BHRSD to present W. E. B. Du Bois Educational Series
Great Barrington — The Berkshire Hills Regional School District (BHRSD) has announced the schedule of events for the second year of its W. E. B. Du Bois Educational Series. On Wednesday, Oct. 26, Smith College Professor and author Paula J. Giddings will lecture on early civil rights leader and anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells. On Wednesday, Dec. 21, composer and jazz trombonist Craig Harris and his band will perform “God’s Trombones” based on the collection of poems by civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson. On Wednesday, March 29, Tufts University Professor Kendra Field will deliver a presentation drawn from her forthcoming book “Growing Up with the Country: Family, Race, and Nation after the Civil War.” In May, New York City playwright Clare Coss and actors Kathleen Chalfant and Peter Jay Fernandez will stage a performance of their Off-Broadway work “Dr. Du Bois and Miss Ovington.” All events are free and open to the public and will take place in the Monument Mountain Regional High School auditorium.
Giddings will open the series on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. with a question-and-answer session open to area high school students and the press. The main event, open to the public, will start at 7 p.m. and include readings performed by Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School students. The students, who have been preparing with poet and playwright Ted Thomas Jr., will recite material by Wells, Claude McKay and Richard Wright. Giddings will then give the keynote presentation.
Giddings is the Elizabeth A. Woodson 1922 Professor of Africana Studies at Smith College. She has authored several books including “When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America” and, most recently, a biography of Wells called “Ida: A Sword among Lions,” which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award. Giddings also serves as the senior editor of Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism, a feminist journal that provides a forum for scholarship and creative work by and about women of color.
–E.E.
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IS183 to hold OZ gala
Pittsfield — IS183 Art School of the Berkshires and Berkshire Shenanigans will present IS183’s annual gala on Saturday, Oct. 29. OZ will begin with pre-party dining at Hotel on North at 6 p.m. followed by an exuberant dance party at Shire City Sanctuary at 8 p.m. OZ will mix poppy fields, emerald cities, witches good and bad, flying monkeys, tin men and a dash of Aussie hospitality to create an unprecedented evening. IS183 is also offering $25 raffle tickets for a chance to win a 10-day trip for two to Australia. While costumes are not required of attendees, creative outfits are encouraged.
IS183’s annual gala raises funds for the school and provides art-making experiences and instruction to youth and adults throughout Berkshire County. Tickets to the event begin at $40. Tickets will not be available at the door. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or call IS183 at (413) 298-5252 x100.
–E.E.
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Fairview to offer breastfeeding class
Great Barrington — The Family Birthplace at Fairview Hospital will offer “Breastfeeding Basics” for mothers-to-be on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Fairview Hospital conference room.
The overview of breastfeeding is designed to help new parents prepare for caring for a newborn. Board-certified lactation consultant Jennifer Dallmeyer, RN, will lead the two-hour program that will cover the basics of breastfeeding and infant care for the first few weeks at home.
The program is free, but those interested in attending are asked to register by calling the Family Birthplace at (413) 854-9980.
–E.E.
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Hopkins Forest to welcome deer hunters
Williamstown — Hopkins Memorial Forest in Williamstown will be open for deer hunting by special permit during this fall’s 12-day shotgun season. The 2016 Massachusetts deer shotgun season runs from Monday, Nov. 28, to Saturday, Dec. 10, (excluding Sunday, Dec. 4) and a limited number of complimentary permits will be issued to hunters from local communities. Applications, which can be obtained from the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams College, are due back to the Center by Tuesday, Nov. 1. They will be evaluated on a first-come, first served basis and permits will be issued to selected hunters by mid-November. The College gives preference in awarding permits to its neighbors, although hunters have, in the past, come from across the state. Hunters may obtain a no-fee permit application by contacting the Center for Environmental Studies at 55 Mission Park Drive, Williamstown, MA 01267; (413) 597-2346, or ajones@williams.edu.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Children and Families to annual meeting
Pittsfield — Berkshire Children and Families (BCF) will hold its annual meeting on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Country Club of Pittsfield. Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) Executive Director Anita Walker will deliver the keynote address. A longtime supporter of BCF’s Kids 4 Harmony music program for social change, MCC awarded the program a 2015 grant through the its SerHacer program. The cost to attend is $25. For more information or to make reservations, contact BCF at (413) 448-8281 x237 or info@berkshirechildren.org.
–E.E.
