Forum on Public Transportation Set at BCC

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A public roundtable discussion on the county's transportation needs is scheduled Monday evening from 4 to 5:30 at Berkshire Community College.

Panelists will be Mayor Daniel Bianchi, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier of Pittsield, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority Administrator Gary Shepard, BCC President Ellen Kennedy, Berkshire Chamber of Commerce President Michael Supranowicz and Ben Forman, research director at MassInc and executive director of the Gateway Cities Innovation Institute.

The moderator will be Dick Lindsay of the Berkshire Eagle. Also participating will be students from BCC and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

The forum is sponsored by Massachusetts Public Interest Group, think tank MassInc and Transportation for Massachusetts, a coalition of organizations advocating for affordable transportation choices, in cooperation with BCC.



The panelists will take part in a moderated discussion around public transportation. Members of the public will be able to share their experiences, ask questions and offer comments.  

As part of the event, MassInc will present a new research report for how new public resources in regional transit can be invested with a focus on improving the economic performance of Gateway Cities like Pittsfield.

Farley-Bouvier has been outspoken in advocating for more public transportation support in the Berkshires. She is a lead sponsor on the proposed Transportation Investment Act (HD 3119), which calls for equitable transportation spending statewide, funding for Gateway Cities to invest in transportation improvements and projects and to put into design concepts for federal grant applications. She is also lead on a bill that would create a pilot program to evaluate a mileage tax that could supplement or replace the gas tax (H3142).


Tags: BRTA,   gateway cities,   transportation,   

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Simon's Rock Awarded Freedom to Read Grant

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Bard College at Simon's Rock was awarded a Freedom to Read Grant by the Newburger Schwartz Family Foundation. 
 
The grant was awarded to support the Alumni Library and Bard Queer Leadership Project in building a more robust collection of queer scholarship, starting a Queer Book Club, and hosting Drag Story Time events in partnership with Drag Story Hour of the Berkshires.
 
According to a press release:
 
In response to current educational threats with book bans affecting schools and libraries across the country and further proposed legislation against LGBTQ+ people's access to basic rights and education, Simon's Rock is actively seeking to create inclusive and equitable spaces for queer individuals. 
 
The Bard Queer Leadership Project and Alumni Library will utilize the grant funding to expand the library's current collection of queer books in order to fully enable the longevity of the Queer Book Club and the Bard Queer Leadership Project. The Queer Book Club will be an intergenerational space, open to local middle school students through rainbow seniors and will partner with local community organizations, to discuss queer books and learn about LGBTQ+ issues and experiences. Bard Queer Leadership Project students will eventually help lead this initiative as part of their leadership project training. 
 
The Queer Book Club will host their first meeting on April 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the Alumni Library, with following meetings on April 27 and May 11. This semester, the selected books are "Obie is Man Enough" and "He/She/They," both by Schuyler Bailar, inspirational speaker and first openly transgender NCAA Division swimmer, who was a guest speaker in the inaugural Queer Leaders Vision Forum in fall 2023 at Simon's Rock. Schuyler Bailar will return to campus for a book signing and pool party at the Kilpatrick Athletic Center on April 19 at 7:00 p.m. Participants in the Queer Book Club will receive a free copy of either book of their choice. 
 
The first Drag Story Time will be on Saturday, March 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Simon's Rock Alumni Library and is open to all LGBTQ+ affirming individuals. The event is in partnership with Drag Story Hour of the Berkshires with local drag queens JV and Poppy DaBubbly. The second Drag Story Time will be Saturday, April 27 with drag queen Poppy DaBubbly and drag king Sativo Green.
 
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