Berkshire Community College is hosting a free flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinic on their campus on Friday, January 6th.

Free admission to Clark Art Institute until March 31st

Williamstown— The Clark Art Institute is holding a “Free for Three” program, offering free admission for three full months to provide greater access for all to the permanent collections and special exhibitions.

This winter, everyone can enjoy three months of unlimited access to their permanent collection and three new exhibitions— Promenades on Paper: Eighteenth-Century French Drawings from the Bibliotheque nationale de France (open through March 12); On the Horizon: Art and Atmopsphere in the Nineteenth Century (open through February 12); and Portals: The Visionary Architecture of Paul Goesch (opens March 13). On February 11 the Clark will open the latest presentation of contemporary art in public spaces with Elizabeth Atterbury: Oracle Bones.

The Clark also offers its winter campus to the public to take advantage of the great outdoors. The Clark campus is great for quiet respite as well as fun and recreation. Sled or ski down Stone Hill, walk through the woodlands, or borrow a pair of snowshoes from the rack when snow covers the ground.

The Clark is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free from January 1 till March 31.

Berkshire Community College to offer flu and COVID vaccines 

Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College will welcome Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) and Community Health Programs (CHP) on campus on Friday, January 6 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. for free vaccination clinics.

CHP’s mobile health unit, the “Big Orange Bus,” will administer Pfizer and Moderna bivalent boosters, COVID vaccines for those age six months and older, and flu vaccines. To schedule an appointment, call (413) 528-0457. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Vaccines are given free of charge. Please bring insurance cards.

First Congregational Church Williamstown to demonstrate against white Christian nationalism

Williamstown— Members of the First Congregational Church Williamstown will hold a public demonstration, “Stand out for Democracy,” in front of the First Congregational Church Meeting House (906 Main St.) from 12 to 1 p.m. on Friday, January 6.  The congregation has chosen the anniversary of the 2021 insurrection in Washington, D.C. to reaffirm the centrality of religious tolerance and pluralism as a cornerstone of our democracy and to challenge the rise of white Christian nationalism.

White Christian nationalism has grown in power and influence over the past several years, as has been evident at the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, in the Supreme Court Dobbs decision, in state-level measures that erode the separation of church and state, and in racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic behavior condoned and fostered by white male Christian supremacy.

As a Christian church, First Congregational Church Williamstown, has joined with its umbrella organization, the United Church of Christ, and other organizations such as Christians Against Christian Nationalism and the Baptist Joint Committee, to alert people to the hazards of Christian nationalism and to proclaim a counter message of hope, justice, and equality.

BCC announces 3 new healthcare courses

Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the addition of three grant-funded courses in the healthcare arena: Medical Interpreter Training, Community Health Worker and Phlebotomy Technician. Spaces are limited but still available for all three courses, which are tuition-free.

Medical Interpreter Training: January 19-April 27, 2023, Thursdays 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. A medical interpreter is someone who can break language barriers by using their linguistic skills to provide medical interpreting services to patients and medical professionals. Students must be fluent in both English and a second language.

Community Health Worker, February 2-May 18, 2023, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 to 9 p.m. The Community Health Worker program provides rigorous training for public health workers to serve as advocates and liaisons between traditionally underserved populations and health/social service providers. This program benefits anyone interested in exploring educational and career pathways in community health, human services, healthcare or public health.

Phlebotomy Technician, February 7-May 2, 2023, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 to 9 p.m. A phlebotomist is a medical professional who is trained to collect blood from both children and adults. They perform and prepare blood for testing so that it may be analyzed in a medical laboratory.

For more information, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/healthandwellness.

Harold Grispoon Charitable Foundation opens applications for Local Farmer Awards

Agawam—- As of January 1, farmers in Western Massachusetts are invited to apply for Local Farmer Awards of up to $2,500. These awards are for capital/infrastructure improvement projects related to growing, harvesting, and processing that will help farms compete in the marketplace.  The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (HGCF), in partnership with Big Y and with the support of other funders, is entering the ninth year of the awards program which has helped more than 235 farmers carry out a total of 474 projects.

Some examples of how the awards have been used include electric fencing, no-till equipment, irrigation improvements, frost-free water systems, feed troughs, and shade cloth for greenhouses.

To be eligible, farms must have gross sales of $10,000 or above and either be a member of buy-local organizations, Berkshire Grown or Community Involves in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), or farm in one the four counties of Western Massachusetts. For a full list of eligibility requirements and application information, farmers are encouraged to visit www.farmerawards.org.

The deadline for applying is January 31, 2023.

Get the latest news and happenings delivered straight to your inbox.

Get the latest news and happenings delivered straight to your inbox.

Get the latest news and happenings delivered straight to your inbox.

Get the latest news and happenings delivered straight to your inbox.

Crescendo presents A Story of Hope in the Voice of the New World

Close Encounters with Music presents "Town & Country—Mendelssohn and Dvorak"

Website by Web Publisher PRO © 2022 The Berkshire Edge, LLC. All rights reserved. Read our Terms of Use