Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest Opens for Submissions

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BOSTON — Students in Massachusetts have the chance to showcase their artistic talents and deepen their understanding of nature through the MassWildlife's Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) art contest.

Open to students from kindergarten through grade 12, the competition invites young artists to create original artwork featuring ducks, geese, or swans in their natural wetland habitats. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2025.

The JDS contest blends art and science, encouraging participants to explore waterfowl conservation and the importance of wetlands while expressing their knowledge creatively. The program includes a curriculum designed to support educators in teaching about wildlife and conservation, making it a resource for art and science teachers, as well as homeschooling parents.

Entries are judged at the state level in four age categories, with the Best of Show advancing to the national competition. Students, teachers, and parents can find entry guidelines and educational materials on the JDS website.

For more information, contact Pam Landry at pam.landry@mass.gov.

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

Community, Investment Keep Silver Screens Lit in the Berkshires

By John TownesSpecial to iBerkshires
This is the second of three articles in a series on the evolution and current status of movie theaters in Berkshire County. Read Part I here. 
 
In the wake of the 2020 COVID pandemic and its disruptions to the film industry, the county lost its two largest multiplex cinemas.
 
The 10-screen Regal Cinema in the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough closed in 2022. Then in 2023, the eight-screen North Adams Movieplex in the Steeple City Plaza closed.
 
As a result, there are currently three full-time multi-screen movie theaters in the county — Images Cinema in Williamstown, the Beacon Cinema at 57 North St. in Pittsfield, and the Triplex Cinema at 70 Railroad St. in Great Barrington. These three surviving theaters in Berkshire County are totally separate operations and have their own individual histories and roles in their communities.
 
Nevertheless, there are also connections and common themes, including their downtown locations.
 
For a number of years, both the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington and the Beacon Cinema in Pittsfield were siblings. Both were founded and originally owned by Richard Stanley, a South County real estate developer and investor who is also active in community-revitalization initiatives. Both theaters were established as vehicles to stimulate their local downtowns.
 
In Great Barrington, the primary destination for movies for most of the 20th century was the historic downtown Mahaiwe Theater. However, in 1988, it was facing potential demolition. That triggered a long community campaign that successfully saved and restored it as the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
 
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