From 1985 to 1999 I lived in a low-income neighborhood in New Orleans. One day I met a nine year-old boy named Brandon Jones who became my lifelong friend and I his. He taught me what it is to be poor, what it’s like to be on the team with no power. Not many people get that gift in life. He gave me insight and understanding; made me laugh until I cried and cry until I couldn’t any more. He raised me up from a nice white girl to a woman with eyes in my heart that I couldn’t have gotten any other way. He was my heart.
Me, I tried to give him a level playing ground to start from. I gave him a place to live when there was no other and beat the truth into him: That he was brilliant. That he could be anyone he chose to be. When he was eleven and had to go to the stricter school for bad kids, on his application under What do you want to be when you grow up? he wrote, “Football coach and writer-director.” I smiled at that, knowing he was listening. When he was sixteen I used my power to get him a job at Whole Foods Market. That was my contribution. He used his own power to work his way up to head cashier.
Brandon’s mother Regina used to take care of me, in the old days, in the neighborhood. Made sure people knew I was okay. She saw me talking to the wrong person she’d say, “Huh UH! That’s MY white woman! You hear me? That’s Nan. She’s MY white woman. You can’t have her.” And people in the neighborhood knew. People in the neighborhood didn’t mess with no Regina Jones.
Later on, Regina had a second child named Justin Jones. One day, in my old house I heard a three year-old voice outside, shouting, “Nan Parati! I’m peein’ on your house!”
I looked out at the street. “Justin Jones! What in the world are you doing?”
“I’m peein’ on your house!” he said proudly. And indeed, he was.
“You’re not supposed to pee on people’s houses,” said I.
“You ain’t?” Justin Jones was truly surprised. But you know, that’s how you learn.
A year later, Regina and Justin and I were at dinner. Justin Jones sat on my lap, looking at my hand while Regina and I talked. “Nan Parati!” he suddenly yelped. “You white!”
“Justin!” admonished his mama, “Don’t say that to Nan! That ain’t nice!”
“It’s all right!” I said to Justin Jones, “Indeed I am!” There is something to be learned every day!
America spends an average of $450 billion every year on Christmas. Advent Conspiracy proposes that people buy less and give more–of their time and love through relational giving.
In 2006, five pastors decided to create Advent Conspiracy and revolutionize the increasingly commercialized holiday of Christmas by encouraging their congregations to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all.
Part of the Advent Conspiracy message is a simple suggestion that people buy one less gift, and spend the extra time with people they care about and put the extra money toward projects such as drilling for fresh water wells in India, Liberia, Peru and Sudan. For three years, Advent Conspiracy has partnered with Living Water International to tackle providing clean water to the 1.8 million people who die every year from water-borne illnesses. The $10 billion Advent Conspiracy estimates it would take to solve the world’s water woes pales in comparison to the $450 billion Americans spend each year on Christmas.
Advent Conspiracy is a movement that proposes people “spend less, give more.”
Advocates Urge American Academy of Family Physicians to End Coca -Cola Partnership
Things don’t always go better with Coke. That’s why the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has launched a letter-writing campaign urging the American Academy of Family Physicians to end a planned partnership with the Coca-Cola Company. As part of a new AAFP program called the Consumer Alliance, Coke is providing a reported six-figure grant to the AAFP to “educate consumers about the role their products can play in a healthy, active lifestyle” on the AAFP’s award winning website, FamilyDoctor.org.
“In the midst of an epidemic of childhood obesity, it’s shocking that the AAFP would partner with a company that aggressively markets empty calories to children,” said CCFC’s Director Dr. Susan Linn.
According to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, a child’s chances of becoming overweight increases by 60% for each serving of soda they consume a day. Yet, the Coca-Cola Company markets to children in schools, on social networking sites, and through its sponsorship of American Idol, a top-rated show for children ages 2-11.
“Medical organizations should provide objective information about the negative impact that soft drink consumption has on children’s health,” said Dr. Alvin Poussaint, Director of the Media Center at Judge Baker Children’s Center. “They shouldn’t exploit parents’ trust to help beverage companies market their brands.”
The AAFP/Coke partnership has sparked protest from family physicians around the country, including some who have resigned from the AAFP. “How can any organization that claims to promote public health join forces with a company that promotes products that put our children at risk for obesity, heart disease and early death?” asked Dr. William Walker, Director of Contra Costa Health Services, as he resigned his twenty-five year membership.
CCFC has launched a letter-writing campaign to support the courageous doctors who are demanding that AAFP’s leadership end the partnership.
“It is disappointing that the AAFP would assist Coca-Cola in the company’s obvious attempt to buy credibility,” said Michele Simon, research and policy director at Marin Institute and author of Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back. “But it’s heartening that so many AAFP members are demanding that their organization stay true to its mission to promote public health.”
Manna Soup Kitchen Volunteers will deliver Christmas Day dinner to Hilltown families living in Williamsburg who cannot come to the Christmas Day Dinner at the Edwards Church, or get out and enjoy Christmas with others.
This service is new this year to Williamsburg. Other service areas include Northampton, Easthampton, Florence and Leeds.
All deliveries must be pre-ordered. To place an order, call Iris at the Salvation Army, Monday -Friday 9am-4pm. (413) 586-5299
Other food/meal resources for families living in the hilltowns:
Trinity Church in Shelburne Falls (413) 625-9896
West County Emergency Food Pantry in Shelburne Falls (413) 774-7034
Hilltown Churches Food Pantry in Ashfield (413) 625-6086
Dalton Congregational Church in Dalton (413) 684-1715
Hinsdale Congregational Church in Hinsdale (413) 655-2670
Northern Hilltown Food Pantry in Goshen (413) 268-7578 (Serving: Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Haydenville, Plainfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington)
Food Pantry in Huntington (413) 667-3196 (Serving: Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell, and Worthington)
The Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award was created as a response to the need to honor and recognize new Young Adult fiction. Modeled after the Rhode Island Teen Book Award, this award gives teens the opportunity to vote for their favorite YA author.
Local teens are invited to create an original color drawing that represents the best in teen literature; a favorite book, or collection of books to be used at the logo for the Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award. The original logo will be used for their posters, bookmarks, flyers and more. Here are the guidelines:
This contest is open to any teen between the ages of 12-18 years old who lives or goes to school in Massachusetts.
The contest runs from December 1st, 2009 to January 31, 2010.
Entries may be in either paper or digital form.
Paper entries can be no larger that 11”x17”.
Logos will be shrunk down to 2”x3” or 2”x2”.
Digital entries may be in .jpg, .gif, or .png formats.
One entry per person.
Each entry must be accompanied by a completed release form.
For more information, and release forms please contact: Meg Anastasi at (413)253-9673, emailmeg.anastasi@gmail.com.
Reduce, Reuse and Plan Ahead: 13 Tips On How To GREEN Your Holiday
Photo credit: (ccl) Plastic_Bat
1. Wrapping paper is now recyclable!
All wrapping paper is recyclable except wrapping paper with foil, no ribbons or bows and no metallic inks or glitter. Recycle your wrapping paper at the landfill or transfer station this year with your other paper. Also, keep in mind that all cardboard gift boxes, tissue paper, gift cards and paper shopping bags are recyclable, and you can bring Styrofoam packing peanuts to the UPS store for reuse. On the other hand, ribbons, bows, tinsel and photographs cannot be recycled. They go to the landfill.
2. Reduce and Reuse
Give Used Gifts
It’s greener to give used items than to give new green items. It takes a lot of energy and natural resources to make stuff. To be green, give a gift that used no additional energy to create. Antique shops and thrift stores are cheap and often have some really cool stuff. Re-gifts (gifts you received from last year, but never use) can be passed on to someone who will use and appreciate them. Give away the bike, appliance, or gadget that you never use. It will save you time, money and storage space. — If you’d like to stay at home, scour Craigslist or sign up for Northampton’s FreeCycle [or Hilltown FreeCycle for families in the hilltowns] for heavily discounted (or free) electronics, furniture, books, clothing, toys, or almost anything else.
Re-Use Paper for Wrapping Paper
Reuse old maps, magazines, and gift cards as wrapping, decoration or tags. The Sunday comics or brown paper packages tied up with string are fun, original, virtually cost-free and totally recyclable. — You can also use old shoeboxes, cloth napkins or gift bags from last year to add flair to your gift-wrapping projects.
3. Compost Christmas Trees at the Landfill
4. Buy Quantities of Food that You’ll Actually Eat!
Plan your holiday meals and parties carefully to reduce avoidable and costly waste. Package leftovers and distribute them to guests as they leave. COMPOST all food scraps and uneaten leftovers to keep them out of the landfill.
5. Buy or Borrow Re-Usable or Compostable Cutlery, Cups, Flatware and Napkins
Thrift shops and tag sales have an abundance of reusable plates, utensils and glasses, often at a low price that is comparable to buying disposable items. Buy a whole bunch and then keep them in storage for your next party. You can also call a neighbor and borrow additional place settings for a large party. — If you do use paper plates and napkins, know that they are compostable. Plant-based plastics and biodegradable cutlery and cups are also available.
6. Minimize Packaging and Vote With Your Dollar
If you buy new gifts, send a message to manufacturers by choosing items with minimal packaging.
7. Consumable Gifts
Gifts that are consumable such as baked goods, coffee, cheese or wine have minimal, recyclable packaging and are immediately enjoyed, appreciated, and won’t go to waste. Buy gift certificates to locally owned stores. Check out www.pvlocalfirst.org, they offer a directory of local businesses in the valley. [The Hilltown CDC offers a directory of businesses in the hilltowns too.]
8. Shift Away from Material Gift-Giving
Material gifts require resource extraction, transportation, manufacture, distribution, purchase and eventual disposal. Check out the Story of Stuff to learn about the hidden environmental costs associated with of all of our material stuff. Gifts that are immaterial will last forever. Offer time and services to loved ones such as babysitting, household chores, or a night out.
9. Donate Charitable Gifts in Someone’s Name
Consider directing your money to a service-oriented cause, charity or organization. Kiva.org offers micro-loans to third-world citizens so that they can start a business that will sustain them and their family. These loans of about $50 dollars can help make a huge difference in the lives of the worlds’ less fortunate people and they are repaid 98.4% of the time. After it is repaid, they can either be redeemed or revolved back into another loan…it’s up to you.
Heifer International (www.heifer.org) provides livestock, bees, and other beneficial gifts that can offer ongoing nutrition and income to the world’s poor one family at a time. The gifts are
inexpensive, and can be given in someone else’s name. Reminder: charitable donations are tax-deductible.
10. Be Thoughtful About Your Transportation and Travel Plans
Reduce your carbon emissions by doing all of your shopping at once, rather than in multiple trips. Carpool with family and reduce air travel by taking a train or driving to your holiday destination. Keep your car tuned up, and tires properly inflated to optimize your car’s fuel efficiency.
If you live in one of the towns within 20 miles of the “Vermont Yankee” (VY) nuclear reactor in Vernon, Vermont–a.k.a. the “evacuation zone” (see list of towns below)–and,
If you would like to see this aged, accident-prone reactor retired on schedule when its original 40-year license expires in March of 2012, rather than allowed to operate for another 20 years, until 2032(!), as VY’s Louisiana-based, mega-corporate owner, Entergy Nuclear, is pushing for
Then, please click HERE to read and sign onto our letter to the members of the Vermont legislation, who may soon be casting an historic vote re Vermont Yankee’s future.
And then, please share this message with others who live in “Evacuation Zone” towns (list below) and urge them to send it out to their friends and neighbors. We need everyone’s help with this, ASAP.
The letter will be carried – by hand and on foot – to the Vermont State Capitol and personally presented to legislators by people from the evacuation zone who will be participating in a 120-mile walk, January 2-13, 2010 from Brattleboro to Montpelier, entitled “Step It Up to Shut It Down.” To join or support the walk, go to: www.safeandgreencampaign.org
Towns within (or partially within) 20 miles of the VY nuclear reactor:
Lisa Downing, Assistant Director at the Forbes Library in Northampton, MA writes:
Did you know that the library lends laptops to patrons for in-library use? This program was instituted a few years ago and continues to be a very popular service for patrons. The program runs through the generous donation of laptops from the community. A patron can check out a laptop for up to two hours and use it anywhere in the building utilizing the library’s wireless network. This program has greatly expanded computer access for patrons but we are finding that by the middle of the afternoon we have more people asking than we have laptops to offer. If you have recently upgraded your laptop or are planning on doing so, consider donating your old laptop to Forbes Library.
Laptop must power up and have at minimum:
900 mhz CPU
512 meg RAM
10 gigabyte hard drive
ability to run Windows XP or better
When you donate, we will provide you with a receipt of goods for your tax return. Our technician reformats the laptop’s hard drive to remove any information that you have stored so your privacy is completely protected. Contact Lisa Downing at ldowning@forbeslibrary.org, call 587-1017 or just drop it off at the circulation desk. Thank you!
December 11, 2009 update from Concerned Citizens of Russell
Recent false media reports regarding the Manomet forest biomass sustainability study and Department of Energy Resources (DOER) suspension of biomass Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) have led the public to believe that biomass power plants in Massachusetts are being meaningfully studied by the state and are “on hold” for a year, but a look at the progress of the Russell Biomass proposal shows that is the furthest thing from the truth.
Russell Biomass races full steam ahead is planning construction for 2010. They moved ahead last week with key assistance from a state government agency called the Department of Public Utilities (D.P.U.). The Department of Public Utilities, under Secretary of Energy and the Environment (EEA) Ian A. Bowles, has issued a final decision granting Russell Biomass exemption from local zoning restrictions on building height and setback. The decision is blindingly illegal because the Department has never conducted a proceeding dealing with only height and setback.
Discover fun and educational events happening this weekend in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Snow days are here! Look to the Hilltown Families Listserv to organize playdates for sledding, ice skating, snow ball fights ... If you're not signed on to the listserv and you're a local family looking to connect with other locals, share resources and discuss issue important to families, click the image above to join in now!
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that these events are happening, along with time, location, age appropriateness and costs before attending.
Tanya Rapinchuk of Worthington, MA writes: Please come to the Cummington Community House Saturday December 12th from 4:00 – 7:00 PM to see Zephyr Rapinchuk’s photo show. Zephyr is a 17 year old local boy who has taken and developed some excellent pictures and would love for you all to come and see them. There will be live music, drinks and snacks and plenty of photography and fun to be had. Contact Zephyr at 413-238-5595 for more information. Thank You!
Sarah Proechel of Pittsfield, MA writes: This month we are hosting a special birth circle for dads! A few moms have requested it so here is your chance! Moms are always welcome just as dads are always welcome but this time the focus will be on the men. This will be your time to talk to each other, tell your good birth stories if you have them and hear from other dads about their experiences with birth. I hope some of you can make it. More info here.
Ellen Doyle of Williamsburg, MA writes: If you’re like a lot of folks who believe cold cereal topped with reduced-fat milk is a great way to start your day, you might want to think again! Even a breakfast of “healthy” boxed cereals might not be good for you. Read more here.
Maureen Shea of Cummington, MA writes: New ABC Club: Storytelling for Young Children, at the Bryant Free Library in Cummington from 10-11:30am on the first second Monday of every month. Parent-led and all are welcome. Call for more info: 634-5431.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE: Monday, December 14, 2009 5:00 pm at the Chesterfield Town Offices (Davenport School Building) at 422 Main Road in Chesterfield, MA. – At this public hearing you will have the opportunity to discuss projects and services proposed for an FY10 regional CDBG funding application for the towns of Chesterfield, Goshen, Westhampton and Williamsburg. The Town of Chesterfield will also review implementation of the FY08 and FY09 Northern Hilltowns regional CDBG grants that also include the towns of Cummington, Plainfield, and Worthington.
DON’T BE A VICTIM OF PHISHING SWINE FLU SCAM: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control both responding to a phishing (fraudulent email) scam currently taking place regarding H1N1, or swine flu. The email claims that users must create a personal H1N1 Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov website. “The CDC has NOT implemented a vaccination program requiring registration on www.cdc.gov/”, their website reports. Click herefor more information on this and other health-related hoaxes and rumors. By the way, the individual who first reported this to DPH was Worthington’s Diane Brenner (Board of Health) who has been a key member of our pandemic planning group!
R. H. CONWELL FOOD DRIVE: Students at R. H. Conwell Elementary are collecting food for the Gateway Hilltown Food Pantry, as part of a larger community effort to collect 1000 food items for the pantry. These donations help local families who are currently struggling to provide adequate food to their children. Please be as generous as possible. The food drive will run from November 23 to December 21. Items may be brought to the school
FIELD TRIP: Germs: A Detective Story, part of Harvard University’s 2009 Holiday Science Lecture this Saturday in Cambridge, MA. Recommended for ages 7 & up. Free and open to the public. More info here.
RECYCLING: Free Garbage Audits are being offered by GREEN Northampton. Click here for more info.
HILLTOWN CHILD CARE: The Davenport Child Care in Chesterfield, MA has expanded. More info here.
MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Free sketch pads are being offered at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. The Clark encourages visitors to pick up a free sketch pad upon arrival and head into the galleries to draw, taking inspiration from the Clark’s extraordinary collection. More info here.
YOUTH FILM SHOWCASE: The Northampton Arts Council is excited to present YouthFilm, the fourth annual showcase of cinematic talent from local children and teenagers. Click here for more info.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Interested in helping with the planning of RiverFest 2010 in Shelburne Falls, MA? Call Polly at 413.625.6628.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Christmas Bird Count begins on Monday, December 12th. Read more here.
CHALLENGE GRANT FOR HILLTOWNS: $100,000+ Challenge Grant Available to Fund Emergency Aid for Berkshire Hilltown Residents. Deadline: December 21st, 2009. More info here.
SURVEY: Hilltown Housing Needs Survey: Voice your opinions by Jan. 15th. More info here.
CONGRATULATIONS: to Andrea Chesnes of Greenfield, MA and Bill Solomon of Stoneham/New Salem, MA! – Both families have come a copy of Maestro Classics’ The Tortoise and the Hare with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the 8th in its award-winning Stories and Music CD series for narrator and symphony orchestra.
SPONSORSHIP, ADVERTISING & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Deliver your message to a large local family based audience while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. Advertise your event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business or announcement on our Weekly List of Suggested Events. Serious inquiries can email us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com for details.
9am-3pm – FOOD | WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET: Winter Farmer’s Market at the Dynamite Space at Thornes Marketplace. From honey to hamburger, kale to apples, you’ll have access to the best in local produce, brought to you by the best in local farmers. Plus, live music, art, and a warm space to get out of the cold and into the community. Northampton, MA
10am – FOOD DRIVE | CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Showcase Cinemas is having a food drive. Bring in a canned good and get in free to see Home Alone. 733-5134 West Springfield, MA (DONATION OF FOOD)
6pm – COMMUNITY POTLUCK: All Blandford neighbors are invited to bring a dish to share and to join together for a community potluck at the Historical Society. (413) 374-9106 Blandford, MA (FREE)
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
New Year’s Eve Family Matinee Show
Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA
Hilltown Families and Iron Horse Entertainment Group have partnered up to offer one family a chance to win a family 4-pack of free tickets to a New Year’s Eve family matinee concert to see Grammy Award Winner They Might Be Giants at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA on Thursday, December 31st at 3pm. Deadline to enter to win is 12/24/09. Find out how to enter to win below.
ABOUT THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
2009 Grammy Winner for Best Children’s Album, TMBG have just released their fourth album for kids; Here Comes Science. The CD/DVD bridges the world of kids stuff and TMBG’s original recipe with songs about science. The legendary rock version of “Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)” finally gets a fully realized studio reading. Check out their great video above!
TMBG has available on iTunes for your listening and viewing pleasure:
Your chance to win a family 4-pack of tickets to see TMBG family matinee show at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA on New Year’s Eve is as easy as 1-2-3 (4)! To win simply:
POST A COMMENT BELOW (one entry per family) and be sure to tell us your
FULL NAME and where you
LIVE (TOWN/STATE)PLEASE include your town and state to be eligible.
ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
We’ll randomly draw a winner and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is Wednesday, 12/24/09 @ 7pm (EST).
They Might Be Giants will perform this special matinee for families at 3PM, and then a grown-ups show at 8PM. Tickets are available at the Northampton Box office, online at IHEG.com, or by calling 413-586-8686.
This site considers “the connection between Hanukkah [Festival of Lights], energy use, and the environment,” and provides “holiday tips and resources for families, schools, and congregations to infuse Hanukkah celebrations with additional meaning,” and “tips for what you can do save energy in your congregation/school and at home.” Includes a “CFL installation ceremony,” an essay about the meaning of the darkness of winter, and more. From the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL).
Collection of children’s craft activities for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve that “give a gift to Mother Earth … [by turning] holiday and household surplus into festive decorations and eco-friendly packaging.” Includes instructions for a bubble packaging advent calendar, new uses for old greeting cards, fabric wrapping (inspired by Japanese furoshiki), and more. From FamilyFun magazine.
Craft ideas for making your own Kwanzaa celebration supplies. Includes instructions for making a Kwanzaa candle holder and mat. Also describes how to create other Kwanzaa symbols. From Care2, an activist organization.
Homework has been a part of students’ lives since the beginning of formal schooling in the United States. However, the practice has sometimes been accepted and other times rejected, both by educators and parents. This has happened because homework can have both positive and negative effects on children’s learning and attitudes toward school.
100 YEARS OF HOMEWORK
In the early 20th century, the mind was viewed as a muscle that could be strengthened through mental exercise. Since exercise could be done at home, homework was viewed favorably. During the 1940s, schools began shifting their emphasis from memorization to problem solving. Homework fell out of favor because it was closely associated with the repetition of material. In the 1950s, Americans worried that education lacked rigor and left children unprepared for the new technologies, such as computers. Homework, it was believed, could speed up learning.
In the 1960s, educators and parents became concerned that homework was crowding out social experience, outdoor recreation and creative activities. Two decades later, in the 1980s, homework again came back into favor as it came to be viewed as one way to stem a rising tide of mediocrity in American education. The push for more homework continued into the 1990s, fueled by rising academic standards.
TO DO OR NOT TO DO HOMEWORK?
Homework can have many benefits for young children. It can improve remembering and understanding of schoolwork. Homework can help students develop study skills that will be of value even after they leave school. It can teach them that learning takes place anywhere, not just in the classroom. Homework can benefit children in more general ways as well. It can foster positive character traits such as independence and responsibility. Homework can teach children how to manage time.
Homework, if not properly assigned and monitored, can also have negative effects on children. Educators and parents worry that students will grow bored if they are required to spend too much time on schoolwork. Homework can prevent children from taking part in leisure-time and community activities that also teach important life skills. Homework can lead to undesirable character traits if it promotes cheating, either through the copying of assignments or help with homework that goes beyond tutoring.
The issue for educators and parents is not which list of effects, the positive or negative, is correct. To a degree, both are. It is the job of parents and educators to maximize the benefit of homework and minimize the costs.
Offer your input at the Hilltown CDBG Public Hearings in December
You can help your Town compete for the Federal CDBG grants that are needed to fund local community services by attending one of these Public Hearing in December, and/or fill out the brief Survey below:
Public Hearing Notice
Thursday, December 10, 2009 7:00 pm
Cummington Town Hall (Community House)
Main Street, Cummington
At this Public Hearing you will have the opportunity to discuss projects and services proposed for an FY10 regional CDBG funding application for the towns of Cummington, Peru, Plainfield and Worthington.
Public Hearing Notice
Monday, December 14, 2009 5:00 pm
Chesterfield Town Offices
(Davenport School Building)
422 Main Road, Chesterfield
At this public hearing you will have the opportunity to discuss projects and services proposed for an FY10 regional CDBG funding application for the towns of Chesterfield, Goshen, Westhampton and Williamsburg. The Town of Chesterfield will also review implementation of the FY08 and FY09 Northern Hilltowns regional CDBG grants that also include the towns of Cummington, Plainfield, and Worthington.
If you have questions about either of these hearings or would like special accommodations to help you participate, please contact Andrew Baker at Hilltown Community Development Corp: (413) 296-4536 ext. 18 or andrewb@hilltowncdc.org
Not able to attend? You can also help by filling out the very brief Survey below and/or forwarding this email to a friend or colleague who may need these community services. Click HERE to begin the Hilltown Program Assessment Survey. (There are 16 Yes/No statements you can respond to.)
You can also find this survey and a survey on Housing Needs at the Hilltown CDC web site: www.hilltowncdc.org
- So, there it was: Sunday morning at 8:00 on the second morning of the Crafts Festival that we were producing. Sundays are always busy and this one portended to be busier than usual. It had snowed, and an unknown person from New Jersey had parked overnight in the Elmer’s side lot so that Mike couldn’t plow it. (Admonition inside the admonition of the week: No overnight parking at Elmer’s on plow nights.) And we had drawn lots of people through heavy advertising to come to Elmer’s and we couldn’t plow.
Then the phone rang and it was our dishwasher (on the morning of the potentially very busy Sunday) saying that she had just sliced her finger pretty badly and probably would not be able to wash dishes that morning, so we had to find another sixteen year-old happy to give up their Sunday to wash dishes the whole dang day since we were going to serve lunch until 4:00, as well. Then the hostess person who is never, never, never late, was and the message the Verizon lady was giving me was that her number had been disconnected with no further information.
So to recap: No plowing, no dishwasher, no hostess and lots of people. Are you with me? So THEN (now this is where you potentially come in) the people started coming in for their breakfast, we picked up the menus to seat them with and no fewer than ten menus (out of 25) had had the main pages stolen out of them so that all we had were the “Tea and Coffee” page on the back.
That was when I started swearing like a parrot. I was cool until the menus were gone because in the middle of all there was to do I had to go and print and assemble a pile of new menus. Richard from Cummington (who happened to be in the general direction I was swearing in) tried to cheer me up by saying I should be flattered that people wanted to take the menus. If we did not have a whole stack of “to go” menus for the asking, I might go for that. But I did not. So I think you know what the admonition of this week is, and so, if you have a purloined menu at your house, hang your head and feel bad.
But here’s something nice:
Sunday morning before all that happened, I got up at 5:30 to get ready for all I had to do. The individual panes of my windows were highlighted with that classic U-shaped frost that is in all storybook pictures and just beyond them was a brand new blanket of snow lit up yellow with the light from Anna’s window where I could see her baking bread to take to Elmer’s. The fir trees were laden with snow and it was blue all around where there wasn’t otherwise light and I thought to myself, “This looks just like an illustration!” which it did! The light from Anna’s was warm like the bread would be and I felt very happy and at home. So that was nice. And then I went to work where (see Admonition above.)
FANCY CHOCOLATE EVENT IN ASHFIELD: Friday, December 11th, 2009
Okay! So I thought of a name for the chocolate event! It’s called:
Chocolate Doodle Doo!
With Chocolate Chef Alan Crofut!
We’re going to start with a quiet dinner at Elmer’s:
Pan-seared Salmon
With Sidehill Farm Riatta (a dill-cucumber yogurt sauce)
Herb-roasted potatoes
With Garlic Swiss Chard
Or Vegetarians:
Sidehill Farm Paneer with riatta
Herb-roasted potatoes
With Garlic Swiss Chard
at Elmer’s. And then you go across the street (with your little golden ticket) and where you will get to eat more chocolate than you’ve ever seen in your whole life:
Chocolate Mousse
Creamy smooth, rich, flavorful & satisfying.
Served over chocolate sponge cake with whipped cream and garnish.
Cayenne Mousse
Mousse with Cayenne Pepper, compliments red wines nicely.
Served in bowl, colored chocolate “taco chips” are used for dipping.
Chocolate Cheesecake
Thick, heavy, rich, guaranteed to scare any diet away in one bite
Chocolate Ganache Cake
Flourless cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. Like eating a truffle.
Chocolate Ganache Torts
Layers of dark chocolate can’t hide the layer of flavor in the middle – Cappuccino, Raspberry, Vanilla Ginger
There will be plates of chocolates as well. Mints, Caramel, Raspberry, Espresso, Toffee
If you’re like a lot of folks who believe cold cereal topped with reduced-fat milk is a great way to start your day, you might want to think again! Even a breakfast of “healthy” boxed cereals might not be good for you.
In her doctoral thesis, Swedish nutritionist Susanne Eriksson presented results of a study of nutrition and bone health in eight-year-olds. She found that children who drank full fat milk more than once a day had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who either never drank or rarely drank whole milk. Children who drank reduced fat milk didn’t show the same inverse association with BMI.¹
The study also found an association between lower BMI and higher saturated fat intake. I’m not surprised by this finding either, as saturated fats, eaten by our ancestors for centuries, are nourishing foods that have been vilified by the Powers That Be. (I’m not talking about the nasty man-made trans fats, which unfortunately are often lumped together with saturated fats in studies, completely muddling any results.)
Breakfast Cereal:
Regardless of the claims on the box of “healthy” cereal, it might actually be doing you harm. Did you know that most cold breakfast cereal is created through a process called “extrusion?” Extruded cereals are made from a slurry of grains that is heated to a high temperature and then forced through a small hole to make shapes, shreds, flakes or puffs. The high heat and pressure of the extrusion process alters the proteins in the grains.
Analysis of the grains after extrusion indicates that this industrial process breaks up the carefully organized proteins they contain, creating neurotoxic (damaging to nerves) protein fragments.²
I came across two shocking unpublished studies of extruded cereal.
The first study was discovered by Paul Stitt, a biochemist who worked for the food industry, including a stint with Quaker Oats. Here’s how he describes this study in Beating the Food Giants the online version of Fighting the Food Giants:
While I was doing research on my project in Quaker’s library, I came across a little flyer that the company had published in 1942. It contained a report on a study in which four sets of rats were given special diets. One group received plain whole-wheat kernels, water, vitamins and minerals. Another group received Puffed Wheat, water, and the same nutrient solution. A third set was given water and white sugar, and a fourth given nothing but water and the chemical nutrients. The rats which received the whole wheat lived more than a year on the diet. The rats who got nothing but water and vitamins lived for about eight weeks, and the animals on a white sugar and water diet lived for a month. But Quaker’s own laboratory study showed that rats given vitamins, water and all the Puffed Wheat they wanted died in two weeks. It wasn’t a matter of the rats dying of malnutrition; results like these suggested that there was something actually toxic about the Puffed Wheat itself. Proteins are very similar to certain toxins in molecular structure, and the puffing process of putting the grain under 1500 pounds-per-square-inch of pressure, and then releasing it, may produce chemical changes which turn a nutritious grain into a poisonous substance. And Quaker has known about this toxicity since 1942.³
The second study (which I find rather cruel) tested the nutritional content of corn flakes. Rats at the University of Michigan were fed diets containing water and either corn flakes, rat chow, or the corn flake box. The rats on the corn flake diet died before those eating the cardboard box! Once again, the extruded cereal seems to have had major ill effects.
Remember that not only cereals are extruded. Many snack foods and even pet foods are extruded. Pringles, anyone?
WHAT TO DO
Check out these web sites for some healthy breakfast ideas:
Christmas Bird Count: Citizen Science in Action
December 14th – January 5th
Hilltown kids participating in a bird count last year at the Chesterfield Gorge. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
For three weeks beginning December 14th, 2009, tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission – often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.
Each of the citizen scientists who annually braves snow, wind, or rain, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations – and to help guide conservation action.
From feeder-watchers and field observers to count compilers and regional editors, everyone who takes part in the Christmas Bird Count does it for love of birds and the excitement of friendly competition — and with the knowledge that their efforts are making a difference for science and bird conservation.
Another bird count your family can participate in this winter is the Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. This year the GBBC happens February 12th-15th, 2010. Click HERE to read more about the GBBC.
$100,000+ Challenge Grant Available to Fund Emergency Aid for Berkshire Hilltown Residents
Deadline: December 21st, 2009
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Central Berkshire Fund is offering a challenge grant of $100,000+ to support the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program in central Berkshire County. The fund will match $7 for every $1 raised by the 14,550 residents of Becket, Cummington, Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Washington and Windsor. Each town must raise $1 per resident up to its population size with a minimum of 10 gifts per town by December 21, 2009.
FTC Renews Call to Entertainment Industry to Curb Marketing of Violent Entertainment to Children
Marketers of violent music, movies, and video games can do more to restrict the promotion of these products to children, according to the seventh in a series of Federal Trade Commission reports on marketing violent entertainment to children.
“The Commission has been reviewing and reporting on the movie, music, and video game industries’ advertising and marketing practices relating to violent entertainment for 10 years now,” noted FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a separate statement accompanying the report. “Despite considerable improvements, the self-regulatory systems are far from perfect.” He also emphasized that “in the future, it will be particularly important to address the challenges presented by emerging technologies – such as mobile gaming – that are quickly changing the ways that children access entertainment.”
The FTC’s report states that the music industry still has not adopted objective marketing standards limiting ad placement for explicit-content music. As a result, the industry still advertises music labeled with a Parental Advisory Label (PAL) on television shows viewed by a substantial number of children. Music retailers routinely sell labeled music to unaccompanied teens.
The report also finds that movie studios intentionally market PG-13 movies to children under 13, and the movie industry does not have explicit standards in place to restrict this practice. The growing practice of releasing unrated DVDs undermines the rating system, and confuses parents.
Both the video game and movie industries can do more to limit ad placement on Web sites that disproportionately attract children and teens, according to the report.
Do you have concerns about, compliments for or ideas on how to improve housing programs in the hilltowns? If so, this is your chance to voice your opinions. Hilltown CDC wants to hear from you!
Participate in an anonymous, on-line survey regarding housing needs in the hilltowns! Topics include the needs of first time homebuyers, current home-owners, and the need for senior housing and affordable housing in general. Click on the following link to take this quick, 10 minute survey. Please complete the survey before Jan. 15, 2010! Be a part of our efforts to improve life in the hilltowns.
Discover fun and educational events happening this weekend in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Click here to suggest an event.
FEATURED EVENT: Eco-Craftmaking & Winter Fair in the Hilltowns - As an alternative to traditional holiday buying, the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School will host a family book and eco-craftmaking fair on Saturday December 5, 2009 from 10 am to 4 pm at the “Brassworks” building on Rte. 9 (132 Main St.) in Haydenville, MA. Parents and children alike will have the opportunity to make a variety of eco-craft items, many using recycled and natural materials including full-sized wreaths, fabric gift bags, felt key chains, gnomes and fairies, decorated candles, lavender sachets and gingerbread people. Click on the banner for more info.
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that these events are happening, along with time, location, age appropriateness and costs before attending.
BULLETIN BOARD
Maureen Shea of Cummington, MA writes: New ABC Club: Storytelling for Young Children, at the Bryant Free Library in Cummington from 10-11:30am on the first Monday of every month. Parent-led and all are welcome. Call for more info: 634-5431.
CONGRATULATIONS: to Kimberly Canning of Springfield, MA and Justin Bassett of Vergennes, VT. Both of these families have won a family 4-pack of tickets to see two time Grammy winner Bill Harley at the Iron Horse in Northampton, MA this coming Sunday at 2pm. Thank you to everyone for participating in our giveaway. Tickets are still available to see Bill Harley at the Northampton Box office, online at www.IHEG.com, or by calling 413-586-8686.
HILLTOWN SKIING FOR KIDS: Register by December 15th for Bill Koch Youth Ski League, held on Sundays, 2-4 pm, Notchview Reservation, Windsor, MA. This cross-country ski program introduces young people to the lifelong sport of cross-country skiing. Have a winter of fun with relays, games on skis, and age-appropriate races to develop cross-country ski skills for ages 5 to 13. Parents and children participate in league activities. Contact cdefrancis@MassMutual.com or call Notchview at 413-684-0148 for information.
VIDEO CONTEST:Putumayo Kids Dance-Off Video Contest wants your home videos! Right now and through December 30th, you can submit videos of kids and parents dancing to Putumayo tunes. Winners in each category will have their videos posted on our website and will receive the full Putumayo Kids Collection. Details are on the site.
LOCAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: Teachers and families, find out about the educational programs, resources and activities offered with current exhibits at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA.
WEATHER ADVISORIES: The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has issued their annual winter weather advisories. Thanks to Charlie Kaniecki, District Health Officer for the Department of Public Health, they are all compiled into a single document. Brush up and plan ahead for winter snow, ice, winds, power outages, and the like!
FOOD DRIVE IN HILLTOWNS: Students at R. H. Conwell are collecting food for the Gateway Hilltown Food Pantry, as part of a larger community effort to collect 1000 food items for the pantry. These donations help local families who are currently struggling to provide adequate food to their children. Please be as generous as possible. The food drive will run from November 23 to December 21. Items may be brought to the school.
MA 4H PROGRAM – Hampshire County 4-H Fair Association Annual Wreath Sale at Amherst Farm Supply on Saturday from 9am-3pm, and at Belchertown Tractor Supply on Sunday from 9am-3pm. May order wreaths by calling 413-253-7721.
SPONSORSHIP, ADVERTISING & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Deliver your message to a large local family based audience while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. Advertise your event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business or announcement on our Weekly List of Suggested Events. Serious inquiries can email us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com for details.
9am-3pm – FOOD | WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET: Winter Farmer’s Market at the Dynamite Space at Thornes Marketplace. From honey to hamburger, kale to apples, you’ll have access to the best in local produce, brought to you by the best in local farmers. Plus, live music, art, and a warm space to get out of the cold and into the community.
10am – FOOD DRIVE | CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Showcase Cinemas is having a food drive. Bring in a canned good and get in free to see “White Christmas.” 733-5134 West Springfield, MA (DONATION OF FOOD)
1-5pm – VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Share in cocoa and holiday music as volunteers help Pioneer Valley homeless families with the 2nd annual Fleece Fiesta. Volunteers will create warm, durable fleece no-sew blankets, and collect non-perishable food. Help do your part to make sure our neighbors don’t go cold or hungry this winter. No talent necessary. Anyone can help. At First Churches. To benefit Servicenet, Inc. 508.641.1546 Northampton, MA
2-4pm – HOLIDAY EVENT | FOOD: Gingerbread house making at Stanton Hall. Come “recreate Huntington” with gingerbread. Huntington, MA (FREE)
2:30pm – HOLIDAY CONCERT – The Florence Community Band presents, “A Holiday Concert” at the Northampton High School. Northampton, MA (FREE)
4pm – FAMILY CONCERT: Dennis Caraher at Thornes Marketplace. Northampton, MA (FREE)
5:30pm – CAROLING – Caroling on the Greens. Sleigh rides, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, food and cookies for the whole family. Center of Williamsburg on the Grange Hall lawn. Williamsburg, MA (FREE)
The Piano Staircase: What Happens When We Make Choices Fun?
The Fun Theory holds that “something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better.”
In this video, the fun theory is tested at an Odenplan subway station in Stockholm, Sweden, addressing one the question: “Can we get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do?” The video explains that by turning the staircase into an interactive keyboard, the fun theory is demonstrated as 66 percent more people than normal chose the stairs over the escalator.
The videos are part of a marketing initiative created by Volkswagen Sweden and ad agency DDB Stockholm. The campaign extends to a Fun Theory award, which will be presented to the idea or invention that best demonstrates the theory. Competition entrants are accepted until December 15, 2009.
The campaign asks, “What Happens When We Make Choices Fun?” and answers itself: “Fun can obviously change behavior for the better.”
Are you thinking about purchasing a home but don’t know where to begin? Begin by taking a workshop! – it’s never too early to prepare.
Hilltown CDC is offering a free First Time Homebuyer Workshop to introduce you to the process of buying a home and the “team members” who will be working for you. Speakers include a lender, a home inspector, a realtor, a lawyer, a credit specialist and an insurance broker.
Dates: Saturday, Jan. 23rd, 30th and Feb. 6th
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Classes will be held at the Hilltown CDC office at 387 Main Road (Rte 143) in Chesterfield, MA.
This three class series is certified by MassHousing, CHAPA and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Attendance at all three classes is required for certificate. For more information, or to register call Bea, Hilltown CDC Home Buyer Counselor at 296-4536, ext. 15 or email beavh@hilltowncdc.org.
Nearly every day I add recommended links to the Hilltown Families bank of on-line resources. Some of you might find these links well suited for your family, others, maybe not so much. But it’s a fun and useful list worth perusing! If you have a link you’d like to share, post it in our comment box or email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Where are these links? You won’t find them on your blog reader nor via email if you subscribe to our newsfeed. But if you visit the blog on-line and scroll half way down, on the left you will find the column, “Links We Recommend,” with 100 of our most recent recommended links. Here’s what you can find there right now (you will need to use the “back” button to return to this page):
If you’re a girl between the ages of 13-19, you can submit your writing, your art, or a description of your activism for publication in Teen Voices. Teen Voicesis an intensive journalism mentoring and leadership development program for teen girls in Boston, MA whose mission is to support and educate teen girls to amplify their voices and create social change through media.
Click here for more information on publishing your work with Teen Voice.
Gateway to host area senior citizens for holiday concert and luncheon on Wednesday
The Gateway Regional School District extends a warm invitation to area senior citizens for the Annual Holiday Luncheon and Concert at the Gateway Regional Middle/High School complex, 12 Littleville Rd. in Huntington. This event will be held on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 with a student concert in the performing arts center at 11:30 a.m. A holiday luncheon will follow at approximately1:15 p.m. in the cafeteria. This event is free of charge to all hilltown seniors.
The 9th Annual Toy Action Guide produced by TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment), a national organization of educators concerned about the impact of media and commercial culture on children, provides a list of toys and trends to avoid as well as toys of value. It is online free at www.truceteachers.org.
TRUCE recommends avoiding toys that bring violence into rescue-related play, link non-nutritious food to play, lure little girls into focusing on teenage behavior, equate money and shopping with fulfillment and fun, use electronics to overstimulate babies, or promote young children’s interest in inappropriate content.
TRUCE recommends toys that promote dramatic play and manipulative play with small play objects, encourage respectful, non-stereotyped, nonviolent interactions among children, allow children to determine play, and help children develop skills important for further learning and a sense of mastery.
TV Exposure May Be Associated With Aggressive Behavior in Young Children
Three-year-old children who are exposed to more TV appear to be at an increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior, according to a new report co-authored by a researcher from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
The report, which appears in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, analyzed survey data from 3,128 mothers of children born from 1998 to 2000 in 20 large cities in the United States to examine associations of child television exposure and household television use with aggressive behavior in children.
“The study shows that there is an association between the number of hours that the television is on at home and early childhood aggression,” says co-author Catherine A. Taylor, assistant professor of Community Health Sciences at Tulane, who conducted the study with lead author Jennifer A. Manganello of University at Albany, State University of New York. “We also found that the number of hours a child directly spends watching TV is associated with increased aggression.”
"If we wish to create a lasting peace we must begin with the children." - Mahatma Gandhi
Welcome to Hilltown Families, a grassroots communication network for families with grade school children living in Western Mass, established in 2005 by hilltown mother and long time activist Sienna Wildfield.
HF welcomes writings that reflect the positive work and educational efforts activists, families, teachers, and artists work towards and accomplish and how that affects, supports and empowers our families.
GRENDEL BOOKS, ABAA/ILAB
Local, independent book store selling out-of-print and used quality books for over 20 years.
Hilltown Families welcomes individuals and businesses to become a sponsor. Email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com to inquire how you can support the work of Hilltown Families by becoming a sponsor.
FRIDAY IN THE HILLTOWNS
2009 Grammy Winner for Best Children’s Album, 
Hanukkah: Let There Be (Renewable) Light: A New Look at Hanukkah
FamilyFun: Have a Happy Green Holiday
Eco-Friendly Kwanzaa
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