The Top Left Corner

Hey, Greylock Nation!

This is TLC, Number 73, here at the Greylock Glass. I’m your host Jason Velazquez, and I hope your Independence Day week is shaping up nicely. I am very pleased to say that this episode is sponsored by the Hancock Shaker Village’s Shaker Barn Music Series, presenting The Mammals Saturday, July 27.

Sometimes fantastic interviews just sort of drop in my lap. Fascinating people I’d LOVE to hear from that I know you’ll enjoy hearing from to. Such is the case with Michael Plante, Senior Programmer for Short Films at the Sundance Film Festival. I had the good fortune of speaking with Doug Jones, Director of Images Cinema in Williamstown about the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour which lands at Images Cinema for one day only — July 4 at 2:30 p.m. Turns out, Doug and Mike are friends from way back. Then Boom! I’ve got one of the countries foremost experts on short films on the line a few days later.

Not only does Mike Plante share his insights about this years collection, but, through his explanations, gives kind of a mini-masterclass on what makes a for a successful short film. I considered offering excerpts of our talk in this episode, and making the bulk of the conversation available to our paying members as premium content. Then I remembered that Images is screening this 96 minutes of short film heaven for free. So how could I not open the entire content up to the world. The event is presented by the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce and made possible with generous sponsorship by Alton & Westall Real Estate and Burnham Gold Real Estate. So, when you get a chance, let them know you appreciate their Fourth of July Gift!

Now, this interview was slated to be a 20-minute discussion, and it ended up weighing in at about an hour. I could have listened to Mike talk about cinema a lot longer too — he really knows his stuff. But with that in mind, I’m going to end this intro now so we can get on with the show, but remember, the show notes are jam-packed with links to the films, filmmakers and more, including to Mike’s amazing short featured in the New York Times, Op-Doc series.

sometimes, i think about dying U.S.A., 13 minutes. Directed by Stefanie Abel Horowitz, written by Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Katy Wright-Mead, and Kevin Armento.Fran is thinking about dying, but a man in the office might want to date her.

by Jason Velázquez

This is the Top Left Corner. Today is Saturday, May 25, and you’re listening to episode #72. I’m your host, Jason Velazquez, and as always, thank you for tuning in. We have a huge show for you this week. We start off with a short hop over to Lenox where we check in with Shakespeare & Company, whose 2019 season kicks off with the Wavery Gallery. Then we spend the remainder of our show at Hancock Shaker Village, which begins its season with the opening of two major installations, Borrowed Light: Barbara Ernst Prey, and While Mighty Thunders Roll: Popular Artists Sing the Shakers, produced by Jeffrey Gaskill. We’ll finish up with some key segments of my conversation with Matt Lorenz known by his one-man band — The Suitcase Junket. Oh, and we’ve got some boss tracks from his new album to share with you, too.

SWAG for sustaining members! • • • • • • • • • • CLICK HEREHey, friends! Thank you so much for contributing what you can to propel YOUR Indie alternative newsthing forward. Enjoy FULL-LENGTH conversations both with Barbara Ernst Prey and with Matt Lorenz of The Suitcase Junket right here. Not a member? We can fix that.

Hey, are you ready to say enough to the milquetoast-ification of media? Because we have such stories to share. And some of them are gonna take a little brass to tell properly, which means that we need to know you’ve got our backs. If you want this extraordinary storytelling, it’s on you to make that choice to become an active supporter of the news.

Show us how important fearless local reporting is to you by becoming a Greylock Nation member at a level of $5 a month. Do that, and we’ll be able to plug one of the many small holes that seem to leak money every time we even think of covering an issue or an event. Not only that, but you’ll get immediate access to exclusive content, from the Greylock Glass such as our full length interview with the Suitcase Junket and early access to a track off his recent release Mean Dog Trampoline.

And if you can’t do $5 month right now, joining at the $1 a month level still gets you entry into a bunch of the members-only features of the site and puts your name on our Wall of Generosity. Because the generosity of the audience members who can contribute keeps it free for those who simply can’t.

Thanks for staying with us, and now, on with the show.

The Waverly Gallery

Shakespeare & Company opens their 2019 season, “The Strings of the Heart,” with Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery. The tale, by turns wrenching or hysterical, tours the loss-before-the-loss a family experiences as their matriarch succumbs to dementia.

Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery, at Shakespeare & Company through July 11; (from left) Michael F. Toomey, David Bertoldi, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Annette Miller, and David Gow; photo by Daniel Rader.

Directer Tina Packer said, in an official release, “The Waverly Gallery is a very insightful, very funny, and very painful play,” said Director Tina Packer. “It deals with something we are all going to have to face,

by Jason Velázquez

The public has had a fascination with justice, or at least the meting out of punishment, since at least as early as the Middle Ages. Gathering some rotten produce and taking the kids down to the local stocks, gallows, or executioner’s block is a sure way to turn any Saturday morning into memorable family time.

While plenty of townsfolk likely attended these macabre demonstrations of official state power to see a crime avenged, just as likely is the possibility that some fraction of the drunken, unruly mob neither knew the condemned nor cared what the charges may have been.

PREMIUM CONTENT for Supporting Members, $5/mo. & up.Right this way!

As the centuries wore on, much of the festive, carnival -esque atmosphere has faded (with notable recent exceptions involving celebrities and sports stars), being replaced by the staid decorum of the modern courtroom. Public participation is still accommodated (sobriety: encouraged, rotten fruit: not so much), however, and the gallery is typically populated by kin of the accused or their alleged victims.

The ability of the aggrieved (or bereaved) to bear witness to a jury’s verdict and the subsequent public pronouncement of sentence is accepted as part of an orderly process that democracies are known for, and that keeps civilians from banding together into vigilante posses, interpreting and enforcing the law in wrathful, chaotic ways. In fact, for the last decade or more, groups of victims’ advocacy groups have taken to the gallery benches to monitor trials with the aim of pressuring the courts to dole out the harshest sentences allowable for the crimes of murder, rape, and others. Some of these groups are run by residents, whereas in some cities, the operations are sanctioned by the local government. In Cleveland, Ohio, for example, the city-run program states, through it’s website, that “Through the presence of a unified community, judges will understand that it is expected that perpetrators be held fully responsible for their actions and punished accordingly.” Other efforts, such as those run by the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, in Renton, Wash., provide “confidential feedback to 74% of King County Superior Court judges on courtroom decorum, accessibility, and treatment of the parties to sexual assault cases,” and offer their input in developing a set of standards in prosecuting cases of rape.

A change in the wind

In the last few years, a new focus has been directed at the workings of law and order in the United States. In more and more cities and counties, advocates for the accused have begun equipping themselves with the tools and knowledge needed to monitor and assess their local justice systems. Their objective? To bring an end to racial and income disparities in in the courts. Court-watch programs have been activated in New York, Boston, Chicago, and many other jurisdictions that train residents in the collection of data for use in analyzing all the points of contact with a somewhat confusing, often archaic legal framework with demonstrably biased traditions.

Joining the cities that manage the nation’s largest court systems in 2019, Berkshire County will inaugurate its own program of volunteer court watchers. Writer and activist Peggy Kern has been working with Williams College student Mohammed Memfis, the

by Jason Velázquez

In this episode, we speak with Josh Bennett, founder of the Berkshire Music Project, which seeks to grow the area’s live music scene. The very first show features Afrobeat and R&B-influenced Lady Moon & The Eclipse at 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 26 at Mr. Finn’s Cabaret in Pittsfield.

Live music fans can also monitor their upcoming events at their “listening room” Facebook group.

Lady Moon & The Eclipse have been called “charmingly retro,” by the New York Times; photo by Austin Donohue.

“Our mission is to utilize local organizations and community input to bring diverse musical talent into Berkshire County, support and promote local talent, and fill the gaps that remain in an emerging music scene.”Berkshire Music Project

Lady Moon & The Eclipse

From the band’s promotional materials:

Led by vocalist Ngonda Badila, aka Lady Moon, the Brooklyn-based collective Lady Moon & The Eclipse features artists originally from the Republic of the Congo, France, Japan, New York, and Chicago. Together, they form a soulful gumbo of R&B and Afrobeat-influenced music that The New York Times calls “neosoul with a cross-genre bentÖ charmingly retro with rich harmonies.” The band has toured extensively across the United States, opening for Kamasi Washington, Amanda Palmer, Maxi Priest, and Tank and the Bangas. With a marked emphasis on inclusivity and spiritual unity, Lady Moon & The Eclipseís live experience is a loving celebration of growth and positive change. Through soaring vocal textures and funky rhythms, the bandís inspirational music explores the infinite journey to become one’s best self.

After bringing down the house at Mr. Finn’s, Lady Moon & the Eclipse are headed to the Rockwood Music Hall in N.Y.C. May 3rd; photo by Jose Cotto.

Talks set to continue as union and company measure each other’s resolve from across parking lots.

NORTH ADAMS — Today is Saturday, April 13, 2019, I am your host, Jason Velazquez, and I’d like to welcome you to Episode #69 of our flagship podcast, the Top Left Corner.

What you heard coming into this program was the scene outside the Stop & Shop in Chicopee, Mass., as workers from that and other stores represented by United Food and Commerical Workers Local 1459 rallied near the tail end of a string of negotiations that began in the Autumn of 2018. Stop & Shop workers throughout New England have been working without a contract since February. All those heated talks between the Union and Dutch international retailer Ahold Delhaize reached a stalemate Thursday, and at about 1:15 p.m. local time, The UFCW texted their workers en masse to let them know that it was time to strike.

NEW MUSIC ALERTThis episode of TLC features a new track from theIron Age Mystics, “You’ve Got the Power”Stick around ’til the end.

The text read ”Stop & Shop is unwilling to move in negotiations so now it’s time for us to walk out of the stores and & bring our protest to the picket line.”

A spokeswoman for Stop & Shop declined to be interviewed for this news segment, but e-mailed their latest statement, as well as a fact sheet summarizing their view of the conflict. Look for these in the shownotes for this episode which you can find at greylockglass.com

Don’t worry though, plenty of other folks were more than happy to speak with the Greylock Glass on the subject, so let’s get started right away by hearing from Jeff Jones, vice president of the UFCW 1459, with whom we spoke via Skype, in the days before the strike was announced.

[Jeff Jones, vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1459, speaks]

I read from Stop & Shops PDF, entitled, “Key Facts: Reaching a Fair New Contract With New England’s Only Large Fully-Unionized Supermarket Workforce” (available in the shownotes), which described the high-quality, comprehensive health care and retirement benefits the company said that it was committed to providing.

79ed5bb8-e034-42de-836f-bba01a799bdc

[Jeff Jones, vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1459, speaks]

The Fact Sheet also explained that the contract proposed by Stop & Shop would increase what they called their “already industry-leading pay for full-time associates and strong part-time associate compensation.” Again, Jones was less than convinced.

STOP-AND-SHOP-FACT-SHEET

[Jeff Jones, vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1459, speaks]

Far from being a pay increase, when factoring in other realities, Jones said the company’s offer amounted to a take-back.

[Jeff Jones,

Hey, Greylock Nation, today is Sunday, October 28, 2018 and you’re listening to TLC episode #68. I’m your host, Jason Velázquez, and, as always, thanks so much for tuning in.

The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is soliciting public comment on the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan until November 1; photo courtesy BRPC.

We’ve seen a lot of news about the state of the roads in Berkshire county these last few months, what with the Berkshire Eagle award-winning series, Sick Bridges, and the ongoing state of disaster in Adams caused by the recent outrageous levels of flooding.

Take the Regional Transportation Survey

(closes November 1, 2018)

Big questions obviously have to be asked, perennial problems have to be addressed, and the future gettin’-around needs of residents has to be taken into account. It’s not like a vehicle for transportation solutions doesn’t already exist, thankfully, and an option for public involvement is waiting with the engine running, so to speak.

The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is in the midst of preparing it’s 2020 Regional Transportation Plan, and invites you to put in your two cents.

Image courtesy the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

The BRPC wants your help to understand future transportation needs across the County. A short survey is available that will give you the chance to communicate your priorities for transportation improvements that would enhance quality of life and economic growth in the Berkshires. The survey will be available until November 1, 2018, though so don’t delay—look for the link at the top of this episodes shownotes at greylockglass.com and make your voice heard.

Image courtesy the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Right now, let’s all hear from Eammon Coughlin, Senior Transportation Planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, who’ll discuss a range of the issues under consideration during the preparation of the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan.

Image courtesy the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Again, remember, the survey is only open until November 1, so make your opinions known by the end of October, and be part of the solutions.

Well, that’s it for this week’s episode. I’ve been your host, Jason Velázquez, and I hope you’ll join me again soon in the Top Left Corner.

That’s it for this episode of the Top Left Corner. I’ve been your host, Jason Velazquez. Until next time, stay safe, be good to each other, and Pete’s sake, go easy on yourself.

Jason Velázquez, editor

Jason Velázquez has worked in journalism and publishing for the better part of 20 years now, even though he knows it’s a filthy habit. He writes the shows, sets up and records the interviews, edits the audio, and publishes the episodes. He also handles the web page maintenance, marketing, sales, finance, and administration. He would welcome an e-mail from you. If, however, you have confidential or sensitive information to pass along, please visit our Contact Page to learn about more secure options.

Hey, Greylock Nation, today is Tuesday, October 23, and you’re listening to TLC episode #67. I’m your host, Jason Velázquez, and, as always, thanks so much for tuning in. On this week’s show, we explore the topic of the Registry of Deeds.

Deborah Moran, right, and Maria Ziemba, both staff members at the Northern Berkshire Registry of Deeds, vie for the top spot of Register Nov. 6; photos courtesy the candidates.

Unless you’re a real estate agent or a tax assessor, this government office is often overlooked until two neighbors have a property line dispute. And, although much of the focus on the elections next month centers around more high profile local or Congressional seats, the top position of Register of the Deeds is up for grabs every six years. Here in Greylock Nation, Berkshire County is divided up into North, Middle, and South Registries, each with their own staffs and head Registers.

Do you need to use a handy polling place locator ? The Northern Berkshire District consists of the City of North Adams and the Towns of Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Flordia, Hancock, Lanesborough, New Ashford, Savoy, Williamstown, and Windsor.provided by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, William Francis Galvin

We speak with Debrah Moran and Maria Ziemba, both of whom are possessed of lengthy tenures in different positions within Registry, about their plans for what they hope to accomplish should the voters chose them to replace Frances Brooks, who retires at the end of this term. Links to their Facebook Campaign pages are here in the shownotes.

So, as longtime listeners know, I typically do NOT assemble a list of questions for guests ahead of interviews. I find that custom-crafted episodes tend to be more interesting for everyone involved, including and especially you, dear listers. That said, I did try, in the interest of balance, to walk roughly the same conversational path with each of my guests. What I find fascinating tend not to be the glaring differences in response to questions, but the subtle nuances of perspective. Perhaps you’ll notice some variations that pique your interest as well.

Deborah Moran

Deborah Moran; photo courtesy the campaign.

Excerpted from Moran’s campaign Facebook page:

Deborah A. Moran, the current First Assistant Register of the Northern Berkshire Registry of Deeds will be running for the position of Register in this fall’s general election being held on November 6, 2018. Moran, who has worked as the First Assistant Register, directly under current, retiring Register Frances Brooks, has held the current position since being appointed in May of 2016. She has spent her entire career in the real estate industry, first working for several local attorneys involved in real estate law and later was hired into the Registry of Deeds as a Junior Clerk in 1992 by then long time Register Edward W. Buckley Jr. This began her 26-year career in the office, working in every capacity and advancing up to her current position.

Maria Ziemba:

Maria Ziemba; photo courtesy the campaign.

Excerpted from Ziemba’s campaign Facebook page:

I graduated from Hoosac Valley High School and from Bay Pay College with an Associates Degree as a Paralegal. Shortly thereafter I took a position with a local North Adams Attorney for ten years....

Hey, Greylock Nation, today is Thursday, August 30, and you’re listening to TLC episode #66. I’m your host, Jason Velázquez, and, as always, thanks so much for tuning in. We’ll be talking about bodies, minds, books, and the Blues this show, and hearing some great tunes besides.

A YMCA trainer discusses fitness goals with a participant in LIVESTRONG at the YMCA; photo courtesy LIVESTRONG.

Today’s show feature’s three guests, all doing really great work in the region, in three different fields. We’ll hear from Chris Witruck, Community Wellness Director for the Berkshire Family YMCA, who’ll discuss a new partnership with LIVESTRONG to bring support programs to folks surviving or in treatment for cancer. Susan Pike of the Friends of the David and Joyce Milne Public Library in Williamstown announces the opening of a shop on Spring Street to replace the traditional annual book sale. And vocalist Gina Coleman of Misty Blues talks about her upcoming show at Jiminy to support the bands trip to Memphis, Tennessee where they go up against Blues acts the world over to claim the title of international Blues champion band.

We’ll also hear a track from their brand new release, Call & Response in a bit, but since I’m looking at a copy of their 2015 CD, Dark and Saucy, why not let’s spin a tune to kick off this episode. Here’s Misty Blues with “Junk Yard Man,” right now on the Top Left Corner.

I love that one. If you’re a Blues aficionado, you should definitely add Misty Blues to your collection. They’re awesome, for starters, and supporting local artists is kind of all our jobs, I say. So, Gina told me the other day that the new album, Call & Response is their best yet, and I know you kind of expect that sentiment from any band, but I tell ya, I’ve really got to agree. I feel like the band has synthesized the best of their evolutionary traits.

And while owning the disc is a must, hearing those tunes played live would be the icing on that particular cake. And I just happen to have two tickets to their September 28 show at Jiminy to give away, and I’ll tell you how you might be able to score them toward the end of this show. Or, if you just can’t wait, you can go directly to the end of these shownotes and find out how to enter our #CureForTheBlues contest.

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA

Right now, let’s go to our conversation with Chris Witruck of the Berkshire Family YMCA and hear about LIVESTRONG at the YMCA.

And you can find out more about the program by contacting Chris at the Berkshire Family YMCA.

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a 12-week exercise program, offered at little to no cost, to help survivors improve their strength and physical fitness, diminish the severity of therapy side effects, develop supportive relationships and improve their quality of life. The program launched in 2007 as a partnership between the LIVESTRONG Foundation and YMCA of the USA and is available at more than 400 locations, having served more than 29,000 survivors to date.

Chapter Two Books

Switching gears from our bodies to our minds, we find out from Susan Pike about the fate of the much-loved annual book fair hosted by the

Congressional Democratic primary challenger to 15-term Richard Neal

Tahirah Amatul-Wadud; submitted photo.

Hey, Greylock Nation, today is Thursday, August 21, and you’re listening to TLC episode #65. I’m your host, Jason Velázquez, and, as always, I’m grateful to have you here with me.

We’ve conducted hundreds of interviews on this and other shows here at the Greylock Glass—all of them still available. We produced many of those shows as a public service, in an effort to help you make critical decisions in your life. Today’s show is just such an episode, in which we bring you a full length interview with Congressional candidate Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, who faces off against incumbent Representative Richard Neal in September’s Democratic primary.

If you value this kind of locally-owned and locally focused journalism, please consider becoming a member. There’s a link to our secure membership gateway right on our homepage.

Now, before we get to our interview with Tahirah, I need to share a conversation that I just had with John Barrett, Superintendent of the Town of Adams Massachusetts Fire District about a detected contamination of the Adams public water supply.

Until further notice, be absolutely certain you boil all water before drinking or brushing your teeth. Check the town website or Facebook page for updates.

Now on to our conversation with Tahirah Amatul-Wadud who hails from a region of Western Mass somewhat east of Greylock Nation, but, hey, that’s the way the Massachusetts 1st Congressional District is drawn.

Tahirah, a family and civil rights attorney and mother of seven is up against 15-term Representative Richard Neal, also from Springfield

Links to Tahirah’s site are, of course, available in the shownotes. I’d be really interested in what you all think about this election, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the discussion at the bottom of the post for this episode.

That’s it for this episode of the Top Left Corner. I’ve been your host, Jason Velazquez. Until next time, stay safe, be good to each other, and Pete’s sake, go easy on yourself.

window['bsa_content_preview_only_'] = true;

SOooo good to be back behind the mic. I won’t get all TL;DR here, since the show itself is an hour and a quarter (I got carried away in my enthusiasm…). I do want to provide you with the promised links to Hay Day, Rise for Climate, and Hemp—An Amazing Plant, though, so do read on.

Putting up the loose hay for winter, year unknown; photo courtesy Williamstown Historical Museum.

We begin Episode 64 with a conversation with Sarah Currie, the first guest  EVER had on the Greylock Glass, way back in Top Left Corner #1. She’s just as generous with her time and knowledge three years later.

Williamstown Hay Day

Hosted by the Williamstown Historical Museum(Full press release below)

Sunday, August 19 from 11 am to 3 pm Williamstown Historical Museum 32 New Ashford Road, South WilliamstownFood, fun, and games for all, live music, a petting zoo, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. Admission: $10 for families; $5 for individuals [email protected]

A Night of Action: Rise for Climate, Jobs, & Justice

Hosted by Bennington Climate Advocates

Second Congregational Church115 Hillside Street, Bennington, Vermont 05201September 08, 2018; 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.Contact Info: (802) 681-7236

Bennington Climate Advocates 350VT is hosting A Night of Action, including a potluck followed by a screening of The Reluctant Radical, a film about one of the valve turners who shut down all the U.S. tar sands oil pipelines for a day. The screening will be followed by group discussions about nonviolent direct action and other topics.

Hemp: An Amazing Plant

Ralph Brill tells you moreBascom Lodge Atop Mt. Greylock7:00 p.m. dinner reservations: (413) 743-1591Sunday, 26 August 20186:00 p.m. Free Talk – Public Welcome

PureHempNY

Ralph Brill, Chairman

Box 10

Hudson, NY 12534-0010

800.294 2811

Williamstown Hay Day  (officially released information)

SOUTH WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass — The Williamstown Historical Museum invites the public to their first annual Hay Day Fair on Sunday, August 19 from 11 am to 3 pm on the grounds of the Museum at 32 New Ashford Road in South Williamstown, on Route 7 just south of the Five Corners.

There will be plenty of good old-fashioned family fun, with relay races, sack races, and egg and spoon races. A petting zoo will feature an alpaca, a rabbit, a calf, sheep, and chickens from Cricket Creek Farm, Sweet Brook Farm, and other local farms. Girl Scout Troop 12940 will have a face painting booth

Live music will be provided by Val Martel, with his eclectic guitar stylings, and all will be invited to join in a sing-a-long. Boy Scout Troop 70 will have a model campsite set up. Carpenter Norm Jolin will be selling his woodcrafts and demonstrating his skills. And Erik Thiele, the Golf Pro at Waubeeka Golf Links, will be demonstrating proper gold swing techniques.

There’s no need to pack a lunch with local chef Robin Lenz making grilled cheese sandwiches,