The Southern Berkshires, more than any other place in the world, evoke a Norman Rockwell kind of holiday season because, of course, Rockwell lived here and often painted scenes of Stockbridge, Mass., where he lived and worked, and which is the site of the Norman Rockwell Museum.
To see some of the iconic Rockwell Thanksgiving and Christmas paintings, visit the museum during the special COVID-19 hours: Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Seniors and immunocompromised visitors can come Thursday through Friday, 10 a.m. to noon, if they would like. Two-hour-long private visits can also be arranged for up to nine people, on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m.
Once you’re up in Stockbridge, it’s a short trip (about 20 minutes) to the Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Mass., which is planning several seasonal activities at the farm/museum/history center.
On Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. there will be talks and demonstrations of how the Shakers lived and worked. Learn about woodworking and blacksmithing and the Shaker way of life. There are several hikes and talks planned (registration is requested). Children are invited to “smoosh” pumpkins and feed them to the farm’s pigs. There will be a foraging workshop on Saturday for an extra fee.
Holiday shoppers looking for handmade gifts can come to the artisan markets on Saturdays between Nov. 28 and Dec. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The curated selection of gifts from regional artisans includes everything from jam and syrup to clothing and jewelry to bath products, toys and more. No museum admission is necessary to shop.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be drop-in holiday cookie decorating and ornament-making workshops for a small fee, artisan demos, a gingerbread contest, story time with Santa (registration requested), caroling, a fire pit and Shaker history talks.
For more information on Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Mass., including hours and admission fees, go to www.hancockshakervillage.org.
For more information on the Norman Rockwell Museum, including hours and admission fees, go to www.nrm.org.
Patrick L. Sullivan
Bill Beebe, left and Denny Jacobs hard at work making maple syrup at Whiting Brook Farm.
FALLS VILLAGE — Denny Jacobs dipped a metal spoon into boiling maple sap that was slowly turning into maple syrup.
He held the spoon up horizontally and watched as the thick liquid dribbled off.
“It’s not done until the last drop stays on the spoon,” he said. “That’s what the old-timers told us.”
The Jacobs family — Denny, Judy and their son Dave — along with Bill Beebe and a couple of dogs, were busy Saturday morning, March 21, at their Whiting Brook Farm on Undermountain Road maple syrup operation.
Judy Jacobs had a covered skillet perched on the side of the evaporator. In it were hot dogs and kielbasa, cut in slices and simmering in maple sap.
The Jacobs operation was one of six Falls Village sugaring concerns participating in a statewide maple syrup showcase weekend, with visitors traveling between farms to see each operation in action.
Matt Gallagher and his son Connor were boiling away at a much smaller apparatus at the Gallagher home, also known as Acer Creek Farm, on Canaan Mountain Road.
Matt Gallagher said he had one big tank just off Canaan Mountain Road which collected sap via tubes from 24 taps, plus another 73 taps and buckets on trees.
Jody and Jean Bronson, ofUndermountain Road, also had a smaller system running and a steady stream of visitors.
Bronson said they prefer a more robust, darker syrup than the amber colored variety that is the unofficial standard, and Jean Bronson had samples ready for visitors.
The amount of sap needed to produce syrup varied considerably. Denny Jacobs said the Whiting Brook Farm ratio was between 50 and 55 gallons of sap to one gallon of syrup. Bronson and Gallagher had 35-to-1 and 30-to-1, respectively.
Bronson, a retired forester, said altitude and whether trees are wild or farmed both make a difference.
Back at Whiting Brook, Denny Jacobs and Beebe, watching the hydrometer and the spoon, decided it was time for a “draw.” A clean five-gallon bucket was positioned under the tap, and the hot, dark syrup filled the container.
Then it was time for the initial filtering.
Jacobs was proud of his innovative filter mechanism. A conical filter made of a thick, felt-like material was suspended between the legs of an upside-down kitchen stool, with another five-gallon bucket beneath.
Jacobs simply poured the hot syrup out of the first bucket into the filter. The syrup slowly seeped through. “We finish it on the stove at home,” said Judy Jacobs.
Also participating in the maple weekend were Lou Timolat and Eric Carlson at Saw Mill Syrup on Route 7, Kent Allyn on Music Mountain Road, and Adamah Farm on Johnson Road, each operating from their own sugarhouse or farm.
The Falls Village maple syrup makers are hosting an event on the town Green on Saturday, April 25, co-sponsored by the town’s Recreation Commission. There will be demonstrations and, of course, maple syrup for sale.
Lakeville Journal
FALLS VILLAGE — Housatonic Valley Regional High School recognized its student-athletes for the 2025–26 winter season during an awards ceremony held Thursday, March 12. The following students were honored:
Girls Basketball
MVP: Olivia Brooks
MIP: Carmela Egan
JV MIP: Olivia Simonds/Keely Malone
Sportsmanship: Maddy Johnson
Stevenson: Grace Graney
Tyburski: Aubrey Funk
Heart & Hustle Award: Victoria Brooks
Boys Basketball
MVP: Anthony Foley
MIP: Tyler Roberts
Sportsmanship: Simon Markow
Tyburski: Jaxon Visockis
JV MIP: Peyton Bushnell
Stevenson: Jasper Oyanadel
Swimming
MVP : Anna Gillette
MIP: Paige Beeman
Sportsmanship: Lydia Fleming
Tyburski: Phoebe Conklin/Cullen Bonis
Alpine Ski
MVP: Winter Cheney
MIP: Danny Lesch
JV MIP: Logan Dolan
Sportsmanship: Jonas Johnson
Stevenson: Austin Ward
Tyburski: Donald Polk III
Four-Year Senior Awards
Anna Gillette (Swim), Wesley Allyn (Basketball), Anthony Foley (Basketball), Anthony Labbadia (Basketball), Owen Riemer (Basketball), Olivia Brooks (Basketball), Maddy Johnson (Basketball), Nick Crodelle (Basketball), and Simon Markow (Basketball).
Berkshire League Scholar Athletes
Olivia Brooks (Basketball), Anna Gillette (Swim), Silas Tripp (Indoor Track), Adelyn Diorio (Swim), Daniel Lesch (Alpine Ski), Meadow Moerschell (Swim), Ishann Tantri (Alpine Ski), Ivy Zheng (Swim), Mia Belter (Swim), Kate Money (Swim), Victoria Brooks (Basketball), Katie Crane (Swim), Madison Graney (Basketball), Hannah Johnson (Basketball), Maddy Johnson (Basketball), Simon Markow (Basketball), Madison Melino (Alpine Ski), Wyatt Bayer (Basketball), Carmela Egan (Basketball), Lydia Fleming (Swim), Grace Graney (Basketball), Jonas Johnson (Alpine Ski), Logan Bronson (Alpine Ski), Caitlin Devino (Cheer), Logan Miller (Ice Hockey), and Vilija Salazar (Cheer).
Key: MVP is most valuable player; MIP is most improved player; Stevenson is the junior varsity sportsmanship award; Tybruski is awarded to outstanding freshmen.
Patrick L. Sullivan
"Misty Morning"
SALISBURY — Steven Goldberg likes to wander New York City with a camera in hand — and sometimes, that curiosity leads to unexpected moments of humor.
One such moment is captured in his photograph “Met Museum,” which shows a young man absorbed in his laptop outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, seemingly unaware of a nearby statue of a nude woman that appears to be watching him.
The image is part of the Housatonic Camera Club’s current exhibition, “What Do You See?”
The show opened with a reception Thursday, March 19, at the Scoville Memorial Library and will remain on display through April 19.
Each photograph in the exhibit is accompanied by a brief written reflection from the artist.
In his description of “Met Museum,” Goldberg wrote: “I often find humor in the interaction of traditional art and the activity around it. Here, the sculpted woman seems to be looking down at the young man working on his computer, who is oblivious to the ancient statue right next to him.”
Another featured work, “Misty Morning” by Lazlo Gyorsok of Cornwall, offers a quieter, contemplative scene — a boathouse beside a still lake, softened by mist.
“A small white boathouse sits quietly at the edge of a still lake, practically veiled by mist that softens the surrounding trees and shoreline,” Gyorsok wrote. “Its reflection, along with the tall tree beside it and a docked canoe, mirrors almost perfectly in the calm water, creating a serene and symmetrical scene.”
Other photographers featured in the show include Tom Blagden, Dawn Dingee, Verne Henshall, Joan Hinchman, Heidi M. Hoeller, Jack Kearney, Randy McKee, G.A. Mudge, Pamela Peeters, Paul Serbaniewicz, Bert Schmitz and Brian Wilcox.
Goldberg has homes in Pine Plains and Pittsford, New York.
The Housatonic Camera Club, founded in 1956 by Edward Hutchinson of Sharon, draws members from across the Connecticut–New York–Massachusetts tri-state area. The club is currently led by president Dawn Dingee of Dover Plains, New York.
Members regularly participate in competitions hosted by the New England Camera Club and the Photographic Society of America, and exhibit their work three times each year.
The group meets on the third Tuesday of each month from September through June at Noble Horizons in Salisbury. For more information, visit www.housatoniccameraclub.com.
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Mac Gordon
Campaigning for a second term, Donald Trump emphasized domestic issues and told everyone that the Biden administration had been too preoccupied with foreign affairs and not enough with solving problems at home. This seemed to appeal to much of his audience; soon after being re-elected he began promoting himself as a “peacemaker”, starting with Gaza and Ukraine where similar efforts during his first term had gotten him some attention but no positive results. His apparent chumminess with President Putin may have helped bring him to the negotiating table but the Russian hasn’t moved an inch towards compromise. Despite helping to negotiate a cease fire in Gaza, the Netanyahu government continues its war against its Muslim neighbors as if no ceasefire had been agreed to.
Trump felt that his efforts at peacemaking should put him in line forthe prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, the highest award for engendering a specific instance of significant peace. He campaigned widely as if he were a candidate in a political race, trying to persuade world leaders and influential individuals to promote his candidacy. When the choices were announced by the Nobel Committee Trump was a sore loser, complaining to the Norwegian Prime Minister (who had nothing to do with the selection) thus making a fool of himself.
Several commentators and Prime Minister Netanyahu have said to Trump that despite his claim of having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities last year, Iran will be able and willing to launch a nuclear attack against Israel (and the US) in a matter of months. Therefore we needed to attack when we did.
Knowledgeable observers have estimated that U.S. military costs for the war so far have been between one and two billion dollars per day.
Why are we fighting a war against Iran? What do we hope to accomplish and when? Are we requiring a regime change? Do we need to have a land force on the ground? The questions go on and on but there don’t seem to be any real answers. When questioned, the President, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense give inconsistent and often contradictory answers; taken together they suggest that Israel and Netanyahu told Trump that now before Iran became nuclear-ready they needed to attack and Trump assented.
But Trump’s ego had been swellingsince his re-election. Having been doing pretty much whatever he wanted without much resistance at home and having been involved in at least seven foreign wars including most recently Venezuela, he probably felt nearly unstoppable.
Despite the damage done to Iran by both Israel and the U.S., their new leader is the equally hostile son of the one we just killed. Regime change seems very unlikely unless we pursue a protracted, much broader ground war. How would the American electorate feel about that?
Three weeks after the start of the war we have little idea when or how it will end. Until now Trump has been successful in his military adventures and even has more possible attacks on other countries in mind (Cuba, Mexico, Columbia etc.). However, Iran has shown no intention of accepting Trump’s demand for “total surrender”.
It’s worth asking why would Iran want to launch a nuclear attack against Israel?
In the Middle East, like in the UnitedStates, the prevailing wind blows from west to east. Nuclear bombs detonated over Israel would do almost unimaginable damage and would continue the killing with its residue of nuclear fallout. But the prevailing winds would carry the bulk of the fallout to the east where it would spread its radioactive pollution over much of the Middle East, especially poisoning Iran. In addition, they know that the Israelis also have nuclear weapons and might be willing to use them. The Iranian leaders may be evil, religious fanatics; but they are not stupid.
Trump’s ignorance of and contempt for climate science makes it hardfor him to size up the situation.
How can we end Trump and Netanyahu‘s failed wars before it triggers a worldwide economic depression and possibly a third world war?Our best bet would be to keep Iran as sane and calm as possible.
We can stop supporting Netanyahu which will perhaps stop much of his attack on his neighbors. And stop our own war-making which probably means removing President Trump from office before he creates more war and destroys our democracy.
Architect and landscape designer Mac Gordon lives in Lakeville.
Bill Schmick
In keeping with the administration’s return to its own brand of 16th-century mercantilism, could the next colony they seek be Cuba? It appears to be a strong bet, but for what purpose?
Given the actions and words of our government officials, the next country, or in this case, island nation, it seeks to conquer lies 90 miles from Key West. Cuba sits at the intersection between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Historically, the U.S. considered it a natural barrier controlling vital sea lanes and a dominant landmass that protected or threatened the southern U.S. coast.
It may be that its long-term strategic military and economic value remains viable, but the country’s economy is in a mess. The Economist, in a recent article, indicated that the Cuban economy was on the verge of collapse. Aside from rum, cigars, and a little tourism, Cuba suffers from decades of economic mismanagement, a lack of structural reforms, and mass migration.
Inflation is at 15%, the peso is tumbling, tropical diseases are surging, and in cities like Havana, the municipal waste system has ground to a halt. Blackouts are increasingly common. Hospitals are canceling surgeries, and public transportation is scarce. It wasn’t always that way.
Originally a Spanish colony, Cuba in the 1800s fell under the Monroe Doctrine after Spain formally renounced its claim to Cuba in the Treaty of Paris in 1898, and was largely occupied by the U.S. By then, massive amounts of American capital had already been invested in the country. Beyond a thriving sugar trade, American interests controlled significant percentages of the island’s railroads, public utilities, mining, and tobacco. The country essentially became a U.S. protectorate in 1903.
The Communist takeover of Cuba and the nationalization of American property in 1959 soured U.S./Cuban relations to the present day. Although there have been several false starts and attempts at reconciliation through the decades, the U.S. doctrine of isolation and embargo has continued to the present day. That policy has brought the Cuban economy to its knees today.
Trump’s decision to choke off Venezuela’s oil to Cuba, which can only meet 40% of its own energy demands, was a body blow. The oil crisis hammered the regime’s already doomed economic model. In a rare admission of crisis, President Miguel Diaz-Canel scrambled to implement an urgent economic overhaul. The Castro brothers must have spun in their graves as Diaz-Canel called for loosening the state grip, courting foreign investors, and shrinking government control.
As the mood in this communist nation soured, the state’s iron grip on the economy had already begun to loosen. In 2021, the government allowed the creation of hundreds of small businesses in the private sector with fewer than 100 employees. As such, there are now 11,000 small and medium-sized independent businesses on the island. Just recently, another series of reforms allowed private ownership of a wide range of industries, from food production to construction and beyond.
In the case of Cuba, I believe Trump would rather have a deal that would make the island economically dependent on the U.S. Unlike the war in Iran or the late-night raid in Venezuela, I am not looking for an abrupt change nor the sudden overthrow of all state control. Times have changed. Most so-called capitalist economies have evolved into a new model of state capitalism, whether we are talking about China or the U.S. I believe the approach will be different. It would be more of a bailout or bankruptcy reorganization than a regime change.
President Trump has used the term “friendly takeover” more than once in talking about Cuba. His Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, a longtime Cuba hawk, along with a Florida-based Cuban business community, has been reaching out to the private sector. I have noticed that rather than threaten regime change in the name of democracy or an end to communism, the administration is focusing on commercial, economic, and financial engagement.
From the president’s point of view, the need for humanitarian assistance is high, and what better way to deliver it than through the private sector? Exactly how a friendly takeover would be accomplished is a question for the market. The island was certainly part of the discussions Trump had with Latin American leaders at a March 7 summit at the Doral Golf Club.
For a successful takeover, Cuba’s private sector will need the skills and capital of American business, particularly the banking sector. It appears the present government would be amenable to such an approach. It also helps that they know if a carrot doesn’t work, Donald Trump is more than ready to use a Big Stick.
Bill Schmick is a founding partner of Onota Partners, Inc., in the Berkshires.Bill’s forecasts and opinions are purely his own and do not necessarily represent the views of Onota Partners, Inc. (OPI).
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