Clark Art Hosts Concerts So Percussion

Print Story | Email Story
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 pm, the Clark Art Institute hosts a concert by the chamber group S? Percussion in the Manton Research Center auditorium.
 
For over twenty years, S? Percussion has redefined twenty-first-century chamber music through an "exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy" (The New Yorker). Celebrated for their diverse work, their live performances showcase "telepathic powers of communication" (The New York Times). Their recording Narrow Sea (Nonesuch Records) with Caroline Shaw, Dawn Upshaw, and Gilbert Kalish won the 2022 Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. They will collaborate with Williams College Department of Music for part of this unique performance.
 
Tickets $10 ($8 members, $7 students, $5 children 15 and under). Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.

Tags: Clark Art,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Williamstown Select Board Evaluates Town Manager

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — In 2022, the town still was recovering from the twin blows of a global pandemic and a lawsuit that exposed disturbing allegations against the town's police department.
 
The latter ultimately led to the resignation of the police chief and the town manager. To replace the manager, the Select Board at the time turned to Robert Menicocci.
 
Menicocci represented a break in style from his immediate predecessor, who was a more prominent voice in town government. That prominence, in part, was a product of the times: When town boards and committees were not meeting in-person and access to town hall itself was limited at the height of the pandemic, the manager's voice in Zoom meetings was more front and center.
 
In his four years in the corner office, Menicocci has helped shepherd the police department on its path to certification and helped the town weather the fiscal storm of skyrocketing costs linked to inflation – particularly sharp increases in the cost of health insurance that hit hard for a labor-intensive endeavor like municipal government. All the while, he has been a little more taciturn, while always willing to participate, when appropriate, with responsive answers in discussions of the Select Board and Finance Committee.
 
On Monday, the current Select Board – completely turned over from the 2022 edition – pushed Menicocci to be more of a cheerleader for the town.
 
"Do you see your role more as a behind-the-scenes guy and our role is to be out in public?" board member Matthew Neely asked Menicocci during the board's review of the manager's job performance. "Or is there more of a role for you in that? So many people, if I say your name, they're like, ‘Who?'
 
"I would have assumed your role would be more public facing as well, and more, for lack of a better word, leading the charge as opposed to running day-to-day operations. I feel you're strong running day-to-day. But something we all wish is we had a little more of a proactive [manager] …. Since we need development, need all these things in town so much. … I'd love to see more outward energy, I guess.
 
View Full Story

More Williamstown Stories