Friday, December 13, 2024

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

HomeLife In the Berkshires

Life In the Berkshires

BITS & BYTES: Gary Lucas at Spencertown Academy; Jonathan Alter at Stockbridge Library; Carl Sprague at Ventfort Hall; Drag Story Hour at Berkshire Museum;...

“We are looking forward to welcoming Gary Lucas back to the Academy. He is one of the most innovative guitarists I’ve ever seen play live,” says Dusty Wright, a member of the Academy Music Committee.

Theatre of Freedom: A unique way to experience the Fourth of July

'The Theatre of Freedom' is a radical theatrical experiment in community, vulnerability and the meaning of freedom.

After the flood, restoring the Mount’s gardens — again

'There’s been a huge outpouring of support from our members and the community. Many have offered to volunteer but we really need to focus on our existing team. Most importantly we need to emphasize to the public ongoing events such as the Jazz Café on weekends, the lecture series and theater. We’re known now for our many programs and been called the literary hub of the Berkshires.' -- Susan Wissler, executive director, The Mount

Chip’s first ride: A Ride$hare adventure

Elitzer said he found his first Ride$hare expedition “an adventure. It’s a blast. And a lot of fun. You meet so many people.”

How Share the Bounty got started

I was struck by the notion that every dollar donated — in serving three goals —would effectively triple in value: supporting a local farmer, preserving our rural landscapes, and providing fresh, healthy food to community members in need. -- Jonathan Hankin, founder of Share the Bounty

Food Justice: So others may eat

According to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, roughly one in eight people continues to experience hunger in this part of the Commonwealth, an eye-opening fact. Furthermore, one in five children lives in food-insecure households.

Connections: Elm Court epitomized the (past) Gilded Age

'Elm Court…has become famous…as an example of what the progressive modern spirit, backed up by abundant capital, can accomplish.' -- Berkshire Resort Topics, 1904

Fairgrounds improvements on hold, awaiting required floodplain engineering studies

We are not professional developers. We’re the leading edge of a community movement to get this done and to make this happen at the fairgrounds. -- Janet Elsbach, co-proprietor of the Great Barrington Fair Ground

World Cup fever mounts in the Berkshires

It is a soccer extravaganza with an estimated worldwide viewing population of 3.2 billion humans, long anticipated and riddled with controversy. Yet soccer itself is the everyman’s game, ferociously beloved by both rich and poor, and everyone in between.

Living Room Theatre to pop up in Rotary Way: Taboo is the topic

We’re collecting performances about those things we don’t want to talk about, varying from the serious to the funny, like sex, death and politics." -- Pooja Ru Prema

Chelm 01262: On the march for a county of ‘bridges’

"We already have West Stockbridge and now we could get Lenox as North Stockbridge, Lee as East Stockbridge, Great Barrington as South Stockbridge and even Pittsfield as FarNorth Stockbridge." -- The Elders of Chelm 01262

David Magadini: Mayor of Main Street

He argues that by exercising his rights as a citizen of the United States – in this case, to vote and be a free citizen even though he has chosen to remain homeless -- he serves as a model to strongly encourage others to exercise their freedom as well.

Connections: The Bank Heist

The issue is not if drug and alcohol abuse constitute a legal defense; the issue is that there is a statistically significant relationship between addiction and crime.

They’re back … airborne guests at The Red Lion Inn

“If anything happens to this chimney at the Red Lion Inn," Chad McCormick worries, "a whole population of birds could be wiped out."

Rites of spring

Twenty years ago, in 1994, there were only 1,755 farmers' markets in the U.S. By 2013 the number had jumped to 8,144, and this year promises even more.

Mother Goes to Town Meeting

I look up and see Moses standing at the ready nearby, ready to lead us through another annual round of democracy. Next year, in the high school.

Negotiating the Berkshire Shuffle: Bowl of Cheerios deconstructed

Sometimes I dream of what it would be like to hand the wheel over to a co-pilot, just to gaze out the window for a bit.