St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28 Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.
We're trying out blogs to offer shorter, easy-to-find news. Let us know what you think.
Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.
BOSTON — State Rep. Denis E. Guyer, D-Dalton, testified Tuesday, Sept. 1, before the Legislature's Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government in opposition to House Bill 3818, An Act Regulating the Keeping of Swine in the Town of Tewksbury.
This piece of legislation would allow the town to place significant restrictions upon a legal pig farm, which neighbors oppose because of an alleged odor. H3818 could set a precedent that would allow other towns to regulate law-abiding agricultural operations within their borders, said Guyer, who described the bill as "anti-agriculture." The bill would also create yearly reporting and permitting requirements for swine farms in Tewksbury. In addition, it would impose a 1,760-foot setback from any property line for any new or renovated swine farm facility.
The farm has installed a $45,000 odor control device with the help of a $25,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture to help mitigate the smell.
Many officials and organizations, including the state Department of Agriculture and the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, as well as Gov. Deval Patrick are strongly opposed to the bill. According to a statement from Patrick, the bill has the ability to lead to differing rules and regulations for each town and "would only confound, confuse, and inconsistently apply rules in such a manner as to frustrate the purposes of the Constitution of the commonwealth and the Massachusetts General Laws and the rights and privileges afforded agriculture."
"Legislation such as this has the potential to severely hinder agricultural operations in the commonwealth," said Guyer, whose sprawling 2nd Berkshire District covers mostly small, rural communities. "It would set a dangerous precedent toward regulating farming in Massachusetts, opening the door to future restrictions on local farmers."
Agricultural Commissioner Scott Soares said he found nothing foul at the farm.
"I myself have visited the farm twice on hot days in August," he said. "Both times I have been greatly impressed by the lack of odor."
Guyer represents numerous farms in the 2nd Berkshire District and he is the vice chairman of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.
There is more then meets the eye on this one. I for one do not want House bill 3818 to pass but the Town needs to own up to its part in the pig smell. The town ran an illegal transfer station which is now a superfund right next door to were this farm is raising swine for human consumption. The Town needs to take responsibility for making the farm have to build a finishing barn in order to keep the livestock off the ground and safe. Now the town is trying to cover it up with this bill. We should dig deeper on this one for everyones safety
from: Bristoldailynews
on: 09-17-2009
This isn't the type of "farm" we want to have in MA.
It is corporate style industrial farming and I am not surprised that Gov. Patrick, a corporate lawyer is in favor. The good people who live near this operation have no beef with a real farm, it's this nasty, harmful, abusive type of "farming" that they oppose. Guyer is wrong on this one.
from: windsorboy
on: 09-16-2009
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