The Berkshire Edge LLC is a locally owned, regional publication. Our goal is to provide – regularly and in depth – content that truly reflects the life, interests and aspirations of this unusually rich and vibrant community.
Guided by respected journalistic standards, the principle of fairness, the quest for truth, a commitment to social, economic and environmental justice, and an abiding admiration for the independent spirit of the Berkshires, The Berkshire Edge offers in-depth local news reports and features, perspectives on the arts, wide-ranging commentary, and a comprehensive calendar of events – all written, illustrated, and, in some cases performed, with wit, intelligence, insight and humor.
This week we talk about:
1. The single use plastic water bottle ban adopted by the Great Barrington Town Meeting will meet a challenge Aug.6 at a special town meeting. Debate has been lively, with a cadre of students being the latest advocates for the ban… (although they won’t be able to speak at the special town meeting):
2. The Berkshires are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein with performances and events at Tanglewood, Close Encounters with Music, Barrington Stage — a screenign of West Side Story with live accompaniment by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and other events. The latest is The Painted Pianos project of the Berkshire Music School, where 16 pianos painted by local artists are now in various towns in the Berkshires. It’s both a celebration of Bernstein and a fundraiser for this wonderful institution that has introduced so many students to the joys of learning to play a musical instrument:
3. The town has called a special town meeting not only to deal with the singe-use plastic water bottle ban but also to put before voters a proposal to purchase a nonconforming trucking and refuse business that has plagued the residents of Blue Hill Road. The town has spent 10 years, at least, trying to deal with it. Finally, they’re proposing to buy the offender out:
4. Then there is the unfortunate episode of an outraged Elizabeth Warren supporter getting into a brawl with an admittedly obnoxious agitator armed with a bullhorn who was accusing those lined up to see Sen. Warren at the Mahaiwe Theatre to be racists. Independent Sen. candidate Shiv Ayyadurai was confronted by a Hillsdale resident, Paul Solovay… and of course the right wing media loved it. And our columnist Carole Owens was as disturbed and outraged as anyone.
5. Affordable housing is becoming an increasing critical issue in South Berkshire County, and the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire has received a $15 million infusion of state funds to move forward with an affordable housing project on the site of the former Log Homes operation in Great Barrington.
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