You’ve gotta love Dr. Charles (Charlie) Kenny. He and his wife Barbara are truly wonderful. Charlie is a talented orthopedist who has treated a lot of us in the Berkshires. He and Barbara have spent 50 years of their lives together. Having myself passed the 50-year marriage tryout together with the lovely Roselle, I can only congratulate them for hitting that mark. What a thing!
Charlie is a busy and committed citizen in the best sense of the word, having to figure out what’s floating around in the water that might make us sick and dealing with other public health crises. I am absolutely sure that he will not forgive me for writing this, but it always brings a tear to my eye when I think of the time, so many years ago, when Barbara got cancer and Charlie cut off all his hair because he was so with her, emotionally and physically. Now, after 50 years, they are both still at the top of their game and doing so much for the rest of us. They are two special people, for sure.
On another matter, the other night we had fierce winds in Great Barrington. It was the night of the Great Barrington Stroll, which usually ends with a big bonfire and fireworks in the middle of town. Because the winds were blowing so hard, the authorities called off the fireworks. Naturally, some of the children were disappointed, and if kids are unhappy, so are some parents. In the summer, when it’s dry and there is a danger of fire, we aren’t allowed to burn anything. I get it; we see pictures of horrendous fires from all around the country and we don’t want that kind of carnage in our town. So, for the few folks who were unhappy that the fireworks were cancelled, please try to put things in perspective. I am really sorry you were unhappy, but to you I say, “Safety first,” or rather, “Tough darts.”
I recently wrote a column about the need for more affordable housing in our town. I got quite a reaction to the story. I think that, for the most part, people understand that if we want more people to work here, we will have to build housing and support it. The problem is there are many people who understand how crucial this need is, but then don’t want construction of this kind around them. Sometimes we call this NIMBY or “not in my backyard” or neighborhood. When we try to improve a situation by doing the right thing, someone will inevitably suggest that the value of their property will take a hit. Hey, stuff happens. Right?
So, I was watching yet another old episode of “What’s My Line?” that featured the very late Ernie Kovacs. Most of you reading this column won’t remember Kovacs, who has been described as the first true genius of television. I actually had an encounter with him when I was about 12 years old. My mother was being featured on a television show called, if I remember it correctly, “There’s One in Every Family.” Now, this was daytime TV of the 1950s and we had to be there very early in the morning. Kovacs showed up before the show, took one look at me and my identical twin brother Lewis, and grabbed us and put a sheet over each of us. Then he swore to the audience that this was not a TV trick and proceeded to pull one sheet at a time off. The audience went wild wondering how he was doing this magic. The whole thing only lasted a few minutes, but here I am all these years later, remembering my encounter with him. Of course, if you beg me, I’ll tell you about my connection with Marilyn Monroe.
