WAMC's call letters recall the station's early roots. Established in 1958 by Albany Medical College of Union University, WAMC has grown to one of the most-listened-to public radio stations in the United States, with over 300,000 monthly listeners and a signal reaching into portions of seven states. But there are still listeners and staff members who remember the old days, when WAMC served as a teaching tool for the Medical College. The station used to provide continuing education for health professions, broadcasting two-way medical conferences and lectures by physicians and other health professionals for hospitals across the region. According to Alan Chartock, "Every once in a while I still meet someone on the street who tells me, 'I love your station, but the best programming you ever had was when you could listen to some doctor telling you how to take out a kidney."
WAMC/Northeast Public Radio will celebrate the station's 45th anniversary with a special concert featuring Arlo Guthrie at The Egg (Empire Center for The Performing Arts), in Albany, Saturday, November 8th at 8 PM. Folk music legend Arlo Guthrie, joined by Abe Guthrie, Gordon Titcomb, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion. Information and tickets are available by calling WAMC at 465-5233, ext. 4. A special donation of $100 will entitle ticket-holders to VIP seats and a special post-show reception with Arlo, Alan Chartock, and WAMC staff. Regular tickets are available for $50 and $25. All proceeds of the concert will benefit WAMC and the Guthrie Center.
"It doesn't get any better than this," said Alan Chartock, WAMC's Executive Director. "Arlo has become a real part of WAMC folklore. We couldn't have a fund drive without his song, "Mother, the Queen of my Heart," and our Wanda Fischer has played "Alice's Restaurant" every Thanksgiving for as long as we can remember. You can bet I'll be there and I know this is one that we'll all remember for a long, long time."
Arlo Guthrie was born with a guitar in one hand and a harmonica in the other, in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York in 1947. He is the eldest son of America's most beloved singer/writer/philosopher Woody Guthrie and Marjorie Mazia Guthrie and he grew up surrounded by musicians like Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Fred Hellerman, Lee Hays, Leadbelly, Cisco Houston, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. Guthrie gave his first public performance at age 13 and quickly became involved in the music that was shaping the world during the 1960s.
The Guthrie Center, housed in the old Trinity Church (It was Thanksgiving 1965 that events took place at the church which inspired Arlo to write the song "Alice's Restaurant") is named for Arlo's parents, and is a not-for-profit interfaith church foundation dedicated to providing a wide range of local and international services. Its outreach programs include everything from providing HIV/AIDS services to baking cookies with a local service organization; an HD walk-a-thon to raise awareness and money for a cure for Huntington's Disease, and offering a place simply to meditate.
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Air Quality Alert Issued for Berkshire County
Staff reports
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The state's on an air quality alert through midnight Thursday because of the smoke from wildfires in Canada.
Berkshire residents woke up to smoky, hazy skies and a red glowing sun on Wednesday morning, but with less oppressive heat.
The Department of Environmental Protection issued an air quality alert for elevated levels of fine particles (PM2.5). This refers to microscopic airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter — about 30 times smaller than a human hair. These particles come in many sizes and shapes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the size of these particles can cause serious health problems because they can get deep into your lungs and even into bloodstreams. Particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest risk to health.
The air quality statewide is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups. These include people with heart or lung disease such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to air pollution.
MassDEP advises people in sensitive groups to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, do less intense activities, follow asthma action plans, and keep quick relief medicine handy. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.
EPA's air quality index rates levels from "good" at 0-50 and "very unhealthy" from 201 to 300. Residents of Williamstown can track the AQI through PurpleAir, which displays results from monitors in five sections of town.
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Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
