All are welcome at The Mahaiwe

Paquito D’Rivera performs at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington on April 5.
Geandy Pavon
Paquito D’Rivera performs at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington on April 5.
Natalia Bernal is the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s education and community engagement manager and is, in her own words, “the one who makes sure that Mahaiwe events are accessible to all.”
The Mahaiwe’s community engagement program is rooted in the belief that the performing arts should be for everyone. “We are committed to establishing and growing partnerships with neighboring community and arts organizations to develop pathways for overcoming social and practical barriers,” Bernal explained. “Immigrants, people of color, communities with low income, those who have traditionally been underserved in the performing arts, should feel welcomed at the Mahaiwe.”
Partnerships with organizations like Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires (VIM), the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee, and Community Access to the Arts (CATA) have helped bridge that gap. But for the Latinx community, there’s an even more targeted effort: the Spanish-language Community Advisory Network (SCAN).
“Six years ago, we started an advisory group of Spanish speakers in the community,” Bernal said. “They tell us what the community wants to see, how they’d like their culture represented. Today, SCAN has 12 members. We meet four times a year and are in constant communication. It’s because of them that we’ve hosted free Spanish-language film screenings and live performances.”
For Bernal, this work is personal. “When I first moved to the U.S. in 2003, it was because I got a Latin American scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music. That first year, I went home to Uruguay for Christmas and saw Paquito D’Rivera perform at a jazz festival. I was determined to meet him, and I did. Later that year, Paquito came to Berklee and invited me on stage.”
Now, two decades and 16 Grammys later, Paquito D’Rivera is coming to the Mahaiwe on April 5, and there’s a chance history might repeat itself. “He saw a post we made about his concert and commented, ‘Ay, chica, que maravilla, are you gonna sing a song with us?’ I almost died,” Bernal laughed. “I don’t know if it will happen, but it would be a dream.”
About the possibility of a guest appearance by Bernal, D’Rivera said, “Natalia is a very dear, valuable colleague, and jazz is about improvisation, so the surprise factor is always part of the fun here.”
D’Rivera’s concert is just one example of how the Mahaiwe is making world-class performances accessible. “My whole day has been about offering ‘pay what you can’ tickets for this show,” Bernal says. “We also issued a 50% discount to our partners. We work with ESL teachers, public libraries, literacy agencies, anyone who can help us get the word out.”
That kind of grassroots effort has been transformative. “Last year, we screened ‘Florencia en el Amazonas,’ the first opera written in Spanish ever performed at the Met,” Bernal said. “I sat in the Mahaiwe in tears. As someone who loves opera, it was the first time I heard one written in my own language. It was so powerful.”
Natalia Bernal, Mahaiwe’s education and community engagement managerPhoto by Martin Cohen
For Bernal, it all comes back to representation, on stage and in the audience. “My son is eight. I bring him to everything I can. Spanish shouldn’t just be something that happens at the dinner table. It should be in the world, in all these shapes and forms.”
And that’s what SCAN is helping build: a future where Latinx voices aren’t just included, they are central. “Our SCAN advisors are volunteers, cultural ambassadors,” Bernal said. “They help us distribute surveys, talk to the audience, and strengthen the community. Nobody should feel alone. Everybody should feel like they belong here.”
Education and outreach are central to D’Rivera’s work as well. He said, “It is an important part of our mission to plant and nurture the seed of quality music in our communities.” He continued to say, “Using our visibility and influence in favor of justice is always a very effective vehicle in denouncing violations of human rights around the world.”
This shared mission of education and social justice extends beyond the Mahaiwe. “We are one of the few arts organizations in a monthly meeting with BASIC (Berkshire Alliance for Immigrant Services). We have direct ties to the Berkshire Immigrant Center, VIM, and others so that we are well-informed and ready to serve,” said Bernal.
That commitment to community, culture, and access is why Bernal’s dream panel—Women in the Music Business—would feature Paquito’s wife and longtime manager, Brenda Feliciano. “She’s a tower of power. She’s been managing his career for at least 45 years. If I could organize an event one day, she would be the cherry on the cake.”
Until then, Bernal will keep doing what she does best: making sure the Mahaiwe is a place where everyone, regardless of language, income, or background, feels at home. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll find herself back on stage with Paquito D’Rivera, just like that first time, all those years ago.
For more info and tickets to Paquito D’Rivera, visit mahaiwe.org
The headquarters of Connecticut Public Broadcasting in Hartford.
Remember when commuting was fun because you could listen to the radio?
Earlier in my career I may have been the guy you heard, both on WHCN/Hartford and later on NBC.When I started in radio in 1967, AM Top 40 was king and FM was just getting started.
But in 1961 the FCC decreed that all radios should have both AM and FM bands…and that FM should broadcast in stereo. And no longer could station owners just simulcast their AM programs on their FM stations: FM programming had to be different.
Thus was born “Progressive Album Rock” on FM, usually programmed by long-haired LP fans.That was me, again.Within years radio listening went from predominantly AM to majority FM thanks to better audio quality and changing musical tastes.
So why save AM radio in the car when folks aren’t listening?And what will be left on FM to tune into?
Today the AM band is filled with syndicated political talk, foreign language shows and sports.Only a handful of stations have real news departments (think WTIC, WICC here in Connecticut).
Then came the all-electric car.Because of their wiring Teslas and such could not have AM radios due to interference.What to do?
Well, Congress is expected to pass a law requiring AM radios in all cars.The bill has hundreds of co-sponsors, including the entire Connecticut delegation.No wonder:pols love being interviewed on AM stations.
“But AM radio is effectively aging out, with less than a 20% market share.And many news/talk stations have transitioned to FM where there are far more listeners,” (think WINS in New York City) says former station consultant Steve Goldstein of Westport.
Goldstein left radio years ten years ago to become a podcasting consultant.He also teaches at NYU and says not one of his students listens to AM.Most don’t listen to FM, either, preferring streaming services like Pandora and Spotify or on-demand media like podcasts. “AM radio is going the way of the phone booth and fax machine,” he laments.
So why save AM radio in the car when folks aren’t listening?And what will be left on FM to tune into?
If your listening habits tend toward the NPR stations at the lower end of the FM band you’re in for disappointment.Congress has just voted to claw back (“rescind”) $1.1 billion from funds previously allocated to CPB, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which funds both PBS television and NPR radio stations.
In the case of Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR) we’re talking about a 10+% budget cut.That will probably mean layoffs and less local programming for shows like “Colin McEnroe.”
At WSHU they say they’ll need to raise an additional $500,000 to make up for the loss.Elsewhere in the U.S. it’s estimated that as many as 80 NPR stations will just go dark.
Your mail is already crowded with funding appeals, not just from public broadcasters but from other non-profits also losing federal funding.With so many hands outstretched, how will donors prioritize their gifts?Feeding the hungry or keeping the airwaves alive?
So Congress giveth (renewed life to AM radio) and taketh away (cutting PBS and NPR). The media world (and listeners) will adapt.
Now, if only I could find my old eight-track tape player.
Of all the diseases that afflict us, dementia is one of the most terrifying because we see it coming and it is inexorable. It takes the mind but leaves the body. We have theories about what causes Alzheimer’s disease — tangles of a protein called beta-amyloid and over-expression of another protein called tau. These proteins in altered forms were thought to be a cause but removing them from most of the cells in the brain using monoclonal antibodies, did not improve symptoms by much. Perhaps the intervention was too late. Both proteins are probably involved but neither has been a fertile source of treatments, and most clinical trials have failed.
I worked in a Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center where there are basic scientists and pathologists. A pathologist friend lamented the lack of progress for dementia and Parkinsonism as professionally embarrassing. Heart disease, inflammatory diseases, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions have fared better; there are new and effective treatments to extend life and restore independence, most stemming from basic research in cell biology.
There are many cures offered on the internet, but most are wishful thinking or fraud. One study bears watching: it suggested that vaccination for shingles, a painful rash caused by lingering chickenpox virus (Herpes zoster), reduces the number of cases of dementia in older people. Herpes zoster is a neurotropic virus, that selectively infects nerve cells, whose connections, or synapses in the parts of the brain dedicated to memory are the cellular basis of memory. Each nerve cell has 10,000 or more connections with other neurons.
The study in question hangs on a decision made by the UK’s National Health Service after the Shingrix vaccine became available in 2013. NHS decided to give the vaccine to people in Wales born after Sept. 1, 1933, but not to those born one week before. The two groups, in Wales, 80 years old in 2013, were otherwise identical.Each part of the study had thousands of patients.
The chickenpox vaccine reduced the number of people who became demented over the next 7 years by about 20%. The paper is from scientists at Stanford and several Swiss and German universities. It is tough statistical sledding to read but the data are serious. Twenty percent of patients is too few to be confident, but too many to ignore. See below for the reference.
There are many cures offered on the internet, but most are wishful thinking or fraud.
This experiment has been repeated by combining other data from England and Wales. This type of analysis, involving thousands of patient records, has become possible by keeping records in searchable databases. Other versions of the chickenpox vaccine experiment use a more effective vaccine that became available in 2023. Does the newer vaccine protect better than 20%?Does a vaccine applied when people are younger, or given repeatedly, slow the onset of dementia even better?
Think of a slow acting virus that destroys or inhibits neurons or the synapses involved in memory.It could be Herpes zoster lingering from childhood chickenpox or another virus. The vaccine could induce antibodies and T cells that would stop the progression of the slow virus and stave off dementia.A viral cause of dementia would be extraordinary. And actionable.
A second discovery that may be helpful is the effect of weight loss drugs like Wegovy on dementia. These drugs may also help a number of problems including drug addiction and alcohol abuse.
There are several ways to study the effect of these remarkable drugs. One takes advantage of the fact that loss of brain volume is amarker of Alzheimer’s disease. As the disease progresses damage spreads through the brain and it shrinks, which can be observed by magnetic resonance imaging.
One placebo-controlled trial analyzed 204 patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease at 24 clinics in the United Kingdom. Before the study began, all patients had magnetic resonance imaging of their brains to evaluate structure and volume. Half were given a daily injection of 1.8 milligrams of liraglutide/day, a drug used in weight loss and diabetes, while an equal number received a placebo.Those who received liraglutide lost less brain volume (about 50%) than untreated patients. Cognitive testing was done at 0, 24, and 52 weeks and researchers found that patients who received liraglutide hada slower decline in cognitive function — halfthat of untreated patients. They also said they felt better.
Like the Herpes zoster study the results are not conclusive but at this stage we are looking for a new approach, not miracles. Liraglutide and other GLP-1 analogues are licensed for obesity and diabetes, so its path to treatment for Alzheimer’sand other dementias could be relatively swift.
Two independent and larger phase 3 trials are underway, with results due at the end of 2025. If the results are correct, oneprediction would be that people who had been on weight loss drugs should not be entering memory care units. That analysis is difficult, and some of the databases are proprietary, but we will follow these experiments.
Richard Kessin, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Tell Congress not to touch Medicare
They said they would not touch Medicare, the medical insurance for older Americans, but every Republican in Congress voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), and that means big cuts coming to Medicare starting next year.
Sequestration is a process in which the government imposes automatic withholding of appropriations to all government programs for the purpose of meeting budget goals.
This happens in conjunction with various acts meant to reduce the budget, such as the statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act, which requires automatic reductions in spending for programs like Medicare when the deficit increases significantly.
If Congress does not act, the One Big Beautiful Bill will potentially cause a $500 billon cut to Medicare starting in 2026 and continuing to 2034.
Payments to hospitals, physicians and healthcare providers will be reduced.
Medicare Advantage plan funding will be decreased.
The Medicare Savings Program, which helps 1.3 million people with Medicare costs, will be impacted.
Stand-alone drug plan payments will decrease as the OBBB removes
Medicare’s ability to negotiate and control costs for medications for many diseases.
It could get so much worse for our elderly population if cuts to Medicare are enacted. It will be tragic for the government to cut Medicare simply to give large tax breaks to the rich. This is not acceptable public policy.
Unless Congress acts now to stop the reduction of federal money for Medicare, these cuts imposed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will negatively affect over 65 million Americans using Medicare by raising their medical costs starting next year.
It is urgent we tell Congress to restore funding for Medicare!
Lizbeth Piel
Sharon
Thornton family gratitude
We would like to personally thank everyone who came to our son, husband and dad, Scott Thornton’s viewing on July 24 at Hufcut Funeral Home. The outpouring of love, compassion and kindness from friends, family, colleagues, trustees, and the community was truly overwhelming. The amount of support we received was an amazing tribute to Scott and the countless people whose lives he touched during his lifetime. Thank you to all who attended and who sent messages and gifts of condolences.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Jeanne Thornton Schwager (mom), Becky Thornton (wife) Sawyer Haab and Paxton Thornton (daughters) and family
Sharon
With many thanks and profound fondness
On behalf of the North Canaan Events Committee and the Town of North Canaan, we would like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to every guest, vendor, participant, volunteer, business, and first responder, who made this summer a truly memorable and fun-filled season.
As we successfully navigated three months of special events, beginning with Literacy Night in June, the new Summer Nights of Canaan in July, and closing with Old Railroads Days in August, it was quite clear that our dedicated and passionate group of volunteers were ready and able to provide residents and guests with a variety of options; all focused intently on bringing families and friends together, having fun, and making new memories!
The Town of North Canaan and its storied history was on full display this summer, combined of course with many new offerings; which created a diverse and intriguing calendar of events that allowed eventgoers to fully enjoy themselves, while being in the midst of good company and an environment that was welcoming and jovial. Ranging from literacy and arts for the children, to our annual carnival and fireworks display, to the firefighter’s parade, to the decadent food options, to the spirited music, to the vendor market, to the annual 5-mile fun run, to the treasured historical items and train displays, to the famed history walks, there was surely a little something for everybody.
As we now move forward and continue to plan events for the fall season, we encourage all of you to please stay in touch via our various websites and social media pages; Town of North Canaan and North Canaan Events Committee. Hosting these events surely is a labor love, as they all require significant planning, funding, and staffing. We would love to see the ranks of our events committee grow even larger. If you are able, we kindly ask that please consider volunteering some of your time, so that we can continue to offer our beloved town and the Northwest Corner with even more memories in the months and years ahead.
Jennifer Crane, Chair
North Canaan Events Committee
Brian M. Ohler, First Selectman
Town of North Canaan
Thanks to Journal editor
Thank you John Coston.We could make this longer with the help of AI or one or your capable summer interns but we will leave it as thank you.
We speak for a community grateful for your leadership.
Mary and Philip
Oppenheimer
Lakeville
Gratitude for Lakeville Hose and SVAS ‘heroes’
A few years back my wife, the accomplished filmmaker Anne Makepeace, produced and directed a short film titled “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”The film depicted the vastly important work of the Lakeville Hose Company and the Salisbury Voluntary Ambulance Squad.Given the value of what both entities do, Anne at first proposed a title that dubbed them heroes. But out of humility, the groups chose instead the more modest title.
Anne, though an Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker, naturally created the film for a fraction of her usual fee. But as fate would have it, on the evening of Tuesday July 15, we both were paid beyond measure. Anne was away, attending a writing program at Skidmore.Long story short, as I was preparing for bed a suspicious odor prompted me to walk around inside our home.What I found led me to call 911.Fire trucks and an ambulance were in our driveway within five minutes.Turned out that an electrical fire had ignited inside a wall in our home.Deploying their expertise, the volunteers first shooed me from our home (thick smoke was gathering), then found and rescued our beloved puppy from inside.
Then the firefighters trooped into our home, armed with a chainsaw, a couple of axes, and a hose. Was damage inflicted on our home?Of course!That’s how skilled firefighters get rid of the danger.
Anne and I will be eternally grateful to the Hose Company, the SVAS, and the other fire companies that sent their trucks and teams.To us, they will always be heroes.
Anne Makepeace and Charles Church
Lakeville