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.  Our lead story today is about the death of 24-year-old Samya Stumo who was among the 157 passengers who died when an Ethiopian Airlines 737max crashed seconds after takeoff. Samya was a 2010 graduate of Mt. Everett High School in Sheffield. She is the daughter of Michael Stumo and Nadia Milleron of Sheffield who is the niece of Ralph Nader. Samya was working for ThinkWell, a nonprofit devoted to creating health systems for six African countries.
https://theberkshireedge.com/samya-stumo-who-grew-up-in-sheffield-dies-in-ethiopia-plane-crash/

2. The Edge is the media partner with Railroad Street Youth Project in producing a forum — “Weed is Here, Now What?” — on the implications and consequences of the legalization of recreational marijuana. The forum is tonight, Wednesday, March 13, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, from 7 to 9 p.m. It’s free, and the panelists include the Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington,  Chris Tucci of the RSYP,  Great Barrington Police Chief Bill Walsh; Selectboard member Ed Abrahams, and others. 
https://theberkshireedge.com/chris-tucci-of-railroad-street-youth-project-to-address-weed-is-here-now-what-forum/

3.  A Berkshire road trip through history. Writer Carol Owens, in the first of a two part series, explores how the history of America can be discerned from dwellings along U.S. Route 7, from Great Barrington to Williamstown… she starts in Williamstown with the 1753 House on the Green….
https://theberkshireedge.com/connections-road-trip-part-i/

4.  The Berkshire region is a mecca for arts and culture, and nurtures an impressive array of playwrights, explains Jim Frangione, an actor, playwright and founder of Berkshire Playwrights Lab.  He profiles three new playwrights, and the work they are doing:
https://theberkshireedge.com/part-i-local-berkshire-playwrights-taking-on-big-subjects/

5. And speaking of the arts, we should brief mention a couple of other items from The Edge.  A.. WAM Theatre’s production of ‘Ann’ by Holland Taylor— starring Jayne Atkinson as the formidable former Texas Governor Ann Richards (“Poor George. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”) —is moving on to productions in Washington, D.C.  and then Dallas. https://theberkshireedge.com/bits-chchunk-at-dewey-hall-rip-van-winkle-the-musical-amplify-2019-auditions-bagshare-project-in-pittsf/
B. our peripatetic political observer Dook Snyder reviews Cliff Sims’ blockbuster White House tell-all, “Team of Vipers.” And it’s quite a tale… for 500 days, Sims was a communications specialist for the Trump White Hosue: https://theberkshireedge.com/review-team-of-vipers-spills-secrets-exacts-vengeance-on-fellow-members-of-kings-court/
C.  Physician, musician and critic  Eli Newberger reviews calls attention to a YouTube video performance of Anne Victorino D’Almedia’s composition for tuba and piano. Eli himself is a tuba player (he’s performed in Ozawa hall and has his own jazz band) — plus he’s a doctor. His review contains an audio recording of the piece:https://theberkshireedge.com/listen-to-tuba-virtuoso-in-a-new-work-that-sings-for-the-ages/
D. And finally, I want to mention It Takes All Kinds, Laura Didyk’s brilliant cartoon caricatures that appear each Monday on The Edge. They are really something, in the spirit and wit of Jules Feiffer’s work for the Village Voice.https://theberkshireedge.com/laura-didyk-it-takes-all-kinds-8/

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