“A Sunday Afternoon Poetry Reading" at Berkshire Community College

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The Berkshire Writers Room, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Berkshire Community College present “A Sunday Afternoon Poetry Reading" at Berkshire Community College,Susan B. Anthony Building, Student Lounge, Sunday, May 18th, 2 to 4PM, featuring Sharon Mack, author and poet reading from her second collection The Other Side of Me “So many folks think they know us. They know us as colleagues and coworkers, as mothers, partners and friends. But who really knows us? Knows the inside of us? The side we live with every day in the silence of our minds and the frenzy of our souls."

The collection features the inspirational, family and friends, the serious and the humorous.

Mack's articles have appeared in The Berkshire Eagle, and most recently two poems were published in their supplemental magazine Berkshires Week (June 2007 and November 2007). She also wrote a column for the local newspaper, The South Advocate, (1995-1997); worked as Editor and Advisor for the Berkshire Community College (Pittsfield, MA), student newspaper, The Collage, and published an article on Welfare Reform, "Slow but Sure: Welfare Reform Act Programmed to Fail" in the American Association for Women in Community Colleges Journal.

Currently she is Vice President of the Board of Directors as well as Public Relations Chair for The Berkshire Writers Room, Inc. (BWR) of Pittsfield, MA. The Berkshire Writers Room is home to local writers both published and unpublished and partnered with Berkshire Community College offering free workshops and opportunities to come together and read our work in an open forum. She is also Editor of the BWR Newsletter and Co-editor of the BWR publication, Pathways: A Journal of Literature and Art.

She is the founder and coordinator of an inspirational group for writers, The Creative Experience, for which she received a grant from The Pittsfield Cultural Council in 2006-07 and which is now being groomed for a course for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Berkshire Community College at which Mack will moderate. She also moderates for two Internet writing groups: Critical Writing and Creative Writing (2000-2007).

Joining Sharon will be Liz Recko-Morrison and Victoria Passier, poets and authors in their own right. Together they will explore the “other side” adding yet another dimension to the voice.

There will be a question and answer session at the end.



Berkshire Writers Room Accepting Submissions For Pathway Publication

The Berkshire Writers Room will accept Children's Writing submissions beginning May 19 through July 31 for the Second Edition of Pathways: A Journal of Literature and Art to be published in September 2008.

Calling all young writers (5-17), as well as adults (18 and over) who write for children and young adults.

The Berkshire Writers Room is now accepting submissions from young writers (5-17) as well as from adults who write for children and young adults for the second edition of Pathways: A Journal of Literature & Art. You may submit short or flash fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and plays/scripts, photos and art works

If you are under the age of 17, please include your age and grade level. Also permission from your parent/s or guardian/s is required. Parents will be contacted in the event your work is chosen for publication, so please supply contact information. Authors whose work is accepted will receive one free copy of Pathways.  Send us your submissions and you just may see your name in print.

Submissions via email (smack@berkshirecc.edu) or CD only (mail to: Berkshire Writers Room/Children’s Editor, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, MA  01201.

Full submission guidelines available by calling (413) 236-2191 or emailing smack@berkshirecc.edu
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.

Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.

The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.

Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is  appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.

Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.

Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.

Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.

The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.

The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.

Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.

Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years. 

He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.

Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.

Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve  a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.

Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.

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