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Daily DigestYuck!
 There's a winter storm warning in effect until 7 a.m. on Thursday with 2 to 4 inches of snow expected. Be prepared for a messy morning commute as freezing rain and sleet move through the region. The morning commute will be slippery — drive careful!
Some New York schools, including Hoosick Falls Central School and St. Mary's Academy in Hoosick Falls have already canceled classes.
All North County schools are closed; Pittsfield, Lanesborough, Berkshire Hills, Southern Berkshire and Central Berkshire school districts are closed. |
Duff'em If You've Got'em
 North Adams Regional Hospital went smoke-free Monday — so did all its sister sites, from Sweet Brook to Northern Berkshire Family Practice to the Women's Exchange. No ashtrays, no smoking: No butts about it. |
Wanted: Eagle Eyes
MassWildlife's annual eagle count runs Dec. 31 to Jan. 14. Anyone sighting one of the regal birds in Massachusetts is asked to participate.
Send date, time, location and town of eagle sightings, number of birds, whether juvenile or adult and observer's contact information to Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us. |
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Like to Write?
 iBerkshires accepts submissions about local events, news and opinion pieces. There are openings for freelance work, too, for qualified candidates. E-mail tdaniels@iberkshires.com to find out more. |
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Other StuffMars Rovers Mark 5 Years
 Spirit and Opportunity have been trekking the red planet for half a decade. Spirit hit the 5-year mark on Sunday; Opportunity will on Jan. 24. |
Obama TransitionRelated Stories |
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Governor Speaks at Chinese University - December 03, 2007
 | | Gov. Deval Patrick at Tsinghua University. |
BEIJING – Gov. Deval Patrick outlined his vision for a strong economic partnership between Massachusetts and China during remarks to local leaders, students and faculty at Tsinghua University on Monday.
Patrick joined 2006 Nobel laureate Dr. Craig Mello of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, who delivered a lecture on "RNAi: From Mechanism Beyond," which explains the innovation and collaboration that led to the ability to silence a gene – a discovery offering promise to cure diseases such as diabetes or cancer.
"We have come to refresh and renew a 200-year-old relationship," said Patrick, according to a statement. "We seek to build new partnerships on old friendships. We want to learn how you are meeting the challenges you face for advances in education, healing and clean power. And we seek to share lessons we have learned and are still learning in each of these fields."
Gov. Patrick's Speech
"We not only need great scientists, but we also need great leaders and policies to create the right environment for scientific discovery that lead to new treatments for diseases we have yet to tackle," said Mello.
The Massachusetts-China Partnership delegation, comprised of leaders in the fields of life sciences, clean energy and higher education, also attended the event.
Massachusetts generated $1.3 billion in manufactured goods exports to China in 2006. China wants to shift its image as a country focused on low-wage manufacturing to one of sophisticated research, development and innovation. This dynamic will shape China's relationship to Massachusetts on this trade mission and in its continued relationship with the commonwealth.
According to the Patrick administration, the trade mission aims to strengthen innovation and collaboration around clean energy, life sciences, education and transportation. The visit will be the first in a series of steps Patrick expects to take to strengthen the Massachusetts-China relationship.
The agenda includes meetings in Beijing and Shanghai with Chinese companies and universities focused on China’s academic, research and development and commercial achievements.
Dr. Craig Mello and Patrick at Tsinghua University. |
Members of the delegation also include: Housing and Economic Development Secretary Dan O'Connell; Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen; Greg Watson, senior adviser for clean energy technology; Thomas J. Kinton Jr., Massachusetts Port Authority CEO; Mitchell Adams, executive director, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative; Jack Wilson University of Massachusetts president; Victor Zue, co-director, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Anthony Saich, faculty chairman of Asia Programs, Harvard University; Josh Boger, chairman of Biotechnology Industry Organization and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals; and Thomas J. Sommer, president of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council. Representatives from Massachusetts life science and clean energy companies – many with a presence in China – will also participate in portions of the trip.
As key partners in the commonwealth's mission agenda and the administration's overall economic development agenda, Massport and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative are funding the trip. The estimated cost of the trip is roughly $200,000. |
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