2nd Annual Rock, Rattle and Drum Pow Wow in the Berkshires

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Who say’s “You can’t have your cake and eat it too?” This year, Fidel Moreno and Susan Jameson, producers of the recent “ 2nd Annual Rock, Rattle and Drum Pow Wow in the Berkshires” in association with The Berkshire Peace Collaborative led by Tamarack Garlow, will produce another fun and significant event on Sunday, September 23rd from 11am - 7pm. The 2nd Annual International Day of Peace Concert billed as: “Heartbeat For Peace, The Peace, Truth and Justice Festival”, celebrates and brings attention to the worldwide United Nations sanctioned September 21, International Day of Peace. Heartbeat For Peace is an all day entertainment and peace, justice and environmental informational festival inspiring an intentional local movement for peace and sustainability. The event will be filled with live music, children’s activities, information tables, and representatives of activist organizations speaking throughout the day. The festival begins at 11am with a multi-denominational inter-faith invocation representing the African, Eastern, American Indian and European religious and spiritual traditions of sacred drumming, chanting and song. The reference to “having your cake and eating too” is about the challenge of accommodating many performing artists, musicians and peace activists who are hearing about the event from both last year’s peace concert at the Methodist Church in Pittsfield and this year’s planned peace concert and activities. The organizer’s response to many artists wanting to perform and speak – “Let Them Eat Cake,” which translates to: Let Them Play! The event this year will have two stages, one for music and the other for special guest peace speakers, as well as an indoor speaker’s forum. Heartbeat For Peace will take place in the back parking lot where the Live Earth Party happened this summer at Aspinwell/Lenox Shops off of Route 7 in Lenox, MA . Many group acts and bands will perform with a focus on percussion and ethno-folk, soul, pop and hip hop. Thus the name: “Heartbeat” For Peace Concert, The Peace, Truth And Justice Festival, with great drumming by groups like KDZ Drummers of kripalu, Jojo and Yati Priya, the all-women’s percussion ensemble, Gaia Roots, and our other favorite Reggae man, Rasmoon and the great groove band Monsoon. Other band special performances will be Robby Baier and Melodrome, and Enlightennext’s Andrew Cohen’s funk jazz band, Unfulfilled Desires and the blue’s top house band will be Hoodoo Rhythm Dogs. Solo performances by the soulful songwriter, Linda Worster, Justin Hillman, a better sounding Bob Dylan-like balladeer, Robert Oakes, folksinger extraordinaire, and special guest, the celebrated Jim Scott of the Paul Winter Consort and our good friend, “hip shakin” Latino salsa and Gypsy Kings cover king, Nicaragua guitarist, Juan Basilio Sanchez. There will be “after festival parties” at Jonathon’s Bistro, Chocolate Springs and Bennigans for those still with a hungry ear for great local music and more peace networking. There will be entertainment and activities for children including a petting zoo, face painting and a children’s arts and craft table for hand’s on making of art with community and peace as the focus. The Robbins-Zust Marionettes will also perform twice at the day long event. Several months ago, there was a meeting called to bring together many of the organizations associated with the peace and environmental movement in the Berkshires. Representatives from 22 organizations showed up, organizers, Michael Johnson of Pathways To Peace, Fidel Moreno and Susan Jameson of Healing Winds and Humanity In Concert, Tamarack Garlow of Department of Peace, and Analisa Vanegas of Manos Unidas, coordinated a gathering to form an open association of organizations that were interested in forming an open alliance which is now called the Berkshire Peace Collaborative. Each organization having their own identity, focus and mission agreed to come together to support large group actions, positions and special events to amplify the message of peace, truth and justice in the Berkshires and the global community. The Berkshire Peace Collaborative is also looking at government and public officials as potential partners for a vast network of concerns and issues that address vital social, political and spiritual issues in Berkshire County. The Collaborative is hosting a roundtable discussion about issues, coalition building, and strategies at the day long festival. All are welcome to participate at the in-door open discussion forum during the festival. Many speakers will also share critical information and facilitate “soul”ution-based strategies and options in-between performances. Informational booths and arts and crafts vendors will be invited to participate. Green products and services will be introduced and available by their respective representatives. Sponsors for “Heartbeat for Peace” are Chocolate Springs, Jonathon’s Bistro, Bennigan’s Restaurant, Eat Your Peas-Children’s Clothing Store, Rhythms Dance Studio, The Blue Iguana Room, Peter Alvarez Salon, Hawkmeadow Retreat and Meditation Center Econo Lodge, SoCo Creamery, White Eagle Meditation Center and Aspinwell. The “Hearbeat for Peace” Concert & The Peace, Truth and Justice Festival is produced by Healing Winds, Humanity in Concert, Aspinwell/Lenox Shops and The Berkshire Peace Collaborative. For more information, please contact: email: humanityinconcert@earthlink.net Or call 413-464-0919. “Heartbeat For Peace” Concert and Program Schedule: 11am - Welcome 11:10am - Interfaith Invocation and Drumming Circle 11:30am - Jojo Silverman & Yati Priya – Kirtan Chanting & Percussion Noon - Peace Speaker 12:15pm - Justin Hillman 12:30pm - Linda Worster 12:45pm - Robert Oakes 1:00pm - Peace Speaker 1:15pm - Robby Baier & Melodrome 2:00pm - Peace Speaker 2:00pm - Robbins - Zust Marionettes Hand Puppet Show For Children – Three Little Pigs 2:15pm - KDZ Drummers of Kripalu 3:00pm - Peace Speaker 3:15pm - Rasmoon And Monsoon 4:00pm - Robbins - Zust Marionettes Hand Puppet Show For Children - Little Red Riding Hood 4:00pm - Peace Speaker 4:15pm - Jim Scott 4:45pm - Peace Speaker 5:00pm - Gaia Roots/All Women Percussion Group 5:45pm - Kindgroove – Hip Hop & Soul 6:30pm - Unfulfilled Desires 7:00pm - Acknowledgements and Announcements 8:00pm - After Festival Party and Peace Jam, Aspinwell/Rt.7 in Lenox Jonathon’s Bistro – Unfulfilled Desires, Juan Basilio Sanchez and Solo Performers Bennigan’s Bar and Restaurant – Hoodoo Rhythm Dogs/Blues and Soul Organizations Represented (as of 9/14) Department of Peace, 911 Truth Commission, Women of Color Giving Circle, Progressive Democrats, CET – Center for Ecological Technology, Berkshire Citizens for Peace & Justice, Elizabeth Freeman Center, Project Native, Pathways to Peace, Manos Unidas, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, Southern Berkshire Interfaith Committee, Railroad Street Youth Project, Berkshire Vegetarian Network, Hospice Care, Berkshire Coalition for Impeachment, Lois Hartwick, Healing The Brain, and Awareness of Child Abuse and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Columbia County School of the Americas Watch, Healing Winds, Humanity In Concert. Speaker’s Forum (as of 9/14) Paul Deslauriers, 911 Truth Commission Tamarack Garlow, Department of Peace, Spirit and The Peace Movement Michael Johnson, Pathways to Peace Don Lathrop, Berkshire Citizens for Peace and Justice, The Selective Service and You Bob Feuer, Berkshire Coalition for Impeachment Matt Kelly, Berkshire Vegetarian Network SpeakerS (as of 9/14) Tamarack Garlow, Department of Peace, Spirit and The Peace Movement Paul Deslauriers, 911 Truth Commission Shirley Edgerton, Women of Color Giving Circle Tim Carpenter, Progressive Democrats Michael Johnson, Pathways to Peace Annalisa Venegas, Manos Unidas Bob Feuer, Berkshire Coalition for Impeachment Matt Kelly, Berkshire Vegetarian Network Kathy Austin, Healing The Brain and Awareness of Child Abuse and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Wendy Dwyer, Columbia County School of the Americas Watch
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Local Hockey Program's Alum Projected in NHL Draft

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An alumnus of the Atlantic Coast Academy hockey program is generating a lot of buzz heading into next week's National Hockey League entry draft.
 
And that attention can only help build the profile of the program Mike Taylor founded in 2022.
 
"The talent is here," Taylor said this week of ACA, which pairs hockey development and education for players from around the nation and the world. "I don't think as many people locally realize the talent we've had here. I don't think they realized we had a future NHL Draft pick playing in our home rink."
 
That prospect is Maksim Sokolovskii, who the NHL lists as the No. 40 North American skater in the June 26 draft.
 
Sokolovskii, a 6-foot-7 left-shot defenseman, scored 34 goals and collected 50 assists in 65 games playing for ACA in the 2024-25 season.
 
This year, he is playing for the London Knights of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, one of the top leagues of its kind in North America.
 
"Sokolovskii is a massive and highly athletic defenseman," analyst Corey Pronmon wrote this month for The Athletic. "He's a strong, mobile player who's very physical and projects to make a ton of stops."
 
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