The Next Festival of Emerging Artists also has its eyes on the future. An annual event founded by composer-conductor Peter Askim in 2013, it brings together young like-minded string players and cutting-edge composers for a week of intensive preparation followed by a pair of performances.
She worked as a switchboard operator for Wheeler and Taylor, then for the General Electric's drafting department in Pittsfield, the E.M. Ryder Jewelry Store in Great Barrington, and then was the assistant town clerk for the town of Great Barrington for 11 years.
She was treasurer of the Mission House for 25 years and worked closely with Miss Choate, archiving all the furnishings. She developed a close friendship with her and after Miss Choate passed away, Lucy helped open Naumkeag and was the first guide there.
“Access to affordable housing affects every aspect of our community by improving financial stability and a safe and stable environment for families and school children."
-- Tim Geller, executive director of the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire
According to the Berkshire Co-op Market's general manager Daniel Esko, if the store has to leave the downtown to expand, both the town and its residents would lose a valuable resource.
Roberta was the 3rd generation of Wheelers to be born on Hollenbeck Avenue, in Great Barrington, the town that has been home to at least seven generations of the Wheeler family.
