Norman Rockwell Museum Celebrates The 50th Anniversary of "The Runaway"

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STOCKBRIDGE - On September 20, 1958, "The Saturday Evening Post" treated its readers to a cover illustration, which became an instant classic. The scene, illustrated by artist Norman Rockwell, features the lunch counter of a modest diner, where a kindly state trooper is seated next to a young boy, whose knapsack reveals an attempt to run away from home; behind the counter, an older, world weary man looks on with a sympathetic smile.

This positive image perfectly represented the spirit of Norman Rockwell's work, showcasing the best of small-town values in familiar, everyday settings. Fifty years on, "The Runaway" continues to be relevant, and can be found on the walls of countless diners and police stations, and recreated for TV's "Good Morning America," during a recent broadcast from the Berkshires, where Rockwell lived and worked. The men who modeled for Norman Rockwell's painting have had an interesting story of their own to tell through the years, and will be honored at a brief ceremony at the State Police General Headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts, on Friday, September 19.

Norman Rockwell Museum will celebrate the 50th anniversary of this iconic image by welcoming former Massachusetts State Trooper Dick Clemens and Ed Locke, the original models for "The Runaway," to the Museum on Saturday, September 20, for a special meet and greet from 1 to 4 p.m. Clemens and Locke will discuss what it was like to pose for Norman Rockwell, and share their memories of living in Stockbridge in the late 1950s, where Rockwell was a neighbor. The men will also talk about how the image continues to inspire law enforcement officers throughout the country. A print-signing will follow. Visitors will also have the opportunity to try their hand at posing for the picture, in a special "Runaway"-inspired lunch counter, and create their own illustrated story in a drop-in art workshop for all ages. The event is free for children, free for adults with regular Museum admission.

Norman Rockwell Museum is open daily. General public admission is $15 for adults, $13.50 for seniors, $10 for students, and free for visitors 18 and under (five per adult). Kids Free Every Day is a gift to families from Country Curtains and the Red Lion Inn. The Museum is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., May through October; from November through April, weekday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekend/holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gallery tours are available daily, beginning on the hour. Antenna Audio Tour of select paintings from the Museum's permanent Norman Rockwell collection is available. Rockwell's studio, located on the Museum grounds, is open May through October. The Museum's Terrace Café is open May through October, serving an à la carte lunch menu seven days a week.

For more information, the public is invited to call 413-298-4100, ext. 220. Visit the Museum's Web site at http://www.nrm.org.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and playful dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for her new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

"Glo is about a one-year-old, sweet female pitty mix who has nothing but love to give," said kennel supervisor Stacey Broderick.

Glo has been at the shelter for about three weeks after unfortunately being kicked out of her previous home.

"She came here because her previous home, she was being crated an awful lot, and unfortunately, was creating a little bit of a raucous when she was left by herself," said Broderick. "So she was just being a little barky, a little loud. Neighbors obviously shared walls in an apartment setting we're complaining to the landlord, and the landlord said, unfortunately, that she had to go."

But since coming to the shelter she has been learning a lot.

"She's been nothing but a sweet little girl ever since she is working on crate training, she has been very good for us. We're practicing it with her. She is also working on her house training. In addition to it, it seems that we had a little bit of a reverse situation going on, where she likes to go potties inside, but we are working very hard, and she is learning so quickly," she said. "So even after just a couple weeks with us, she's been really getting the point to go outside and do all of her potties out there."

She would do best in the home as the only dog and possibly without cats. She would also do best with older children who can understand her needs as she needs less activity than other dogs.

"The perfect home would, because of the necessity for her to have a lower activity level, probably without other dogs, just because she can get a little bit rambunctious when she gets excited around them," Broderick said. "So she could certainly have doggie play dates, but her perfect home would be no dogs. Unfortunately, we do have a bit of a prey drive with kitty cats, so probably leaning away from the cats, unless they're incredibly dog savvy ...

"Probably looking toward a home without super young kids, just so they're not jumping, you know, or leaning, or anything along those lines, and understanding that sometimes she's going to just need a break."

Because of a medical condition she wouldn't be able to go on long hikes or do anything extraneous but she is still very active and playful.

"She is absolutely lovely. She's sweet, she's young, she's playful. She wants to be with her people all the time. She loves toys. She does like going out for walks. We do have a couple of medical things that we can certainly give more information to adopters, too," she said. "We have some hip dysplasia that we're looking at, so probably moderate activity level would be best for her.

"She shouldn't necessarily be going on super long hikes, even though she would love to, but she is young and full of life and full of energy, and wants nothing more than to be with her people."

Since Glo has hip dysplasia she will need to maintain a healthy weight to not add stress to her joints and can also benefit from hydrotherapy.

"It's something that somebody will have to have a good relationship with a veterinarian physical therapists, and then if they were interested in doing a hydrotherapy type situation, it can only help her," Broderick said. "We want to keep those muscles built up in the hind end so that her hips are not taking the brunt of the bone on bone action while she is kind of living out her very best life."

Glo hasn't shown any symptoms or difficulties since being at the shelter, but it is a condition that her owners need to understand and it increases her chances of arthritis as she gets older.

Broderick said Fritters Critters in Lee specializes in pet hydrotherapy.

"They basically work on an underwater treadmill. So that's walking under the water so that she has a little bit of resistance and the water is warm, so that it's optimum for therapeutic benefits," she said. "They do have a pool there, too, where she would be able to do some swimming, and it really gives her the ability to exercise and really extend those joints and build up those muscles without the added pressure of gravity and impact as she's walking or playing or running.

"So the hydrotherapy is a great option for dogs, even if you just want to do it for fun. She could really benefit healthwise, from it, too."

She will also have to stay on her joint mobility food to help her.

But Glo is a very happy and playful dog and loves everyone she sees and is hoping to find someone who will love her just as much to take her home.

"I can't say enough good about her. I know that the hip dysplasia sounds like a scary piece of it, as well as the house training," Broderick said. "But honestly, there was not a friendlier, sweeter, more outgoing, social, wants to be best friends with you, kind of dog. She was in the front lobby this past Saturday, and she met like 10 people at the same time, and just made rounds and loved every single person as they came in."

You can visit Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society and read more about her on the website.

The Berkshire Humane Society is open Tuesday through Sunday. The adoption center is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

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