Dewey Drop-In Events on Wednesday evenings for a variety of interests
Sheffield— A new series of Wednesday evening events will premiere at Dewey Memorial Hall starting in January 2023. The Dewey Drop-In series will feature readings, jazz jams, music and art soireés, and game nights on a rotating schedule.
The first Wednesday of each month, Dewey Hall will offer “Use Your Words,” which encompasses writing, readings, and storytelling. An impressive array of accomplished local writers will take turns hosting the evenings, including The Berkshire Edge’s own Hannah van Sickle with Beth Robbins and Simon Winchester, Laura Didyk, Suzi Baum, Evelyn Battaglia, Maria Black, Melanie Greenberg, Barbara Newman, Sheela Clary, and Peter Murkett with Bonner McCalister. The themes range from memoirs to grief, adventure, and “lives lived wildly off script.” The hosts will open conversations around each evening’s themes, but also talk about writing practices, writing groups, and other skills to empower the art of writing and to encourage reading.
Hannah Van Sickle is a freelance storyteller who has been fine-tuning her craft for seven years. An educator by training, she spent a decade teaching high school English at public and private schools across Berkshire County and Southern Vermont and another as a one-on-one academic tutor. Her work has appeared in myriad print and online publications including The Berkshire Edge, from Upstate House to Business Insider; essays about her journey parenting daughters can be found at Modern Loss, Refinery 29, and SheKnows.
Second Wednesday Jazz Jams, will be hosted by Dewey Hall board member Brian Kantor owner of Soundry Studio and coiner of the Dewey Drop-In name. The house band, led by Luke Franco, will invite local jazz musicians to join them. On third Wednesdays, Dewey Drop-In will be the new home for host/organizer Michael Lesko’s popular Show & Tell series, where open mic meets variety show. Game nights will happen on fourth Wednesdays, with Dewey Hall’s own Michael Siktberg and Maggie McRae hosting.
The year-long schedule for Dewey Drop-In includes time off during high summer and winter holidays for some of the programs. The complete schedule will be on the Dewey Hall website and copies are available at Dewey Hall. Interested attendees are encouraged to sign up for Dewey Hall’s email list for updates, news, and information about other Dewey Hall events. For more information, visit www.deweyhall.org or email deweymemorialhall@gmail.com.
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Tamarack Hollow hosts nature hikes and ecology lessons for the new year
Windsor— Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center is hosting a number of winter nature events on Saturday, December 31, and Sunday, January 1.
On Saturday, December 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. join their Fauna, flora, winter ecology, and tracking snowshoe hike at Chapel Brook. Join naturalist and Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center Director Aimee Gelinas M.Ed for a fauna, flora, winter ecology and tracking hike or snowshoe (depending on trail conditions)! This 2-3 mile trek will feature the bubbling Chapel Brook, tall trees, historic foundations and fauna and flora. Program is a snowshoe or hike depending on trail conditions. Snowshoe rentals available. The very beginning of the program is wheelchair accessible (please note this in your registration). Registration required, email aimee@gaiaroots.com to register. Program is free but donations accepted.
On January 1st at 10 a.m. till noon join the First Day Boreal Spruce-Fir Forest Ecology, Trees and Tracking Snowshoe Program at Tamarack Hollow, Windsor. This 1 to 2-mile trek led by Naturalist and Tamarack Hollow Director Aimee Gelinas M.Ed will feature the unique high elevation ecology of the boreal forest in winter as well as wildlife tracking, winter tree ID and winter ecology. Supported by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund. $20pp. Snowshoe rentals available for $5. For registration (required) email: aimee@gaiaroots.com.
Also on January 1st, from 1 to 3 p.m., join the First Day Winter wildlife tracking and tree identification snowshoe trek in the spruce-fir forest at Notchview, Windsor. This round trip, 2-mile trek on the Hume Brook Trail will be led by naturalist guide and Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center Director Aimee Gelinas M.Ed. Learn how to identify wildlife tracks, signs of wildlife, spruce-fir forest ecology and tree ID along the way. Program is a snowshoe or hike depending on trail conditions. Registration required. For more information about Tamarack Hollow visit www.tamarackhollow.org
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Attend North Adams’ First Fridays
North Adams— FIRST Fridays is a grass-roots initiative to get folks downtown on the first Friday of the month by asking the galleries and businesses of North Adams to stay open until 8 p.m. offering activities, specials, pop-up sales and special events and entertainment.
Celebrate the new year of 2023 on Friday, January 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown North Adams.
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Marathon poetry reading at The Bookstore commemorates Bernadette Mayer
Lenox— The Bookstore, in association with St. Rocco’s Poetry Collective in Albany, NY, is honored to have Lenox Library co-host an event in memory of poet Bernadette Mayer on January 7 with a marathon reading of “Midwinter Day.” “Midwinter Day” is a book-length poem about the Town of Lenox, written at 100 Main Street, all on Midwinter Day, December 22, 1978. In six parts, it takes us from awakening and emerging from dreams through the whole day – morning, afternoon, evening, night – to dreams again.
Bernadette died at the age of 77 last month at her home in East Nassau, NY. Bernadette and her former husband, the late poet Lewis Warsh, lived in Lenox from 1976 until the early 1980s and spent inordinate time at both the Lenox Library and The Bookstore. Their three children, Marie, Sophia and Max, were raised on a steady diet of books from both places.
The marathon reading will take place on January 7 from 1 to 5 p.m. at The Bookstore in Lenox. For more information, please call The Bookstore at 413 637 3390 or email bookstoreinlenox@gmail.com.
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“From Shtetl to Ellis Island: The Untold Story” of Jewish family history
Pittsfield— The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires is hosting a virtual program on January 5 from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. in the fascinating question of ancestry and family history.
Leah Kaplan will create a picture of what the turn-of-the-20th-century voyage was like, with details about the immigration process, the prevalent conditions, and the rules imposed on immigrants who had little money to travel. Following her extensive study at five major research institutions, including the Red Star Line Museum of Immigration in Antwerp, Ms. Kaplan will relate stories of these immigrants and share some surprising facts.
The circumstances of many immigrants now making the trek to the U.S., although challenging in different ways, still resonate with those of our ancestors and make Leah’s presentation especially relevant and timely for all of us.
This is a free virtual program. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkcOGupzMsGNB_6cxMW8_FAXhQvWPuNlNu
