iBerkshires.com Columnist SectionJoe Manning
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Bytes from the Bean by Joe Manning 2-15-9912:00AM / Monday, February 15, 1999
I was up on Tuesday, the 9th. The highlight of the day was the "Local Love-In" event at Papyri Books at 2:30. When I pulled up a chair and sat down, I was surprised that my friend Patrice Bolgen was sitting right next to me. She was interviewed in "Steeples." We watched a short presentation about the history of Native Americans in the Berkshires, and a hilarious silent movie short from 1917 that was filmed in Adams and used Adams citizens in the cast. Finally, Paul Marino entertained with his usual program of historical curiosities, slides, and off-the-wall comments ("Thank you, thank you. Please, no applause, just throw money"). We heard the familiar (to some of us) story about Nathaniel Hawthorne's extended visit to North Adams in 1828. When Paul explained that the author was on his way to Williamstown, someone blurted out, "It figures."
Speaking of Papryi Books, Eileen and Karen finally got their due in the Transcript's editorial, which praised them for working to improve Main Street. Haven't you noticed lately that just about everything that's happening downtown is happening at Papryi? If I only lived here! Then I could go to all of their events. If you haven't been there yet, why not?
On Friday, I interviewed Wally Konopka at the City Hall. Most of you know that he was City Engineer for many years. Though he is retired, Wally has been filling in until they hire a permanent replacement for the person who left last October ("I was supposed to come back for a couple weeks, but I'm still here"). We looked over old photos of the floods and the installation of the flood control chutes back in the Fifties. One photo showed a man rescuing two small children at 6:00 in the morning from a Washington Avenue apartment during a flood on New Years Eve 1948.
It was a beautiful sunny day, up near sixty on the Hoosac Bank clock by noon. I got my camera and went through three rolls of film by lunch. I hit The Bean just in time. The monthly Coalition meeting at the First Baptist Church had just ended, and lots of young social worker types were lining up behind me. It was great to see these fresh-faced folks enjoying their oversized sandwiches ("Wow, what did you get?") and sharing their optimism with one another. The noise was infectious, and Audrey and her staff were dashing around from table to table ("Number 12, who has number 12?"). Someone was playing with little Hannah by the couch. People kept interrupting conversations to turn around and look, and Hannah smiled that "I love life" smile she gets from her mother.
Back at Papyri at 2:30, I spoke to a delightful audience about my new book, "Disappearing Into North Adams," which is definitely a work in progress at this point. When I headed home down Route 8, a cold front had barged in, and I turned on the windshield wipers. It didn't matter. Friday was a great day to be excited about this city, full of activity on the street, and the hint of good times to come.
Visit Joe's website at: www.sevensteeples.com.
Email Joe at: manningfamily@rcn.com.
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