Williamstown Rural Lands is hosting a Zoom panel discussion on Thursday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. on the "Mohican Nation in Williamstown" with panelists Stockbridge-Munsee Community Historic Preservation Manager Bonney Hartley, Williams College professors Christine DeLucia and Margaux Kristjansson, and Williams College sophomores Gwyn Chilcoat, Hikaru Hayakawa, and Jayden Jogweo who will discuss the results of their independent study on Mohican Nation past, present, and future in Williamstown.

 

Visit www.rurallands.org/events to register for the Zoom link. This panel discussion is one of a series of Talks on the Hill produced by WRL. A list of upcoming talks can be viewed or downloaded here. 

Berkshire Conservation District has received grant funding from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Commission for Conservation of Soil, Water and Related Resources and Berkshire Agricultural Ventures to continue its commitment to conservation and sustainability in the community. 

 

This funding will enable the district to launch a new program to support healthy habitats, including pollinator plantings and to increase the number of Berkshire communities adopting Pollinator-Friendly Community resolutions, while educating the greater community about the importance of healthy soils and native plants, especially those that benefit pollinator species. A pollinator garden also will be established in an environmental and social justice community.

 

This program builds on the success of the pilot Hinsdale pollinator garden project. Volunteers are welcome to become involved by contacting berkshireconservationdistrict@gmail.com.

 

David Andrew Snider, executive and artistic director of Hubbard Hall in Cambridge, N.Y., is the author of "Managing Arts Organizations." The book will be available through Rowman & Littlefield publishers on Jan. 15 and is currently available for advance ordering. 

 

The work is described as a playbook for navigating arts management with each chapters focused on a specific topic, including diversity, programming, accessibility, etc., and an appendix that includes eight case studies to illuminate issues through real world scenarios or organizations. 

 

"During this global pandemic, I was thrilled to be able to write and sell my first book," said Snider. "I've been leading arts organizations and teaching arts management for 25 years now and I've always wanted a great guidebook for managing arts organizations, but could never find one -- so I wrote it. I deeply hope it helps arts managers at all stages in their careers, artists who dream of producing their own work, and even audiences who wonder how arts organizations might work in this new era."  

 

"The Elephant In The Room" from writer/actor/musician Melanie Greenberg will open at the Apple Tree Inn in Lenox and run the first three Friday evenings in December. Greenberg, a new resident of Great Barrington, stars in the dark autobiographical comedy that takes her through a psychedelic odyssey of Pentecostal churches, psych wards, the Ivy League and 12-step meetings

 

She is currently in the process of creating a nonprofit called The Story Sanctuary in the Berkshires, where individuals and communities in conflict can come together to build empathy and self-awareness through storytelling. 

 

Vaccination is required, and attendees must be 21 years of age or older. The Apple Tree Inn is located at 10 Richmond Mountain Road. Information email hello@ariesliving.com; tickets and seating are limited, register here.

 

Sample The Cat has been playing gigs at venues around the Berkshires and is now releasing its debut single, "The Weather," on Dec. 10. 

 

The band is made up of soul vocalist Kendrah Bellevue, rock guitarist Steve Dalton and the keyboardist Bryan Brophy. They showcase hard rock, funk/jazz and soul. The new single, they said, was written to help process through the seasonal depression many feel and who can't seem to muster up any holiday spirit. 

 

Spotify pre-save link is here; the band's Facebook page has links to performances and upcoming events.

 

The Stephentown Historical Society will hold a holiday gathering on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. at Town Hall, 26 Grange Hall Road, Stephentown, N.Y.  A local vintner will tell about wine making in New York. Because of increased COVID-19 incidents, there will be no refreshments and attendees must wear masks. The program is free and the building is handicapped accessible.

 

Please bring a donation of nonperishable items for the Stephentown Food Pantry, which might include bar soap, dish detergent, peanut butter, coffee, or canned fruit. Vanderbilt House Hotel ornaments that were created for the historical society and other items are for sale at the Heritage Center on Garfield Road on Friday afternoons in December from 1 to 4.