Friday, July 29, 2005

OF NOTE: GreylockNews.COM noted in Berkshire Eagle article

Rogovoy's DLMWEB powered Blog featured on Front Page of Eagle - DLM Journal

This is a cross-post of a July 4, 2005, article in The Berkshire Eagle about blogging in the Berkshires authored by Jack Dew. The original story may be found HERE.

Small-towns good incubator for knowledge industry companies (2002)

Monster.com: Silicon Villages (Dotcom feature): "Silicon Villages
by John Rossheim

Summary
Small towns can provide great prospects for your career and life.
Cultural institutions draw dotcom talent to these locales.
A smaller geographic job market will limit your mobility. Clickshare Service Corp. and Williamstown are discussed.





What if you've really, really had it with city life? What if it's not enough for you to move your home and career to a small metropolis like Providence, Rhode Island, Boise, Idaho, or Ann Arbor, Michigan? Could the small-town scene be for you?
Good news: There is intelligent life -- and career opportunity -- in the boonies, whether looking at Charlottesville, Virginia, Bozeman, Montana, Ithaca, New York, or other towns with populations downwards of 35,000. But you still need to ask yourself and your potential employer some tough questions before you abandon the grind of cyber cities for the quaint pleasures of silicon villages.
Case Study: Northern Berkshires, Massachusetts
Williamstown, Massachusetts, is a picturesque New England town in the Berkshire Mountains. Home to Williams College, a top-rated liberal arts school, Williamstown has long been something of a cultural mecca, even if a bit sleepy.
But the area's appealing natural beauty, good schools and willingness to experiment have clearly hooked Bill Densmore Jr., a vice president and cofounder of Williamstown-based ClickShare Service Corp. �I've been skiing with my wife and kids most Wednesday afternoons this winter,� says Densmore. �I make up for it by many long nights working at home after the kids go to bed.�
Densmore says the area's arts institutions, including Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow and the Clark Art Institute, together with outdoor recreation opportunities, �can make the di"

Monday, July 25, 2005

Caretaker Farm's weekly newsletter: A movie recommendation and spice-cake recipe


Posted for Elizabeth Smith
<elizabeth@caretakerfarm.org>

CARETAKER FARM NEWSLETTER
Monday, July 25th, 2005 Week # 8

This week's distribution manager is Apprentice Steffany Yamada

FARM CHAT by Steffany
Welcome to the 8th week of distribution. We've gotten a break from hot and
humid of recent weeks and now are relishing the gorgeous weather.

I've gotten to talk with a number of you during distribution or in the
field, but I figure I'd take this opportunity to introduce myself. Farming
seems to be in my blood, although my late grandmother would probably like to
dispute it. She grew up on a pineapple plantation on Maui. After all, my
last name means "Mountain of Rice Paddies". I've been gardening since I was
a teenager in Northern Virginia and took over my mom's garden. I studied
Environmental Science at Allegheny College for 2 1/2 years. I did a
gardening internship at Bartram's Garden in Philadelphia. I volunteered at
Mildreds' Daughters Urban Farm in Pittsburgh for the past two seasons. I did
WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) on an organic turmeric, ginger and
galangal farm in Hawaii for 2 1/2 months one winter. Most recently I came
from Pittsburgh where I was a baker at a locally-owned from scratch bakery.
I spent the summer dreaming of being outside working with my hands in the
soil, so here I am. Now it's hard to think that as an apprentice I'm about
halfway through the apprenticeship and am wondering what I'm going to be
doing in a couple of months.

See you this week in the barn and flower garden.

NEW: Red Wax Beans, Sweet Onions and Cherry Tomatoes!
AND: Arugula, Beets and Greens, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chard, Collard Greens,
Cucumbers, Kohlrabi (last week of it), Lettuce, Scallions, Yellow Squash and
Zucchini.
COMING SOON: Peppers, Melons, New Potatoes, Tomatoes

PYO HERBS - Cilantro, Thyme, Tarragon, Oregano, Chives, Lovage, Parsley and
Basil. Lemon Balm is all around "the rock". Please pick and use!
PYO VEGGIES: Green Beans and Red Wax Beans! Cherry Tomatoes are just coming
on. Please just sample a few when you go down to pick.
PYO Collards are plentiful. Take as much as you need. Check in the barn for
some
recipes.

PYO FLOWERS - Please cut the flower stem above future flowering stems to
allow the plants to produce new flowers. Parents: Please help your children
make careful cuts with scissors to avoid damaging the plants.

OUT OF BAG SPECIALS: PICKLING CUCUMBERS Take 2 in your bag and please ask a
helper or manager for more. Some recipes will be available in the barn.

PRESERVING FOOD WORKSHOP will be coming up in the future (when tomatoes are
in), possibly on a Tuesday. More about that in August.

WORKING SHAREHOLDERS: Note the sign-up to work is on the desk in the barn.
We
love having volunteers helping out in the field with us.

THE GARLIC HARVEST: Thanks to the members who came out to help. Stand
beneath the garlic, inhale its amazing fragrance and think of all the things
you'll be making with it as soon as it is properly cured. Roasted garlic,
pesto, aioli, ...Now don't get too hungry.

MEAT ORDERING IMFORMATION: CARETAKER LAMB, MUTTON, BEEF, PORK AND STEWING
HENS
In addition to fruits, flowers, herbs and vegetables, Caretaker Farm raises
another important crop of choice: lush green grass. All summer long our
grazing animals enjoy fresh air, sunshine, lush green grass, fresh water,
natural vitamins, nutrients and a stress-free life. In the fall,
nutrient-dense pork, beef, lamb, mutton and chicken is available to farm
members on a pre-order basis. If you are interested please take an
information sheet from the desk in the barn.

SAM'S REFLECTI0NS May Caretaker Farm always be an inclusive community that
opens us to life-enhancing communion with the whole of Humankind, and of
Otherkind as well. - Epigram and vision for Caretaker Farm

The Farm's Web of Relationships, Part I. Caretaker Farm is a unique
community in which humans and other-than-humans, from giant earthworms to
the myriad members of the farm's largely invisible soil community, are
equally at home and where the members of the farm are encouraged to become
intimately and joyfully aware of their relationship to the soil and its
inhabitants.

Caretaker Farm not only feeds the community but also powerfully reminds us
that we are all a piece of the earth. If we are to remain true to her, then
we must, as good farmers and citizens, abide by the ultimate law of nature
that the birthright of all living things is health. This law is true for
soil, plant, animal, and humankind: the health of these four is one
connected chain. Any weakness or defect in the health of any earlier link in
the chain is carried on to the next and succeeding links, until it reaches
the last, namely, humankind.

Above all else within the framework of our daily and seasonal farming
practices, we see ourselves as keepers, preservers, and protectors of the
soil community. If it is well, we are well; if it languishes, we languish.

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION
The Future of Food
Wednesday, July 27 @ 7:00 p.m., Images Cinema, Williamstown, MA

A NOTE ABOUT RECIPES: I was thinking how nice it would be to come away from
this season with recipes from farm members using the produce from this farm.
I know there are some amazing cooks out there, so if people can send in
recipes, either via e-mail or in the mailbox, I'm starting to compile them.
Thanks, Steffany!

RECIPE:
Summer Squash Spice Cake
>From Marian Morash's The Victory Garden Cookbook

1 and 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 and 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1 packed c. dark brown sugar
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla
1 and 1/2 c. grated zucchini or yellow squash

Sift together mixed dry ingredients. Beat the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla
together. Beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in the grated squash. Pour into
a greased 8x8-inch pan or round cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree
oven for approximately 40-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean and
top is slightly cracked. Freezes beautifully: cool completely, cover with
wax paper, and place in a plastic freezer bag.

Images holds over "Penguins" for another week


Posted for Sandra Thomas, at Images Cinema, Williamstown:

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS is HELD OVER and we're working on a new date for APRES VOUS. Don't forget! We have two special documentary screenings coming up with the filmmakers:

Wednesday, July 27 @ 7 pm - THE FUTURE OF FOOD
Monday, August 1 @ 7 pm - AMERICAN FARM

Our Acoustic Alley music continues this Friday with the Armies of Compassion and Ananda Plunkett on Saturday.

HELD OVER: MARCH OF THE PENGUINS

Now playing through Thursday, 8/4

Evenings: 7 & 9pm (except Wednesday 7/27 & Monday, 8/1, no 7pm show)
Matinees: 4:30pm on Saturday, Sunday & Wednesday

Director: Luc Jacquet
Narrator: Morgan Freeman
Rating: G * 1 hour 30 minutes * documentary

"orgeous and even inspiring, a tale of loyalty hard-tested and
hard-earned, a sumptuous travelogue, and a reminder that some of the critters with whom we share the planet are, in ways, as complex in their feelings as any human being.”—The Portland Oregonian.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD

Wednesday, July 27 at 7pm

Screening followed by a discussion with director Deborah Koons Garcia Co-presented by Genetic Engineering Action Group

Not Rated * 1 hour 29 minutes * documentary

A revolution is taking place in the fields and on the dinner tables of America, but it is invisible to many of us. Genetically engineered foods are in about 60% of all processed foods, but no studies have been done to determine the long-term effects of these foods. THE FUTURE OF FOOD examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat.

<a href="http://www.thefutureoffood.com/">Click here to visit the official Web site</a>

<a href="http://www.thetranscript.com/Stories/0,1413,103~9049~2978351,00.html ">
</a>
AMERICAN FARM

Monday, August 1 at 7pm
* New England Premiere *

Screening followed by a discussion with director James Spione
Co-presented by Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation

AMERICAN FARM has played to sold out crowds in Saratoga Springs and at the Syracuse Int'l Film Festival. The screening at Images Cinema is the New England premiere!

Director: James Spione
Not Rated * 1 hour 30 minutes * documentary

AMERICAN FARM is an account of the Ames family farm in Richfield Springs, New York, but it is also an elegy for a vanishing way of life. Langdon Ames, a cousin of the director James Spione, is the
fifth son to own the dairy farm, and has been running the business since his early twenties. He is now in his late sixties, and no one in the next generation is willing to take over the farm.

"A distinctly American story about everyday people and their struggle to preserve the things they cherish. . . The result is not a film that languishes in nostalgic clichés, but rather thrills its
audience with its examination of real people involved in rich, complex relationships."-Pulse Magazine

<a href="http://www.thetranscript.com/Stories/0,1413,103~9049~2978351,00.html ">Click here to read John Mitchell's article about AMERICAN FARM in The Transcript</a>

Friday, July 22, 2005

AMERICAN FARM - New England Premiere Aug. 1 at Images Cinema


From: James Spione <spione@msn.com>
Subject: AMERICAN FARM - New England Premiere!

Hello, everyone. Coming up in just 10 days, American Farm will be shown outside of New York State for the very first time at Images Cinema <http://www.imagescinema.org/>in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Please let all your friends and family in the area know about the New England premiere of my feature documentary! The film will be screened on one night only, on Monday, August 1st, at 7:00 pm. I will be there to introduce the movie and lead a discussion afterwards.

Thanks again for all your support!

Yours sincerely,
Jim Spione
Director, American Farm

www.americanfarmmovie.com<http://www.americanfarmmovie.com/>

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Williams eyes changes in vice president post after Ouellette departure


The following letter from Williams College President Morton Owens Shapiro
has been circulated on campus:

July 15, 2005

To the Williams Community,

Now that Helen Ouellette has left the College and begun her work at Oxfam America, let me tell you about the organization I’ve put in placeto do the work of the vice president for administration and treasurer until we appoint her successor.

I'll be working closely with those who reported directly to Helen as they carry on their responsibilities. These are Irene Addison, Associate Vice President for Facilities and Auxiliary Services, Adriana Cozzolino, Assistant Vice President for Administration, Sue Hogan, Controller, and Martha Tetrault, Director of Human Resources. The College is fortunate to have such able people in these positions. There are two changes for this interim period. Adriana will take on the role of Acting Treasurer and Jim Kolesar, Director of Public Affairs, will oversee the College’s relations with the local community.

Before launching a national search, I'm taking time to review, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, the structure of the vice presidency and of the position of Manager of Investments and Treasury Operations, which also is vacant. I’ll report back to you when these matters are settled.

Meanwhile, I'm sure that you'll join me in working with our colleagues mentioned above to make this interim time a productive one for Williams.

Regards,
Morton Owen Schapiro

CONCERT: Bang on a Can AllStars Wednesday July 20 at Windsor Lake, North Adams


From: Rod Bunt <tourist@bcn.net>, Mayor's Office of Tourism

Subject: A Beautiful Evening for a Concert at the Lake!

The free concert series continues tomorrow (Wednesday, July 20) at Windsor Lake, North Adams, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM. The performance combines great music with a beautiful natural backdrop.

The featured act this week is the famous Bang on a Can All-Stars. This free concert is part of the Bang on a Can Music Festival at MASS MoCA. The festival brings some of the finest musicians in the world to North Adams for almost three weeks of classes, recitals, concerts, and more.

The performance at Windsor Lake will comprise two acts. First, a guitar quartet, led by led by guitarist extraordinaire Mark Stewart, a perennial festival favorite followed by the Bang on a Can percussion quartet led by acclaimed percussionist David Cossin. This years festival includes three musicians from Uzbekistan who will play traditional Uzbek instruments for this concert. The performance promises to be a treat for all ages.

Hoosac Bank and the City of North Adams sponsor the free performances. The rain date is the following Sunday at the same time. Parking at Windsor Lake is free, but visitors should bring chairs or a blanket for their comfort. For a full listing of concerts, call 413-664-6180.

Caretaker Farm Newsletter for Monday, July 18, 2005


From: Elizabeth Smith <elizabeth@caretakerfarm.org>

CARETAKER FARM NEWSLETTER
Monday, July 18th, 2005 Week # 7

FARM CHAT by First Year Apprentice Kim Feeney
Welcome to another hot, hazy and humid week here in the Northern Berkshires
and the start of week 7 of distribution. The summer is going fast as
evidenced by the darkening skin on my arms and the sheer number of
vegetables we have already harvested and distributed. Though I have been
able to meet many of you, there are still some who I haven't had the chance
to trade names and stories. You've probably seen me--I'm usually pretty
dirty, wearing a large hat and weeding in the middle field.

I am excited and thrilled to be spending the season amidst this beautiful
landscape. Despite coming from a finance career in NYC, I, like our
vegetables, benefit from sunshine, good earth and care and am "growing"
quite adjusted to farm life. Although it might seem like a 180 degree life
change, I did study agricultural economics at Cornell University and wanted
to combine small business development and agriculture and now I am learning
the farming aspect.

During the last three months I have witnessed first-hand the aspect
ofCOMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTRE. I have worked alongside members, discussed
recipes at distribution, watched parents teach children about herbs and peas
and during every experience I have felt very much a part of this community.
I thank you for your enthusiasm, curiosity, appreciation and welcoming
attitude and I hope I have a chance to talk with all of you about the
weather, the U-pick crops, my future plans, free theatre groups, the Tour de
France, to name a few.

Have a great week and see you in the barn, Kim

NEW: Green beans and Cauliflower!
AND: Arugula, Beets and Greens, Collard Greens, Carrots, Sweet Turnips and
Greens, Lettuce, Zucchini and Yellow Squash.
PYO HERBS - Cilantro, Dill, Thyme, Tarragon, Oregano, Chives, Lovage,
Parsley and Basil.
PYO Veggies: Green Beans! Please remember to walk on the pathways and try to
avoid stepping on the plants or the beds. Check the blackboard for limits.
Collards are plentiful and unlimited.
PYO Flowers - Please cut the flower stem above future flowering stems to
allow the plants to produce new flowers. Parents: Please help your children
make careful cuts with scissors to avoid damaging the plants.
COMING SOON: Cherry tomatoes & Peppers

WORKING SHAREHOLDERS: Note the sign-up to work on the desk in the barn. The
garlic harvest is a good way to get some hours in. We will be harvest and
hanging garlic on Wednesday the 20th and Thursday the 21st. Come and spend a
few hours with us and get to know and enjoy the apprentices and farmers.

WEEKLY WORKERS:

Tuesday, July 19th
Harvest helper:8-10:00 A.M.- Susan Clarke and Carol Westerdahl
Picking Assistance - 12:00-1: Laura Schoenbaum
Distribution Workers:
1-2 Laura Scoenbaum
2-3 Tim Bushika
3-4 Libby Kieffer
4-5 Libby Kieffer
5-6 Andrea Danyluk

Friday, July 22nd
Harvest helpers: 8-10:00 A.M.- Joe Johnson
Picking Assistance: 12:00-1:00 Open
Distribution Workers:
1-2 Helen Armet
2-3 Stu Armet
3-4 Judy Turbin
4-5 Ron Turbin
5-6 Marianne DeMarco

Saturday, July 23rd
Harvest helpers: 6:15-7:30 Karen Kowitz
Distribution Workers:
8-9 Janneke v.d.Stadt
9-10 Janneke v.d.Stadt
10-11 Margaret McCormish
11-12 Dawn Prentice

Visiting Youth: BLAST Interns from the Food Project
On Monday evening, several youth interns from the Food Project near Boston
(where the great Don Zasada worked for 9 years before coming to Caretaker
Farm) will be visiting and meeting with the apprentices and farmers here.
They have embarked on a Northeast farm tour visiting sustainable farms and
trying to determine how these farmers define "a successful farm," how the
success is measured, and what practices or methods are followed to attain
long-term success of the farm. They will be working with us on Tuesday and
observing our flourishing and wonderful community during distribution on
Tuesday so make sure to say hello to them.

SAM'S REFLECTI0NS: May Caretaker Farm always be an inclusive community that
opens us to life enhancing communion with the whole of Humankind, and of
Otherkind as well. - Epigram and vision for Caretaker Farm

Serving the Soil Community. Working for the below-ground community—of which
earthworms are the most visible members—should be the central focus of the
farmer’s time, planning, and methods. If we take care of the earthworms and
their fellow soil inhabitants—if we create an environment within the farm
favorable to them—then we will assure the survival and well-being of the
above-ground community including the plant and human community.

Caretaker Farm serves the needs of the soil community for food, air, and
waterby renewing the organic matter content of the soil (of which the
recycling of the farm members’ kitchen wastes is a part), using the gentlest
and least invasive tillage methods, sowing cover crops in the winter,
maintaining plant diversity within the farm, and by restricting human foot
traffic to the paths between the four foot wide beds of vegetables, herbs,
and flowers. In summary, we are dedicated to inhabitants of the land—, and
especially the majestic earthworms of the community’s farm. May they all be
well and happy.

In Memory of Richard H. Sabot.
We mourn the passing of long-time, Caretaker Farm member, Richard H. Sabot.
Throughout his life Dick accomplished so much that is good and lasting
including his and his family's continuing and extraordinary initiative to
renew and rebuild an agrarian
consciousness and presence through Cricket Creek Farm on Oblong Road.

Recipe:
Bulgur with Cauliflower, Lemon & Tarragon This is adapted from the Rodale's
Natural Foods Cookbook
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1.5 cups of course bulgur
2.5 cups of Vegetable stock
1/2 cup minced scallions
3 cups cauliflower florets, lightly steamed
1 carrot shredded
1 tablespoon minced lemon rind
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
salt to taste

Additional herbs may be added with the tarragon.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add bulgur and sauté until
lightly browned stirring occasionally. Pour stock over bulgur and bring to
a boil. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until stock is
absorbed.
In another large skillet, melt remaining butter. Add scallions and cook for
1 minute, stirring continuously. Add remaining ingredients, toss to combine
and cook for 1 minute. Add to bulgur, fluff with a fork and serve. You can
serve with crumbled feta cheese on top if desired.

Friday, July 15, 2005

FILM: Why is the family farm fading? Filmmaker at Images Aug. 1


Posted by Janet Curran <janet@imagescinema.org>

<h2>AMERICAN FARM Documentary with the Director</h2>

Williamstown, Mass. -- Independent documentary filmmaker James Spione will introduce the New England premiere of his film, AMERICAN FARM, at Images Cinema on Monday, August 1 at 7pm. This event is co-presented by Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation. Regular ticket prices apply (general admission $8, students and seniors $6, members $4). Images Cinema is located at 50 Spring Street in Williamstown, MA.

AMERICAN FARM (2005, Not Rated, 90 minutes) is an account of the Ames family farm in Richfield Springs, New York, but it is also an elegy for a vanishing way of life. Langdon Ames, a cousin of the director James Spione, is the fifth son to own the dairy farm, and has been running the business since his early twenties. He is now in his seventies, and no one in the next generation is willing to take over the farm. Says Mr. Spione, “With globalization, the increasing corporatization of agriculture, the so-called Wal Mart effect on small town America, the whole idea of closely-knit community is under fire. In many ways, the plight of my family’s farm is but one aspect of what people seem to perceive as a general trend.”

Pulse Magazine describes AMERICAN FARM as “A distinctly American story about everyday people and their struggle to preserve the things they cherish. . .The result is not a film that languishes in nostalgic clichés, but rather thrills its audience with its examination of real people involved in rich, complex relationships.”

More information about the film can be found at www.americanfarmmovie.com.

One of the few year-round single-screen nonprofit cinemas left in the country, Images Cinema is ever expanding its programming to meet the educational and cultural needs of the community, while maintaining its dedication to quality independent film. Images Cinema is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Current happenings are listed at www.imagescinema.org.

---

For more information Contact:
Sandra Thomas, 413 458 1039, at Images Cinema

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Neighbors, board appear blindsided by Henderson Road subdivision

North Adams Transcript - Local Headlines

Karen Gardener writes in the North Adams Transcript about a Williamstown Planning board meeting in which neighbors to a Henderson Road subdivision -- and a planning-board member -- appear blindsided by the potential size of the project. Another hearing is set for Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Metawee River Theatre Company performs July 29 at Windsor Lake, North Adams


Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 09:48:45 -0400
From: Rod Bunt <tourist@bcn.net>, Mayor's Office of Tourism

The North Adams Office of Tourism is proud to announce a free outdoor theater event.

The acclaimed Metawee River Theatre Company will perform a free outdoor show at Windsor Lake on Friday, July 29th at 8 pm. The play is a shortened version of acclaimed German playwright Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Calk Circle.

In Brecht's powerful reinvention of an ancient tale, a peasant girl rescues an infant child abandoned by noble parents in a time of upheaval. The bond between the girl and the child grows strong through many adventures, some perilous and some humorous. When the noble mother tries to reclaim the child in order to gain an inheritance, the resulting dispute is brought before an eccentric judge, who offers his own twist on King Solomon's demonstration of wisdom in devising a test to determine the true mother of a contested baby.

The Metawee River Theatre Company is known for it's lively productions incorporating masks, giant figures, puppets and other visual elements with live music. The company's founder and director Ralph Lee is committed to bringing theater to the widest possible audience and children are welcome. Lee and the company have received numerous awards for their performances and designs.

Actors Bruce Connelly, Kim Gambino, Kevin Lawler, Tom Marion, Joe Osheroff and Clea Rivera will play multiple roles. The production will incorporate masks, puppetry and costumes, with an original musical score composed by Neal Kirkwood. Lee will design and direct the production, with costumes by Casey Compton. The composer and musician Harry Mann will perform on vibraphone, accordion, saxophone, clarinet and percussion.

The public is encouraged to attend this free cultural offering. For more information on the "Caucasian Chalk Circle," or any other city event, please call the North Adams Office of Tourism, 6 West Main Street, at 664-6180.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

SHOPPING: North Adams downtown sidewalk sales upcoming Friday


Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 16:07:34 -0400
From: Rod Bunt <tourist@bcn.net>, Mayor's Office of Tourism

As a part of a busy summer on the streets of downtown North Adams, merchants will celebrate with sidewalk sales this Friday, July 15th, from 9:00 - 5:00 PM.

Main, Eagle, Ashland and Holden Streets will host sidewalk bargains with blowout prices. There will be lots of merchandise for shoppers to browse through.

Participating merchants include McClelland's Cards and Gifts, Moulton's General Store, Galadriel's Clothing, Atef Jewelers, the Spectacle Shoppe, Persnickety Toys, Berkshire Gifts Crafty Creations, Dilego Jewelers, Sports Corner, Verizon store, Radio Shack, Tangiers, Papyri Books, and Legacy Crafts.

For more information, Call 663-8125

GALLERY TALK: David Ricci, 7 p.m. Wednesday at CAC North Adams


Date: Wed., July 13
Time: 7 p.m.
FREE

The North Adams Contemporary Artists Center welcomes David Ricci Wednesday for an artist talk. As always, free refreshments are provided. The artist talk and the galleries are free and open to the public.

David Ricci is new to the Contemporary Artists Center. His large-scale digital prints of elegantly arranged scrap metal turn debris into fine art. He will discuss his 25-year career in art and show some of his prints from over the years.

ALSO: Berkshire Biennial Exhibition

This first-ever juried exhibition features the best new works of
Berkshires' artists working in a variety of media. Artists: Samuel T.
Adams, Linda Mieko Allen, Edward Cating, Paul Chojnowski, Peggy Diggs,
Peter Dudek, Barbara Groves and Adam Zaretsky, Julie McCarthy, Michael
McKay, Meleko Mokgosi, David Ricci, Nick Zammuto. Curated by CAC programming committee

Dates: July 9 - Aug. 14
FREE

Examples of David Ricci's Work:

http://www.thecac.org/img/ricci/3E_CinnamonStickopt.jpg
http://www.thecac.org/img/ricci/3P_MetalBandingopt.jpg
http://www.thecac.org/img/ricci/3R_LawnMoweropt.jpg
http://www.thecac.org/img/ricci/3S_BedSpringsopt.jpg
http://www.thecac.org/img/ricci/3T_GoldMetalopt.jpg

Contemporary Artists Center / 189 Beaver Street / North Adams, MA 01247
www.thecac.org | info@thecac.org | Gallery Hours: Wed.-Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday, July 11, 2005

EVENT: Annual North Adams "beach party" set for Wednesday, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.


Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 16:37:24 -0400
From: Rod Bunt <tourist@bcn.net>

Eric Rudd's 2005 Eagle Street Beach; July 13, 4-7 PM

"Lots of Free Beach Toys, Prizes for Sand Sculptures and Fun!"

"Have you ever played on a beach right in the downtown of North Adams?

Eagle Street merchants have contributed sand toys for everyone to use as
well as prizes for the most creative sand castles or sand sculptures to be
created during artist Eric Rudd's Eagle Street Beach and Community Party
(July 13, 4-7 PM). More than 250,000 pounds of white sand, donated by
Specialty Minerals and delivered by the City of North Adams, will be
spread - curb to curb - the entire length of downtown Eagle Street, North
Adams. Live music will be performed by the popular band 'Plum Crazy'
(stage and sound system provided with support from Massachusetts College
of Liberal Arts and the City of North Adams; power line installed by
Sommer Electric).

Adams Co-operative Bank is providing free sand toys for use by children
and families. In addition, many prizes will be awarded to individuals and
small groups/families of all ages making interesting sand sculptures. From
our neighbor to the north, ten $20 gift certificates from Hunter's - An
American Grill (Bennington) will be given out.

New this year - 100 tickets to the Steeplecats will be given out to
children 12 years or younger! Compliments of the Steeplecats.

Prizes from Eagle Street merchants include five savings banks- complete
with a cash surprise inside - from Adams Co-operative Bank, five "Goodie
Bags" of novelties and sweets from Persnickity Toys and each contains a
certificate for a regular-sized ice cream cone from Sugar Llama Café and
Sweet Shop, gift certificate for two Panini sandwiches from Gideon's
Luncheon & Nightery, two $10 gift certificates from Berkshire Gifts, three
$10 gift certificates from Jack's Hot Dog Stand, one large two-top pizza,
one large cheese pizza, plus a certificate for two pasta dinners of
winner's choice from Village Pizza, a Boston Red Sox beach towel from All
Sorts of Sports, $10 gift certificate from Crafty Creations, $10 gift
certificate from Kim's Cuts, a $3 gift certificate and T-shirt from
Molly's Bakery, a large one-topping pizza and a dinner of the winner's
choice from Mouton's Pizzaria, a water-proof FM radio and two inflatable
surf riders from Mia's Exchange Consignment Shop, gift certificate from
Basin Clove Antiques, an insulated lunch bag, water bottle, magazine and
one week free membership (North Adams or Adams) from Curves Fitness, an
hand-carved wooden sculpture relief from Haitian Gallery. In addition,
several stores will be having specials during the beach party.

To win one of the great prizes, no artistic experience is necessary - just
the willingness to get into the sand and have fun. Beach attire is
recommended. The event is for children, adults and families playing
creatively in the sand together. Prizes will be awarded primarily to
children, but prizes to groups of children as well as families with adults
and individual adults will also be awarded.

Artist Eric Rudd's seventh annual "Eagle Street Beach" will be held on
Wednesday, July 13, 2004, from 4 to 7 PM. In case of rain (or threat of
rain!), the event will be held the next day on July 14, from 4-7 PM. The
public is invited to come and enjoy the sandy beach created on the entire
length of historic Eagle Street, just off Main Street, North Adams.

This block-long community "sculpture" was first created in 1999 by artist
Eric Rudd as part of the Contemporary Artists Center's "Downtown
Installations." Now an independent event presented by the artist, hundreds
of residents participate each year in this unique "street" festival and
community art event.

The "Eagle Street Beach" is sponsored and fully supported by artist Eric
Rudd, Specialty Minerals, the Mayor and City of North Adams, Plum Crazy,
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Adams Cooperative Bank,
Steeplecats, Hunter's - An American Grill, and all the merchants of
historic Eagle Street. Portable toilets provided compliments of A-1
Septic.

For more information: Eric Rudd, 413.664.9550, cacart@together.net.

FILM: Weekly film information from Images Cinema, Williamstown, Mass.

<A href="http://www.imagescinema.org">Images Cinema homepage</a>

<a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/movie/0,6115,1072747_1_0_,00.html">
</a>
Starts Friday, 7/15: MY SUMMER OF LOVE

Friday, 7/15 through Thursday, 7/21

Evenings: 7 & 9pm
Matinees: 4:30pm on Saturday, Sunday & Wednesday

Director: Pawel Pawlikowski
Starring: Natalie Press, Emily Blunt
Rated: R * 1 hour 26 minutes * drama

Winner of British Academy Film Award for Best Film of the Year, MY SUMMER OF LOVE charts the friendship and romance between two very different young women. Mona is a smart, working class girl; Tamsin
is well-off and spoiled. Mona's brother Phil has rejected his criminal past for religious fervor, and tries to bring Mona into the fold. Mona has her own obsession, but can she trust Tamsin?

"A gorgeously ambiguous film that is blessedly hard to tag; in fact, it's a compilation of genres and moods -- comedy, romance and diabolical thriller -- and that is its core strength and
freshness."-Seattle Post-Intelligencer

<a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/movie/0,6115,1072747_1_0_,00.html">Read a review</a>

<a href="http://www.imagescinema.org/happenings.htm#acoustic">
</a>
LIVE MUSIC: The Armies of Compassion

Friday, July 15 at 6pm, inside the cinema

The Armies Compassion pairs intense harmonic creation with funk and dance club inspired rhythms makes for complex yet very accessible fusionesque creations

<a href="http://www.imagescinema.org/happenings.htm#acoustic">Click here for more information about Acoustic Alley</a>

<a href="http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/turan/cl-et-howls10jun10,0,3637816.story">
</a>
Ends Thursday, 714: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

Evenings: 7 & 9:15pm
Matinee: 4:30pm on Wednesday

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Featuring the voices of: Emily Mortimer, Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale, Billy Crystal
Rating: PG * 1 hour 59 minutes * animation/fantasy

"HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE is one animated epic that has it all: poetic intensity, potent storytelling, vivid and surprising characters, and intoxicating powers of visual imagination."--Baltimore Sun

<a href="http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/turan/cl-et-howls10jun10,0,3637816.story">Read a review</a>

Note: DATE CHANGE

7/22 - 7/28: MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
7/29 – 8/4: APRÈS VOUS

<a href="http://www.imagescinema.org/calendar.htm">Visit our film/event calendar</a>

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<a href="http://www.mainstreetmail.com/unsubscribe.php?listID=134">this link</a>..
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Wednesday, July 06, 2005

ART: The July newsletter musics of Rachel Barenblatt at inkBerry; "The Rural Life" author among July visitors


By Rachel Barenblatt
www.inkberry.org

July crept up on us here at Inkberry! Over the last few weeks we've been
accustoming ourselves to being a three-person office (expect to hear from our
summer intern, Holly, in next month's inkmail), fighting the heat (our
oscillating fan runs non-stop these days, and we're partial to the large iced
coffees from Brewhaha around the corner), and generally doing our part to live
the literary life. Sometimes that means sharing progress reports on our writing
when we first get to work; other times it means ordering corkboard squares for
the walls to combat the neverending piles of paper writers (and
administrators) seem to accrue.

Our first online workshop of the summer is finishing up this week. This was our
first-ever humor workshop, "The Pun is Mightier than the Sword," taught by Seth
Brown. One student emailed me last week saying, "I just have to bubble a little
about how much fun I am having in Inkberry's online course on humor writing.
The readings are funny and informative, the assignments are a joy to do, and
Seth's comments are helpful..." That comment was prescient;it's almost like she
knew evaluations were coming! This week we sent out evaluation forms, and the
answers have been really positive. When asked what could be better about the
workshop, one student responded, "Besides more snacks and pop? Nothing --
everything worked." Who could ask for better feedback than that? (And rest
assured, we'll add snacks to our online workshops as soon as we figure out how
to share them virtually.)

Maybe the most exciting thing happening in July is the first of our Sense of
Place/Community Renewal projects: a weekend with Verlyn Klinkenborg,
co-presented by the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation and funded by the
National Endowment for the Arts. On July 30, WRLF will offer a nature walk at
1pm at Sheep Hill Farm in south Williamstown, and at 3pm Verlyn will give a
talk on nature writing there. That night, at 8pm, he'll read his work at the
Contemporary Artists' Center in North Adams (followed by a question-and-answer
session and a booksigning). And the next morning, on July 31, we'll present a
moderated discussion on farm history featuring Verlyn alongside Williams
College environmental studies professor Hank Art, again at Sheep Hill Farm.

Verlyn is author of several excellent books, among them *The Rural Life*, a
meditation on the rigors and wonders of country life. We couldn't be more
excited about bringing him here...and thanks to the National Endowment for the
Arts, all three of these events are free and open to the public. You'll hear
more from us about this as the weekend approaches. For now, put it on your
calendar; we hope you'll join us for these conversations on rural living and
sense of place.

Behind the scenes this month, we're working on putting our fall calendar
together. It goes to the designer mid-month, and to press at the end of the
month, and will hopefully be in your mailboxes by early August -- just in time
for you to sign up for Inkberry workshops by September! This fall we'll offer
workshops in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. We're also planning a series of
free salons and screenings at Inkberry, and in anticipation of those, we're
spiffing up our space! We just ordered a television and a nifty shelving unit
to put it on (so we can again watch the "poets on poetry" video series that the
Lannan Foundation donated in our first year), and we're experimenting with
draping our beautiful inkberry cloth
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbarenblat/23873506/in/set-292745/) around the
library. Expect our space to be much prettier by the time fall rolls around!

Speaking of our space, we're seeking a donation of a desk. (Our intern has
currently set up shop at a folding table; it suffices, but it's not ideal, and
we'd like to do better by her.) If you live in the area and have a desk you'd
like to donate, let us know.

As usual, I'll close with a few book recommendations, since I've had the
pleasure of reading a lot of terrific things lately. Two very different novels
top the list for me this month: Jeffrey Eugenides' *Middlesex*, and Alan
Garner's *Thursbitch*. *Middlesex* is a rollicking epic American immigrant
novel, telling the story of Greek-American Cal (born as Calliope -- yes,
there's a gender change in there) and the generations that led to her/his
transformation. Along the way we move from Smyrna to Detroit, negotiate
immigrant stories and vast swathes of American history, and explore destiny and
free will -- and maybe even true love. *Thursbitch* is a spare little novel
that interweaves a contemporary storyline with a narrative set in pre-modern
Yorkshire. Garner's use of language is spectacular, and his creation of
mystical religious tradition knocked my socks off. I recommend both of these
highly. (The Garner book is British, so it may not be in your local bookstore;
ask your library to order it, or pick it up from Amazon.co.uk.)

And that's the news from Inkberry! Stay cool, keep writing, and come see us
sometime.

-- Rachel

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

ARTS: Liz Nofziger Artist Talk Wed. July 6, 7 p.m. @ CAC


Artist Talk with Liz Nofziger

Liz Nofziger returns to the Contemporary Artists Center to discuss her
installation "Trödelmarkt," a kitschy-cool collection of culture culled
during her two-week residency at the CAC. She'll be focusing on the use of
found objects in her work over time, and the culmination of discovered
treasure that is "Trödelmarkt." [www.nofzilla.com]

Date: Wed., July 6, 7 p.m.
FREE. Refreshments provided.

Liz Nofziger: "Trödelmarkt"
Artist Talk: Wednesday, July 6

Fleamarket Finale: Saturday July 16, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Trödelmarkt explores the phenomenon of the flea market and the fascinating way that something once treasured becomes trash, then treasure again. Compiled from local refuse with a limited budget during a two-week residency, this multimedia installation is an equally attractive and repulsive nostalgia-ridden multi-sensory experience. The piece will culminate in a closing flea market on July 16, advertised widely and drawing art-visitors and flea-market-goers alike, where all the accumulated materials will be released back into the world at thrift shop rates. [www.nofzilla.com]

Dates: Now through July 16, 2005

FREE

Contemporary Artists Center | 189 Beaver Street, North Adams, MA 01247
info@thecac.org | www.thecac.org | 413-663-9555

Monday, July 04, 2005

CIVIL LIBERTIES: Post-911 airport "Watch List" traps a giraffe hero


See:
http://mediagiraffe.blogspot.com/2005/07/civil-liberties-giraffe-hero-trapped.html

The link above is to an account by the founder of the Whidbey Island, Wash.-based Giraffe Heros Project* of his attempts to get his name off the TSA's airport no-fly "Watch List." It is unique because John Graham is a former U.S. government diplomat who once held security clearances, a self-described 63-year-old white with an Anglo-Saxon name, who has spent his post-government career finding and spotlighting people who are sticking their necks out making a difference for the better in all walks of life.

It is chilling enough that he and thousands of other Americans are on such "Watch Lists." For more troubling is his apparent inability to find out why, or to receive any assurance that he can ever get off the list. His livelihood is threatened.

Here is a man who was just an invited speaker at the U.S. Air Force Academy, on Feb. 26, at a "National Conference on Character and Leadership" . . . someone the first President Bush honored as one of his "points of light."

And now a person apparently shocked and disillusioned by his government.

Who is accountable? Who is collecting the other stories like this one?

* -- The Giraffe Heros Project is not affiliated with the Media Giraffe
Project, although they share a common aim of spotlighting above-the-crowd
actions for the common good.

CARETAKER FARM NEWSLETTER Monday, July 4th, 2005

_______________________________________________
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newsletter@caretakerfarm.org

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To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:
http://www.caretakerfarm.org/mailinglist


Date: Mon, 04 Jul 2005 21:12:41 -0400
From: Elizabeth Smith <elizabeth@caretakerfarm.org>

CARETAKER FARM NEWSLETTER
Monday, July 4th, 2005 / Week # 5

NEW: Chard, Fennel and Kohlrabi

ALSO: Arugula, Beets and Greens, Collard Greens, Pok Choi, Sweet Turnips and
Greens, White Icicle and Easter Egg Radishes, Red leaf, Romaine and Winter
Density Lettuces.

PYO HERBS: New: Basil- note- It is important top pick the center or
flowering stem to encourage the bushing out of the plants. Also: Cilantro
and Dill, Thyme, Tarragon, Oregano, Chives and Lovage.

PYO: Unlimited Edible-pod Peas - Remember: FFPP "Full, Fat Pea Pods"

PYO Flowers - Bring your own scissors and a water container for the trip
home. (A milk jug works well, leaving the handle, cutting out a big
opening.) (Parents: Please help your children make careful cuts with
scissors to to avoid damaging the plants.)

WEEKLY WORKERS:
Tuesday,July 5th
Harvest helper:
8-10:00 A.M.- Lee Venolia
Picking Assistance
12:00-1:00 Kristine Taylor (Saddle hoe work)
Distribution Workers:
1-2 open
2-3 Bev Hamilton
3-4 Sylvia Thompson
4-5 Carlene Kincaid
5-6 Karen Kowitz

Friday, July 8th
Harvest helpers:
8-10:00 A.M.- open
Picking Assistance:
12:00-1:00 open
Distribution Workers:
1-2 Marlene Walt
2-3 Erica Forrest
3-4 Erica Forrest
4-5 Zelda Stern
5-6 Tora Huntington

Saturday, July 9th
Harvest helpers:
6:15-7:30 Peter Stoll
Distribution Workers:
8-9 Robin Malloy
9-10 Robin Malloy
10-11 Karen Bucky
11-12 Karen Kowitz

SAM¹S REFLECTIONS: Epigram and vision for Caretaker Farm
May Caretaker Farm always be an inclusive community that opens us to
life-enhancing communion with others of our kind, and of other-kind as well.
-

What is an organic farm? Properly speaking, an organic farm is not one that
uses certain methods and substances and avoids others; rather, in the words
of Wendell Berry, ³it is a farm whose structure is formed in imitation of
the structure of a natural system that has the integrity, the independence
and the benign dependence of an organism.²

What, perhaps, qualifies Caretaker Farm for Berry¹s definition is that it is
designed to recognize the servant role of its farmers in relation to
Other-kind (such as chickens, cows, sheep, pigs, birds, bears, native plants
and the countless creatures of the soil) and the overall integrity of the
system. And while the farm must be guided by the needs of both its
social/human and natural communities, it always gives a preferential option
to the latter in order to sustain the former. (Next week I¹ll follow-up on
the theme with a word on the farm¹s earthworm communities and the keeping of
the integrity of the beds that they and the vegetables inhabit.)

Fennel Recipes

Fennel, Beet and Orange Salad with Olives A farm member passed this on- "I
thought I didn¹t like fennel ­ but this was delicious" from "Bon Appetit"
Found in Email w.w.w. Epicurious Food: Recipe File)

Two cooked beets, cooled and cut into rounds. One fennel bulb, trimmed
(fronds reserved), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise. One navel
orange, peeled and cut into rounds, 1/4 Cup halved, pitted Kalamata olives.
Dressing: tsp. grated orange peel, 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard, 1/4 tsp. fennel
seeds, crushed, 2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar, 1/4 C of olive oil. Salt and pepper.
Place fennel slices in a bowl. Toss with the Dressing. Alternate overlapping
beet and orange slices around the edge of a platter. Spoon the fennel slices
into the center, sprinkle with olives. Drizzle remaining dressing over beets
and oranges. Crop fronds and sprinkle over salad

Fennel with Parmesan Cheese
Elizabeth David, Mediterranean Food
Cut the fennel root-stems, outer leaves discarded, in half and throw them
into boiling water. When they are tender (about 20 minutes) arrange them
in a buttered fireproof dish, spread grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs on
the top and put them in the over until the cheese has melted.

Fast Sauté of Fennel and Mushrooms Marian Morash, Victory Garden Cookbook
1 large fennel bulb with leaves
LB whole mushrooms
3 TB butter
1 TB oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Wash and trim fennel, then quarter and thinly slice bulb, discarding core;
You should have 2 -3 cups sliced fennel. Mince cup leaves and set aside.
Slice mushrooms the same thickness as fennel. Heat 1 TB butter and the
oil, and when foamy, add mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until
browned, about 3 minutes; remove and set aside. Add remaining butter and
fennel to pan, and cook over medium heat until fennel is softened but
still crunchy. Add mushrooms and stir together for a moment. Season with
salt and pepper and stir in minced fennel leaves. (Serves 4).

Fennel with Parmesan Cheese
Elizabeth David, Mediterranean Food

Cut the fennel root-stems, outer leaves discarded, in half and throw them
into boiling water. When they are tender (about 20 minutes) arrange them
in a buttered fireproof dish, spread grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs on
the top and put them in the over until the cheese has melted.

Friday, July 01, 2005

Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy's appeal on O'Connor resignation


Here's a missive from our senator next door . . .

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 01 Jul 2005 15:05:34 -0400
From: Pat Leahy <info@democracyforamerica.com>
Subject: The Senate Is Not a Rubber Stamp

Dear Bill,

This morning, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from
the United States Supreme Court.

This is a momentous time in our nation's history. The next justice
will have enormous influence on a woman's medical decisions, the rights
of workers and consumers, the civil and privacy rights of us all, the
enforcement of our environmental laws, how our elections are conducted,
and nearly every other aspect of our lives.

We cannot allow the independence of our courts to be threatened by a
judicial activist who places personal ideology above the law. The
Supreme Court is no place for fringe judges. And the Senate is not a
rubber stamp for any president's nominations.

Join me in calling for inclusive, thoughtful deliberations during this
process:
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

The Constitution requires that the President seek the Senate's advice
and consent in making appointments to the federal courts. As a Senator
and as the Democratic leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I take
this responsibility very seriously.

America must maintain separate but equal branches of government. Neither
the legislature, nor the judiciary, should be subjugated to the will of
any president - or to the loudest wing of any political party.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

In recent years, the President has chosen a path of confrontation rather
than consultation with the Senate.

I voted against Janice Rogers Brown, a judge quoted telling conservative
audiences that the New Deal "mark[ed] the triumph of our own socialist
revolution," and that elderly Americans who depend on Social
Security "blithely cannibalize their grandchildren."

I voted against Priscilla Owen, a judge who inserts her opinions into
the law so freely that President Bush's own attorney general once called
her behavior "unconscionable ... judicial activism."

Once again, the power to avoid political warfare over a judicial nominee
-- this time to the Supreme Court -- is in the hands of the President.
The process begins with him.

President Bush will decide whether there will be a divisive or unifying
process and nomination. If consensus is a goal, bipartisan consultation
will help achieve it. I believe that is what the American people want
and what they deserve. The President can unite the nation and the Senate
with his choice, or he can once again divide us.

Join me in calling for meaningful consultation between the President and
Senators on both sides of the aisle at:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

If the President chooses a Supreme Court nominee because of that
nominee's ideological fervor or record of activism in the hope that he
or she will deliver political victories, the President will have done so
knowing that he is again choosing the path of confrontation. He will do
so knowing that we will once again be forced to defend our belief that
the Supreme Court should not be an arm of either political party. It
belongs to all Americans.

If the right-wing activists who were disappointed that their nuclear
option was averted convince the President to choose a divisive nominee,
they will not prevail without a difficult Senate battle. And if they do,
what will they have wrought? The American people will be the losers:
The independence of and respect for the judiciary will have suffered a
damaging blow from which the judiciary may not soon recover.

We need to send a message that the Supreme Court should be above such
partisan politics at:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

The President and Republican leaders have a choice: choose a battle that
divides America, or seek a middle ground with a nominee we all can trust
to fairly interpret and uphold the Constitution and the law. Let the
Senators who will make this important decision know that America doesn't
want us to rubber stamp the President's nominee. Tell them now:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

I will be working with Democracy for America during this historic period
to keep you up to date on the Senate's deliberations. If you would like
to send me your thoughts during this debate, please do so at:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

Thank you,

Senator Patrick Leahy
Ranking Democratic Member, Senate Judiciary Committee

---

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You can invite your friends to join DFA by clicking here:
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/invite

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MUSIC: July 6th Windsor Lake concert at the lake features Dixie Cats


Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 13:49:57 -0400
From: Rod Bunt <tourist@bcn.net>
for the Mayor's Office of Tourism
6 West Main Street
North Adams, MA 01247
413-664-6180

The free concert series continues this Wednesday, July 6, at Windsor Lake, North Adams, from 7 - 8:30 PM. The performances combine great music with a beautiful natural backdrop. Audiences gather on the grassy, lakeside lawn to enjoy some great entertainment, free of charge.

This Wednesday's featured act is 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. 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. The 'Cats are a Windsor Lake favorite.

Hoosac Bank and the City of North Adams sponsor the popular free performances. The rain date is the following Sunday at the same time. Parking at Windsor Lake is free, but visitors should bring chairs or a
blanket for their comfort. For a full listing of concerts, call 413-664-6180.

Williamstown merchants to stay open late three nights during summer


Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 13:22:25 -0400
From: Sandra Thomas <sandra@imagescinema.org>

To GreylockNews.COM:

Michele asked me to forward you the following information.

Retailer hours July/August - Thursday, Friday, Saturdays

Ephporium 8:30 pm
Goff's/ the Williams Shop: 7pm
LiAsia: 7pm
Library Antiques: 7pm
Lickety Split: 11pm
Harrison Gallery: 7:30pm
Tunnel City Coffee: 7pm
Water Street Books: 8pm Th/Fri, 6pm Sat
WYGT!?: 8pm
Zanna:7pm
Purple Mountain Books: 7pm
Papa Charlies: 8pm
In Touch Day Spa: by appointment
TDBankNorth: 7pm on Thursdays only

Images Cinema is doing music on Thursday, Friday or Saturdays (press release
attached -- more dates will follow).

Plus restaurants are all open late: Subway, The Red Herring, Purple Pub,
Thai Garden, Spice Root, Mezze, Hot Tomatoes, Helen's Place, Hobson's
Choice, Water Street Grill, West Wine and Spirits.

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

MUSIC: Images slates "acoustic alley" music during July/August


Date: Fri, 01 Jul 2005 12:52:22 -0400
From: Janet Curran <janet@imagescinema.org>
For more info contact: Sandra Thomas, 413 458 1039
Date: July 1, 2005

ACOUSTIC ALLEY
Outdoor music on Spring Street, Williamstown

Williamstown, MA__ During the months of July and August local and regional
acoustic musicians will be performing in the alley outside Images Cinema,
as part of the Acoustic Alley outdoor music series. The music is as
diverse as African-influenced drumming, jazz fusion, and alt-country.
Performances begin at 6p.m., and are free. Images Cinema is located at 50
Spring Street in Williamstown, Mass. The current line-up is as follows:

Friday, July 1: Armies of Compassion
Thursday, July 7: Lara & Yael Percussione Duo
Saturday, July 9: Gillian Jones
Friday, July 15: Armies of Compassion
Friday, July 22: Jeb Barry
Saturday, July 23: Rosie Walnus
Friday, July 29: Armies of Compassion
Saturday, July 30: Ananda Plunkett
Friday, August 12: Jeb Barry

Built from the bottom up, with tight drum and bass communication giving a
huge platform for guitar, keyboard and trombone acrobatics, THE ARMIES OF
COMPASSION is both the listeners and the dancers band. Intense harmonic
creation paired with funk and dance club inspired rhythms makes for complex
yet very accessible fusionesque creations. Visit
armiesofcompassion.tripod.com for more information.

LARA & YAEL PERCUSSIONE DUO is greatly influenced by West African music and
dance, combining rhythm, movement, song and spoken word with diverse
creativity. They are influenced deeply by their long, active love and study
of traditional African drum, dance and song.Visit www.rootsheartpulse.com
for more information.

JEB BARRY’s prolific songwriting has crossed over into many styles of music.
In the 80s and 90s he was part of the power pop group The Typicals, before
moving on to acoustic projects Mission Park, and The Riverbrides. In the
early 1990’s Jeb was named “Songwriter of the Year” in Berkshire County.
After taking time off from songwriting, Jeb began writing again in 2002.
Under the alias The Busted Trucks, Jeb has recorded five self-releases in
North Adams, MA. Visit www.jebbarry.com for more information.

GILLIAN JONES is a self-taught guitarist and began playing publicly in a
church folk group in the early 1980's. She played throughout college and
after a long hiatus began performing at local open mics throughout the
Berkshires in 2001 including The Red Herring, The Helsinki Cafe, Joga Cafe
and the Freightyard Pub. She performs many cover songs by various artists
such as Sheryl Crow and Tracy Chapman. She has been the photographer at the
North Adams Transcript since 1992.

Just 16, ROSIE WALNUS has been writing and playing her own music for three
years. She lives in Sunderland.

Since the third grade, ANANDA PLUNKETT has been writing songs. Her first CD
of original songs, titled "As Herself", is due out in the fall of 2005.
Ananda’s music has been described as a mixture of folk, pop, and show tunes,
that has been compared to Tori Amos and early Jewel.

If you are interested in performing as part of the Acoustic Alley series,
please contact Sandra Thomas at 413 459 1039 or sandra@imagescinema.org.

One of the few year-round single-screen nonprofit cinemas left in the
country, Images Cinema is ever expanding its programming to meet the
educational and cultural needs of the community, while maintaining its
dedication to quality independent film. Images Cinema is supported in part
by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Current happenings
are listed at www.imagescinema.org.