OLLI at BCC to Host CNN’s Dana Bash at Mahaiwe

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI at BCC) presents Dana Bash as the 2026 Mona Sherman Memorial speaker on Saturday, May 23 at 5 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, located at 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington. Bash will be interviewed by Lisa Sharkey.  
 
To register for the free event, visit https://berkshireolli.org/event-6598207. 
 
According to a press release:
 
Dana Bash is CNN's chief political correspondent, anchor of "Inside Politics with Dana Bash" and co-anchor of "State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash," the network's Sunday morning news show. Bash is an award-winning journalist who plays a key role in the network's political coverage, conducting high-profile interviews with candidates, serving as an anchor for CNN's "Election Night in America" special coverage and frequently moderating presidential debates and town hall specials. 
 
Bash's first book, "America's Deadliest Election," which she co-authored with David Fisher, details the 1872 Louisiana gubernatorial election. It debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2021, Bash launched her CNN series, "Being…," which features in-depth conversations with individuals affecting American policy, politics and culture. Her digital CNN series, "Badass Women of Washington," profiles women who have shattered glass ceilings on their way up the ranks.  
 
Bash won the Radio and Television Correspondents Association's Joan S. Barone Award for her original reporting on a STOCK Act loophole that led Congress to pass legislation to close it. She is also a winner of the National Press Foundation's Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism and a three-time recipient of the Foundation's Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress. 
 
Bash graduated cum laude with her bachelor's degree in political communications from The George Washington University. 
 
Lisa Sharkey, a creative pioneer across multiple media platforms, is senior vice president and publisher of Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. She has overseen the acquisition and publication of more than 100 New York Times bestsellers, including multiple at number one. She has published such authors as former Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, journalist Jim Acosta, former NFL football player Tim Tebow, Congressman Jamie Raskin, skier Lindsey Vonn, former Yankee Jorge Posada, gymnast Jordan Chiles, supermodel Christie Brinkley, journalist Chris Whipple and His Majesty King Charles. A two-time Emmy Award winner, Sharkey is also the recipient of Peabody and Dupont Awards for her work as part of the ABC News team during 9/11. 
 
Sharkey spearheads the annual Mona Sherman Memorial Lecture in honor of her late mother. The event brings high-profile speakers to the Berkshires at no cost to the community each Memorial Day weekend.  
 

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Second Streets Second Chances Awarded $85K for Workforce Re-Entry Program

By Brittany Polito

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A local program for formerly incarcerated citizens seeking a technical career received $85,000 from the state.  

On Thursday, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $2.25 million in Re-entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program grants to 12 organizations that will provide job training, career support, and employment opportunities to 445 formerly incarcerated individuals returning to their communities.

Second Street Second Chances was allocated $84,712 to partner with the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office to offer a training program to 12 returning citizens with a focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry.  

The funds will be used to put 12 returning citizens through a training program with a focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry. Successful program graduates will be placed in manufacturing and welding roles at Onyx Specialty Papers and Hi-Tech Mold and Tool.

The program was one of 12 awardees, a majority on the eastern side of the state; Greenfield also saw funding.

"When people return to their communities, they should have a real opportunity to get a good job, support their families and build a stable future," said Gov. Maura Healey in a press release. 

"These grants connect people with the training and experience they need to succeed and with employers that are ready to hire."

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said successful reentry means making sure people have the tools and opportunities to move forward, and these programs bring together community organizations, public safety partners, and employers to connect people directly with training and jobs. 

Launched in 2022, Second Street Second Chances' mission is to provide a central point of access for medical and mental health, housing, job training, legal services, and more for a successful reentry into the community. 

Early this year, the nonprofit saw an $89,000 grant from the program.  Executive Director Lindsay Cornwell at the time said this funding allowed 2nd Street to expand its mission of supporting returning citizens in Berkshire County through meaningful workforce opportunities and a pathway toward sustainable employment. 

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