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Berkshires Beat: Freeman Center Snags State Award for 'Money School'
11:52AM / Monday, April 10, 2017
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Elizabeth Freeman Center's Money School was presented with MOVA's Innovation Award at a ceremony at the State House in Boston on April 4.

Money School award: Elizabeth Freeman Center's Money School was presented with MOVA's Innovation Award at a ceremony at the State House in Boston on April 4, in recognition of its ground-breaking work to advance financial independence for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. During Victim Rights Month in April, Attorney General Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance  recognize individuals and agencies that have made notable contributions to victim rights and services.

The Freeman Center's Money School puts survivors of abuse or sexual violence on a path toward economic security and well-being.  The program, developed by the American Institute for Economic Research and the Freeman Center, promotes long-term paths to financial independence coupled with short-term budgeting, resource maximization and savings measures. It combines an in-depth workshop series with ongoing, individualized, wraparound supports, advocacy, and resources as participants progress on their plans. It is grounded in robust evaluation and impact measurement by AIER that drives improvement.

Because when it comes to financial resources, "who you know" is often as important as "what you know," Money School pairs participants with individual financial coaches from local banks, and connects participants with presenters from local colleges, employment, entrepreneurship, legal aid, and micro-grant resources to expand their access to opportunity.  The program has a holistic approach to participants’ long-term stability and recovery and ensures participants receive ongoing victim services from the Freeman Center as needed.

The Freeman Center has offered Money School to more than 80 survivors over the past two years, and will be offering its first series for Spanish-speaking survivors this spring. Learn more online.
 

 

Patriots Day buses: All Berkshire Regional Transit Authority's fixed route bus service will operate and follow the regular printed schedule on Monday, April 17, for Patriots Day. The Administrative Offices located at One Columbus Ave. in Pittsfield will be closed that day and will reopen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 18. Specific schedule or route information may be obtained by contacting the operations department at 1-800-292-BRTA extension 1.



Civic duty: The town of Florida will be holding voter registration on Tuesday, April 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. at Town Hall.

The last day to register to vote in the Cheshire Annual Town Election is Tuesday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Town Clerk's Office. Absentee ballots are available.  Last day to vote absentee, preferably in Town Clerk's Office, is Thursday, April 27, until 3 p.m.

The deadline to register to vote in Adams is 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11. Citizens may register at any time at the Town Clerk's office in Town Hall and many other public agencies, including the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Balloting will take place at the Adams Department of Public Works garage on North Summer Street on Monday, May 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
 

 


A digital print in a series created by Borden during his Assets for Artists residency at MASS MoCA in 2016.

River rewards: The Hoosic River Revival, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to revitalize the Hoosic River in North Adams while ensuring the safety of residents from flooding, has received two grants to advance their goal of making the South Branch a place with year-round recreational, environmental, and economic opportunities.

Patagonia, the world-wide outdoor clothing company, has provided the River Revival $8,000 to supplement the cost of soil testing for contaminants at Noel Field, the Phase One restoration site. Patagonia's World Trout Council supports small, innovative, grassroots groups working with provocative direct-action agendas. 
The River Revival has also received a $2,500 matching grant from the Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund for a community art installation. David Buckley Borden, who was an Assets for Artists Resident at MASS MoCA in 2016, has been chosen by HRR to create a project at the Phase One river restoration area. During his artist residency, Borden developed a body of visual artwork focused on promoting the value of the Hoosic River watershed. Borden will build on this work in the collaborative creation of an eye-catching, thought-provoking art installation to increase residents' knowledge and appreciation for the Hoosic River in North Adams.

The mission of the Hoosic River Revival is to reconnect the community to a healthy, scenic, accessible, flood-controlled river, which will enhance North Adams' recreational, cultural, and economic vitality. The Board of Directors meets monthly at North Adams City Hall on the second Monday of each month at 9 a.m. and welcomes attendance from the public. Comments, questions, or inquiries about the Hoosic River Revival can be sent to HoosicRiverRevival@gmail.com.



Farm fresh: Fresh, locally grown food is available via weekly farm shares from Square Roots Farm in Lanesborough and Many Forks Farm in Clarksburg - including subsidized shares for those who qualify. A farm share is a weekly, reasonable amount of seasonal vegetables, enough for two adults with one to two children, or two veggie lovers. Farmers have a limited number of shares available for $550, and shares are distributed weekly from June through October. Pickup at the farm - or in some cases at the North Adams Farmers Market - is available. Winter shares are also available.

Some residents may qualify for a lower cost (or subsidized) share. Contact Hoosac Harvest via kathykeeser@gmail.com or 413-664-4006 after 6 p.m. for information. Subsidized shares are based on income and ranges from $225-$325 for the entire 20-week season. Payment plans are available to spread your payments over the season and payment by EBT/SNAP is available.



Conserving the future: The Trust for Public Land has announced an expansion of the Appalachian Trail corridor in the Berkshires. A 370-acre tract of land adjoining the summit of Warner Hill in Pittsfield was purchased by the organization and transferred to the National Park Service, which will manage the land as part of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs from Georgia to Maine, linking many of the East Coast's largest remaining wilderness landscapes — and its largest metropolitan areas. Accessible from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, the Trail provides outdoor recreation opportunities for more than 50 million Americans. The Berkshires portion of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail attracts local walkers, visiting day-trippers, and thru-hikers, many of whom ascend Warner Hill to take in its spectacular views of the Housatonic River Valley, Mount Greylock and surrounding Berkshire Mountains.

The newly protected property features forested slopes, fragile wetlands, and lush stream corridors, which collectively add significant dimension to the Trail corridor. Previously, the protected corridor along the Trail narrowed to just a few hundred feet in this location. In addition to ensuring continued public enjoyment of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the newly conserved parcel builds on a network of contiguous protected lands, which buffer the City of Pittsfield’s adjacent public water supply, and connect with October Mountain State Forest, the largest state forest in Massachusetts.  

The newly protected property also encompasses important ecological sites, including a westerly boundary of the Hinsdale Flats Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and areas designated by the state as a Priority Habitat Area for rare species. Development would damage these fragile resources, and mar the scenic views enjoyed by visitors.



Keep 'em busy: The Norman Rockwell Museum will celebrate April school vacation week with Draw! Draw! Draw!, a series of drop-in drawing activities and demonstrations to be held Monday through Friday, April 17 through 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. Museum educator/illustrator Patrick O'Donnell will lead daily activities inspired by the art of Norman Rockwell.

Themes include: Drawing Animals (Monday); The Expressive Face (Tuesday); Line and Contour Drawing (Wednesday); Light, Shadow, and Form (Thursday); and Fun with Simple Objects (Friday). The daily events are free for museum members, or included with regular museum admission.
 


Food for Fines: As part of its celebration of National Library Week, the Berkshire Athenaeum will offer a modified fines amnesty Monday, April 10, through Saturday, April 15. During this time the library will accept non‑perishable food items in lieu of paying fines for overdue books. The food-for-fines program, now in its 22nd year, is the library's attempt to create a more positive feeling about getting overdue library materials returned, and to get library borrowers to clean out their bookshelves and bring back library items that have been long forgotten.

Food will be collected in boxes located at the Adult Circulation Desk and at the Children's Service Desk.  When "paying" off a fine with a donated food item, a staff librarian should be alerted prior to depositing the item into the collection boxes. Food will be accepted not only for payment of overdue fines for items currently in circulation, but also can be applied to outstanding overdue fines from other transactions. The replacement costs of lost or damaged materials may not be resolved by donated food.

During the amnesty period, in addition to food brought in lieu of fines, the Athenaeum will encourage general donations of food not associated with overdue library books.  All donated food will be turned over to food pantries in Pittsfield.

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