John Laurance Miller
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Members of the Berkshire Resilience Brass Band played at the final outdoor concert at the David M. Hunt Library Friday, Aug. 21. From left, Shamu Sadeh, Lev Sadeh, and Dathalinn O’Dea.
Patrick L. Sullivan
First up was a four-person version of the Berkshire Resilience Brass Band, featuring Dathalinn O’Dea on alto saxophone and three members of the Sadeh family: Lev and Shamu on trumpet, and Jamie on percussion.
Emmet King was up next with a short solo piano piece.
Mary Fellows of Salisbury followed, singing and accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. She started with Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood’s “It Never Rains in Southern California.”
Taking Sher at his word, there was a brief interlude as a couple of youngsters did some gymnastics.
Spontaneous dancing breaks out at the Hunt Library.Patrick L. Sullivan
Then a group from Adamah Farm called “Ground Staples,” consisting of Kate Franklin, Lucy Rappaport, Ira Becker, Ozi Kaplan and Sara Rukseyer performed “The Swimming Song.” After that, Franklin and three girls, Sarit Berger, Tzuf Siller, and Dahlia Berger, sang and danced to a recording from “Six,” a British musical about the wives of King Henry VIII.
The Falls Village Fiddler and the Wonder Whistler, aka Rachell Gall on violin and O’Dea on the penny whistle, took the stage. After some tuning adjustments, the duo tore into “The Banshee,” which inspired the Adamah contingent and others to dance enthusiastically.
Brook and Leo Martinez, aka “The Mystery Twins,” wrapped things up with the former on acoustic guitar and Leo, Brook’s son, on electric guitar and lead vocals. The pair began with “Dirty Work,” written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, which was originally recorded by Steely Dan.
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Maggie Reid and her father, Alex Reid, completed a 275-mile bike ride from Salisbury to the Canadian border, raising $5,600 for The Little Guild animal shelter.
Provided
Reaching the border, she said, was “definitely one of my proudest moments.”
“It was a hard four and a half days, and I was just really glad that we completed it,” Reid said.
Riding for a cause has become a tradition for Reid and her father, although this trek has been the longest and most challenging.
“This ride was definitely more intimidating because it was much longer than the previous ones,” Reid said. “After the first day, I was definitely feeling a little sore. But I just refused to quit.”
Her father said Reid’s love for animals began at a young age.
“When she was younger, Maggie watched news coverage of animals displaced by a devastating hurricane and wanted to find a way to help,” he said. “She and a friend organized a neighborhood lemonade stand, raising several hundred dollars for the Humane Society.”
Today, she remains involved in supporting at-risk animals. At Hotchkiss, Reid is a co-leader of the school’s Humane Society Club, which has teamed up with The Little Guild in the past.
“I’ve learned more about the incredible work The Little Guild does to rescue homeless dogs and cats, help them heal, and find them loving homes,” Reid wrote on her fundraising page. “They also provide training, food, and other support that helps keep pets with the families who love them.”
For the ride north, Reid and her father packed most of their belongings into bags attached to the front and back of their bikes.
Provided
“We had to pack light and be very intentional about what we chose to bring,” she said. “I had to sit on my bags because they wouldn’t close.”
Long distance biking has become a father-daughter tradition.
“We just kind of do it for fun as a bonding activity,” she said. “It’s kind of our thing now.”
Reid attributed her success, in part, to the encouragement she received from her father along the way, especially during hills and inclines when mental and physical fatigue can set it.
To keep the vibes high, the duo has a soundtrack for the more scenic and safe stretches of their rides. They kick off each journey with Queen’s “Bicycle Race.”
The second and third days, they hit some inclines and elevation, but the scenery was worth it. She said they rode past corn fields, mountains and scenic overlooks. “Toward the end, we were biking toward Lake Champlain, so that was a really pretty view.”
By the fourth and fifth day the temperature skyrocketed and created another challenge. “We had to stop for more Gatorade breaks,” she said.
On their final day, they made it to the Canadian border after biking a short 30 miles, she said. They treated themselves to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. “That was my big reward,” Reid said.
Reid said she doesn’t plan to stop biking. “It reminds me of happy summers,” she said.
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