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Mount nominated LENOX — The Mount, Edith Wharton’s 1902 estate and gardens, has been nominated by the Selectmen for a federal Preserve America Presidential Award. The board voted unanimously at its Nov 3 meeting to endorse the nomination, at the request of Susan Wissler, vice president of Edith Wharton Restoration. The Preserve America competition is sponsored by the White House and administered by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the secretary of the interior. Two privately funded historic-preservation projects receive awards each year. Winners are chosen “for exemplary accomplishments in sustainable use and preservation of cultural and/or natural heritage assets.” In requesting town backing, Wissler wrote, “To demonstrate community support for the restoration work that The Mount has achieved, EWR requests that the Lenox Board of Selectmen consider nominating The Mount for the award. If the Board agrees, all that is required is its permission to name Terrence Field, chairman of the board, in the application as the official making the nomination.” Wissler said Wharton Restoration is seeking national recognition for its restoration of a major portion of The Mount with $10.65 million it has raised since 1997. The money, she said, has been used in pursuit of “the highest historic preservation standards.” “Edith Wharton Restoration’s achievements epitomize the exemplary accomplishments in the preservation of cultural heritage assets that the Preserve America Presidential Award was established to honor,” she said. Sheehy talks LENOX — Williams College Athletic Director Harry Sheehy will discuss “Youth Sports, Today’s Children” on Monday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Lenox Community Center. The free event is sponsored by the Lenox Youth Basketball Association. Refreshments will be served. Sheehy will discus parents’ interaction with players, coaches and referees, the demands on coaches to make their teams win, long practice sessions and the pressure to score, healthy competitiveness, good sportsmanship, how to support children who sit on the bench and the challenge of teaching children to accept constructive criticism. Sheehy has worked with youths from elementary school to college age for more than 17 years. He is the author of “Raising a Team Player,” which will be available for purchase. Book club GREAT BARRINGTON — The UNIFEM Book Club will meet in the Lecture Center at Simon’s Rock College of Bard to discuss the anthology “Women Writing Resistance: Essays on Latin America and the Caribbean,” on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The anthology, edited by Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez, faculty in languages and literature, will be available for purchase and is available at a discount to book club members at The Bookloft. De Hernandez has taught world literature and women’s studies at the school for 10 years, and has published articles on the intersection of politics and aesthetics in world literature by women. She presented a paper on the work of Margaret Randall, one of the contributors to the anthology, at the Latin American Studies Association annual conference in October. Clear Light GREAT BARRINGTON — Patricia Shelton, founder of the Clear Light Society, will discuss the use of non-sectarian practices that she has pioneered and developed on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the South Berkshire Friends Meeting, 280 State Road. B.J. McCormack, M.D., and her daughter Karen will also relate their experiences with the Clear Light Practice for the Dying. Shelton was a faculty member at Boston University for 15 years. She recently relocated to Stockbridge and divides her time between Florida and New England. The society, founded in 1977, is a charitable organization serving the terminally ill and their families. Employee recognition LENOX — Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club recently honored 87 employees at an employee recognition dinner. All honorees have been employed at the AAA Four Diamond Resort and Historic Hotel of America property for three years or longer — they received special recognition with unique customized plaques and individual gifts. One of the largest employers in Berkshire County, the resort employs approximately 400 staff during its peak season. Ehrenreich speaks GREAT BARRINGTON — Barbara Ehrenreich, author and social activist, will speak at the J. Leo & Catherine Mellon Dowd Lecture Series at Monument Mountain Regional High School on Monday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Originally a biologist, Ehrenreich became involved in political activism during the Vietnam War and has written professionally ever since. Her bestselling book, “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America,” which will be the subject of her lecture, described her undercover attempt to survive while working various minimum-wage jobs. Free tickets for the lecture will be available at two per person on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 19, at The Berkshire Museum and from 8:30 to 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, at the high school. Cafeteria tickets will be numbered at the time of distribution, and those numbers will be honored the night of the lecture. Telephone reservations cannot be accepted, nor is there is a mailing list. Information: Dowmel Foundation, 528-5486, or visit www.berkshiremuseum.org or www. bhrsd.org. Garden writing STOCKBRIDGE — Garden writer and teacher Paula Panich will lead “Cultivating Words, Writing About Plants and Gardens You Love” on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Panich, who teaches writing New York Botanical Garden and Boston University, will help participants write a short piece about a plant or garden. Her work has appeared in The New York Times and the Washington Post. Her article for the Times on winter-hardy cacti won a 2003 Garden Globe Award. She is writing a book, “Cultivating Words: The Guide to Writing about the Plants and Gardens You Love.” The workshop is open to writers of any level. Participants should bring a pen and paper (or laptop and full battery) and a bagged lunch. The cost is $85 for garden members and $95 for non-members. Registration is required. Information: 298-3926 or www.berkshirebotanical.org. Historical talk SHEFFIELD — The Sheffield Historical Society will present “A Drink When We Want It and a Cup for a Thirsty Traveler: Traditional New England Cider Making-History and Techniques” with Dennis Picard on Friday, Nov. 12, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Dewey Memorial Hall on Route 7. An expert in early American pomology — apple growing culture — and the cider-making business as it existed in the first decades of the new nation, Picard reconstructed the cider mill now exhibited and interpreted at Old Sturbridge Village. He has consulted historic and conservation sites on heritage orchard properties and related structures, as well as lecturing on traditional cider-making methods. Information: historical society, 229-2694 or e-mail shs@sheffieldhistory.org. Holiday fair GREAT BARRINGTON — Rudolf Steiner School will present its annual Holiday Handcraft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hand-knitted wool sweaters and hats, handmade toys, pottery, fine jewelry, wooden crafts and blown glass will be for sale and auction. A handmade doll will go home with the lucky child who guesses her name. With dozens of pockets filled with treasures, Lord and Lady Pocket will roam the fair, entertaining young visitors. The enchanted forest, for children in grades three and under, includes a maze complete with handcrafted treasures, gnomes and treats. The fair will also feature a four-sided 24-foot climbing wall, a storyteller and puppet show, raffle, massages, and a hay maze, hay jump and hayride. Roger the Jester will entertain crowds under the big tent, and children can learn the art of candle dipping. The school, off Route 71 on West Plain Road, is near the airport. Information: 528-4015. Landscape workshop STOCKBRIDGE — The Berkshire Botanical Garden and landscape designer Chris Tomich will offer “Hands on the Land: How to Design a Home Landscape” on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hands-on workshop will be designed for homeowners who are interested in becoming active participants in creating home landscapes. A problem solving, interactive approach will be used to learn about important principles essential for good landscape design. Tomich is the principal designer for Tomich Landscape Design and Construction in Sheffield. His projects include public spaces and private residences throughout the tri-state region. The cost is $75 for garden members and $85 for non-members. Participants should bring photos, plot maps, project drawings and a bagged lunch. Registration is required. Information: 298-3926 or www.berkshirebotanical.org. Youth programs LENOX — The Lenox Library Association Youth Department will offer programs for young children this month. Toddler Story time, for children 18 months to 3, will be held on Tuesday mornings, 11 to 11:30. Children and caregivers will sing songs, learn finger-plays and listen to stories. Story-Craft, for children 3 to 5, will be held on Thursday mornings, 10:30 to 11:15. It will feature stories, finger plays, songs and follow-along activities, followed by a craft related to the stories. The fall session runs through Dec. 16. Saturday Craft for children 6 and up will be held on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 2 to 3 p.m. Crafts will include Thanksgiving-themed beaded safety pin and a pine-cone turkey. Advance registration is required. Visiting author Alison Pollet will talk about her work as a young adult writer on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. She is the author of the newly published book “Nobody Was Here: Seventh Grade in the Life of Me. Penelope.” Signed copies will be on sale, and a beaded friendship pin will be given to all participants. Information and registration: 637-0197, ext. 105. School production LENOX — Ensemble Theatre Arts, Berkshire Country Day School’s high school theater group, will present three performances of “Part of this Complete Breakfast,” in the Winthrop campus theater on Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute property at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18, 19 and 20. Jesse P. Howard, director of the theater company and head of the school’s theater program, will direct the sociological fable — a look at pop culture, consumerism, herd mentality and “the accumulation of stuff.” The play was created through a rehearsal process consisting of guided improvisation, experimentation, group discussion and happy accidents. Admission is open to the public with a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for students. Information: 637-0755. Alumni reunion GREAT BARRINGTON — The Office of Alumni Affairs at Simon’s Rock College of Bard will host an alumni weekend from Friday to Sunday, Nov. 12 to 14, for alumni who entered Simon’s Rock between 1982 and1992. The weekend agenda will include several opportunities to meet faculty, as well as events with Emily Fisher, chairwoman of the board of overseers, and Mary B. Marcy, provost and vice president. Writing and thinking workshops with Gabriel Asfar, faculty in French and Arabic, Joan Del Plato, faculty in art history and women’s studies, and Patricia Sharpe, academic dean and faculty in literature and women’s studies, will also be offered. Peter Cocks, faculty in politics, will give his reflections on 20 years of teaching at Simon’s Rock. Jim Monsonis, faculty in sociology and economics, will share his reading list with alumni. New faculty — Majid Hannoum, Ryan Carey, Philip Mabry, Juan Rojo and Maryann Tebben — will discuss their teaching and research. A cocktail reception in the new Liebowitz Studio Theater will be among events held in the new Daniel Arts Center. Faculty in the arts, including Karen Beaumont, John Myers, Arthur Hillman, Bill Jackson, Tanya Marcuse and Wendy Shifrin,will give tours of the center. Information: 528-7499. Open house GREAT BARRINGTON — Simon’s Rock College of Bard will host a Discovery Day for prospective students and their families on Saturday, Nov. 13, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the school’s Blodgett House. Events will include a welcome reception, an opportunity to meet the deans, interviews and tours and a brunch. In the afternoon, concurrent sessions will be held for parents and students. Prospective students will have an opportunity to attend classes offered by faculty and parents may attend an introductory financial aid presentation or listen to a panel discussion by students. Information and reservations: 528-7312. Beaded jewelry STOCKBRIDGE — The Berkshire Botanical Garden and jewelry-maker Elisabeth Cary will offer “The Garden of Beading” on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cary will instruct on how to design and fabricate beaded jewelry with a focus on color, shape, texture and structure. The hands-on workshop will teach the simple techniques needed to create earrings, necklaces and bracelets using hand-blown glass beads and sterling silver findings. Participants will take home earrings, a bracelet and necklace of their own design. Cary is the garden’s director of education and has, for 17 years, designed glass-beaded jewelry for Penrose Design, an independent glass studio in Sheffield. The workshop cost is $85 for garden members and $95 for non-members. It is appropriate for beginners, and all materials are included in the cost of the class. Students should bring a bagged lunch. Registration is required: 298-3926 or www.berkshirebotanical.org.
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Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
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