The Top Left Corner

The plight of abandoned, dilapidated, and sometimes contaminated properties is up for discussion today as we present to you the podcast version of our live Top Left Corner show that aired Tuesday, June 21.

Tammy Daniels, managing editor of iBerkshires.com joins us for a surprisingly focused conversation about land re-purposing. We also talk about the plight of perfectly usable, attractive property (like Williamstown golf courses and surrounded addresses) that awaits the outcome of ongoing zoning discussions.

NOTE: Jason’s half of the audio is messed up. We know that. We’ve isolated the problem and dealt with it. Thank you.

 

Be sure to ready Tammy Daniels’ story about the condemned Cliff Street house in iBerkshires.

 

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PITTSFIELD, Mass.—Hundreds of people converged on Park Square in Pittsfield Tuesday to show support for the survivors and families of victims of the massacre at an Orlando, Fla. nightclub two days earlier. The event, the Vigil for Orlando & Against Violence and Hate, included song, prayer, oratory, and calls for action to end such gun violence.

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In the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, 29 year old Omar Mateen walked into Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a 9 mm handgun, Mateen opened fire on the unsuspecting patrons of the club, killing 49 and injuring 53. The attack was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in United States history. It was also the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in the U.S.

Vigil for Orlando quickly assembled by local volunteers

People in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, like most Americans, were stunned and horrified at this tragic episode. While the police investigation continued, and details about the shooter and his victims trickled in, volunteers quickly organized a vigil in Park Square in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, held the evening of the following Tuesday. One of the volunteers, longtime community organizer and arts advocate Meghan Whilden was on hand to help guide the vigil and introduce performers and speakers, including local residents, members of the clergy and political figures.

This episode is the full audio of this vigil, attended by hundreds of people who came to mourn the loss of life in solidarity and call for action to prevent future massacres. The recording begins just after Meghan Whilden has introduced the Reverend Dr. James Lumsden Pastor at First Church on Park Square, who led the crowd in singing “We are a gentle angry people, singing for our lives.”

Read more about the event on its Facebook page or at iBerkshires.

 

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PLUS Pittsfield Skate Park Sessions While School Is in Session?

Tammy Daniels, managing editor of iBerkshires.com joins TLC to talk about the some exciting news concerning Massachusetts’ (probable) oldest online-only newspaper. WGBY will feature the Berkshires’ extremely popular source for information on “Connecting Point” in the near future.

 

iBerkshires Reports Skate Park Accused of Being a Magnet for Undesireable Activity

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Nearly a dozen residents spoke at a recent Parks Commission meeting in opposition to a request from Pittsfield High School officials to install a locked gate at the skate park to restrict access during school hours. The School Committee voted last week to ask the commission to limit the hours, volunteering to take responsibility of locking and unlocking the gate. Read the full story at iBerkshires.com.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tammy Daniels, managing editor of iBerkshires.com joins TLC to talk about the proposed developments to the Greylock Cultural Corridor. First though, we hear from Katherine Cortes, who describes the first ever “Craft Fair on the Hill” taking place at Pine Cobble School December 12.

Craft Fair on the Hill

Honey, candles, soap, home decor, winter apparel, children’s accessories, toys, maple syrup, jewelry, and more will be offered in this first-ever event.

Baked goods and food will be for sale in the craft fair cafe. There are activities for kids and an auction to win hand-crafted items

Greylock Cultural Corridor

 

 

Ambitious plans are now in the works to develop the the arts identity of the (roughly) Mohawk Trail, turning the area into a seriously juiced-up cultural destination. The Mohawk Theater, Western Gateway Heritage State Park, and Harriman Airport are all part of the calculus of bringing people to North County for weekends, rather than just day trips.

Tammy and I were both at an unveiling / press conference Saturday, December 5, at the Western Gateway Heritage State Park that featured former Governors Mike Dukakis and Bill Weld, as well as architect Frank Gehry. We kick around some thoughts about this early stage of the process, and after you listen to this episode (or maybe before, even…) head on over to iBerkshires.com to read her story on the press event/unveiling.

 

 

 

 

Tammy Daniels, managing editor of iBerkshires.com, helps us digest and debrief after the long Thanksgiving Day weekend. We regale you with our usual banter and talk about just a few of the stories worth following that she and her team have been working on. Also on the this episode, Ed Sedarbaum speaks to the Top Left Corner about why he founded the Rainbow Seniors of Berkshire County, and their monthly events that are open to all.

 

The Rainbow Seniors of Berkshire County

The Rainbow Seniors of Berkshire County — a program for the county’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender senior citizens and their friends — has announced that its December potluck-and-program will celebrate the holidays on Tuesday, December 15, 2015, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm  at the First Congregational Church of Williamstown, 906 Main Street (on the north campus of Williams College).

Reversing its usual schedule, members of the LGBTQ community will meet earlier than usual — 11:00 am — for a community conversation on “Making the Holidays Merry & Gay” (or “Surviving the Holidays” for those who feel down this time of year). The noon potluck is open to the entire community, so invite your friends to attend and contribute a lunch dish or a beverage.

The meeting is handicap accessible, and there is convenient parking next to the church.

For more information, contact Ed Sedarbaum at [email protected] or by phone at 413-441-6006. You can also visit the Rainbow Seniors of Berkshire County on their Facebook page.

Toy donations from the community to the Northern Berkshire Santa Fund make sure that boys and girls in North Berkshire County have presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

This local program has been serving the community for more than 50 years. It was started by the employees of Sprague Electric, continued by the North Adams Transcript and is currently run by an all volunteer board of directors with the support of iBerkshires.com.

Please send donations to:

Northern Berkshire Santa Fund

PO Box 1724

North Adams, MA 01247

The Northern Berkshire Santa Fund, Inc. services Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, North Adams, Savoy and Williamstown.

 

We speak with Tammy Daniels, managing editor of iBerkshires.com about the results of the elections in two cities.

North Adams and Pittsfield saw the return of a fairly large slate of incumbents for Council seats. The Corner Office in both zip codes, however, was a pitched battle that turned out to hold a few surprises. Follow all the related news at iBerkshires.com.

 

Tammy Daniels discusses the Greylock Mill event that revealed plans to create an incubator space for commercial food business. New mill owners Karla Rothstein and Salvatore Perry met with USDA representatives, Mayor Richard Alcombright, and members of local business and other organizations.

Read the iBerkshires.com story here:

Greylock Mill Redevelopment Moving Forward With USDA Grants

From Latent Production’s website:

Greylock Mill is a 240,000 SF former fine cotton spinning facility stretching 700 feet along Route 2 in North Adams, Massachusetts, at the top of Berkshire County near the borders of New York and Vermont.

A vibrant array of established cultural and educational institutions, including Mass MoCA, the Clark Art Institute, Williams College, and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, are located within 5 miles of the site. The adaptive reuse of these grand structures will be a transformative revitalization project and a synergistic addition to the momentum already underway in the region.

 

In 1870, the successful industry of Greylock Mills resulted in substantial reinvestment to replace initial wooden structures with the granite and brick Main Mill building, along with an improved hydo-power system. Over the subsequent 60 years, the mill complex expanded to include the 4-story Spinning Building to the West, one-story Weave Sheds to the East, and Carding and Picker Rooms to the South. The integrity of the brick, steel, and wood structures is inspiring. The quality of space, with its industrial loft scale and ample natural light, is extraordinary. A vibrant mix of production, hospitality, and cultural uses will re-energize this complex and contribute to the growing economic strength of the Berkshire community.

Latent Production’s Facebook page contains additional images and details.

 

A panel discussion of two on the subject of generating growth in North Adams.

This episode is straight up talk-show format. Tammy Daniels, managing editor of iBerkshires.com, and I range over a wide terrain of economic development ideas—The Mohawk, vacant spaces, incubators, farmers markets, etc.

What businesses do YOU think would thrive in North Adams? What could/should be done with the Mohawk?

Go to The Greylock Glass Facebook Group to put your two cents in!

North Adams residents get ready to turn out in celebration as the leaves turn on the color

 

Parades, craft shows, dinners, movies, and more are all part of the Autumn flurry that is the Fall Foliage Festival, taking place this week in North Adams. This year marks the 60th annual Fall Foliage Parade, so the multi-generational enjoyment of the event should be apparent.

 

 

For the full line up of Fall Foliage Festival happenings, be sure to visit iBerkshires.com or check out the Fall Foliage Parade website.

If you want to have a discussion about the news we’re covering at Greylock Glass, why not head on over to our public Facebook Group for the Greylock Glass? There you can carry on spirited (though always respectful) conversations and debates about the issues that turn up in our news coverage.