THE BEACON: News and poetry for Mount Greylock middle school

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 22:04:26 EDT
From: DebbyDane@aol.com
Subject: next to final beacon for approval...be wowed by these poems!! 6/2/05

7th Graders to Visit
Hancock Shaker Village

Submitted by Amy Moore-Powers

The entire 7th grade will be going on a field to Hancock Shaker Village on
Friday, June 10th.

We need 10-12 parent chaperones to join us for the day. The bus leaves Mt.
Greylock at 8:30 am and will return to school at 2:20 pm. Parent chaperones
may ride the bus or drive and meet us there. The tour/visit actually begins at
9:30 and ends at 1:30. The trip is part of an academic unit surrounding
Utopian societies.

Please email or call if you are able to join us as a chaperone:
AMoorePoers@mgrhs.org

PTO Meeting:
Help Steer Us into the Future

Our last meeting of the school year is Monday, June 13th at 7:00pm in the
school library. We will submit a year-end report summarizing what the PTO has
done this year and will discuss priorities for next year, with particular
emphasis on start-of-school events. Hopefully we will have a good turnout!
Especially for people who haven't come to PTO meetings this year, if they are
interested in getting involved next year this is a good way to get started.

GOINGS On

Sun, June 5: 1:30-3:00 Graduation Band plays at Mt. Greylock Graduation
Thu, June 9: (note date change from 6/8)
Moving Up Day
Fri, June 10: DEADLINE for submissions to
The Echo, send to echo@newshare.com
Fri & Sat, June 10 & 11: Treasure Island, Middle School Musical in
auditorium
Mon, June 13, 7:00pm: PTO meets in Library
Fri, June 17: 8th Grade Crossing-Over Ceremony
Fri, June 17: Middle School Trip to Windsor Lake
Wed, June 22: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Check-out The Beacon and other school
related news on www.greylocknews.com

14 more days of school !!!

SPORTS

U-14 Girls Soccer:
Sat, June 4, 2:30: vs Lee, away
Sun, June 5, 4:00 vs North Adams, away
U-14 Boys Soccer:
Sat, June 4, 4:00 vs Berkshire Hills-HOME
Sun, June 5, 4:00 vs Pirahas, away

Poetic Perspectives

Submitted by Liza Barrett

All students in 8th grade English recently finished a unit on human
relationships and character development. As part of the unit, students
were given two reflective assignments which revealed their various
attitudes about being a teen today. Students wrote "gender" poems, in
which they expressed what it is like to grow up as a "boy" or "girl", as
well as newspaper articles which answered the question "What is it like to
be a teenager today? What follows is a sampling of their thoughtful and
honest "gender poems." Next week's final Beacon will publish more student
writings from this unit.

Complexity

Sometimes
I feel like an old steam engine
rusty
shuddering
fragile
ready to explode
or collapse
into a heap of complexity
never knowing what is around the corner
if there even is one
but maybe
if I'm lucky
I'll be remade
simplified
and finally
I'll be able to relax
for a moment

And then there's love
an icy-hot hand
pressing down on my forehead
making me feel sick
and feverish
always persisting
redundant

So I wonder sometimes
if there is even any point being here
but then I realize
how lucky I am
to be me.
-Harris MacDonald

Not Human

My alien friends tell me to act human
I can't hit people with bats,
Punch people
Wear pajama pants to school
Or get tattoos
I must be polite and not talk back
Some of my friends tell me to act like a normal person,
I can't because I was born on Mars.
I sit with my dog in the closet
I laugh at the stupidest things
Because on my planet these things are funny
I must shower and look clean,
Or else my skin will start to turn green

This is what I feel like,
An outcast in the world.
Just trying to be me.
-Megan Thompson

Would You?

Would you like to be different?
Do you adore the normal?
Could you accept the change?
Enjoy the challenge?

Would you change,
For the better?
Not be you
Not be who you want, not be who you are

If you could,
Would you make the change?
If you can,
Should you enjoy the diversity?

Your are only one --
With many others.
-Colton Phelps

It's Not Me

It's not me.
The designer clothes.
The fancy jewelry
The girly stuff.
It's not me.
The girly talk.
The girly attitude.
The girly appearance
It's not me
So, who am I now?
-Bryanna Salvadore

Good Life

I'm lucky to be a 13 year old boy in this day and age
My family doesn't care how I act (except for rudeness)
I'm allowed to do whatever I want (legally)
They don't care about what I wear
They never tell me to be a certain way
Or be someone I'm not
I'm lucky to have a life like mine,
Where no one tells you to be perfect
Or listen to a certain style of music,
I'm allowed to do whatever sport I want
And if I don't’ want to
I don't have to play sports at all,
I've grown up in a good world.
-Jordan Barber

And Dance

I watch her hunt for herself.
I watch her slip and slide.
But until she finds what she's looking for
She'll put on make-up
And a skirt
And dance
-Danica Mladenovic

New-member orientation at Caretaker Farm upcoming June 3

Submitted by Bill Densmore for Elizabeth Smith
elizabeth@caretakerfarm.org

CARETAKER FARM NEWSLETTER - May 15th, 2005

Orientation for New Members on Friday, June 3rd from 5 - 6 p.m; or on
Saturday, June 4th from 10 - 11 a.m. Rain or shine. R.S.V.P. Please confirm
that you can come (and that you have received this Newsletter) to
<elizabeth@caretakerfarm.org>. We will give you a canvas bag, the Membership
Handbook, a compost bucket (if you¹d like one) and a tour. If you are
unable to come, identify yourself as a newcomer when you come to the first
pick-up and a Distribution Helper or one of us will get you started.

First Distribution: Tuesday, June 7th; Friday, June 10th from 1:00 - 6:00;
or Saturday, June 11th from 8:00 - Noon. The Weekly Newsletter which is sent
out on Monday of every week, lists what vegetables are ready. Copies of the
Newsletter are available on the barn desk.

First Event of the season: SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION - on Saturday, June
18th, 6 - 9 p m The beginning of summer! Save the date. Potluck Picnic,
Music, Contra Dance, Fun and Games. Details will follow.

FARM NEWS:
Spring is taking its time to arrive! We have scheduled distribution to begin
on June 7th to give the crops more time to grow. The tops of the mountains
are only just beginning to show signs of greening, which the "old timers"
say is an indication of when to plant peas. A large group of volunteers
joined us to plant 1200 pounds of potatoes in record time: 2 1/2 hours! (One
pound of potatoes yields a minimum of ten pounds of potatoes to harvest in
the fall!) The greenhouse is bursting with young plants which are being
transplanted into the fields as fast as we can go. Now that the risk of
frost is behind us, we can get the flowers and tomatoes in the ground. As
the sun inches towards the longest day of the year (officially the beginning
of summer),the plants grow with amazing speed and the harvest begins! .

We have a fine crop of new lambs, four rambunctious pigs, and 40 more
chickens who are just beginning to lay. The cows are taking a break from
calving this season because we have just the right number to graze our
pastures.

This winter we have also been sharing the history and structural complexity
of Caretaker Farm with the new farmers. Don Zasada and Bridget Spann, and
their 21 month old daughter Gabriela joined us in December at which time
both families began the process of transferring responsibility for the farm
from our shoulders onto theirs (not an easy task.) When completed, it may be
seen as a pioneering model for preserving and maintaining local working
farms in perpetuity.

We look forward to seeing everyone again and to Don and Bridget¹s meeting
you and your meeting them!

2005 Membership Information *Collect a copy from the desk in the barn to
keep for reference.

Distribution Times:
Summer: June ­ October
Tuesday and Friday Afternoons: 1:00 ­ 6:00 p.m.
Saturday Mornings: 8:00 a.m.- Noon
Fall and Winter: November - February or until the root cellar is emptied.
Pick up twice monthly on the 1st Friday-Saturday and 3rd Friday-Saturday of
each month.

Visiting Hours:
Caretaker Farm welcomes you to visit the farm any time except Sunday to work
with us, "pick-your-own", drop off compost, picnic by the pond, or to simply
relax. The farm is closed to visitors on Sundays. Try to avoid Pick-up Hours
for return visits to alleviate parking congestion.

Membership Dues: Payments due on 1st of March, May and July
Mail to: Caretaker Farm, 1210 Hancock Road, Williamstown, MA 01267
Or Deposit (in marked envelope) into the "Mail Box" on the desk in the barn.

Payment Questions: Please contact Liz Kodela, CSA Treasurer
Telephone: 458 ­ 5891, E-mail: e.kodela@verizon.net

Communication Information:
Telephone Numbers:
Sam and Elizabeth Smith: 458 ­ 4309
Don Zasada and Bridget Spann: 458 ­ 9691
Apprentices: 458 ­ 2785
E-mail Addresses:
Sam - sam@caretakerfarm.org
Elizabeth - elizabeth@caretakerfarm.org
Don - don@caretakerfarm.org
Bridget - bridget@caretakerfarm.org

Weekly Newsletter: E-mailed on the first of the week. Copies are available
on the desk. Please send photos, recipes, poems, stories, questions and
comments. To Editor: elizabeth@caretakerfarm.org

The Farm Store: Self-Serve / Honor System. All purchases must be recorded in
on the "Sales Sheet". "I.O.U¹s" (hopefully few) must be recorded in a
receipt book and paid within a week. Cash payments or checks should be made
to "Caretaker Farm".

Caretaker Farm Products: Farm Bakery - Breads, Pies, Cookies and
"Specials,"- using freshly milled organic grains, Free-range Eggs, Honey,
Grass Fed Lamb, Beef and Pork - available on a pre-order basis.

>From our neighbors: John¹s Fresh Eggs, Quimby¹s Maple Syrup

***We welcome your comments***
You can send comments to Elizabeth@caretakerfarm.org

Windsor Lake concerts being June 22 in North Adams

Submitted by Rod Bunt -- tourist@bcn.net
Mayor's Office of Tourism
City of North Adams

The city of North Adams is pleased to announce another summer offering of
"Concerts at the Lake," to be held beginning June 22nd, and continuing
each Wednesday through August 10th. Each week during the series, the
public can enjoy a diverse mix of music from great bands; free of charge.
The series is held on the hillside of the shore of picturesque Windsor
Lake. To get to the lake, take Church Street, and drive up to the top of
Bradley. Parking is free, but visitors should bring chairs or a blanket
for their comfort. Concerts begin at 7:00 PM and last approximately an
hour and a half. In the event of rain, the concert will be rescheduled for
the following Sunday at the same time. The 2005 schedule is as follows:

June 22 - The Eagles Band - Richard Paul leads this 45 piece community
band that gives inspirational concerts around Berkshire County.

June 29, August 3 - Champagne Jam, a popular band consisting of Tracy
Kittler, vocalist who also plays keyboard and guitar. James Sauve handles
lead guitar, harmonica and vocals. Dave Kittler also sings, plays bass
guitar and percussion. The Champagne Jam repertoire includes a wide range
of musical styles, including Big Band, Country, Golden Oldies and timeless
Rock and Roll classics.

July 6 - The Dixie Cats, a good old-fashioned Dixieland Band, playing with
a down - south New Orleans feel that will get you clapping your hands and
tapping your toes. The bands' Dixieland sound is rich with improvised
solos. Whether trumpet, trombone or clarinet solo or all three instruments
intertwined in an improvisation to create that rich Dixieland feel, the
"Cats are sure to please an audience. The band plays a varied menu of
favorites from Dixieland to blues and jazz standards and their CD "North
of Canal Street" is a collection of this popular music. The album includes
the songs: In the Good Old Summertime, Dixie Down Beat, Tiger Rag and many
others. The band is comprised of Ron Whitney, trumpet, Tom Sadin,
clarinet and saxophone, Mike Hutchinson, piano, Jake Keplinger, bass and
Robert Marshal, drums. Trombonist Chris Caproni leads the sextet.

July 13 - Carlin Big Band, a ten-piece group that consists of trumpets,
saxophone, bass, piano and drums. Pete Soldato provides the vocals. The
stylish orchestra performs pop - swing pieces of the thirties through the
eighties

July 20 - Bang On A Can All-Stars. Innovators of boundary-breaking,
fascinating music, the Bang On A Can All-Stars are in summer residence at
the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, and will give
a performance especially for the Windsor Lake audience.

July 27 - The Berkshire All-Stars, a six piece classic jazz band that will
perform such tunes as Basin Street, Sweet Georgia Brown, Ain't
Misbehavin', Honeysuckle Rose and many more swingy favorites. The band has
been a Berkshire County fixture since 1976 and has played at the Clark Art
Institute and the Norman Rockwell Museum. Lew Friederich leads the
Berkshire All-Stars.

August 10 - Poke in the Eye, Featuring Allan Goodrich (former leader of
Chapel Hill Band).

August 17 - Rain date.

August 24 - Lots more free music at the Downtown Celebration.

The City of North Adams and Hoosac Bank sponsor the free performances. The
rain date for the Wednesday performances is the following Sunday at the
same time. For date or band information, the public is invited to call the
Mayor's Office of Tourism at 664-6180.

Love a parade? Participate in Williamstown's on July 4

<i>Submitted by Sandra Thomas, sandra@imagescinema.org</i>

Planing for the 4th of July parade is under way. A committe of two, Leslie
Reed-Evans and myself, are organizing it again this year. We're in search of a
community group who might take on the parade organization in future years.

We're looking for parade participants! The 2005 Williamstown 4th of July
Parade will be held Monday, July 4 at 10 am. Everyone loves a parade and
we'll be piggy backing on the theme of American Traditions for this year's
event. The parade will begin at the Williamstown Elementary School and
travel down Southworth Street to Main Street to Spring Street to Latham
Street and end at Weston Field.

Anyone interested in participating or volunteering to help can call Sandra
Thomas 458-1039 (sandra@imagescinema.org) or Leslie Reed-Evans 458-5150.

Thanks!
Sandra

Sandra Thomas
Executive Director
Images Cinema
* non-profit community film house *
50 Spring Street
Williamstown, MA 01267
Movie Line: 413-458-5612
Office/Fax: 413-458-1039
http://www.imagescinema.org

Enjoy the Holiday Weekend in North Adams!

At MASS MoCA on Saturday, May 28 at 4:00 PM, the artists behind the museum
s latest exhibition Becoming Animal will discuss their work. The talk will
feature visual artists Rachel Berwick and Brian Conley, as well as
choreographer Liz Lerman. Although the event is free with museum
admission, space is limited & reservations are encouraged.

The David Bromberg Quartet (known to run the gamut from folk, bluegrass,
and country & western to blues, jazz, and rock & roll) will kick off the
sixth summer season at MASS MoCA, performing Sun, 5/29, at 8:00 PM. As a
special treat that evening, the galleries will be open until 7:30 PM.
Tickets to see David Bromberg are $26 in advance, $30 day of show. The
Valley Advocate and our own Porches Inn sponsor the event.
The public is invited to Memorial Day ceremonies and a parade on Monday,
May 30th. Activities begin at 9:00 AM at Veteran s Memorial Park at the
intersection of Center and Eagle Streets. The line of march proceeds south
on Eagle Street, west on main, and along route 2 to Hillside Cemetery for
remarks by local officials. Refreshments will follow at the post 125
American Legion on American Legion Drive. In the event of rain, all
activities will be held at the Legion.

First Friday June 3/4 to include music, "Women at War" lecture

>
>
>Events in Downtown North Adams for First Friday, June 3rd, Free History
>Walk June 4th and a shindig at the renovated and expanded public library
>(don t discard! This release has been amended to add new events!)
>
>
>
>Downtown North Adams plays host to free music, entertainment, and a
>lecture on Friday, June 3rd. A local historian details the origins of Main
>Street the next day.
>
>The North Adams Historical Society presents a slide lecture "Women at
>War" covering the roles of women during wartime - at home, at work, on
>the front line. Museum educator Robert Campanile will speak at 7:00 PM in
>the Shipper's Office Building 4 Western Gateway Heritage State Park.
>Immediately following the talk all will be invited to the North Adams
>Museum of History and Science Building 5A to view the new temporary
>exhibit "Soldiers Without Guns...At Home and the Front". This is the
>first in a series of four programs in conjunction with the exhibit
>commemorating the 60th anniversary of V-E and V-J Days. No admission
>charge. Information 664-4700 or <mailto:nahs@bcn.net>nahs@bcn.net.
>
>
>At Papyri Books, 49 Main Street from 7:00 - 9:00 PM, Fran Mandeville
>entertains local audiences. Mandeville, a 2001 Just Plain Folks Music
>Awards nominee, has shared the stage with such notable acts as Asleep at
>the Wheel; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Dave Van Ronk; and Lee Roy Parnell.
>Throughout his enduring career, this sought-after
>multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter had played folk and roots music
>across the country, from the coal-mining roadhouses of northern Colorado
>to the coffeehouses of the Maine shore. Fran performs an eclectic mix of
>folk, country, blues, and bluegrass. Various independent artists have
>recorded Mandeville s songs. His CD "I Have Walked With Angels" (2000) was
>a long-awaited debut of his self-penned tunes, and is receiving
>international airplay and attention.
>
>
>At Widgitz Gallery, 16 Eagle Street, Folk Artist Dan Field invites the
>public to help with the Turnip Truck project. Passers-by are invited to
>help pick out the parts to assemble a toy Turnip Truck . This event is free.
>
>
>Galadriel's Clothing Boutique will host nature photography of local Artist
>Ian Grey throughtout the month of June. Opening reception is First Friday
>June 3rd, 7:00 PM. Come and meet the artist and learn about "Macro"
>photography. The Flying Garbanzos will also perform beginning at 7:00 PM.
>
>
>There is a Community Celebration June 4, at the renovated North Adams
>Public Library, from 9:00 AM 1:00 PM. Join us in celebrating nearly 80
>years of efforts to expand the library. Just a few of the activities
>available will be:
>
>* A self-guided tour of the new library
>* An art exhibit of the works of H. Arthur Haskins
>* Library Trivia Contest
>* 9:30 a.m. Program: "Lines on the Library - A History of NAPL in
>Progress" by Ce Swanson
>* 10:30 a.m. Program: Features of the Green Building using LEED Guidelines
>* 11:30 Program: Michael Tillou and Mike Dobbert discuss the geotherman
>and solar aspects of the new library.
>* 10:15 on: Oral history interviews with Ce Swanson. Do you have early
>memories of the library? Ce wants to talk with you.
>* Face painting
>* Registration for summer reading program: "Going Places @ Your Library."
>* Friends of the Library booth.
>* Video showing of past editions of "Library Pursuit."
>
> On Saturday, June 4th, local historian Paul Marino conducts the second
> in his series of free historical walks, this time detailing the changing
> face of Main Street, North Adams. Participants are asked to meet at the
> east end of Main Street, just past Subway. The walk begins at 2:30 PM.
> Attendees should wear a good pair of walking shoes, a hat with a wide
> brim, carry a canteen or water bottle, and be prepared to have their ears
> talked off.
>
>For more information on First Friday activities, or to get a brochure of
>Paul Marino free historical walks, call the Mayor s Office of Tourism, 6
>West Main Street at 664-6180.
>
>

Welcome to the GreylockNews.COM "bulletin board"

Welcome to the GreylockNews.COM "bulletin board"
This blog is for residents of northern Berkshire County and southwestern Vermont to post news and "bulletin-board" items.
Feel free to post anything you like here that is:

1) Of benefit to the community

2) New, primarily factual information

3) Respectful of other people's opinions

4) Suitable for reading by people of all ages.

For now, commercial messages are OK, if they are short, largely factual and informational, and do not contain any unsubstantiated statements.
If something posted is objectionable, and it's deleted, who is liable for it having been posted? Who's libel if it isn't deleted? "Cyberlaw" is unsettled on these points. So we'll all make the assumption that we are a community that understands the metes and bounds of reasonable comment.
Thanks, and enjoy this gathering place.

-- Bill Densmore, 458-8001, blog@newshare.com / Williamstown, Mass. USA