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Daily DigestMeetings
The Drury High School Council meets Tuesday, Jan 13, at 6:30 in the conference room. Agenda items include AYP, school grant, laptop initiative and PowerSchool updates. |
Steve Decker cleans up in front of BankNorth on Wednesday.
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More Snow
The Berkshires received several inches of snow this morning, but not enough to close schools, unlike yesterday's sleety mess. Temperatures will drop into the 20s this afternoon. A few more snow showers are expected through the weekend.
We have reports that the roads are very slippery to take care in the evening commute. |
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. |
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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. |
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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Obama TransitionOther 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. |
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Father Goose Brings Nursery Rhymes and Caribbean Sound to MASS MoCA - May 21, 2008
 | | Father Goose, AKA Wayne Rhoden, Photo Courtesy of MASS MoCA |
North Adams - As part of the eclectic music ensemble family Dan Zanes & Friends, Father Goose, AKA Wayne Rhoden, has made a name for himself as the boisterous, amorous performer who routinely steals the show with his Caribbean-inspired versions of nursery rhymes and popular children's songs.
Fresh from recording his first solo album, It's A Bam Bam Diddly!, Father Goose is hitting the road and sharing his love for music and his exuberant personality with kids all over the country. Father Goose will stop at MASS MoCA on Saturday, June 7, at 11 AM for a performance sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union.
Born in the Caribbean island of Jamaica, West Indies, as a child Father Goose was surrounded by music of practically every type. He began his career as a performer at the age of 5, he staged his first concert singing his favorite songs off the radio for family and friends, and shortly after took on the role of DJ for his parents' parties which allowed him to gain a greater understanding for all kinds of music, but also stay up past his bedtime.
By the 1990's Rhoden's nonstop work at honing his DJ skills, both for his parents and his schoolmates, paid off. Using the persona Rankin Don, he became an underground rapper and dancehall superstar in Jamaica and in Brooklyn. During his time as Rankin Don, Rhoden recorded two hit singles, Baddest DJ and Real McCoy, both of which sold more than 100,000 copies. He performed with some of reggae's top artists including Gregory Isaacs, Grammy nominees Beres Hammond and Freedis McGregor, and Grammy winners Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, and Beenie Man.
Rhoden credits his unexpected transition to children's music to his mother. She introduced him to Dan Zanes, whose child she was babysitting for. After meeting Zanes, Rhoden took on the performing persona Father Goose, and has since performed on all five of Zanes' hit CDs, including the Grammy award-winning release Stop That Train!.
The New York Times says Goose's first solo album It's a Bam Bam Diddly! offers "infectiously fresh interpretations of traditional West Indian folk songs." Rhoden chose the songs featured on the CD to showcase his life's journey. "The folk tunes, nursery rhymes, R&B sound, and reggae were music styles I loved as a child, so when it came to selecting songs for the CD I went with what I know." The album includes a galaxy of musical stars including Zanes and Sheryl Crow, as well as Caribbean artists Sister Carol, Screechy Dan, and Ansel Meditation.
As for his performances with Zanes, and now on his own tour, Rhoden says they are "one big party. Everybody knows I'm the one that normally gets the party started. My party started in Jamaica, and everywhere I go there's a party. And the party doesn't stop."
Tickets for Father Goose are $5 per person. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams from 11 A.M. until 5 P.M. (closed Tuesdays). Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413-662-2111 during Box Office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org. |
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