Chapters Bookstore welcomes educator and the mother of three left-brain children

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Chapters Bookstore, located at 78 North St., is pleased to welcome Dr. Katherine Beals to the event room on Tuesday October 27, at 7PM.

Does your child…

* Have impressive intellectual abilities but seem puzzled by ordinary interactions with other children?

* Prefer to spend time with adults or alone rather than with other kids?
  
* Have deep, all-consuming interests or seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of certain subjects?
     

* Seem uncomfortable with unstructured play or social engagements?

If you answered “yes” to some or all of these questions, you may be raising a left-brain child. According to the new book Raising a Left-Brain Child in a Right-Brain World by Katherine Beals, PhD (Trumpeter, August 2009) a left-brain child is bright, quirky, and socially-awkward. Left-brain children have talents and inclinations that lean heavily toward the logical, linear, analytical, and introverted side of the human psyche—what is commonly referred to as “the left brain”—as opposed to the “right brain” which is our emotional, holistic, intuitive, and introverted side. Left-brain kids constitute between 10 to 15 percent of the population—with significantly more boys than girls—yet are often under-appreciated by a world that favors social skills and teamwork.

Beals is an educator and mother of three left-brain children. Drawing on research and interviews with parents and children, this book offers a new understanding of what it means to be a left-brain child and practical strategies for parents to help nurture and support them both at school and at home. Left-brain children have wonderful gifts, and Beals helps reinforce your appreciation for your child’s left-brain quirks. She also talks about the best way to nurture and advocate for your child with talking points that readers can use for campaigning for left-brain friendly education reform.

Katherine Beals, PhD, is an educator and the mother of three left-brain children. A former public school teacher, she is a faculty member of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Her writing on parenting has appeared in Mothering magazine and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She lives in Philadelphia.

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
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Pittsfield Council Reviews Public Safety Budget, Keeps SpotShotter

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On the fourth day of budget deliberations, the City Council preliminarily approved public safety and public service budgets. 

See the first two days of budget review here; and the third day here.

Councilors deliberated the Pittsfield Police Department's $16,439,421 spending plan for more than 90 minutes. Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren unsuccessfully motioned to cut $220,000 for ShotSpotter services. 

He said the acoustic gunshot detection technology is not well used throughout the country, citing other communities that have opted out or are exploring it. 

Pittsfield has two more years on its contract; while councilors voted down the budget reduction several were willing to explore the impact data and see if those funds could be used elsewhere. 

Police Chief Marc Maddalena reported that there has been a significant decrease in shots fired calls, and attributed it to the surveillance technology assisting enforcement. He said it also comes in faster than 911 calls. 

"If people know that just by that noise alone that we're responding within seconds, that's preventing them from utilizing that weapon," he said. 

"So that in of itself is saving lives." 

It has an about 20 percent accuracy rate, and police respond to every activation. 

On Sunday, at least two homes in the area of Memorial Drive and Doyle Drive were struck by gunfire and investigators located 17 shell casings on scene. This was brought up during conversation; it was reported that there were 13 impulses on ShotSpotter during the incident. 

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