The Endorsement

Last week The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times announced that they would not endorse a presidential candidate in this year’s race. The moves grabbed headlines and prompted outcry from readers of those newspapers, many of whom threatened to immediately cancel their subscriptions. The Post’s publisher said the decision reflected “our readers ability to make up their own minds.” In a similar vein, the owner of The Times suggested that the paper list candidate pros and cons “and let the readers decide,” according to a report in the Associated Press.

Following these announcements some of our own readers have inquired whether The Journal would be endorsing any candidate. In fact, that question also has been brought up occasionally in past weeks as campaigns got underway. In our recent history, before becoming a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit in 2021, we also engaged in political endorsement — but no longer, because of our new status. We were saved from the struggle to survive in a declining newspaper climate by our readers and advertisers and by a community that wanted to preserve its independent community newspaper. In recent years, many U.S. newspapers have been dropping endorsements. Some have cited readership declines, and not wanting to give readers a reason to cancel subscriptions. Others realized that readers don’t really want to be told what to think. The Editorial also had become one of the least read features in the paper.

The Lakeville Journal continues the tradition of The Editorial, aiming to be relevant and interesting and worth your time. Your letters and our columns offer an invaluable source of viewpoints. We appreciate your support in our mission to be the best local newspaper possible, providing you with news that matters.

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All are welcome at The Mahaiwe

Paquito D’Rivera performs at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington on April 5.

Geandy Pavon

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.”

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Provided

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“We’re pitching in, as it were, because we like to help our neighbors,” said Norton. “They (The Triplex) approached us with the idea, wanting some input if they were going to do a dance film. I thought of Lynn as the perfect person also to include in this because of her knowledge of The Ballets Russes and the book that she wrote about Diaghilev. There is so much in this film, even though it’s fictional, that derives from the Ballets Russes.” Garafola, the leading expert on the Ballets Russes under Serge Diaghilev, 1909–1929, the most influential company in twentieth-century theatrical dance, said, “We see glimpses of that Russian émigré tradition, performances we don’t see much of today. The film captures the artifice of ballet, from the behind-the-scenes world of dressers and conductors to the sheer passion of the audience.”

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