Community Celebration Set for Lincoln’s 200th Birthday

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — An "After-School Birthday Party" to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln is planned for Feb. 12, from 3:30 to 5:30 at the Berkshire South Regional Community Center.

This is a public event with no charge and is sponsored by the center, Chesterwood, Norman Rockwell Museum and state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox. The program will include a high school essay contest sponsored by Pignatelli, art projects for children, readings and presentations about President Lincoln, and a monumental birthday cake.

 It must be at least 200 words and be submitted by Friday, Jan. 30, to Pignatelli's district office at 6 Walker St. in Lenox. Prizes will be awarded.

Elementary students are invited to bring birthday cards, artwork celebrating his presidency or other Lincoln-related classroom projects. These items will be displayed at the event and can be delivered to the front desk at the Berkshire South at 15 Crissey Road beginning Feb. 9 or brought to the event.

Chesterwood's Lincoln Bicentennial programming for May 1 to Oct. 31 will be announced at the event. Chesterwood is the country home, studio and gardens of Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), sculptor of seated Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial (1922) in Washington, D.C., and "The Minute Man" (1875) in Concord. The museum is located off Route 183 in the Glendale section of Stockbridge, near the Rockwell Museum. 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Toy Library Installed at Onota Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Feel free to use or leave a toy at Onota Lake's newest infrastructure meant to foster community and benefit kids.

Burbank Park now has a toy library thanks to Wahconah Regional High School senior Alexandra Bills. Located along the wall at the beach area, the green and blue structure features two shelves with sand toys that can be used to enhance children's visits.

The Parks Commission supported Bills' proposal in February as part of her National Honors Society individual service project and it was installed this month. Measuring about 4 feet wide and 5.8 feet tall, it was built by the student and her father with donated materials from a local lumber company.

Friends and family members provided toys to fill the library such as pails, shovels, Frisbees, and trucks.

"I wanted to create a toy library like the other examples in Berkshire County from the sled library to the book libraries," she told the commission in February.

"But I wanted to make it toys for Onota Lake because a lot of kids forget their toys or some kids can't afford toys."

Bills lives nearby and will check on the library weekly — if not daily — to ensure the operation is running smoothly.  A sign reading "Borrow-Play-Return" asks community members to clean up after themselves after using the toys.

It was built to accommodate children's heights and will be stored during the winter season.

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