PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity (CBHFH) is once again offering free income tax preparation services for households earning $67,000 or less, as well as for individuals with disabilities and elderly residents, through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
The program, staffed by IRS-certified volunteers, has been a longstanding resource in Berkshire County. According to CBHFH CEO Carolyn Valli, more than 85 percent of clients return annually for assistance, with the program expanding to serve new clients in South County last year.
Tax assistance will be available at multiple locations. Habitat's Pittsfield office at 314 Columbus Avenue will offer services Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. South County residents can access assistance at the Mason Library in Great Barrington, where VITA services will be available Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., starting February 4. Additionally, tax prep will be offered by appointment at MCLA.
Lynne Newton, CBHFH Community Navigator and VITA coordinator, emphasized the program's readiness to assist clients, including offering multilingual support for French and Spanish speakers. “Tax time can be stressful, and having documents and instructions in your native language can help ease that anxiety,” she said.
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Classical 'High Season' Approaches Its Artistic Apogee
By Stephen DankneriBerkshires Columnist
Festivals at Tanglewood, Sevenars, and Mass MoCA showcase exceptional musical artistry and creativity.
During late July, the classical music festival "high season," anchored by concerts at Tanglewood and Sevenars, and also including Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, approaches its zenith, with both sure-fire and innovative programming. Offerings this week include Boston Symphony performances of Mozart and Tchaikovsky concertos, as well as a uniquely designed program in Ozawa Hall of five prominent American pianists performing the complete etudes for solo piano by the magisterial master composer Philip Glass. A special feature of this week's Tanglewood programming is the pairing, in three concerts, of Mozart concerti (two for violin, one for piano) with three of Tchaikovsky's symphonies. As it happened, the Russian's favorite classical composer was Mozart.
For a charming and musically highly rewarding country getaway, this week also featuring great piano music, be sure to consider attending the program on Sunday in the historic Academy presented by the Sevenars Music Festival in bucolic South Worthington.
As always, the place to be for great classical and stimulating new music is right here in our own intimate corner of the world — the Berkshires — a so-designated "cultural capital," where artistic boundaries are nonexistent.
Tanglewood
•Wednesday, July 22, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: Pianists Timo Andres, Bruce Brubaker, Daniela Liebman, Lisa Moore and Christian Sands will perform the 20 piano Etudes of Philip Glass composed between 1991-2012 for pianist/conductor Dennis Russell Davies.
• Friday, July 24, 8 p.m. in the Shed: Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony, with violin soloist Augustin Hadelich performing Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5, in A Major. Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 3 ("Polish") will conclude the program.
• Saturday, July 25, 8 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Andris Nelsons will direct the BSO in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat, K.595, with the supreme Paul Lewis the soloist. The program rousingly concludes with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.
• Sunday, July 26, 2:30 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Nelsons leads the BSO in three works: "Gambit," a curtain-raiser composed by composer/conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1, with soloist Himari, and, to conclude the program, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5.
For tickets for all Tanglewood/BSO concerts (lawn and Shed seating) and for special events call (617) 266-1200 or (413) 637-5180; online: tanglewood.org or customerservice@bso.org. In Lenox, visit the Tanglewood box office at the Main Gate located at 297 West St.
Sevenars Music Festival
Founded in 1968, Sevenars Concerts Inc. is showcasing its 58th anniversary season of six summer concerts, held at the Academy in the historic village of South Worthington, located at 15 Ireland St., just off Route 112.
• Sunday, July 26, 4 p.m. Sevenars presents the Champlain Trio in a program entitled "In Her Voice" - featuring three extraordinary piano trios (piano, violin and cello) by female composers Dora Pejacevic, Amy Beach, and Charlotte Sohy. The Champlain personnel includes pianist Hiromi Fukuda, violinist Letitia Quante, and cellist Emily Taubl.
Among their many distinctions, the Champlain Trio was awarded a Vermont Arts Council Grant to record the Croatian composer Dora Pejacevic's Piano Trio, Op. 29. Their Sevenars concert will include this stunning work, along with piano trios by Amy Beach and Charlotte Sohy.
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