Since Miguel Estrella was shot and killed by Pittsfield Police on March 25th, the community has been engaged in the conversation on how this incident happened, and what needs to change to avoid this type of incident from happening again.

My conversation with Chief Michael Wynn is intended to be productive in this ongoing dialogue and in finding and supporting changes that would lead to a more effective framework in responding to a crisis, such as was the case with Mr. Estrella.

To be clear, there are details in the PPD’s recently released preliminary investigation that are disputed by Mr. Estrella’s family, and there is an investigation by the district attorney that is ongoing.

With that said, this conversation with Chief Wynn includes: changes in training, equipment and protocol since the Daniel Gillis shooting in 2017, taser policies and training, state regulations and lack thereof as it relates to use of high level force, “civil commitment” parameters, the impact that the availability of time and space (area) has on use of force scenarios, the role of the district attorney’s investigation in this case as it relates to any possible criminal responsibility by the officer(s), how other communities and states approach use of force investigations, 911 driven response system and police involvement to declare safety at a scene, co-mingling of clinicians and police officers on crisis calls, staffing challenges and lack of trained clinicians to do community response crisis work, and more.

Again, I hope this conversation is helpful, as I know we all share a common goal to respond to people in crisis more effectively and safely.

Justin Allen's motto for his work is very simple, it's to "make cool stuff." Sounds simple, and yet, his passion for life and his art has taken him on an extraordinary path from the Wilson Projects to Amherst College, New Zealand where he met his wife, back to the Berkshires where he carved his path as a filmmaker. And, oh yeah, he's also an exceptional musician...and bartender. He's a husband, a father and an artist. We cover a lot of ground in this interview, including his filmmaking style and inspiration, various projects that have taken him places he never dreamed of, backing up his video files! the CAGED guitar method, growing up on Linden Street and in the Wilson Projects and seeing different worlds spending time with his stepdad in Williamstown, parenthood and how his own childhood informs his approach, the power of making a concrete decision and manifesting, creative freedom, opportunities for working feature films in the Berkshires, interpretation of dreams, the Waldorf School philosophy, his time in New Zealand, trekking cross country to promote his T-shirt company, being broke and bouncing back, bartending at Methuselah's, ideas for Pittsfield and the downtown, reigniting momentum, balancing new investment and gentrification, the carousel, bowling alleys, large parties and events as a business model and more!

I hope you'll enjoy my conversation with Justin Allen.

What a pleasure to sit down again with author, columnist and brilliant storyteller, Kevin O'Hara. His new book, The Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward, paints a beautiful and authentic picture of the Jones Unit at Berkshire Medical Center where he worked for several decades. In our conversation, we explore his journey becoming a nurse and what it was like to be the "male nurse" in the 1970s, how his dear Missy (his beloved donkey) served as an inspiration to approach his work in the ward differently and for better outcomes, how he met his lovely wife, Belita, how he earned the nicknames "Kevlar," "Nurse-Lite" and the "Bearded Nurse," and much, much more. 

By the way, Kevin has a book launch gathering Sunday, May 1st from noon to 6 pm at Patrick's Pub in Pittsfield. It's sure to be a beautiful gathering of old friends and great stories. See you there!

I hope you'll enjoy my conversation with Kevin O'Hara.

Starting out as a self-described goth adjacent teen, Joe Durwin found himself fascinated far more by cemeteries than the library and other traditional research, as he developed his passion for the less glamorous (but equally as fascinating) side of history in the Berkshires. This episode takes a slightly epic journey from the Shakers' occult side, the paranormal, our cherry-picked tourist friendly history, Joe's research methods, the freewheeling and oftentimes more salacious journalism in the newspapers of the day (including the former Pittsfield Evening Journal, Pittsfield Sun, Pittsfield Courier, among others), pre-Bigfoot sightings, factors on the creation of ethnic neighborhoods in the city, O.B. Joyful, the Fighting Parson, Allen family, Rev. Samuel Harrison, red-lining in Pittsfield, mass exhumation of former cemeteries in downtown Pittsfield, the Wahconah/Nessacus myth, the sinking/rising boat at Allendale, urban renewal's impact on Coltsville, Plunkett School, demolition delay orders, Taco Bell, the Community Preservation Act, and a whole lot more. I hope you'll enjoy my conversation with Joe Durwin.

Berkshire-based writer Joe Durwin's "These Mysterious Hills" has run on a regular basis for over than a decade, first in the former Advocate Weekly, and iBerkshires.com, along with his local history column Sagas of the Shire. His work on folklore of the region has also been featured in Fate Magazine, Haunted Times, the North Adams Transcript, William Shatner’s “Weird or What”, Jeff Belanger's "New England Legends," MSG Films’ “Bennington Triangle,” and numerous other programs for television, radio, and web. His business The Home Historian aims to connect people with the history of their property, neighborhood and community in a more direct and meaningful way. 

Check out Joe's walking tours, beginning May 2022.

TheseMysteriousHills.com

Taylor has made it her mission to inspire families to go outdoors and soak in the natural beauty, as well as documenting the inevitable challenges that come along with family hikes. And she and her family walk the walk - most literally! Berkshire Family Hikes began in 2019 and Taylor and her husband, Dan, decided they were going to do this thing! And countless hikes later, she has documented it all: the good, the bad, and sometimes, ugly, in a beautiful mash-up that is family life out on the trails.

We cover a solid amount in this episode from tip #1: always have enough snacks! and a whole lot more, including Constitution Trail in Lanesboro, The Boulders, Springside Park, Monument Mountain trail, Appalachian Trail, the Taco Bell chopped into ledge at the Boulders' Pittsfield trailhead (mmmm, crunchy Gorditas :/), the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, trails at Onota Lake, Taylor's entrepreneurship with Berkshire Family Hikes and Berkshire Macaroni Kids, marketing and selling content, her career turns, Instagram content, being authentic and finding your tribe, growing up in Dalton and starting a family in the Berkshires, "sky showers," forest bathing, being in the moment, immune system benefits of being barefoot in the grass and dirt, being heart-centered, being grounded, finding your form of meditation, climbing a tree, allowing children to challenge themselves and assessing risk on their own, tripping over roots, landing flat on your face and just going for it!

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Taylor Staubach is the founder of Berkshire Family Hikes, an organization on a mission to inspire families to get outdoors in the Berkshires and beyond.

Born and raised in the Berkshires, she is now a mom raising her kids here while, researching, writing, and rambling about the Berkshire Hills.

Primarily an online resource, BFH offers family-focused trail reviews, place-based nature activities, child-paced hiking opportunities, and more. BFH also partners on the ground with local organizations such as Berkshire Natural Resources Council and South Berkshire Kids to provide engaging programs to encourage children to get outside and explore!

Berkshire Family Hikes is dedicated to being the go-to community resource for family-focused outdoor recreation in the Berkshires.

Berkshire Family Hikes website

Berkshire Macaroni Kid website