North Berkshire Community Contra Dance

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — North Berkshire Community Dance will hold its monthly contra dance on Saturday, May 9.  
 
The caller, Fern Bradley, will teach every dance to live traditional fiddle music by four talented local musicians led by Eric Buddington.
 
Contra dancing is the contemporary face of a living tradition; some of the dances are hundreds of years old, some are recently composed. Everyone is welcome. New dancers and families with children are encouraged to arrive at 7:15 for an introductory lesson. Come with or without a partner; most people change partners for each dance throughout the evening.
 
Fern Bradley will lead the evening activities.  Fern calls regularly for community dances of all sorts and sizes – so please feel welcome whatever your experience level. Come with friends, new or old!  Or come by yourself – contra dances are a great place to meet your neighbors thru a fun activity.
 
The music will be provided by Eric Buddington and Todd Reynolds on fiddle, Seamus Connor on guitar and mandolin, and Drew Zuckerman on bass.
 
The dance will run 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Community Hall of the First Congregational Church, 906 Main St., Williamstown. Admission is pay-as-you-can, $12 - $20 suggested, and barter (especially help with cleanup) is also welcome.  Visit www.NorthBerkshireDance.org for more information.
 
Optional: come to the pre-dance calling playgroup, 2 - 4PM at Goodrich Hall, 863 Main Street. 
 
Respiratory Illness Policy: Please stay home if you feel ill or have cold symptoms. Masks appreciated but not required. 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Steinerfilm to Close This Summer

Staff Reports
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Simmonds Road metallized plastic film manufacturer will close this summer after more than 50 years of operation.
 
The Berkshire Eagle reported that Steinerfilm will close at the end of June, leaving 34 people unemployed. The company is working to connect employees with new jobs and resources, and will transition its customers to German sister company Steiner Film GmbH.
 
The Eagle reported that rising costs, supply chain issues, and tariffs made it difficult to operate in the U.S., and a planned sale of the company to a customer fell through.
 
After the closure, the property will go up for sale and the machines will be decommissioned.
 
Founded on the heels of Ernst Steiner’s 1951 breakthrough in downsizing electrical capacitors using metallized plastic film, Steinerfilm officially planted its roots in Williamstown in 1972 as a sales and distribution hub. The operation quickly moved from a satellite office to full-scale manufacturing, launching domestic metallizing production in 1978 with custom German equipment and anchoring its supply chain in 1981 by acquiring its own polypropylene film line.
 
The company underwent a final major facility expansion in 1990. In its prime, the faciltiy employed nearly 200 people.
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