Arbor Day celebration to be held at Shays’ Rebellion monument
Sheffield — The Sheffield Tree Project will celebrate Arbor Day on Saturday, April 30, at 9 a.m., by planting trees near one of Sheffield’s most famous sites—the Shays’ Rebellion monument on Sheffield-Egremont Rd. The event is free and open to the public.
The monument marks the spot of the last and bloodiest battle of Shays’ Rebellion, a movement led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays to protest state and local tax collections and judgments for debt. The monument, which is listing to one side, will also be set aright, according to Tree Project President Tom Ingersoll. Representatives of the National Park Service and the Sheffield Historical Commission will be present to mark the event, as will be representatives of the Sheffield Land Trust, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Members of the Tree Project will plant six trees, four at the monument and two at the Conservancy’s Hubbard Brook trail kiosk across the road. Volunteers from the public are encouraged to participate in the planting.
For more information, contact the Sheffield Land Trust at (413) 229-0234 or shefland@bcn.net.
–E.E.
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CPA funding presentation
Great Barrington – Town Planner Chris Rembold and the Town of Great Barrington invite Great Barrington residents to familiarize themselves with the proposed Community Preservation Act (CPA) projects on Saturday, April 30, from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the Great Barrington Historical Society’s Truman Wheeler Farmstead Museum. The CPA provides local and state funding for community housing, historic preservation, and open space and recreation projects, and the presentation will introduce the eight projects being recommended for CPA funding at Great Barrington’s annual town meeting next month. For more information, contact Chris Rembold at (413) 528-1619 x7.
–E.E.
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Schantz Galleries reception
Stockbridge – On Friday, April 29, from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m., Schantz Galleries will host a gallery reception in celebration of spring, its newly renovated gallery space, and recent work by artists who work in the medium of glass including Nancy Callan, Daniel Clayman, Dorothy Hafner, Nick Mount, and Martin Rosol. Refreshments will be served. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to kim@schantzgalleries.com or (413) 298-3044.
–E.E.
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Volunteers needed for rain garden maintenance
Pittsfield — The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) is looking for volunteers to help with its weekly maintenance of the 10 rain gardens on North Street.
Rain gardens are slightly depressed areas of land that are landscaped with native plants. The gardens collect storm water (from precipitation or snow melt) and remove motor oil, dirt, animal waste, trash, and other pollutants from it, via filtration through the soil and uptake by the plants, before it enters the Housatonic River.
Volunteer commitment is about two hours per week. For more information, contact Alison Dixon at (413) 394-9796 or adixon@hvatoday.org.
–E.E.
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Stockbridge Festival Chorus to present ‘Messiah’
Stockbridge — The Stockbridge Festival Chorus will perform Parts II and III of Handel’s “Messiah” on Saturday, April 30, at 5 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge. The 50-voice chorus, under the direction of Tracy Wilson, will be accompanied by Scott Bailey on organ, and Karen LaVoie on trumpet. The concert will feature the nationally known soloists soprano Andrea Bargabos, mezzo-soprano Marjorie Elinor Dix, tenor Deryl Godshall, and bass-baritone John Demler. A reception will follow the concert.
There is a suggested donation at the door of $15 for the general public and $10 for members of local community choirs. Admission will be free for children ages 18 and under. The church is fully handicap accessible. For more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or call (413) 298-3137.
–E.E.
