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Historical Walk in Hillside Cemetery June 7

North Adams, MA - Local historian Paul W. Marino has announced the first of his Historical Walks for the summer of 2008, a tour of Hillside Cemetery in North Adams, to be held on Saturday, June 7. At 210 years old, Hillside is North Adams’ oldest municipal cemetery and the final resting place of many of the city’s earliest movers and shakers. These include an attorney who invented a braking system for trains, a personal friend of two U.S. Presidents, an eye-witness to President Lincoln’s delivery of the Gettysburg Address, and a humble blacksmith who died a hero’s death in the excavation of the Hoosac Tunnel. Hillside is also home a fabulous array of fine stonework, from elaborately carved headstones to the breathtaking tree that marks the Isbell lot. Whether your taste is local history or fine art, the Hillside Walk is not to be missed.

An experienced guide, Marino conducts his Walks with a fine sense of showmanship, backing up what he says with an array of photos, maps and a sense of humor. Marino especially wants to see children brought on his Walks. "History is the story of where we come from," he says. "And local history is the story of where North Adams—and its people—come from. Adults find it interesting, but kids NEED to hear these stories." This Hillside Cemetery Walk is especially suitable for children, covering only the north side of the cemetery, and concluding with a treasure hunt.

The Walk starts at 2:30pm at the top of the hill off Brown Street. Interested persons are advised to wear a good pair of walking shoes, sun-block and a hat with a wide brim. They should carry a canteen or bottle of water and be prepared to have their ears talked off.

For more information call 413-207-1344 or e-mail [email protected]

The Art and Life of Jessica Park Opens May 26 at Gallery 51

The opening reception for the exhibit "The Art and Life of Jessica Park" will be held from 6-8 pm on May 26 at MCLA Gallery 51.

    The Art and Life of Jessica Park contains an exceptional array of  Park's paintings, drawings and early creations, as well as many photographs of the artist at work and other candid pictures from her artistic career.  All stages in the development of Jessica's art are included, and the remarkable circumstances under which her art was created presented in thought provoking texts that portray the artist as a human being whose life has been a journey out of the isolated world of autism.
    Students from the Advanced Museum Studies class at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts have organized this exhibition under the direction of Dr. Tony Gengarelly, Professor of Art History and Museum Studies and Chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department.  Highlights from the five year association between Jessica and MCLA, beginning with her honorary degree in 2003, will be included in the show.
    The exhibition will introduce a 96 page book, Exploring Nirvana: The Art of Jessica Park.  Published by MCLA, this tribute to the artist contains 86 color illustrations of Jessica's work along with text created by MCLA faculty and students, with contributions from Dr. Oliver Sacks, Clara Claiborne Park, Tony Gengarelly, Ph.D., and Emmanuelle Delmas-Glass.

The exhibition runs from May 28 - June 22.    MCLA Gallery 51, located at 51 Main Street in North Adams, MA, is open 7 day s a week from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Time to Register for the 2008 Charity Bed Race

North Adams, MA - The 2008 Fall Foliage Festival will include the second annual Charity Bed Race, to be held Saturday, October 4 at 12:00 PM. This year’s race guarantees to draw big crowds to Main Street, along with the Autumn Arts and Crafts festival. Registration forms are available at the Mayor's Office of Tourism, 6 West Main Street. All proceeds benefit Northern Berkshire Healthcare. For registration information, call 413.281.0069

NB Community Tennis Association Holding Summer Program

North Adams, MA - The Northern Berkshire Community Tennis Association is holding summer tennis program sign-ups. The NBCTA will kick off the year with a free Tennis Block Party event on Saturday, May 31 from 10 – 2 PM at the MCLA Zavattaro Athletic Complex off West Shaft Road (rain date is June 1). Program sign-ups will be taken. For a free brochure call 413-663-5380 or e-mail [email protected]

NB Relay for Life at Noel Field May 30 & 31

North Adams, MA - The third annual Northern Berkshire Relay for Life will be held at the Noel Field Athletic Complex on State Street on Friday, May 30 from 6:00 PM – 12:00 PM on Saturday, May 31.  The event begins with the Survivor Lap at 6 PM. Call 413-664-4202.

Town Players Announce Annual Membership Meeting June 9

Pittsfield, MA - The Town Players of Pittsfield announces its annual membership meeting, which will take place on Monday, June 9th at 7:30pm at its workshop located at 148 Lebanon Avenue in Pittsfield, MA.  Refreshments will be served.

Active members, former members, theatre enthusiasts and anyone  interested in community theatre support, production, participation and membership are welcome.  Come enjoy Town Player updates, to include a review of the upcoming season’s productions, and engage yourself in proactive conversation
about the future of Town Players.   Please check out our website at www.townplayers.org for more information.

Main Street Stage Announces the Return of The Red Room

North Adams, MA - Main Street Stage is happy to announce the return of The Red Room,  Saturday, June 14th.  Doors open at 8 for life drawing (model and art  materials supplied), mingling and light refreshment.  At 9:00, follow the host into the theatre for a one hour variety show—a different show every week that features local musicians, writers, dancers, magicians and more.  The Red Room will run Saturdays in June and Mondays in July and August. 

The Red Room is a deal; $10.00 a person gets you refreshments, drawing and a show.  Contact Kelli 413-664-7745 for more information or find us on Facebook.  The Red Room contains adult themes and language.

Red Room dates for this summer are June 14, 21, 28; July 7, 14, 21,  28; and August 4, 11, 18, 25.  Look out for announcements of theme  nights (including summer camp night on the 7th of July).  Also, if you  are interested in having your act in The Red Room, please contact  Wendy  at:  [email protected].

3rd Annual NAMA Prom June 14th at Elks Lodge

North Adams, MA - Back by popular demand, The North Adams Prom Committee will be hosting its 3rd annual semi-formal at the Elks Lodge in North Adams on Saturday, June 14th.

In 2005, a group of North Adams-based, twenty-something friends got to talking about how they hadn’t enjoyed their own proms when they were in high school and how they wished that such opportunities to get dressed up and dance were as abundant in adulthood as they were in the teen years. Out of this conversation, the April Fools Ball emerged.

For the past two years, the Ball, a semi-formal dance party, has been held at the Elks Lodge and organized by a group that is a mix of North Adams natives and people newer to the area drawn by the emerging art scene. The event organizers try to create a unique and playfully glamorous event that will appeal to a large cross-section of the community. The two past parties (2006 and 2007 April Fools Ball) have drawn an average of 200 people, many of whom have come from as far as Great Barrington, Troy, and even New York City to attend.

This year, The Prom Committee is putting on another semi-formal event called the NAMA Prom, again to be held at the Elks (NAMA stand for North Adams, MA). The party will be held from 8:30pm to 2am on Saturday, June 14th. Special features include DJ Hush spinning danceable tunes (myspace.com/hushhaus), a station where guests can make their own corsages, a backdrop against which couples can have their photo taken, complimentary refreshments, and also a few surprises. Guests are encouraged to dress up as much as they would like and even to wear outfits from their own high school proms if they still have them.

Admission is $5 and drinks are available for purchase at the Elks bar. This event is 21+. For more information about the NAMA Prom, visit myspace.com/thepromcommitttee, call 413-652-2462, or email [email protected].

NB Community Coalition Annual Meeting Set for June 6

North Adams, MA - The 22nd Annual Meeting of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition will take place on Friday, June 6 from 11:45 a.m-1:30 p.m at the Williams Inn in Williamstown. The guest speaker will be John Auerbach, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, who will be addressing current public health issues affecting the Commonwealth.  Northern Berkshire Heroes Dick Alcombright and Stan Brown will be honored. 

There will be presentations by youth participants in UNITY as well as a performance by the Experience Dance ensemble of Northern Berkshire Neighbors.  Music will be provided by Tony Pisano and Friends. The suggested donation to attend is $20. Companies and larger organizations are encouraged to reserve a table for the celebration.  You can reserve a seat or a table by returning the attached flyer, or by contacting the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition at 413-663-7588.

Greg greenway Returns to The Railway Cafe May 30

North Adams, MA - Next Friday, May 30th, the Railway Cafe welcomes the return of Greg Greenway. A rare combination of instrumental expertise, a soulful and moving singer, powerful poet, and sparkling entertainer, Greenway is one of those difficult-to-categorize performers who have found a home in the modern acoustic genre.

Musically, he draws inspiration from all over the map--gospel, rock, blues, Jazz, and world music. But his center is in the singer/songwriter tradition that traces it roots all the way back to the social awareness of Woody Guthrie. His central appeal is that it all comes through the singular lens of Greenway's humanity and his easy affinity for the audience. He has a commanding presence and boundless energy, which he uses to tell stories and ask audiences to think about everyday life, love, and social justice. His confessional style, sleek guitar, soaring voice and pop-sweet melodicism make him an uncannily effective political singer.

Greg is celebrating the release of his latest CD, Standing on the Side of Love, and the Railway will be celebrating the close of its seventh season.

The show will start at 7:30 at MCLA's Gallery 51, 51 Main St., North Adams. Admission is $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and $10 for students and senior citizens. Reservations can be made by emailing [email protected]. The Railway Cafe is supported by its patrons, MCLA and the local cultural council, a division of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For more info on the Railway Cafe, see www.railwaycafe.org. To learn more about Greg Greenway, see his website at www.greggreenway.com, or look for him on myspace.