Housing Authority
1. On April 5, the Housing Authority Executive Director Andrea Lindsay hosted a round table on affordable housing in Stockbridge. Attendees included Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus; State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli (D — 3rd Berkshire District); State Sen. Paul Mark (D — Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District); and Eden Hill residents. The event was part of Augustus’s pledge to visit all 231 of the Commonwealth’s public housing venues.
“I thought it was important that I come out and see firsthand…talk to the folks…” Augustus said.
Stockbridge was his 35th stop.
Solar Eclipse
2. The Solar Eclipse, 2024. On April 8, folks sought the best vantage point in the Berkshires, or traveled to points north, to get a good view. They waited, protectives eye cover in hand, for a once-in-a-lifetime event. Some were dazzled; others were disappointed. I just stood on my balcony with two friends and had a clear view. Tell SU about your experience.
Children’s Chimes
3. Children’s Chimes Inaugural Re-opening Day
On Monday, May 27th, at the end of the Memorial Day parade, the Town of Stockbridge will celebrate the grand re-opening of the Children’s Chime Tower.
In 2017, the tower closed for repairs. One hundred forty years after David Dudley Field donated the Children’s Chimes to the town, they fell silent.
In accepting the gift, Stockbridge agreed that the chimes would play each day at 5:30pm from apple blossom to the first frost on the pumpkin” (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
Field’s intention was, “It will be a memorial to those who are enshrined in my heart, while the ringing of the chimes at sunset I trust will give pleasure to all whose good fortune it is to live in this peaceful valley.”
For the first forty-five years, Field himself played the chimes. In addition, at 5:30pm, the children of Stockbridge were invited to play.
Claire Williams was six years old when she first played and became enchanted. For eighty-seven years, she climbed the tower and commanded the keys. She carried on the tradition. Now ninety-six years old, she hoped to hear them played again and on May 27th she will because now the chimes have been fully restored. On that day, Claire, and all of us, will listen once more. From that day, the Children’s Chimes of Stockbridge will resume the tradition of playing the restored chimes every day at 5:30pm from May 25 to September 2nd, 2024.
Overseeing the project is Berkshire County conductor and music educator, Dr. Andrea Goodman who will serve as the Stockbridge Children’s Chimes Coordinator.
About Andrea: She is the director of the Cantilena Chamber Choir with a five-concert series at Trinity Church in Lenox, MA. She currently teaches prek-8 at the St. Agnes Academy in Dalton and has taught at the Montessori school for ten years.
About the carillon: The Stockbridge carillon (bell tower) is located in front of the old Town Hall and Congregational Church in Stockbridge. This tall structure was gifted to the town in 1878 by Field in memory of his grandchildren.
The tower has a stone base and wooden belfry surmounted by a pyramidal roof with clocks on all four sides. The chimes themselves are a unique and historic instrument. The playing console, now restored, holds wooden levers for each of the eleven bells. They are played entirely by hand, one of the last of their kind in the country.
Canna Provisions
4. Canna Provisions, Lee Massachusetts, proudly announces its transition from a privately held company to an employee-owned company.
With this move, the company seeks to have a more sustainable business model, emphasizing employee empowerment, community, and sustainability. The transition to an ESOP (Employee Stock Option Plan) signifies a commitment to its business practices. With the ESOP in place, Canna Provisions is transforming into an employee-owned company.
