Jana Laiz, the Hoping Machine to hold fundraiser for Puerto Rico
Pittsfield — Together with the Manos Unidas Multicultural Educational Cooperative, Jana Laiz and the Hoping Machine will present a fundraising event for Puerto Rico Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Whitney Center for the Arts.
The event will begin with a meal of Puerto Rican food by Mariam Orengo and Manos Unidos con Puerto Rico. At 7 p.m., author Laiz will read from and sign her novel “The Twelfth Stone.” A sing-along with Sarah Lee Guthrie and the Hoping Machine will take place at 7:45 p.m., and the evening will culminate in a performance and dancing with the Berkshire Bateria at 8:15 p.m. A raffle with prizes will be ongoing throughout the event.
There is a suggested donation of $20 per person, which includes the dinner for the first 50 attendees. All proceeds will go directly to a nonprofit organization in Puerto Rico. A PayPal fund has been set up for those who are unable to attend the event but would like to contribute. For more information, contact abuckley@berkshirecc.edu.
–E.E.
* * *
Vendors sought for second annual Berkshire Earth Expo
Dalton — The Berkshire Environmental Action Team and Living The Change – Berkshires have extended an open call to vendors, nonprofit organizations, artisans and scientists from across the region who would like to participate in the second annual Berkshire Earth Expo and Environmental Action Fair Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Stationery Factory.
The event showcases and celebrates environmental activism and activists’ achievements; helps people engage with their neighbors; educates the public about renewable energy solutions; and features businesses, artisans and scientists who work in harmony with nature. The 2017 expo was attended by more than 500 people who made new connections, learned from experts, were inspired to get active, bought locally made products, or just had a great time cuddling chickens.
For more information or to reserve a booth space, contact Elizabeth Orenstein at (413) 717-1255 or elizabeth@thebeatnews.org.
–E.E.
* * *
Tenth annual Community Handmade Valentine Swap
Williamsburg — For the 10th year in a row, Hilltown Families is organizing its Community Handmade Valentine Swap. The swap gives local families the opportunity to be creative together while connecting with other families in western Massachusetts. Through the swap, participants mail out handmade Valentines to 10 assigned addresses and, in return, each participant receives handmade Valentines from 10 other participants.
The swap is intergenerational and cards can be handmade by any combination of children and adults, resulting in flexibility if kids aren’t completely up to the task or if adults would like to make their own designs. The deadline to sign up is Thursday, Feb. 1. On Friday, Feb. 2, participants will be emailed the assigned names and addresses of families to whom they will mail their Valentines. Participants are requested to mail the Valentines by Wednesday, Feb. 7.
The event is free and open to all families in western Massachusetts. For more information, contact info@hilltownfamilies.org.
–E.E.
* * *
Flying Deer Nature Center to hold winter tracking intensive
New Lebanon, N.Y. — Flying Deer Nature Center has announced that it will hold a course on animal tracking in partnership with Tamakoce Wilderness Programs Friday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, Feb. 18.
Through two days and nights of lectures and fieldwork on the grounds of Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg, New York, participants will gain a rich understanding of various methods used to identify and interpret information discovered on the trail. Topics covered will include gaits, track identification, bones and feathers, life cycles and habitat use. The weekend’s curriculum will also look at how to use local ecology to anticipate animal movement, and how to properly use measurements.
The cost of the program is $275. Simple accommodations and food will be included. Pre-registration is required and financial assistance is available. For more information, contact Flying Deer Nature Center at (518) 794-6687.
–E.E.
* * *
BCC announces fall 2017 dean’s list
Pittsfield — Berkshire Community College has announced its fall 2017 dean’s list.
According to Maura Delaney, the interim vice president for academic affairs, to be eligible for the list, full-time students must have declared a major; completed a minimum of 12 non-repeated, traditionally graded credit hours during the spring semester; and achieved a 3.250 to 3.749 grade point average for honors, or a 3.750 to 4.000 grade point average for high honors. Part-time students are eligible for the list if they meet the same requirements, except that their credit hours may have been completed during the fall and spring semesters of one academic year.
The following 85 students qualified for high honors:
MASSACHUSETTS – Adams: Alexandria T. Brandon, Morgan R. Hannaleck, Laurie A. McArthur, Sonia M. McWhirt. Cheshire: Shannon M. Gwozdz, Melissa L. Pantano, Hayley H. Simard, Kia Yang. Cummington: Alexander F. Griffith. Dalton: Hayden C. Cantoni, Dalton V. Dean, Whitney N. Eastland, Kaitlyn M. Houghtaling, Colleen M. Moran. Drury: Chase B. Lewis. East Otis: Molly T. Les. Great Barrington: William P. Hatch, Madilyn M. Heller, Shawn E. Paunchai-Green, Sandra D. Sermini-Curtiss, Sophie R. Shrum. Haverhill: Abigail S. Shin. Housatonic: Ryan D. Higgins. Lanesborough: Savanah S. Brown, Devin M. Buda, Nicholas J. Vlahopoulos. Lee: Emma L. Bartini, Tyler V. Buratto, Megan A. Scapin, Alicia A. Starsja, Jakob L. Touponce, Annabelle R. Wanders. Lenox: Cassandra M. Byrnes, Kaung M. Htay, Jill A. Wollins, Jessica M. Zamboni. Lenox Dale: Jenna L. Bodnar. Mount Washington: Alexander M. Furcht. North Adams: Meghan M. Birch, Timothy J. Brames, Chandler E. DeGrenier. Peru: Cassidy E. Brewer. Pittsfield: Emma H. Barile, Kevin P. Beaulieu, Chloe A. Boehm, Valerie E. Buckley, Laura C. Burgess, Rebecca L. Cook, Hannah M. Dargi-Cartelli, Eliot J. DeLeo, Spencer E. Ferro, Leo J. Fitzpatrick, John L. Fontaine, Sonia M. Garcia-Rijos, Caitlin S. Gelineau, Elisabeth C. George, Camila A. Gomez, Adlai N. Greene, Thomas E. Gwinnell, Spring F. Hajjar, Carly F. Holmes, Kyle M. Hopkins, Jisen Hu, Michelle L. Johnston, John C. Keegan, Andrew J. LaDouceur, Jessica J. Levy, Zhiling Liang, Kathleen M. McNeil-Blount, Mathieu J. Moreau, Marco T. Moreno, Andrew J. Mucci, Molly E. Najimy, Thien C. Nguyen, Chase R. Rahilly, Lindsey A. Schnopp, Gabriel J. Schultheis, Brooke E. Vanbramer, Carmen E. Villalobos Guevara, Soncere M. Williams. Sandisfield: Christian T. deManbey. Savoy: Brianna M. Hayden. Sheffield: Jessica L. Abbott. Westfield: Lawrence J. Belanger. NEW YORK – East Nassau: Devin P. Feathers. New Lebanon: Crystal L. Johnson.
The following 86 students qualified for honors:
CONNECTICUT – Canaan: Isabel C. Castaneda. MASSACHUSETTS – Adams: Mathew D. Carlow, Samantha A. Dellaghelfa, Lauren M. DeRose, Mallory B. Field, Adam A. Rodriguez, Jonathan M. Stinson. Cheshire: Michaela M. Larkin, Courtney M. Munson, Arpita M. Patel. Cummington: Brianna L. Heon. Dalton: Kylie J. Andrews, Shawna T. Axenroth. Great Barrington: Jesse B. Manning, Bruna L. Shabazz, Daniel T. Warner. Haverhill: Alexander D. Shin. Hinsdale: Austin W. O’Brien, Peighton J. Speth, Julia A. Troie. Housatonic: Dorian J. Jackson. Lee: Devon J. Cloutier, Taylor A. Fera, Kyle M. Gangell, Michelle A. Schleimer, Padraic J. Sullivan. Lenox Dale: James C. Forgett. Mill River: Emma O. Billard. Monterey: Iolani deRis. North Adams: Jessica N. Ahearn, Matilda L. Brule’, Jonathon L. Koch, Rebecca A. Wandrei. Peru: Sean P. Keller. Pittsfield: Sahra K. Abderrahim, Karen E. Amaya, Philip K. Baruch, Cale F. Bassett, Ashley L. Bissaillon, Hunter S. Boos, Hayley R. Broderick, Nicole M. Campos-Vasquez, Grant J. Collingwood, Brittany Czarnecki, Peyton E. Doyle, Ivan A. Fernandez, Kyle R. FureyAmy D. Gates, Hannah M. Gold, Taleara M. Hillery, Janae E. Holloway, Ciara L. Kolbasook, Emery J. Korte, Nicolas D. LaPointe, Kevin P. Lawton, Annmarie B. Marby, Robyn E. McCabe, Erin N. McKeon, Brandon N. McKinney, Alexandra W. McKnight, Robert V. Mottley, Scott R. O’Brien, Mason A. Papirio, Lindsay H. Pedersen, Jaime L. Provenzano, Allison L. Ramsdell, Tyler A. Reale, Autumn M. Roberson, Karen M. Roche, Siobhan A. Rodgers, Shaun D. Squires, Nicholas Svirskiy, Benjamin L. Tierney, Elizabeth A. Trova, Samantha R. Wehry, Robin L. Williams, Emily A. Wood, Ashley J. Wren. Sandisfield: Lyndsay L. deManbey. Savoy: Cynthia Y. Keels. Sheffield: Andrew J. Turnbough, Cassandra L. Ullrich. West Stockbridge: Liuba Kurtyn-D’herlugnan. Windsor: Jonathan R. Bailey. VERMONT – Arlington: Charles Crawford. Bennington: Peter Sorensen. Stamford: Madison Vadnais.
–E.E.
