Berkshire County Historical Society Offers: Talks, Teas and Toddles

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Beginning Nov. 9, the Berkshire County Historical Society will host a special series of fund-raising readings featuring four authors with strong ties to the Berkshires. 
 
The readings begin at 2 pm on Nov. 9, Nov. 23, Dec. 7, and Dec. 14. They take place in Herman Melville’s historic study where he wrote Moby-Dick inspired by his view of Mount Greylock. Following the readings, guests can interact with the authors while enjoying tea, hot toddies and a selection of sweets. In-person seating for this cozy afternoon is limited; all proceeds benefit BCHS restoration, education, and preservation programs. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by using the BOOK NOW button at berkshirehistory.org. Tickets for a virtual, on-line presentation of the readings are also available for $35.
 
Nov. 9 - Simon Winchester is the New York Times best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman. His recent titles include The Perfectionists and Land. Winchester was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to journalism and literature. He lives in Massachusetts and New York City.
 
Nov. 23 - Debby Applegate is an American historian and biographer. She is the author of Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age and The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher, for which she won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.
 
Dec. 7 - Michelle Young is an award-winning author, professor, and journalist. She is the author of the narrative non-fiction book The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland (HarperOne), which is longlisted for the 2025 American Library in Paris Book Award.
 
Dec. 14 - Kevin O'Hara, a retired R.N. following a 30-year career at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is also the proud recipient of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Award. In addition, Kevin is a longtime contributing columnist for The Berkshire Eagle, and was Writer-in-Residence at Herman Melville's farmhouse, Arrowhead, in 2020. His books include A Lucky Irish Lad, The Last of the Donkey Pilgrims, The Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward, and A Christmas Journey.
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Lee: 3 Miles of Route 20 Being Repaved Next Year

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LEE, Mass. — Beginning next year, the state will repave three miles of Route 20 and reinforce two bridges, one over the Massachusetts Turnpike. 

Last week, the state Department of Transportation held a virtual design public hearing for the project. In addition to milling and resurfacing of the route, bridge structures L-05-024 (over Greenwater Brook) and L-05-052 (over I-90) will see maintenance repairs. 

"We just wanted to thank MassDOT for doing this project. We're very supportive of having the road redone and appreciate the work on it," Town Administrator Christopher Brittain said. 

"The town of Lee is looking forward to having the road repaved." 

Construction will begin in the spring of 2027.  

Traffic will be maintained with short-term flagging operations, and steel plates will conceal deck patching over Greenwater Brook. There will be staged construction on the bridge over the highway, with a single alternating travel lane controlled by a temporary signal. 

The project is estimated to cost $6.8 million, 90 percent from the federal government and 10 percent from the state; it is in the FY26 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. 

The hearing included public information on activities and rights-of-way needs for tree trimming, new utility poles, grading, drainage swales, and a driveway apron along the project corridor, items identified during the late design phases. 

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