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Northern Berkshire Notes
July 1st, 2004
Mars shows
WILLIAMSTOWN – Hopkins Observatory at Williams College's has announced a continuation of its spring astronomy show, “Mars: Planet of Spirit and Opportunity.”
Shows will be held in the Milham Planetarium on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 8:30 through Aug. 12. Admission is free.
The exploration of Mars has progressed rapidly since 1976, when twin Viking landers gave the world the first images of the Martian surface. Two months ago, another pair of Martian rovers successfully touched down on opposite sides of the Red Planet. Packed with state-of-the-art scientific instruments and high-resolution cameras, Spirit and Opportunity have been beaming detailed geological data and hundreds of stunning pictures back to Earth daily. Most recently, Opportunity has discovered evidence that Mars was previously “drenched” with water, confirming, a centuries-old speculation.
The Milham Planetarium will treat visitors to a timely “tour of the past, present and future exploration of Mars.” Visitors also will be taught how to find prominent spring constellations. On clear nights, hands-on tours of the observing facilities atop the physics/astronomy building will follow the one-hour shows. The Mehlin Museum of Astronomy will be open before and after the shows.
The museum and the planetarium are housed in the Old Hopkins Observatory, the oldest extant astronomical observatory in the United States. The Observatory is at 829 Main St. (south side of Route 2) between Spring Street and Water Street in the Berkshire Quad of Williams College. The museum opens at 8:15 p.m. Reservations (recommended): 597-2188. Large groups should call for special appointments.
Magic tonight
ADAMS — McAdams Magic will kick off the summer reading program Explore Other Worlds @ your library at Adams Free Library tonight [Thursday, July 1] at 6.
Magician Gregory McAdams’ new program “Explore Other Worlds,” is designed to teach children the joys of reading and the adventures that await them in the pages of a book. All children will receive a prize just for attending the show. Children of all ages are invited. An adult must accompany children under 8. Library events are free and open to the public.
Papyri event
NORTH ADAMS — Papyri Books at 49 Main St. will present the art of Pittsfield resident, Douglass Truth as part of the First Friday festivities on Friday, July 2, from 7 to 9 p.m.
A reception to celebrate his paintings will be held at that time and the art will remain on display at the bookstore through July and August.
Truth spent much of his life as a writer and short-order cook, based on the mistaken impression that he was color blind. When that misapprehension was corrected, Truth began working in paper, pastels, acrylic and canvas, discovering that "he never met a color he didn't like."
He has worked as a civil engineer and surveyor during the pipeline years in Alaska, a chef, truck driver, building dismantler, English teacher and as a software salesman in Taiwan. During most of the 1990s, he owned and operated a graphic design and silk-screen company, Flying Turtle Graphics, supplying his own unique designs on T-shirts, coffee mugs and posters to hundreds of companies around the country, including Borders Books, CoffeeWorks and Federal Espresso. He has had shows at galleries in New York City, Boston, California, Arizona, Great Barrington and Housatonic.
Music from The Chapel Hill Band will accompany the opening. The group features all local musicians: Mike Clark on fiddle and mandolin; Al Goodrich on guitar; Donny Harwood, bass and Elena Traister fiddle. Refreshments will be served. Information: 662-2099 or e-mail the bookstore, browse@papyribooks.com.
Pedal & Plod
ADAMS — The Adams Events Planning Committee, in cooperation with the Western Massachusetts Athletic Club, has announced the location of registration applications for the town's annual Pedal and Plod Race to be held on Sunday, July 25.
The race will kick off at 8:30 a.m. at the Adams Town Common. Individuals interested in participating in this bike and foot race can find applications at the following locations:
North Adams — the North Adams Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Office, Sports Corner, Curves, Adams Co-Operative Bank, The Men's Den and North Adams Hoosac Savings Bank; Williamstown — The Spoke and South Adams Savings Bank.
Locations in Adams are Greylock Federal Credit Union, South Adams Savings Bank, Adams Co-Operative Bank, Berkshire Outfitters, the Discover the Berkshires Adams Visitors Center, Stanley's Lumber and Town Hall (town administrators office).
Race information is available as part of the application at www.celebrateadams.com or by calling town Hall, 743-8300.
United Way
NORTH ADAMS — The Northern Berkshire United Way recently announced it is seeking a half-time office manager and volunteer coordinator as a central element in its plan for a broader and more cost-effective role in the community.
“NBUW’s mission is to improve well-being in North County communities, and central to this is directing a very high percentage of the funds we raise to priority causes and needs,” Executive Director Bob Barton said in a news release. “We have always done a good job with this, but the steps we have planned now should make NBUW one of the most efficient little United Ways in the country.”
He added, “This should be good news for our donors and for the agencies and programs we support. We also hope it will be another strong signal that the Northern Berkshires have the people, ideas, environment and the resources to produce extraordinary success.”
Barton said the establishment of a low-cost agreement with Berkshire United Way to do data processing has helped, along with “excellent early results” with volunteer student interns from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
“We will now seek more community volunteers to help in the office, and we are seeking other ways to lower costs and increase performance,” he said. “These changes will strengthen NBUW, but they mean eliminating the old full-time position of assistant to the director and eventually reducing my own time to about 50 percent from the current 66 percent.
We have confidence in these outcomes primarily because of our successful history with volunteers. We have nearly 400 active now, but we recognize the need to strengthen support as we increase volunteer activities; this is the top priority of the new office manager position.”
For further information about the changes or to inquire about volunteering or about the office manager position: Barton, 663-9062, noberkuw@bcn.net, or by mail at 85 Main St., North Adams MA 01247.
Earth Week
NORTH ADAMS — Western Gateway Heritage State Park has announced its Earth Week from Wednesday, July 7, through Sunday, July 11.
Earth Week programs will be free and open to the public. Activities are as follows:
Wednesday, July 7 — Kids Korner, “Earth Layers,” 1 to 2 p.m. Learn about the different layers of the Earth. Make a wormery. Bring a large clear jar about the size of a mayonnaise jar with lid. Advance registration is required; for ages 7 and up.
Thursday, July 8 — Story Time, 10 to 11 a.m. Stories will include “Ming Lo Moves The Mountain” by Arnold Lobel and “The Oak Tree” by Laura Jane Coats. Activities will follow; for ages 7 and under.
Friday, July 9 — Junior Rangers, 10 to noon. An introduction to environmental journals. Junior Rangers will explore the Earth through a variety of activities. Advance registration is required; for ages 8 to 12.
Saturday, July 10 — Family Fun Days, “Tree Talk,” 2 to 3:30 p.m. Learn to identify trees in the area. Draw your family tree. Activities will follow.
Sunday, July 11 — Sunday Sundaes, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Games and activities, topped off with an ice cream sundae.
The visitors center is open seven days a week from 10 to 5. The park is off Route 8 between State Street and Furnace Street. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Programs are sponsored by the state Department of Conversation and Recreation. Information: 663-6312.
UNO news
NORTH ADAMS — Free flowers were distributed to over 75 families in the United Neighborhood Organization neighborhood on June 11 and 12.
The flowers were made possible by a neighborhood mini-grant from Northern Berkshire Neighbors, a program of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. The flowers were purchased at Mount Williams Greenhouses.
UNO residents were very happy to receive the flowers according to Shirley Davis of that organization. The purpose of the project is to continue to beautify and instill a sense of pride in the neighborhood. The UNO neighborhood consists of River, Liberty, Hall, Eagle, Grove, Houghton and Prospect streets, North Holden Street, Brook Terrace, Freeman Avenue, Chase Avenue and Bracewell Avenue.
The UNO steering committee met on Monday, June 28, to make further plans for the upcoming months. Over 250 people attended UNO’s Spring Fling tag sale and flea market at the Eagles Hall on June 19, raising $815.
Basketball camp
WILLIAMSTOWN — Williams College men’s basketball coach Dave Paulsen has announced a special evening session of the Berkshire Boys Basketball Camp designated strictly for high-school-age boys.
The camp will run Monday to Thursday, July 5-9 from 6 to 9 p.m.
“I have felt that there was a real void in the camp circuit for area high school players,” Paulsen said in a news release. “Too many of our local players who attended camps in their younger days stop working on the fundamentals. We want to make this camp accessible for these players and help develop the talent in the area.”
Paulsen, who has won two consecutive Division III National Coach of the Year awards, has guided the Williams team to a record of 104-16 in his four years at the helm, including consecutive appearances in the national title game. The 2003 Williams team won its first-ever national championship.
Interested players can contact Paulsen at 597-2201 or at dpaulsen@williams.edu.
Junior golf
NORTH ADAMS — North Adams Country Club will offer its Junior Golf Clinics again this summer.
PGA Golf Professional Jack Tosone will teach the six-week clinics. The lessons start with rules and etiquette and finish up with the full swing, with woods.
The clinics will run every Wednesday morning, July 14 through Aug. 18. The cost for all six clinics is $70 per student. Reservations and information: Tosone, 663-7887.
Dion appointment
WILLIAMSTOWN — Donald R. Dion Jr., president and founder of Dion Money Management has announced the appointment of Holly Field as staff accountant.
Field earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, graduating summa-cum-laude. She received her associates degree in business administration from Berkshire Community College, receiving an Accounting Practitioner Scholarship Award. She also completed the Teacher Certification Program at MCLA.
“Ms. Field comes to us with several years’ experience in accounting,” Dion said in a news release. “She is an excellent team member and leader. Her current responsibilities include supervising all accounting and computer tasks in accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank deposits, account reconciliations, recording of income and expenses, preparation of preliminary financial statements and maintenance of all related files and records.”
Field lives in Adams, with he husband and five children.
Dion Money Management currently manages over $575 million for families, trusts, businesses, schools and nonprofit organizations. Its affiliated organization, Fidelity Independent Adviser, publishes a monthly investment of approximately $25 billion. Information: 458-4700, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
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