Get a “Fresh Start” at North Adams’ First Friday celebration
North Adams— Community members and residents are invited downtown for North Adams’ monthly FIRST Fridays. The January 6, 2023, First Friday theme is “Fresh Start” – a time for residents, businesses, and visitors to reflect, prioritize, find new ways to stay physically active and mentally healthy, and come together as a community.
Downtown businesses will have extended hours and many businesses and galleries will be hosting openings, closings, and other special events focused on starting fresh! The following events have been planned by downtown businesses and organizations: Candlelit Yoga at North Adams Yoga at 6 p.m.; Live Music at Hearts Pace Tea & Healing Arts Lounge at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m.; and Future Lab[s] Gallery Reception at 6 p.m with a fire pit & hot chocolate outside First Baptist Church.
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Norfolk Library book discussion group investigates personalities
Norfolk, Conn. — Attend the Norfolk Library book discussion group with Kelly Kandra Hughes, Mondays beginning January 9, from 1 to 2 p.m. The first book to be discussed in 2023 will be Gretchen Rubin’s, “The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too).” Gain insight into your personality and make your life better.
Each week attendees will read assigned chapters, reflect on the material, and then come together via Zoom to discuss insights. Discussions will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. on Mondays, from January 9 through February 27. Feel free to join the book discussion at any point on the schedule. Visit here to find out more and to register.
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Information session for companies involved in the sciences
Pittsfield— The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center’s (MLSC) Tax Incentive program is open to companies engaged in life sciences research and development, commercialization and manufacturing in Massachusetts. The application deadline is Februrary 3, 2023.
MLSC will host an information session on Tuesday, January 10th at 11 a.m. in-person at Massachusetts Biomedical Iniatives. Register online here.
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Accessible All Persons Trail in Lenox to expand
Lenox— The Mass Audubon West has been allocated a $150,000 expenditure to support a major expansion of the universally accessible All Persons Trail at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox from the Town of Lenox and the Lenox Community Preservation Committee.
The current All Persons Trail, a trail and boardwalk to Pikes’ Pond (where resident beavers can be observed), is set to be updated and expanded next spring. The $450,000 project’s scheduled improvements include:
- A new observation platform and boardwalk
- An audio tour that provides nature interpretation at stops along the way
- Interactive educational signage to learn and discover about the natural world
- Multi-use seating areas for resting and relaxing in nature
To contribute to the Pleasant Valley All Persons Trail Expansion Project and to learn more, contact Development Manager Stephanie Bergman at 413-728-4858 or sbergman@massadubon.org.
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NAACP to hold Freedom Fund Awards virtually on January 21
Pittsfield— The NAACP, Berkshire County Branch will host its annual Freedom Fund Awards virtually on Saturday, January 21 at 6 p.m. As part of the ceremony, the Branch recognizes community leaders whose work embodies the vision of the NAACP to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination. DEI Pioneer, Fred Miller will receive the W. E. B. Du Bois Freedom Fund Award; Nipmuc Western Massachusetts Commissioner on Indian Affairs Rhonda Anderson will receive the Indigenous Peoples Freedom Fund Award, and local organizer and coalition builder Kelan O’Brien will receive the Jahaira DeAlto Balenciaga Freedom Fund Award in memory of the late activist.
The yearly event raises funds to provide stipends to Black high school graduates in Berkshire county who are planning on attending college or vocational school for the following two or four years. This year, for the first time since the beginning of the Berkshire Branch’s Freedom Fund Awards Ceremony, funds are also being raised to support immigrant students. Immigrants are the only growing population in Berkshire County and the NAACP is acknowledging the growing need for financial support for students who do not qualify for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
This year’s keynote speaker, Fred Miller is the CEO of The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Inc (KJCG). The organization was founded in 1970 and is the oldest Organization Development (OD) firm. In 1993, KJCG coined the use of inclusion as a core concept for organization cultures. Some of their current clients include Apple, DuPont, Eileen Fischer, Merck, Mobil, The City of San Diego, and United Airways.
The event is free and open to the public via Zoom and will also be live-streamed on Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV), PCTV Select, and the Facebook pages of NAACP Berkshires and PCTV. Registration is required to attend via Zoom. Register at naacpberkshires.org/mec/freedom-fund-awards-ceremony.
