harris received a Grammy Award for Song of the Year for Norah Jones’ breakout hit “Don’t Know Why.” Since then, Harris has released 13 albums as a solo artist, including many with his former backing band the Ferdinandos and one all-instrumental recording. His latest album, “Music For Chameleons,” was released in March.

Tickets are $25. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Barn at (413) 528-9580.

–E.E.

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Berkshire County Arc holds winter clothing drive

Pittsfield — Berkshire County Arc is accepting gently used coats, scarves, hats and mittens, as well as winter clothing items that have been knitted or crocheted, through Wednesday, May 31. Drop-off locations are at BCArc’s community apartments at 189 First St., the residential facility at 288 Pecks Rd., and BCArc’s main office at 395 South St.

The agency will hold a second winter clothing drive in the fall, at which time all donated items will be distributed to various community organizations. For more information, contact Rhodora at (413) 499-4241 x255.

–E.E.