Mendel's Stained Glass Art Studio Now Offering Glass Fusing Classes

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ADAMS Mass. — In addition to stained glass and glass mosaic classes, Mendel's Stained Glass Art Studio is now offering classes in glass fusing. 
 
Students of all ages work with pieces of room-temperature glass and then transform it into new permanent pieces of art.
 
The magic of fused glass is that it takes individual pieces of room-temperature glass and glass powers and then physically fuses them together in a high-temperature kiln. This specialized equipment was the focus of a just-completed fundraising campaign by the studio.
 
The kiln was purchased with the support of 51 backers on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. 
 
"It was exciting to see former school students, former studio students, and other friends come together to make offering more art classes in the Northern Berkshires possible," said studio owner Lisa Mendel. "In fact, we exceeded our goal by more than $500." 
 
With the extra funds, Mendel purchased glass molds and other specialty supplies that make it possible to offer additional types of projects.
 
The idea for the Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the kiln came from Mendel's participation in the entrepreneurship program EforAll, which she completed last winter.
 
Mendel, a life-long resident of Adams, is driven by her love of glass and her desire to create new activities for the residents of the Northern Berkshires. 
 
"I love working with glass, and I'm thrilled that my community's generosity is allowing me to offer an additional type of art class in an area where such opportunities are in short supply," she said. 
 
Upcoming fusing classes include suncatchers, jewelry, and bowls. Scheduled stained glass classes include dragonflies, Halloween ghosts, and longer classes where students are able to pick or design their own projects.
 
Mendel's Stained Glass Art Studio, at 1 East Hoosac Street in Adams offers a mix of one-evening classes, four-evening classes, and special parties focusing on stained glass, glass mosaics, and now glass fusing for beginners through advanced artists. 
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Adams-Cheshire Tops Great Barrington Behind Strong Pitching in Little League Opener

By Ben McDonoughFor iBerkshires.com Sports
DALTON, Mass. — Adams-Cheshire leaned on a dominant pitching performance and capitalized on its scoring opportunities to defeat Great Barrington 3-1 in a Don Gleason District 1 12U All-Star Tournament matchup on Wednesday.
 
The game opened as a pitchers’ duel, with both teams held scoreless through the first two innings. Great Barrington starter Julian Winters struck out the first two batters he faced before working around a two-out baserunner in the opening inning. Adams-Cheshire starter Maddox Milesi matched him with a clean first, retiring the side in order on a groundout and a pair of fly balls.
 
Adams-Cheshire threatened first in the second inning. Nate Mallet and Avry Decker worked walks before Danny Collins reached on a fielder’s choice and Lukas Benson drew another walk to load the bases. Great Barrington escaped the jam thanks to a heads-up defensive play from catcher Satchel Fisher, who threw out a runner attempting to score to end the inning and preserve the scoreless tie.
 
Great Barrington had an opportunity of its own in the bottom half after Hunter Havens singled and Ezekiel McLaughlin reached safely. With runners aboard, Milesi kept his composure and recorded the final out of the inning, ensuring neither team could capitalize through two frames.
 
The breakthrough came in the third. After Caleb Gladu was retired and Justin Mayotte Jr. struck out, Caden Stump extended the inning with a walk. Lador Lawson then drove a ball into the gap for an RBI triple, putting Adams-Cheshire on the board. Mason Kucka followed immediately with an RBI single to left, giving the visitors a 2-0 advantage heading into the bottom half.
 
Lawson took over on the mound in the third and quickly established control. The right-hander struck out the side in his first inning of relief and continued to keep Great Barrington hitters off balance with a steady mix of strikes and soft contact. He allowed just one run over the final four innings while piling up nine strikeouts to preserve the lead.
 
Great Barrington broke through in the fourth. Ivey Weller led off with a single before showcasing some speed by stealing both second and third. A throw on the play skipped away, allowing Weller to score and trim the deficit to 2-1. Harlan Kohler later singled to keep the inning alive, but Lawson stranded the runner to maintain Adams-Cheshire’s one-run edge.
 
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