Lenox Library Planning 'Party of the Century'

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LENOX, Mass. — A Black and White Masquerade Ball to benefit the Lenox Library will be held on Saturday, March 10, beginning at 6 p.m. at Blantyre. A cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, and a silent auction are planned.

The Black and White Ball is modeled after Truman Capote's 1966 masquerade ball at The Plaza in New York, following the release of his book, "In Cold Blood." The exclusive guest list at Capote's event included a mix of New York socialites, Hollywood stars, artists, authors and politicians. Among the guests were Norman Mailer, Candice Bergen, Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow and Walter Cronkite. Like the original Black and White Ball, the library’s event is being billed as the "Party of the Century."

Lisa Nelson, who is on the board of managers of the Lenox Library and is chairing the gala, said, "We wanted to do something different and thought it would be fun to recreate the elegance and mystique of Truman Capote’s ball."

Berkshire Bank is the premier sponsor for the Black and White Ball. Blantyre is hosting the event.

Tickets are $250 per person, with proceeds benefitting the library, a non-profit organization providing public library services to the greater Lenox community. Overnight stay options are also available. For more information, contact Sharon Hawkes, library director, at 413-637-2630, gala@lenoxlib.org.
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Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
 
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
 
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country. 
 
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
 
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported. 
 
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said. 
 
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals. 
 
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