Thursday, October 10, 2024

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

Shaw Israel Izikson

Shaw Israel Izikson is Managing Editor for The Berkshire Edge. Izikson is an award-winning journalist, editor, and photographer from Baltimore, Maryland. He was the winner of the 2015 New England Better Newspaper competition in editorial writing. Izikson is the former editor of The Winsted Journal newspaper from 2014 to 2017. He was also the editor of The Winsted Phoenix from 2019 to 2021, and most recently The Country Journal in late 2021. He has been in the journalism field for over 20 years, starting as a reporter for The Irregular newspaper in Kingfield, Maine. He worked at The Lakeville Journal company for 11 years, working as a reporter at all three newspapers owned by the company before serving as the editor for The Winsted Journal from 2014 to 2017.

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Berkshire Busk! closes second season

“I think people keep coming back to The Berkshire Busk! because everyone keeps having fun,” event founder and co-organizer Eugene Carr said of the event whose season came to a close on Saturday, September 3. “This is a great way to see all of your neighbors and meet with your friends. It’s great that the community comes alive at night here in Great Barrington.”

Housatonic Water Works increased Fredrick and James Mercer’s salaries in 2021

After receiving a letter from the state in August that it was delinquent in filing its annual return for 2021, Housatonic Water Works recently filed their returns, which revealed that company President Frederick Mercer and Treasurer James Mercer both received bumps in their 2021 salaries.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day events in October

The Alliance for a Viable Future will be holding a celebration of Native American culture in the Berkshires from Saturday, October 8 to Monday, October 10 to help people to "move into the future" and "to welcome the original inhabitants of the Berkshires," according to co-organizer of the event Lev Natan.

Vigil in Great Barrington remembers victims of drug overdose

A candlelight vigil for those who have been lost to drug overdose was held at the South County Recovery Center on Wednesday, August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day.

Select Board reviews suitors for former Housatonic School property

The Great Barrington Select Board reviewed from WDM Properties LLC and Arete Venture Partners LLC to redevelop the former Housatonic School that has been vacant since 2003.

JUST IN: 40 years on, DA’s office releases new suspect sketches in cold case disappearance

The District Attorney's Office and State Police have continued to investigate the case, with the focus on a separate attempted abduction that occurred earlier in the night, 13 miles away in Williamstown.

Part-time Stockbridge residents up in arms over possible residential tax exemption

The part-time residents who were interviewed for this story expressed anger about the proposed Residential Tax Exemption, stating it could "damage the culture of Stockbridge in a very unfortunate and bad way."

In public forum District Attorney and Sheriff candidates address issues of racial justice

District Attorney Andrea Harrington and Berkshire County Sheriff Candidate Alf Barbalunga answered questions regarding how they would handle issues involving racial justice at a candidates forum organized by The Berkshire Resources for Integration of Diverse Groups through Education and moderated by CEO and Founding Director Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant.

School district merger committee confronts $150k shortfall

The Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board is facing a $150,000 budgetary shortfall and would be out of money by October 1, as projected by Project Manager Jake Eberwein at the August 23 board meeting.

Elizabeth Freeman comes home: Statue unveiled

A three-day celebration of civil rights icon Elizabeth Freeman culminated in the unveiling of a statue and plaque commemorating Freeman at the Sheffield Town Green on August 21.

Bridge and guardrail repair next week on I-90

Accordingn to a press released issued by MassDOT, bridge and guard rail repairs will be taking place on I-90 in both the eastbound and westbound directions from Monday, August 22 through Friday, August 26.

BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES: Ruby Aver brings Tai Chi expertise from the Netherlands to the Berkshires

Former professional, classical, and contemporary dancer Ruby Avery is bringing her Tai Chi expertise that she developed studying under Master Djie Han Thung in the Netherlands to the Berkshires through classes, which she calls "Moving with Change."

MassDOT Advisory: Guardrail repair and bridge repair operations on I-90 in Lee and Becket

Guardrail repair and bridge repair operations on I-90 in Lee and Becket overnight starting August 8.

Great Barrington Select Board discusses possible school district merger issues

The Great Barrington Select Board discussed possible issues surrounding the proposed merger of the Berkshire Hills and Southern Berkshire regional school districts in its July 25 meeting, including the possibility of one of the eight towns in the district voting against the merger and how to build an appropriately sized school building for a new school district that would be declining in enrollment.

Regional school planning board hires transportation consultant

At the Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board's Operations Subcommittee virtual meeting on July 14, Project Manager Jake Eberwein said that the board has hired consultant Rich Labrie to put together a report to determine the size of buses and the number of buses needed to make the potential school bus routes available.
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