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.  We just put up a story about an effort to sue the Monroe, CT, police department for releasing from prison a man who had a long record of drunken driving incidents.  They released him because he was an informant for the police.  He drove into Sheffield, MA,completely drunk and killed a young woman by smashing into her car.  The Waterbury Superior Court judge Terrance Zemetis dismissed the case. It was the father of the victim who brought the suit.  He is appealing the decision.

2.  On a happier note, we did a profile of a West Stockbridge, Mass., couple, Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis,  who are producing a children’s podcast called “Circle Round.”  It’s an old-fashioned radio play format, telling ancient stories for different culture.  It’s being produced for WBUR Boston.  They call it “a movie for  your mind,” and an alternative for screen time.

3.  In our never-ending war against pollution in the Berkshires, we have a report on a presentation by Sandra Steingraber.  We talked about her last week. She wrote a book called “Living Downstream” and another book called “Unfractured.”  She spoke last Saturday at the Lenox Memorial High School.

4.  Construction on a new development in downtown Great Barrington, called Powerhouse Square, is going to start any moment now.  It will include the new home of Berkshire Co-op Market, 22 new condominiums plus offices. The developer is a local company, based in Lenox, called Benchmark.

5.We picked a winner for our Small Business Saturday promotion.  We had twenty downtown retailers participating.  Each contributed a $25 gift certificate.  To enter into the drawing, a shopper had to visit at least ten of the businesses.  If you visited all twenty, you got three entries into the drawing.  The president of the Southern Berkshires Chamber of Commerce drew the winning entry for us.  It’s a woman named Kristy Burris, and she will receive all the gift certificates, for a total value of $500.

6.  David wrote a heartwarming story about the woman who picked up his wallet when he lost it in a crosswalk.  She was driving by, saw it fall, had to make a u-turn, come back and park the car in order to pick it up.  Then she took it to the Great Barrington Police and turned it in.  David was fascinated to know what kind of a person would be so considerate, so he wrote a lovely portrait of her.