Sheffield celebrates Arbor Day, Tree City USA designation
Sheffield — Volunteers from the Sheffield Tree Project gathered Saturday for their annual Arbor Day planting and proclamation as well as a celebration of the recent news that Sheffield has been awarded Tree City USA status by the Arbor Day Foundation for the seventh year in a row.
This year’s event was held Saturday, April 29, at Our Lady of the Valley Cemetery on Salisbury Road and saw 15 volunteers install seven Winter King hawthorn trees along the road frontage. The native trees were selected for their flowers, fall color, disease resistance and edible fruit.
A program of the Sheffield Land Trust, the Sheffield Tree Project has planted more than 175 trees in public areas of Sheffield since its first Community Planting Day in 1997.
–E.E.
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‘Dialogue Through the Lens’ photography exhibit
Lenox — On Monday, May 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Charles Flint Fine Art & Antiques Gallery, the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires will present “Dialogue Through the Lens,” a photography exhibition and public reception featuring the works of 30 Israeli Arab and Jewish photographers depicting life and coexistence in the Afula-Gilboa region of northern Israel. Four of the photographers will be on hand to speak about their experiences and life in the region.
The photographers are part of a multicultural photography club that is part of Marching Together to a Shared Future, an Israeli nonprofit organization that works to provide opportunities for Jews and Arabs to meet and express their common goal for a democratic state that works to advance and develop the country for the benefit of all its citizens. Organization co-founder Yakkov Yonishm will also speak at the reception.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires at (413) 442-4360 x10.
–E.E.
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Talora, Ramsay to present ‘A Concert for Krista’
Cheshire — Musical duo Samantha Talora and Ron Ramsay will present “A Concert for Krista” on Saturday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cheshire Elementary School.
Drury High School teacher Krista Pinsonneault was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s lymphoma in July of 2014. In the last three years, Pinsonneault has undergone chemotherapy, radiation, and trial-drug treatments followed by a brief remission and will soon endure a stem cell transplant involving a 30-day hospital stay with 60 additional days of monitoring.
There is a suggested donation of $20. The event will also include a 50/50 raffle and bake sale, with all proceeds going directly to the Krista Pinsonneault Fund. Tickets and more information are available at the Daily Grind in Adams and from (413) 212-4459 or info@samandron.com.
–E.E.
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Hotchkiss to offer Renaissance, Baroque choral concert
Lakeville, Conn. — The Hotchkiss Chorus will present its annual spring concert on Sunday, May 7, at 7 p.m. in the chapel at the Hotchkiss School. The concert of Renaissance and Baroque choral music from Italy will feature Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and include shorter works by Palestrina, Rossi, Viadana, Caccini and Alessandro Scarlatti.
The chorus is directed by Jack Brown, who also teaches at Bard College at Simon’s Rock and is the artistic director of Berkshire Lyric. In addition to singing in Italian and Latin, the chorus will be performing a sacred work in Hebrew by the Jewish Renaissance composer Salomone Rossi. Three Hotchkiss flutists will perform a work by noted Renaissance composer Francesca Caccini, scored for three flutes and women’s voices.
The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call (860) 435-4423.
–E.E.
