greylocknews

Weekend celebration of "rural life" includes free talk, reading, panel

Rachel Barenblat of Inkberry in North Adams, the writer's workshop and storefront center, reports that three free events this weekend (July 30-31) will celebrate the "rural life."

She says Inkberry is joining forces with the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts to present a weekend with Verlyn Klinkenborg, author of "The Rural Life."

"It's the first installment in our community renewal, rural living, and sense of place program," she says.

The program has three parts:

- A talk on nature writing at 3pm on Saturday at Sheep Hill Farm in Williamstown - A reading of his own work at 8pm on Saturday at the Contemporary Artists Center in North Adams - A moderated panel discussion on our region's farming history at 11am on Sunday at Sheep Hill Farm

Also, on Monday, Aug. 1, Images Cinema is hosting a special screening of the film, "American Farm" at which the moviemaker and screenwriter, James Spione, will introduce at 7 p.m. The film presentation is thematically linked to "rural life" but is independently organized and funded from the other three events.

ABOUT THE EVENTS:

Talk on Nature Writing Saturday, 7/30 3pm Sheep Hill Farm, Route 7, Williamstown

Verlyn Klinkenborg discusses nature writing, his own work, and the writing process, and takes questions from the audience. Note: Sheep Hill Farm will offer a guided nature walk before this event.

Reading of Original Work Saturday, 7/30 8pm Contemporary Artists' Center, Beaver Mill, Route 8, North Adams

Join us at the CAC, in the historic Beaver Mill in North Adams, as Verlyn Klinkenborg reads from his own work. Book-signing and question-and-answer period to follow.

Discussion of Farming History Sunday, 7/31 11am Sheep Hill Farm, Route 7, Willimastown

Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation board member and Williams College Center for Environmental Studies director Henry W. Art joins Verlyn Klinkenborg for a moderated discussion of our regions farming history, and how it shapes the area today.

All events are co-presented by Inkberry and the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art.

ABOUT VERLYN KLINKENBORG

Verlyn Klinkenborg comes from a family of Iowa farmers and is the author of Making Hay and The Last Fine Time. A member of the editorial board of the /New York Times/, he has written for /The New Yorker, Harpers, Esquire, National Geographic, Mother Jones/, and the /New York Times Magazine/, among others. His essays on rural life are a beloved regular feature in the New York Times. He lives on a small farm in upstate New York.

Klinkenborgs most recent book, /The Rural Life/, is a yearlong meditation on the rigors and wonders of country life  encompassing memories of his familys Iowa homestead, time spent in the wide open spaces of the American West, and his experiences on the small farm in upstate New York where he lives with his wife  which records and celebrates the everyday beauty of the world we inhabit.

LEARN MORE at www.inkberry.org

WilliNet schedules "great minds" lectures on Thursdays

Selected lectures of visiting intellectuals speaking at Williams College will be broadcast regularly on WilliNet, Williamstown's Community Television Station-Channel 17, every Thursday at 8:30 pm, repeated on Tuesdays at 1:30pm. Williams faculty talks will also appear on this television series called Window On Williams. Speakers will include historians, politicians, scientists, writers, journalists, along with other great thinkers of our time.

Window on Williams kicked off with a double-bill of Thomas Friedman and Julian Bond on July 21. Both men spoke during Williams Commencement weekend at the beginning of June. Thomas Friedman is a foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Julian Bond is the chairman of the Board of the NAACP, historian, and longtime civil rights activist.

On Thursday, July 28, 8:30pm and Tuesday, August 2, 1:30pm, Pulitzer and Emmy Award-winning author and journalist Hedrick Smith delivers a compelling talk titled: "A Look Back and the View Ahead."

Williams History Professor Scott Wong appears on Window On Williams discussing “The Good Asian in the Good War” on August 4th & 9th. Wong's just published book, "Americans First: Chinese Americans and the Second World War" focuses on Chinese Americans during the 1930s, through the Second World War.

Civil Rights leader and teacher Robert Moses leads a participatory discussion about his new initiative to start a national dialogue around the issue of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing quality public education as a civil right. Moses can be seen on Window On Williams on Thursday, August 11, 8:30 and again on Tuesday afternoon, August 16 at 1:30 on Channel 17, WilliNet: Williamstown Community Television.

For more information, contact: Deb Dane, exec. dir., 458-0900; debbydane@willinet.org

Williams names Kolesar as primary link with community following Ouellette's departure

Williams College is putting a new face on its relations with the town and business community -- at least for the time being.  A memo from college President Morton O. Schapiro, circulated on campus and dated Friday, says Jim Kolesar, the school's long-time public-affairs director, "will oversee the college's relations with the local community."  This follows the resignation of Helen Ouellette, who has been vp/treasurer of the college and had that responsibility.  Schapiro said he will review with college trustees whether there should be any changes in the structure of the vp/treasurer position or that of the manager of investments and treasury operations, which is also vacant. Read Schapiro's full memo.  In a new piece of information, Schapiro's memo said that Oullette has begun work at Oxfam America.

MGRHS hopes for OK to tap water from Sweetwood well; school well OK, too, state will provide funds

Percholorate contamination of tap water at Mount Greylock Regional High School may be cleared up in the fall, thanks to Northern Berkshire Health Systems (NBHS).  School Committee Chairman Robert Petricca said on Monday the school has worked out an agreement in principle with the health systems to tie into the Sweetwood retirement-community wells next door. The agreement still needs to be put in writing and approved by Sweetwood's board, however. The tie-in, which Petricca thinks could be accomplished before school starts, will be financed with a $286,000 state grant. In addition, Andrew Hogeland, a member of a school committee-appointed water-solutions panel, said on Sunday a well on school land has been tested and found to have enough capacity to also serve the school. Petricca said the Sweetboard board needs to review the proposed agreement and provide its approval. A tank which is part of the proposed tie-in must be ordered by a specific date to make the opening of school and Petricca said he hopes the school board will give its approval to the plan at a scheduled Aug. 2 meeting.

READ DETAILS FROM AN EARLIER STORY BY CLICKING THE FULL STORY HERE.

Williams utility dig tying up traffic slightly on Main Street (state Route 2)

  Upgrading of phone, electric and other utility lines on the Williams College campus is slowing traffic along Main Street (state Route 2) in Williamstown. The college obtained permits to open the pavement between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily for another week or so to installed new lines. The Williams campus straddles Route 2 and college officials explained the work is a once-a-generation upgrading. Read Susan Bush's brief account at iBerkshires.

Wild Oats now open -- but minus frozen foods for "a little while"

UPDATED: 10:32 p.m.  (CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE)
You'll need to look elsewhere for frozen foods for a few days, but the produce is fresh and the shelfs are chock foo at Wild Oats Community Market, which opened its new store at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Member volunteers worked alongside employees to ready Wild Oats for opening in the former Dox video store on Main Street (Route 2). The much-enlarged cooperatively owned grocery opened -- just one day behind schedule, and four days after shuttering its Colonial Shopping Center store. Manager David Fowle says it will be a "little while" before contractors finish the frozen-food freezers, but one other not-quite-ready bank of coolers should be operational in a couple of days. On Tuesday, scheduling a final town electric inspection had left the opening time uncertain.  Shelves are well stocked -- thanks to help from owner-volunteers and staffers, and most of the coolers are operating. Among new features of the store are a southwestern-motif color scheme including real tile floors and a cafe-style seating area near the store front. The footprint of the old Dox structure was pushed out a few feet to allow for lots of windows on the front. The new store even has market baskets. Town officials were credited by managers of the community-owned co-operative grocery with speedy response to inspection needs. However, a busy inspection schedule had left the store concerned that a morning opening on Wednesday might not be possible. The store has the same phone number -- 458-8060 -- and is open until 7 p.m. most nights.  Read earlier story.  Photo right: Wild Oats Manager David Fowle stands beside new check-out lines; photo left: Libbie Pike, of Williamstown, helps assemble a shelf as 8-month-old Jane Skavlem looks on from her arms. Libby is a check-out clerk at Wild Oats. (CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE) Read June 11 Transcript story.

UPDATE: The ambiguities, atrocities and untolled casualties of war

On Memorial Day, June 30, Williamstown's former police chief, J. Michael Kennedy, delivered a keynote speech at annual ceremonies on the town's Field Park. The speech was a remarkable summary of the ambiguities, atrocities and untolled casualties of war. At the time, GreylockNews.COM promised to post a text of the speech, when it became available. You can now read it by clicking HERE, or access it by reading our earlier story.

Williamstown American Legion elects new leader

Susan Bush reports at iBerkshires on a changing of the guard at the Williamstown American Legion. Gary Walsh, 74, is the new commander, taking over for Richard "Bud" Trombley.

FULL STORY: http://www.iberkshires.com/story.php?story_id=17679

Williams admissions hit record again

For the seventh time in 10 years, applications to Williams
College have risen. A record number 5,822 students applied for the 539
places in the Williams College Class of 2009.

FULL STORY: http://www.iberkshires.com/story.php?story_id=17686

Greylock Federal Credit Union is adding a branch in Williamstown

Fresh competition in banking services is apparently coming to Williamstown this fall. The long-vacant former bank branch at 455 Main Street in Williams -- next to The Orchards -- is going to become a branch of the Pittsfield-based Greylock Federal Credit Union in the fall. For details, check the iBerkshires story written by Susan Bush.