A Fond Farewell to the Fab Four
The Emerson String Quartet plays one last time at Tanglewood
by Benjamin Lerner
The globally esteemed Emerson String Quartet, co-founded by violinists Philip Setzer and Eugene Drucker in 1976, swiftly rose to the apex of the classical music world. The original lineup, completed by Lawrence Dutton in 1977 and David Finckel in 1979, performed together until 2013, when Finckel departed to focus on his own projects and was replaced by Paul Watkins. Currently, the Quartet, with Setzer, is embarking on an international farewell tour, which includes a performance with pianist Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood on June 28.
Read more at Berkshire Magazine
Greylock Nation Three Day Weathah Forecast
Online voting for the Miss Massachusetts pageant ends tonight at 10:00 p.m.
One dollar equals one vote — just like in the federal elections!
Three things to know about the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation:
- In its 83 years, no young woman from the Berkshires has EVER apparently snagged the crown. It’s unclear if the Berkshires has ever even participated, actually.
- Their website is still a Tripod site! If you want to know what the Internet felt like in the mid ’90s, this site is a must visit!
- No way to know for sure, but it appears the first woman of color finally took the title in 2018 — way to go Gabriela Taveras!
The Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports young women in realizing their potential. They organize the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Competition, a preliminary event for the Miss America Program, which offers the largest scholarship opportunities for young women in the United States. The program provides personal and professional development opportunities, empowering participants to achieve their goals and express their talents. The competition attracts intelligent and community-oriented individuals, and the Miss America Organization has awarded over $100 million in scholarships to women, with more than $30 million provided in the previous year alone.
I’m rooting for farm girl Miss Bay State, Caroline Holladay, whose cause is “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food.” She hails from West Springfield and her Insta describes her as a 🚜 Tractor Enthusiast and 🌈 Queer Advocate — Rock on, Caroline!
Adams Preparing to Finally Take Possession of Curtis Fine Paper Mill
by Tammy Daniels
After years of legal complications, the resolution for the former Curtis Fine Paper property appears to be on the horizon. Town Counsel Edmund St. John III provided an update to the Board of Selectmen, expressing frustration with the slow progress in Land Court due to the pandemic. The town filed a tax taking against the property in 2016 for unpaid taxes. Currently, the town has control of the smallest parcel of the property, with the two larger parcels still in question. Legal notifications for foreclosure are yet to be published. St. John cautiously anticipates a final judgment within the next 60 to 90 days. Additionally, the town plans to conduct a “best use” study for the property using a $50,000 Community Compact grant.
Read more at iBerkshires.com
Mass Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths Climbed in 2022
Berkshire County fatalities, in promising sign, declined by 22.6%
by Jason Velázquez
In a disheartening turn of events, preliminary data released Thursday by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) reveals a 2.5 percent increase in opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022 compared to the previous year. The most concerning aspect is the disproportionate impact on Black, non-Hispanic residents, who experienced the largest increase in overdose rates.
Massachusetts activists fighting against the construction of a new women’s prison are facing a lack of transparency from state agencies. The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the Department of Correction are refusing to share information about the project’s progress, citing the “deliberative process exemption” in public records law. Activists have received heavily redacted documents and are appealing the redactions. The activists argue that they should have access to policy discussions regarding women’s incarceration. Concerns about government transparency and accountability surround the project, which has faced challenges since its inception.
Read more here at The Greylock Glass
Redacted: State Withholding Plans For New Women’s Prison
by Sierra Dickey
Massachusetts activists fighting against the construction of a new women’s prison are facing a lack of transparency from state agencies. The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the Department of Correction are refusing to share information about the project’s progress, citing the “deliberative process exemption” in public records law. Activists have received heavily redacted documents and are appealing the redactions. The activists argue that they should have access to policy discussions regarding women’s incarceration. Concerns about government transparency and accountability surround the project, which has faced challenges since its inception.
Read more at The Shoestring
