Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum Opens for 2013 Season
The rooms in the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum remain as they were arranged by members of the family to accommodate the procession of folks who crossed the house’s threshold. From farmers and businessmen, to religious leaders and social workers, to servants and slaves, the stories of many men, women, and children spanning 250 years of American History are told within the house.
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum, an historic house museum dating to 1752 in Hadley, MA opens today (Wednesday, May 15) for its 64th season, and will continue their summer music engagement series, Wednesday Folk Traditionsand A Perfect Spot of Tea this summer.
Known as Forty Acres, the museum is an 18th-century farm on the banks of the Connecticut River that today interprets life in rural New England over three centuries. Through the words, spaces and possessions of the women and men who lived there, the Museum portrays the activities of a prosperous and productive 18th-century farmstead.
Pothole Pictures presents “Root Hog or Die”
May 17th & 18th in Shelburne Falls, MA
“Root Hog or Die” captures the lives and stories of the old time horse farmers in Franklin County in their own voices, faces, ingenious technology and well-tended land. According to Pothole Pictures coordinator, Fred DeVecca, “Rawn Fulton’s film provides a vibrant and down-to-earth historical context for the resurgence of local agriculture, CSAs and micro-farming in Franklin County today…It connects us to our neighbors, our history, the land and the farms we depend on and gives us all an opportunity to show our support for local agriculture.”
Nearly forty years after its first release, “Root Hog or Die,” the Franklin County documentary film on the last of the old time horse farmers in Western Massachusetts, re-appears on the big screen in Shelburne Falls. On Friday and Saturday, May 17th & 18th at 7:30pm, Pothole Pictures presents two screenings of “Root Hog or Die” in historic Memorial Hall Theater in downtown Shelburne Falls.
On Saturday, May 18, the film’s director, Rawn Fulton will present the recently re-mastered digital version of the original 56-minute film made in 1974, and will lead a community conversation about farming then and now together with a panel of local farmers. They include farmers and local families whose experience stretches back for generations and who are connected to many of the farmers featured in “Root Hog or Die” – Jim Wholey and the Dole family of Shelburne, and Al Pieropan of Ashfield.
Contemporary farmers with long family roots in Franklin County also include Faith and Peter Williams representing the Our Family Farms dairy cooperative and John and Carolyn Wheeler of Wheelview Farm. Newer arrivals to Franklin County farming include Paul Lacinski and Amy Klippenstein of Side Hill Farm in Hawley and David Fisher and Anna Maclay of Natural Roots CSA in Conway. New Roots brings the horse-powered farming tradition back to Franklin County in a new form – community supported agriculture. Recent Mohawk High School graduate will represent the new generation of young farmers revitalizing agriculture in Franklin County.
Chester On Track Celebrates 174th Anniversary
Saturday, May 18th, 2013
Chester, MA
All aboard for Chester On Track, the railroad-themed family festival in downtown Chester, MA on Saturday, May 18 from 9am-4pm (rain or shine). A 10am parade sets the day’s pace along Route 20 and through the village. This free event gathers some of the very best early railroad, industrial, military and artisan talent from the across region.
Celebrate the 174th anniversary of the coming of the railroad to Chester, MA. Chester became a significant railroad hub during the age of steam. 150 men worked around the clock at the roundhouse maintaining the “pusher” engines to move passengers and freight up and over the Berkshire Hills westward.
Visit with living history re-enactors and explore the stories of the local landscape: 10th Massachusetts Regiment Civil War, blacksmithing, and Irish immigrant Western Railroad workers from Storrowtown Village, and tool demonstrations at a former granite stone finishing works.
Stop by the rail fan train show at the depot. Marvel at the Pioneer Valley Live Steamers ‘one-lung’ steam & gas engine demos, and classic cars. Displays include a number of 1920′s-era freight cars, wooden caboose, wooden velocipede, ‘Children’s Boxcar,’ Operation Lifesaver and US Fish and Wildlife’s Watershed On Wheels exhibit van.
Greenfield’s Lost Museum: Dexter Marsh and the Dinosaur Tracks
The town of Greenfield was once home to a world famous museum – it drew a stunning 3,000 visitors in just 7 years! The museum, opened during the mid-19th century by a local jack-of-all-trades named Dexter Marsh, was home to the first ever dinosaur tracks to receive a thorough and official scientific examination. What happened to the tracks? And what happened to the museum? Find out more about this fascinating piece of Pioneer Valley past at Greenfield Community College’s Sloan Theater on Wednesday, May 8th at 7pm. Presented by the Pioneer Valley Institute. 1 College Drive. Greenfield, MA. (FREE)
Many local people know that Dexter Marsh (1806-1853), quarrier — stonemason, janitor, handyman, and jack-of-all-trades in 19th-century Greenfield, MA — was among the first to discover dinosaur footprints, but how many know that he opened one of the first dinosaur museums in the country? In 1835, when he first saw the prints, he thought they had been left by very large birds — and professional geologists agreed with him. These became the first known tracks in the world ever to receive a thorough scientific examination, performed by a professor at Amherst College named Edward Hitchcock.
In the following years, the largely self-educated Marsh learned about paleontology and built an extra room onto his house to exhibit his collection. From 1846 to 1853, an astonishing 3,000 people signed the visitors’ register of his house-museum, including such famous Americans as Oliver Wendell Holmes and even travelers from Europe and the Near East. At his early death in 1853, Marsh’s museum was dispersed at public auction, split mostly between Amherst College and what is today the Boston Museum of Science.
By looking into his daybooks and visitors’ registry in the archives at Amherst College, Dr. Robert Herbert has given Dexter Marsh the most thorough examination to date, bringing the man and his museum from obscurity back into the light. On Wednesday, May 8th at 7pm, using maps, photographs, and illustrations, Dr. Herbert will give a lively talk about this brilliant day laborer whose curiosity moved him into another world. It is our great good fortune that Dr. Herbert, formerly an art historian at Yale University and later Mount Holyoke College, has long been interested in the history of geology. In recent years, he has written about Edward Hitchcock and Orra White Hitchcock and continues to delve into the history of dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley.
Dr. Herbert’s talk will take place at Greenfield Community College, Main Campus, Sloan Theater (Main Building, South Wing). For more info contact Cynthia Herbert at pvi@gcc.mass.edu
Submitted by Cynthia Herbert. Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Greenfield.
Patriot’s Day Revolutionary Muster and Parade
Historic Deerfield
Saturday, April 13th, 2013
Go back in time and learn all about the Revolutionary War at Historic Deerfield this weekend! The museum’s Patriot’s Day Revolutionary Muster and Parade offers a chance to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of 18th century New England, just as the Revolutionary War was beginning. Families will find numerous ways to learn and experience history for themselves, and the event is filled with demonstrations and reenactments that will bring history to life!
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The focus for this year’s muster is “The Shot Heard Round the World,” and the events in Concord and Lexington that officially began the country’s fight for freedom from England. Historical re-enactors will fill the grounds at Historic Deerfield with encampments of soldiers – both American and British – and will perform traditional fife and drum music and act out a small skirmish-style attack. Families can learn about the traditional dress of a revolutionary soldier, as well as the uniforms, weapons, and even behavior required of a member of the early American army.
Other educational opportunities include demonstrations of open hearth cooking and powder horn carving, house tours, a self-guided Revolution Walk tour, Colonial crafts, and more. Children can learn about the Revolutionary War through immersion – gaining an understanding of the events that lead to the war and experiencing the culture and traditions of those living during and participating in the war. They will learn about life as a soldier, as well as life as a villager contributing to the war effort. Older students can pair their pre-existing knowledge of the Revolutionary War with studies of 18th century life by learning more about the customs of early Americans.
The event takes place on Saturday, April 13th, 2013 from 10am-4pm, rain or shine – just as in Revolutionary times! Historic Deerfield is located on Old Main Street in Deerfield. Admission to the event is $12 for adults, and $5 for children ages 6-17. For more information, visit www.historic-deerfield.org/ or call 413-775-7214.
For an upcoming issue of Preview Massachusetts Magazine, I was in Northampton interviewing a chef and a restaurant owner this week. It’s a space he relatively recently took over and we were recalling together what it had been in its last incarnation.
That evening, my husband and I strained to recall what it had been before that. We couldn’t remember.
I arrived in the Valley in 1981 as a first year student at Hampshire College. Gauzily, hazily, I can recall waiting for the train—location, obvious—for its 2 AM pickup once or twice (that wasn’t fun). Where Moshi Moshi is, Wally’s Soda Bar was. There was another health food store in town and a groovy cotton-clothing store where Florence Savings Bank is now. The town had a hardware store and a Woolworth’s and an independently owned pharmacy on Main Street.
On it goes. There’s so much I cannot remember. I have to admit my personal institutional memory is spotty at best.
My dear husband and I think that someone—Chamber of Commerce, perhaps—should build some kind of interactive site that offers the history of each storefront in town.
What do you remember? Where’s the history-loving and tech-savvy design student to build a site for our adorable little New England city?
Sarah is a writer, who lives in Northampton with her husband and four children. She contributes to Preview Massachusetts Magazine, as well as other publications and writes a parenting blog Standing in the Shadows at the Valley Advocate. She moved to the Valley to attend Hampshire College—and found the Valley such a nice place, she stayed!
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
History of Transportation in the Pioneer Valley
One of the best ways to learn about the changes that historical events and innovative inventions create is by studying local history. By learning about broad concepts and eras within history, we can gain an understanding of how things changed on a large scale. However, to really understand how these changes were played out on a smaller scale, we must examine the effect that they had on our own communities.
The Wistariahurst Museum is offering a series of lectures this spring on the history of transportation in the Pioneer Valley. Titled, “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Transportation in the Pioneer Valley,” the series aims to teach the community about how changes in technology, industry, and politics played out in they way that we get from place to place. Some of the topics addressed in the lectures will include:
Westover Field’s role in our country’s involvement in the Cold War
The short history of rail travel and transport in the Pioneer Valley, and its place in our future
Travel by foot or on bike, as supported by the many hiking trails and bike paths in the valley
The systems we’ve implemented in our waterways in order to accommodate changing energy needs and the upstream travel of fish
Best for older students, the lectures will explain lots of important local history and will focus on 20th century history (though a few of the topics deal with late 19th century history, as well). Each event will take place at 6pm in the museum’s carriage house, and they will take place on Monday evenings from March 4th-May 13th, 2013. The museum asks a small donation to attend the lectures. Wistariahurst is located at 238 Cabot Street in Holyoke, and can be contacted at 413-322-5660.
In honor of Black History Month I want to share an extraordinary book about an extraordinary human being:
Carver, a life in poems(Front Street, 2001) is an intimate portrait of the botanist, inventor, scientist, artist, musician, and teacher, known as George Washington Carver. Written by acclaimed poet, Marilyn Nelson, the book takes us through Carver’s life in a series of narrative poems told from the voices of the people who knew him, and from Carver himself. Wrought with emotion and meaning, Nelson gives us a biographical experience of a man whose imprint on the world is still felt today.
Born a slave in Missouri in 1864, and raised by the white family that owned his mother, Carver seemed to always have a special spark, a reverence and joy for life, a thirst for knowledge, and an independent spirit, which led him to leave home in 1877, to attend school and begin a life-long quest for learning.
Carver’s curiosity, his hunger for answers, his drive to find out why, what if, propelled him into his destiny, and Nelson captures that in the poem, “Drifter“: “Something says find out / why rain falls, what makes corn proud / and squash so humble, the questions / call like a train whistle so at fourteen, / fifteen, eighteen, nineteen still on half-fare, / over the receding landscapes the perceiving self / stares back from the darkening window.”
Carver put himself through high school and college, studying art and science, washing people’s laundry to support himself. His success was continuous. He became known for his green thumb and his artistic talent. His paintings were exhibited at the Chicago World’s Fair, he earned his B.A and M.A. degrees, and joined the faculty at Tuskegee Institute, where he stayed for the rest of his life working on ideas and inventions, from crop rotation and cotton seed to peanut recipes and paint colors. His generous nature dictated that he never profit from his discoveries, instead he gave them away for the benefit of all humankind.
In spare, lyrical language, Nelson takes us through moments in Carver’s life, some public, some private, and reveals a man of uncommon talent and faith. She shows his gifts of observation, his thirst for knowledge, his simmering, creative energy, his insights, and his deep spirituality.
And though Carver’s life was full of the complexities of science and nature, and he never lacked for work to do, the poems also show how he valued simplicity and contemplation. Poems like “Dawn Walk” and “Dimensions of the Milky Way” depict him in quiet conversation with the universe. And light-hearted poems like “The Lace-Maker,” “The Joy of Sewing,” and ”The Wild Garden” express the simple pleasures he took in doing handwork and gathering wild greens. Recurring details like the flowers Carver would wear in the lapels of his second-hand suits not only help us imagine what he looked like but are also tender expressions of his character.
Nelson’s poems do not shy from the harsh racial climate of the era. She portrays Carver’s dedication to the Negro people, and his reactions to lynchings and injustices, with powerful poems like “Goliath.” When his Bible study students ask after another lynching, “Where is God now?” Carver responds, “God is right here. / Don’t lose contact with Him. Don’t yield to fear. / Fear is the root of hate, and hate destroys / the hater … When we lose contact, we see only hate, / only injustice, a giant so great / its shadow blocks our sun. But David slew / Goliath with the only things he knew: / the slingshot of intelligence, and one / pebble of truth.”
Each poem in the book is complete and can stand alone as an exquisite piece of poetry. The poems beckon to be read aloud, and to be read over and over again, peeling back layers of meaning and nuance. Read together in a sequence that spans Carver’s life, with seamless transitions from one poem to the next, and thematic strands that connect the poems to each other, the whole collection creates a stunning portrait of Carver and illuminates the man who he was.
As the book draws to a close, Nelson is able to capture Carver’s divine message of conservation in the poem, “Last Talk with Jim Hardwick”: “When I die I will live again. / By nature I am a conserver. / I have found Nature / to be a conserver, too. / Nothing is wasted / or permanently lost / in Nature. Things / change their form, / but they do not cease / to exist … God would be a bigger fool / than even a man / if He did not conserve / the human soul, / which seems to be / the most important thing / He has yet done in the universe.”
The very last poem, “Moton Field,” connects the past and the present, and Carver to the poet herself. The year is 1943, and we see Carver at the end of his life, penning answers to the letters piled at his bedside. While outside his window the poet’s father, Melvin Moton Nelson, one of the first Tuskegee airmen, is piloting a p-40 airplane ”high as a Negro has ever been.” The book ends with the final image of airman Nelson doing a “sky-roaring victory roll.”
Carver earned over a dozen accolades and awards including the 2001 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, a 2002 Newberry Medal Honor Award, and a 2002 Coretta Scott King Honor Award. Though this was Nelson’s first book for young adults, she was already an accomplished poet with several full-length poetry collections, chap books, and translations. Since the publication of Carvershe has written many more books for young people. You can read about her work at www.marilyn-nelson.com/.
Carver: A Life in Poems written by Marilyn Nelson. Published by Front Street, Asheville, NC, 2001. ISBN: 1-886910-53-7
Cheli has been involved with creative arts and education for most of her life, and has taught many subjects from art and books to yoga and zoology. But she has a special fondness for kid’s books, and has worked in the field for more than 20 years. She is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Valley Kids and teaches a course for adults in “Writing for Children.” She writes from Colrain, where she lives with her musician-husband, three children, and shelves full of kid’s books.
Blogging the Days in the Life of William Cobbett Skinner
1888 Journal is posted online as the year unfolds.
William Cobbett Skinner (1857 – 1947) 1888 Journal
In 1888, William Cobbett Skinner was 31 years old, working under his father’s guidance at Skinner and Sons Manufacturing in Holyoke, MA. Wistariahurst Museum’s blog entries will track Will’s 1888 journal. Each week new entries will be transcribed and uploaded to the Wistariahurst Museum website for interested readers to follow.
“The journal entries will unfold like a mystery” remarked Penni Martorell. “It is all new material to us. We’ve never had the time to transcribe this journal and we thought we would share the discoveries as they happen along in the year.”
Follow along as Will’s journal lends insights into his business dealings, family relationships and social life.
Dale Platenik, a select volunteer with skills at deciphering handwriting has stepped up to take on this time consuming and yet intriguing process. “I love the challenge of decoding Will’s handwriting and I am learning all sorts of things about Will and the Skinner Family. It is quite fun.”
Be Mine: Chocolate and Valentines
The Roots of Valentine’s Day Traditions
Old Sturbridge Village: Feb. 9th & 10th
Historians at Old Sturbridge Village will celebrate the history of Valentines in America and demonstrate old-fashioned chocolate-making with “Be Mine: Chocolate and Valentines,” a weekend program set for Saturday and Sunday Feb. 9-10, 2013. – UPDATE: Due to the impending storm, the Village will be closed, Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9.
[02/08/13 UPDATE: OSV will be closed Sat., Feb. 9th and opened Sun. Feb. 10th]
The tradition of having chocolate on Valentine’s Day is a longstanding one – it has been around since the early days of New England, even! Today’s Valentine’s traditions tend not to involve a lot of homemade chocolate or laborious preparations, however – usually we buy our chocolates at the grocery store or, in the most thoughtful of cases, from a local candy shop. However, early Americans spent a lot of time preparing their delicious chocolate foods – a tradition that families can learn about this weekend at Old Sturbridge Village!
The village’s annual Be Mine: Chocolate and Valentines offers families a chance to learn about the history of chocolate – how it was prepared, where it came from, and how it was eaten. Cacao beans were processed and ground by early New Englanders in order to create things like a spicy hot chocolate-style drink or a chocolate cake – with a surprising secret ingredient! There will be both displays and demonstrations from which families can learn about 19th century chocolate-making techniques. Do you know where the first Americans were supplied their chocolate from? Before visiting, watch a video on the history of chocolate to learn some useful background information on the process of acquiring and preparing cocoa beans!
Along with chocolate, Valentine’s Day brings the sharing of valentine cards! Since the roots of this tradition are local, the village will have special educational programs and hands-on activities on this topic, too! Families can learn about the Worcester resident whose humble handmade card business blossomed into a large card-making company and, eventually, the huge tradition of Valentine’s Day cards that we have today. Then, make your own valentines to share – inspired by images of antique cards shared by villages in the 1800’s.
Families can use a visit to the village to make this Valentine’s Day an educational one, rather than a commercialized one! Students can exerience the roots of some of the traditions that they participate in, and will learn to better understand early American culture. The village is open from 9:30am-4pm on both Saturday, February 9th and Sunday, February 10th. More information and a complete schedule of events is available on the village’s website. www.osv.org
Did You Know?
Chocolate
Spanish conquistadors brought chocolate from Central America back to Spain in the 16th century. From there, it traveled through Europe, to England, and back to America.
Early versions of “chocolate cake” do not actually contain any chocolate. The name means that the cake was intended to be enjoyed with a cup of chocolate, just as “coffee cake” today is meant to be served with coffee.
Boston pharmacists advertised chocolate as a medicinal remedy as early as 1712, and by the late 1700s, there were hundreds of chocolate vendors in the city.
Chocolate was drunk as a medicine during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and by California Gold Rush miners, but later in the 19th century, with the addition of milk and more sugar, chocolate was preferred more as a confection than as a health tonic.
New manufacturing processes developed during the Industrial Revolution transformed chocolate from an expensive drink into an inexpensive food. By the late 1800s, chocolate was widely advertised to women and children through colorful posters and trade cards, and its iconic status as the world’s preferred candy was secured.
Valentines
The best known legend about St. Valentine has that he was a Roman martyr killed for his faith on February 14, 269 A.D. He may have been a priest who married couples in spite of the Emperor’s ban.
Valentine’s Day, like Christmas and many other Christian holidays, was originally an attempt to Christianize popular pagan festivals. In pagan Rome, February 14 was dedicated to the goddess Juno (Hera in Greek mythology), wife of Jupiter (Zeus) and patroness of women and marriage.
Few New Englanders marked Valentine’s Day before its rise in the increasingly sentimental and economically prosperous 1840s.
As with other holidays, those who made money from Valentine’s Day encouraged its observance. In the 1840s when printing technology improved, sending handwritten notes and printed cards became even more popular. Enterprising shopkeepers encouraged the exchange of gloves, books, candy, and other gifts among a growing middle class.
Esther Howland, of Worcester, Mass. began designing fancy Valentine cards in 1848, and hired girls to help cut and paste together these small works of art. By 1850 she was advertising her cards in the newspaper, and by 1860 she was selling between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of Valentines annually.
The Kimball-Salisbury Women: Chicago to Tor Court
Local History & Fashion from the Gilded Age
Arrowhead in Pittsfield, MA
The Berkshire Historical Society at Arrowhead offers a glimpse of Pittsfield’s Gilded Age with an exhibit of exquisite fashions and photographs from Tor Court’s Kimball-Salisbury family. The exhibit highlights the gowns worn by four different Kimball women, all of whom spent summers at Tor Court, one of the Berkshire Cottages in Pittsfield. These “cottages” were actually mansions built by some of America’s wealthiest families in and around Lenox, Stockbridge and Pittsfield during the Gilded Age. These aristocratic manor houses came to be known as Berkshire Cottages.
Learn about the Gilded Age’s local influence at the Berkshire Historical Society at Arrowhead! The historical society is hosting an exhibit of items and artifacts from the lavish time period, including exquisite gowns worn by and photographs of the Kimball-Salisbury family, owners of one of the many Gilded Age “cottages” found in the Berkshires.
Though called cottages, the homes were really anything but – they were colossal, exquisite mansions built as summer homes in the Berkshires for families who lived in the city. The fashions included in the exhibition illustrate the changes in style that took place between 1910 and the mid-1920’s, as they change from beautiful gowns to sassy flapper dresses, illustrating the cultural changes that also took place at that time.
The exhibit illustrates history through fashion, and will help students learning about American history put their learning into a local context.
The Kimball-Salisbury Women: Chicago to Tor Court is open from Thursday-Sunday from 11am-3pm, from February 10th to March 31st, 2013. Arrowhead is located at 780 Holmes Road in Pittsfield. For more information call 413-442-1793 or visit www.mobydick.org.
Celebratory Opening Benefit Brunch happens on February 9, from 11am-1pm at Salisbury Estates Community House in Pittsfield, MA. Cost of brunch includes ticket to exhibit. For more information and to order your brunch tickets, call 413-442-1793 x10.
Our friends at the Hilltown Family Variety Show (HFVS) put together a special program all about the Underground Railroad. Our songs “Underground Railroad” and “Henry Box Brown” are on it. So are great versions of traditional songs by Taj Mahal and Bill Harley, a story read by Morgan Freeman and much more. Listen to it right now:
And listen carefully. That’s the only way you’ll pass the quiz we made up related to the show. The quiz is for 4th grade and up (or advanced readers of any age) and may require some extra research in addition to listening to the HFVS podcast. Post your answers on a blog or Facebook page or public Google doc and share your link here.
Try to avoid using Wikipedia. Searching songbooks, history books, Bibles, and other tomes you hopefully have on your family’s shelves — or in your local library — will be a much more enjoyable way to find the information you don’t know already (Western MA resources available here).
In our song “Underground Railroad,” what is the secret password needed to board? It’s actually three words.
Name three cities or towns that were part of the Underground Railroad — and that we mention in our song about it.
What is the “drinking gourd” described in the story read by Morgan Freeman and sung about by Taj Mahal?
In the traditional song “Wade In the Water,” (Bill Harley’s version can be heard on the podcast) who, as the lyrics ask, are “these children all dressed in red” and “that young girl dressed in white?” There isn’t one right answer — tell us what you’ve read and what you think. (Hint: Many spirituals and Underground Railroad songs contained coded lyrics and secret messages)
Henry “Box” Brown mailed himself to freedom in a box. In which city did he finally climb out of his box a free man?
A state and a musical instrument are mentioned in “Nelly Grey” (Phil Rosenthal sings the version you hear on the podcast). Which state? Which instrument?
Why was “Nelly Grey” written (Another question without one answer. We want your opinions as well as the results of your research)?
“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (Leadbelly and a choir close out the podcast with their version) describes a trip to heaven — or to freedom — in a real or metaphorical chariot. Which prophet left life on this Earth in a chariot according to the Old Testament?
The Work of 1,000
Screening at Wistariahurst Museum
Thursday, Jan 10th, 6:30pm
“This film provides unique learning opportunities and will enhance interest in the environmental science and engineering fields and leadership development for all.” — Larisa Schelkin, Executive Director of the DOME Foundation
Rivers are a vital part of our ecosystems, and have played a crucial role in much of industrial history. Rivers have provided a means of transportation and a way of moving goods, have powered mills and helped to provide hydroelectric power, and their watersheds help to nourish farmland that provides nutritive food to our community. Historically, however, our rivers have not been treated with as much respect and reverence as they should have been. They have been re-routed and polluted, and we have built to the very edges of their banks with bridges, factories, and parking lots.
The Trustees of Reservations is providing a valuable way for families and students to learn about the history of the Nashua River, a beautiful, healthy, once-polluted tributary of the Merrimack River. The Trustees will screen, The Work of 1000, at the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke at 6:30pm on January 10th, 2013.
The Nashua River was once filled with dyes and other byproducts from the manufacture of fabrics, but today – thanks to enormous community efforts – the river is clean and there are new laws and regulations that require proper treatment of rivers. Environmental advocate, housewife and mother, Marion Stoddart, along with other dedicated Massachusetts citizens, fought to help restore the river during the mid-1960’s, and helped to create the Massachusetts Clean Water Act.
The 30-minute screening of The Work of 1000 can supplement students’ studies of conservation, environmental science, New England history, and more. Pair the screening with a reading of Lynne Cherry’s book, A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History, which tells a story of the natural and human-impacted history of the Nashua River and it’s restoration and renewal. Though it is a picture book, the topic is sophisticated enough that even slightly older students can appreciate and learn from it.
For educational guides to accompany this screening, download this Study Guide (pdf, 2 pages) and Teacher Curriculum Guide Grades 7-9 (pdf, 6 pages). More learning resources, along with information on how to bring a screening of The Work of 1000 to your community, can be found at www.workof1000.org.
Further information on the screening at the Wistariahurst Museum can be found at wistariahurst.org. The screening is free and open to the public. The Wistariahurst Museum is located at 238 Cabot Street in Holyoke, MA.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Women’s Voices Worldwide, Inc. invites you to visit downtown Northampton, MA to witness a celebration of women’s speech from past to present. Through historical re-enactments, contemporary speeches, musical performances, and a celebratory reception, people of all ages and backgrounds will join together to recognize and honor the importance of women’s voices in the world.
Women all ages have powerful voices – and lots to say! Women’s perspectives on everything from politics to human rights, sustainability to public education are crucial to sound policy making and cultural change. Historically, women have put up a strong fight in order to make their voices heard – and Women’s Voices Worldwide is celebrating their voices and inviting girls and women to participate.
Women, teens and girls can craft and submit original speeches for “Celebration of Speech,” an event scheduled to take place in Northampton, MA on March 8th, 2013 – International Women’s Day! Submissions should be no more than 500-1000 words in length, and should be inspired by the prompts provided by the organization, focusing on the importance and power of women’s voices.
Girls ages 8-13yo are prompted with two questions: Why do girls matter? Why I love my voice.
Teens and women are prompted with three: What women’s voices aren’t being heard? Why is there a need for women’s voices? What changes are needed for women’s voices to be heard?
Participating in the event can be an incredibly powerful experience for both women and girls alike. Public speaking requires a lot of confidence and conviction, and is an excellent skill for young girls to learn. Speaking out about such an important topic is a great opportunity for girls to practice their public speaking skills – the topic is familiar to them, and they can use their own firsthand experience, thoughts, and ideas in order to support their speech. Participating in the Celebration of Speech can help girls and teens understand feminist ideals and learn about the women’s history by the powerful speeches they have given.
American Centuries: Views from New England
Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield
Offers Online Educational Resources
on American Village History
Western Massachusetts today is home to scores of artists and artisans – a fact that brings visitors from near and far to see the unique and interesting products and pieces being created in the region. Art has been a common thread amongst local residents for decades, and it could perhaps be said that the roots of the local art community lie in the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Taking place around the turn of the 20th century, the movement was particularly prevalent amongst artists in Deerfield, MA. The movement stood largely as an effort to counter the lack of artistry and creativity in decorative arts that resulted from the cultural changes that took place during the Industrial Revolution. Artists in Deerfield created Colonial-inspired needlework, baskets, furniture, weavings, and more in the style of their New England settler predecessors.
Families can learn all about the movement’s local influence at the Memorial Hall Museum! Located on Memorial Street in Old Deerfield, the museum is full of beautiful pieces illustrating the particular artistic style embodying the historic spirit of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, as well as artifacts from Deerfield’s earliest days and exhibits on the history and development of early new England.
The museum, which is one of the country’s oldest, also offers virtual educational resources. In addition to offering information on much of the museum’s collection, their website includes resources for educators, a kids page, and links to educational interactive activities. Interactive activities include:
Dress Up: See, hear and learn about the unfamiliar clothes people wore throughout American history.
First Person: Twentieth-century history as told by people who lived it and made it.
African American Historic Sites: An interactive map of Deerfield reveals historic sites with information on enslaved African Americans in the eighteenth century.
Now Read This: Try your hand at reading and transcribing some old and unusual writing.
Magic Lens: Move the Magic Lens over old manuscripts to reveal what the writing says.
Objects in the Round: Rotate objects from the collection to see them from every side.
Demonstrations of Early American Tools: Watch brief videos to learn how tools from the past worked.
New England Architecture: Explore New England house styles though history.
Chronologies: Make a collection of items from the Digital Collection and place on a time line.
For those interested in learning more about the American Arts and Crafts Movement’s local influence, the Memorial Hall Museum’s curator, Suzanne Flynt, has created an informational and interactive website (www.artscrafts-deerfield.org) to accompany her new book, Poetry to the Earth: The Arts and Crafts Movement in Deerfield. The site breaks down the plethora of information available into sections detailing important artifacts, artists and artisans, and places of interest. Also included is an incredibly detailed timeline, matching significant local events up with historic happenings on a national level.
The information available from these resources can be adapted for use with students of any age, and can be used to help create a place-based component to studies of the Industrial Revolution, art history, American cultural history, and more.
When did decorating a Christmas tree become a holiday tradition? Where did the practice of giving gifts originate? The Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke, MA writes, “During the Victorian Era, Christmas bloomed into a season full of tradition when a London newspaper published a drawing depicting the royal family of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert adorning a Christmas tree with lighted candles, tinsel, ribbon, and paper chains.”
The holiday season is full of opportunities to teach your kids about the origins of holiday traditions, getting a glimpse into history and cultures. The Historic Deerfield and Old Sturbridge Village offer opportunities throughout December for holiday history lessons that are fun and engaging!
HISTORIC DEERFIELD: Heritage Holiday
Historical Deerfield has a month long series of traditional festive activities for families to enjoy in December. Visitors can learn about open hearth cooking, holiday traditions, take a horse-drawn wagon ride, and make simple gifts to take home.
Last weekend, silhouette artist and historical actress Lauren Muney was at Historic Deerfield in period dress cutting portraits out of paper. The art of silhouettes was very popular in the 1800′s, and Lauren’s interpretation of the work of itinerant artists from the past, who cut likenesses of people from black paper using just scissors, was an engaging way to explore the history of folk art.
This weekend visitors of Historic Deerfield can make their own simple gifts to give this holiday season, including woodland figures made from natural materials, paper quillwork ornaments, and spiced hot chocolate mix. There will also be horse-drawn wagon rides through the streets of Historic Deerfield.
Historic Deerfield’s program has a refreshing lack of the man in red! If you would prefer your family to take in some history without a distracting bearded figure, this is the museum for you. It is delightfully low key and fun, even for families with young children. The programs run from December 1st-30th, excluding December 24th and 25th, from 9:30am-4:30pm. Open Hearth Cooking starts at 10am, and gift-making starts at 12noon. December 15th-16th will be the final days for enjoying horse-drawn wagon rides. You can get all of the details at www.historic-deerfield.org.
OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE: Christmas by Candlelight
For an all-engaging sensory experience, check out the Old Sturbridge Village’s “Christmas by Candlelight.” The staff at Old Sturbridge goes all out to create magic for your family. There are carolers, horse-drawn carriages, dances, a bonfire, mulled cider, Santa Claus, a gift-making workshop… the list goes on! True to the mission of the museum, all of the fun is organized to help visitors understand New England in the early 1800s. Visitors will be able to learn about the origins of the Christmas Tree, Poinsettias, and fruit cake, among other things, and have the opportunity to create their own gifts and decorations. You can read more about it at Christmas by Candlelight.
For more learning opportunities this holiday season, check out Hilltown Families Friday column, Learn Local. Play Local.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Theresa Heary-Selah — Theresa is a teacher and a freelance writer, making her home in Greenfield, MA and Wright, NY with her family. She teaches at S.H.I.N.E. (Students at Home in New England), a social and academic support program for middle school students in the Pioneer Valley, and writes about home-schooling and technology. Theresa’s interests include home-schooling, gardening, cooking, hiking, and dancing.
Old Sturbridge Village hosts Christmas by Candlelight
Celebration of favorite holiday traditions, music & food
Nine evening events set for Dec. 7-9; 14-16; 21-23
The legend of Santa has complex origins, blending diverse tales of magical gift givers with Christian beliefs. Dutch settlers in 17th-century New Amsterdam (New York) brought with them the legend of Saint Nicholas (Sinter Klaus), a 4th-century Christian saint from Turkey known for his generosity to children.
Take a break from the overwhelming wave of commercialized holiday “spirit” that the post-Thanksgiving season brings – visit Old Sturbridge Village for Christmas by Candlelight, which offers an incredibly wide variety of family-friendly holiday activities, performances, demonstrations, readings, crafts, and more! Villagers dressed in period costume will share holiday traditions from early New England – many of which formed the foundation upon which modern day holiday celebrations have been built! Families can learn about the roots of traditions such as yule logs, roasting chestnuts over a fire, building gingerbread houses, and even having a Christmas tree!
Friday-Sunday evenings from 4-9pm through December 23rd, the village will come alive with performances by Victorian carolers, Celtic music groups, handbell choirs, chorus groups and fife and drum corps. Visitors can view an exhibit of exquisite handmade gingerbread houses or see a miniature New England village decorated for the holiday, a model train show, or a 100+ piece nativity scene. There will be hands-on ornament making (using tin, and utilizing basic skills used by early New England metalworkers), as well as other holiday crafts.
A visit to the village can become a new holiday tradition for families, and is also a fantastic way for families to learn about history – hands-on! Each of the traditions being practiced and/or demonstrated throughout the village is specific to a particular period in American history, and families can work together to place each of their activities into a broader historical context. Visitors can actually see “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and hear why they were a favored treat in early New England. They can also learn the origins of candy canes, mistletoe, fruitcake and how poinsettias were introduced to this country.
For more information on Christmas by Candlelight, call Old Sturbridge Village at 800-733-1830 or visit www.osv.org. Admission includes a free second visit within a 10-day period and any guests of second-day visitors receive a 25% discount on their admission. You could also inquire with your local library to see if they have a museum pass to OSV to lend. Monson Free Library, Westfield Athenaeum Library and Wilbraham Public Library all have passes to lend. Check with the nearest library near you too.
Did You Know?
The old folk tale of Hansel and Gretel, made famous by the brothers Grimm, inspired many Germans in the early 1800s to create model witches’ houses from hard gingerbread. Building fanciful gingerbread houses at Christmastime spread to America by the late 1800s.
Most early New Englanders did not celebrate Christmas. They saw Christmas celebrations as dangerous foreign (pagan) perversions of pure Christianity and an excuse for sinful behavior.
Yule logs began as a pagan reminder of the light and warmth of the sun on cold mid-winter nights. The word “Yule” is derived from the old Anglo-Saxon word “hweol,” which means “wheel” – a pagan symbol of the sun. The burning of a Yule log originated with the Druids, The modern practice of decorating trees and buildings with flashing electric lights seems to be a logical extension of the lighting of candles and bonfires at Christmas time.
Christmas trees were pretty much only a German tradition until the 1840s, when Queen Victoria’s German husband, Prince Albert, gave her a Christmas tree surrounded by gifts, and the custom began to catch on in the English-speaking world.
(Source of Facts & Photos: Old Sturbridge Village)
Hurricane Sandy and Halloween Offer Learning Opportunities Online
Hurricane Sandy might have schools closed while we await her arrival, but the learning can continue at home (so long as you have power!). Check out these online resources to brush up on math, chemistry, physiology, language arts and world & local history:
MATH
After you’ve battening down the shutters and have prepared your home & family for Hurricane Sandy (and still have power), let’s to use this event for real-world applications for learning. One online resource is “Math in the News” who takes current events as seen through the prism of mathematics every week. They are currently looking a probability maps for Hurricane Sandy. Take a look with your kids at Math in the News and practice math skills:
CHEMISTRY
Who has Halloween candy laying around right now from events this past weekend or for passing out on Halloween night? Did you know you can use candy to conduct science experiments in the kitchen with your kids! Experiments include Acid Test using Pixy Stixs, Chromatography using M&M’s, Density experiment with Skittles, and many others! Check out our post from last year, “Science Experiments with Candy” for ideas.
WORLD HISTORY
Here’s a succinct video about the history of Halloween produced by the History Channel: “Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.”
PHYSIOLOGY
Are your kids all about Zombies this Halloween? In this animated video from TEDed, Tim Verstynen & Bradley Voytek apply the various human medical possibilities that make zombies…zombies. Find out the physiology behind what’s happening in their brains to make them act as they do. After watching this video check out the full lesson.
LANGUAGE ARTS
H-A-Double L-O-W-Double E-N spells Halloween! Remember that song when you were a kid just learning to spell? Here’s a cool video for this song for your young kids to watch for a fun way to learn how to spell Halloween
LOCAL HISTORY
Are your kids learning about or interested in the Salem Witch Trials? National Geographic has an interactive resource on the Salem Witch Hunt, Discovery Education has tips for teachers and home educators on the Salem Witch Trials for grade level 5-8, the National Teacher Training Institute offers lesson plans on the The Salem Witchcraft Trials and The Crucible for grades 5-12, and Historian Elizabeth Reis uses primary sources in an education video on the history of the Salem Witch Trials at Teaching History. The History Channel offers this short video to help tell the tale of this event in Massachusetts history:
Pride and Passion:
The African-American Baseball Experience
W.E.B. Du Bois Library at
UMass Amherst through Dec 7, 2012
“Pride and Passion: The African-American Baseball Experience,” an exciting new traveling exhibition displayed on the Lower Level of W.E.B. Du Bois Library at UMass Amherst from October 12 to December 7, 2012, examines the challenges faced by African-American baseball players as they sought equal opportunities in their sport beginning in the post-Civil War era. — The traveling exhibition is composed of colorful freestanding panels featuring photographs of teams, players, original documents and artifacts in the collections of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and in other institutions and collections across the U.S.
When segregation was still a part of American life (and legal, too), African-American baseball players were shut out of American League baseball. As a result, over 200 independent teams were formed, their rosters full of talented players.
Visitors will learn about everything from players’ nicknames to the role that the league played in the desegregation of the American League in 1947. The exhibit is, of course, exciting for baseball enthusiasts, and it provides a unique and valuable learning opportunity for students, too. A visit to the exhibit can teach students of all ages about the effects of racism and segregation in America, and fits well with studies of American history from the Civil War to the present. Students will learn about the cultural context in which the players lived, the blatant racism that they were forced to tolerate, and the gaping inequalities between black and white Americans that existed during segregation.
The exhibit is located in the library’s lower level, and is open through December 7th. For more information, call 413-545-6888 or visit library.umass.edu.
The Library is sponsoring several free programs for the public in connection with the exhibition, including an opening reception on October 25 at 4pm:.
Thursday, Oct. 25, 4pm, Lower Level, Du Bois Library, UMass Amherst: “Raceball: How the Major Leagues Colonized the Black and Latin Game,” a talk by Rob Ruck PhD, Senior Lecturer in the History Department at the University of Pittsburgh. The event is also an opening reception for the exhibit “Pride and Passion: The African-American Baseball Experience.” Ruck is the author of Sandlot Seasons: Sport in Black Pittsburg;,The Tropic of Baseball: Baseball in the Dominican Republic;Rooney: A Sporting Life and the recently released Raceball: How the Major Leagues Colonized the Black and Latin Game. His documentary work includes Kings on the Hill: Baseball’s Forgotten Men, which won an Emmy for Cultural Programming, and The Republic of Baseball: Dominican Giants of the American Game. He was on the committee that elected eighteen players from the Caribbean and the Negro Leagues to the Hall of Fame in 2006 and recently served as an advisor for Viva Beisbol, the permanent exhibit on Latinos at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Thursday, Nov. 8, 4pm, Lower Level, Du Bois Library: “Effa Manley, the First Woman Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame,” a talk by Doron Goldman. A former lecturer in the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management at UMass Amherst, Doron “Duke” Goldman is currently a baseball historian and presenter as well as an elder care researcher. At UMass Amherst, Doron taught a course called “Baseball: Myths and Legends.” A longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), his interests are the Negro Leagues and baseball’s integration, as well as baseball’s role in the ongoing struggle for social justice in America.
Thursday, Nov. 29, 4pm, Lower Level, Du Bois Library: “Red, Black, and Green: The Red Sox, Race and Pumpsie Green,” a talk by Rob Weir. Weir has published four books on the American labor movement: The Changing Landscape of Labor (with Michael Jacobson-Hardy); Beyond Labor’s Veil: The Culture of the Knights of Labor; Knights Unhorsed: Internal Conflict in a Gilded Age Social Movement; and The Historical Encyclopedia of American Labor (with James Hanlan). Weir is a lecturer of history at UMass Amherst and has taught at Bay Path College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and Mount Ida College, and was a senior Fulbright scholar in New Zealand.
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
The Ashfield town green comes alive with games, music, local food and local artisans every Columbus Day weekend. This year is the 42nd annual Ashfield Fall Festival! A great time for the entire family! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families 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, place, age appropriateness and costs before attending.
Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families supports development and enhancement of our local economy and community. Local businesses, individuals, schools and non-profits are encouraged to partner with Hilltown Families throughsponsorship and advertising. Let us help get the word out about your after school/homeschool class, event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business/school, service, open house, volunteer opportunity or general announcement. Deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. Click HERE to find out more.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME SWAP: You know that handmade costume you spent hours on a couple of years ago that your child has now outgrown, or the mask and cape you picked up at the dollar store that is “so last year” for your child this year? Bring it to the Hilltown Families Halloween Costume (& Props) Swap on Saturday, Oct 13th from 9:30-11am in the community room of the Meekins Library and swap with another child who would love to be that robot, purple monster or masked superhero this year… all while finding new inspirations for this year! Leftover costumes and props will be donated to Northampton ReUse. The Library is located at 2 Williams Street (Route 9) in Williamsburg, MA. Free & open to all. Join us on Facebook.
KIDS’ WINTER WEAR SWAP: Do you have a bunch of winter weather gear that your kids have outgrown and wish that it would somehow just… get bigger? That may never happen, but you can get the next best thing… new-to-you gear that fits! Hilltown Families Kids’ Winter Wear Swap is happening again this year after a fun and successful swap last year on Saturday, Oct 13th from 9:30-11am in the community room of the Meekins Library! Bring winter jackets, boots, snow pants, hats, gloves & scarves that kids of all ages have outgrown to swap with other families. Leftover winter wear will be donated to charity. The Library is located at 2 Williams Street (Route 9) in Williamsburg, MA. Free & open to all. Join us on Facebook.
BULLETIN BOARD
Oct 2, Oct 27 & Nov 7
Nestled among field and forest, The Montessori School of the Berkshires in Lenox Dale provides hands-on, individualized education for toddlers through eighth graders. Montessori education helps children become responsible, caring learners and community members who are self-motivated, confident, independent, and creative. MSB’s LEED-registered campus allows children to learn about sustainability both within the classroom and out of doors. Children have access to the natural world through garden areas and trails. Dr. Maria Montessori considered this connection to the earth and living things to be an essential part of education. Join the school for an Open House! Oct 2, Oct 27, Nov 7. For more info and to register visit BerkshireMontessori.org.
Oct 14
On Sunday, Oct 14 from 11:30am-4:30pm is the Grow Food Northampton FARM FEST 2012 at Crimson & Clover Farm (part of Northampton Community Farm)! Join The Farm Education Collaborative in celebrating the harvest at Farm Fest! Meet and learn about some of their farm animals and spend some time working with fibers, seeds, and more. Fun on the Farm in the Fall with Family! Meadow and Spring Streets in Florence, MA. For more info visit www.thefarmeducationcollaborative.org.
Oct 18, 20 & 25
Stitch Lounge in Greenfield offers both youth & adult classes this fall, including: Alabama Chanin Skirt class using upcycled tee’s, stenciling & hand-stitching, Oct 18 & 25; and a beginners 3-part Wonky Squares Quilt class starting Oct 20. Never sewn before or have rusty skills? Check out their Beginner Sewing Class. Kids Classes begin in Nov.! Visit stitchlounge.net for more classes. Stop-in to find inspiration, modern fabrics, sewing notions & lots more, including social sewing! A devoted sewing space with all the supplies you need. Bring your own machine or use one of theirs. Stitch Lounge is located at 30 Mohawk Trail. Open Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, & Sat 10am-3pm. stitchlounge@comcast.net. 413-475-3246.
Oct 28
Halloween Costume Party with Mister G! Popular, international children’s music artist & local hero Mister G will be hosting a one-of-a-kind Halloween costume party at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton on Sun., Oct 28 at 11am. The event will double as a CD release concert for his Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winning album, Chocolalala. The bilingual (Spanish/English) CD blends Latin rhythms, traditional instruments and uniquely catchy songwriting. Mister G will also perform songs from his 2011 Grammy-nominated CD BUGS, called “irresistible” by People Magazine. Eat Pizza for Breakfast, wear your funkiest, scariest costume & come ready rock. !Bailamos! Tix: $8 children/$10 Adults. info@mistergsongs.com. www.mistergsongs.com.
ADVERTISE YOUR FALL/HOLIDAY EVENT: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your fall festival, holiday event, afterschool class, homeschool program, community celebration, workshop, school, or businessfeatured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
For October we have a pair of tickets to giveaway to see Leo Kottke at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA on Thurs, Oct 18th at 7pm. Deadline to enter to win: 10/15 @ 7pm (EST).
JOIN OUR TEAM OF CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Interested in becoming a Contributing or Guest Writer for Hilltown Families? We welcome writings that reflect the community building and educational efforts parents, teens, teachers, artists, activists and community leaders work towards and accomplish and how that affects, supports and empowers our families. All writing styles welcomed, including local reviews, DIY posts, seasonal cooking/local food, and community-based educational & community service learning opportunities/resources. Send your query to hilltownfamilies@gmail.com
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS:
October 6th – 12th , 2012
The Holyoke History Walk: A Virtual Tour of the City
“Holyoke, Massachusetts is marked as one of the first planned industrial cities famed for its paper manufacturing,” writes Penni Martorell, City Historian. “The City’s rich past is reflected in its architecture: remnants of the paper mills topped with wrought iron widow’s walks; the stunning City Hall, buffeted on all sides by stained glass windows; and the central train depot, originally designed by H.H. Richardson. The Holyoke History Walk was created to engage the public with the history of the city through their direct geographic interaction with its architecture, monuments, and historic landscapes while at the same time utilizing historical collections and materials present in the city’s archival records.”
Have you ever walked, biked, or driven through downtown Holyoke and wondered about the history of the city’s numerous old buildings? Each empty mill, towering church, and brick rowhouse tells a story of the city’s past. An exploration of Holyoke’s history reveals a rich, diverse, and complicated history. Visitors to Holyoke can now learn about the city’s history themselves – from home or while exploring the city’s streets thanks to the Wistariahurst Museum!
The Museum has recently added a gigantic community resource to its repertoire- the Holyoke History Walk, available on the museum’s website, offering a comparative look at the city and many of its streets and buildings as they once were (up to 125 years ago).
“A collection of historic maps from the Holyoke History Room were digitized and stitched together to form a single map. The map was then sliced into tiles and geo-referenced for use as a layer in Google Maps. Overlaid atop the map are approximately 100 buildings, monuments, civic structures, and street views. These images were re-photographed from the same vantage point in the summer of 2012.”
The program (created by UMass intern, Jonathan Haeber) uses Google Maps, and provides a map – created by piecing together numerous maps from the museum’s archives – of Holyoke past, layered above a map of Holyoke present. Scattered across the map are over 100 of the city’s landmarks – churches, civic buildings, prominent businesses, and views across the canal, from hilltops, and down various streets in the busiest parts of town.
The old photos are shown next to a current image of the location. In some cases, the buildings are unrecognizable; in others, entire blocks are boarded up; meanwhile, some others remain relatively unchanged. Families can use the interactive tour to learn all about local history, and can use what they learn about the city to bring context and deeper understanding to American history and changes in industry, technology, and the American way of life.
“When visitors view the map on their device, they can see where they are in relation to the sites, touch or click the site that interests them, and watch as the 19th century photograph fades into the 2012 photograph of the same location,” writes Penni Martorell, City Historian.
Topics to explore include the industrial revolution, immigration to the United States, the Great Depression, and issues of race, class, and gender throughout the last 100 years (students can pursue this topic to varying degrees depending on maturity and background knowledge).
The history walk is available in both English and Spanish, and can be used via the internet on any computer, smartphone, or tablet. Check it out at wistariahurst.org/walk-holyoke/index-en.html.
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA
Oct 18 – Dec 13, 2012
The Berkshire Museum’s Little Cinema is offering an in-depth look at the history of films! The cinema will screen The Story of Film: An Odyssey in eight parts on Thursdays between October 18th and December 13th, starting with “Birth of Cinema:”
The series, which totals just over 15 hours in length, has been divided into fifteen parts – two of which will be shown each week.
Pieced together by film historian Mark Cousins, the series covers literally all of film history, beginning in Thomas Edison’s New Jersey laboratory and ending with a critical look at the multi-billion dollar, technology advanced modern film industry. Other topics covered include early Hollywood, and the creation of the glitzy Hollywood dream; the so-called “golden age” of cinema, along with the artistry of expressionism, surrealism, and impressionism; the incorporation of sound and color into film; and the effects of changes in American culture on film, especially during eras of historical importance (post WWII, the 1970’s, etc.).
Most appropriate for older students, the film series offers lots of information, presented and narrated in a way that is easily understood. Students can tie what they learn about film history to their own prior knowledge of American history and culture, and the development of technology. Each screening costs $5, but passes to all eight screenings are available for $25. There will be no screening on Thanksgiving – Thursday, November 22nd. For more information call 413-443-7171 or visit www.berkshiremuseum.org.
SYNOPSES OF FILMS:
October 18, 7 p.m. Part 1: “Birth of the Cinema” (1900–1920)
Filmed in the very buildings where the first movies were made, this hour shows ideas and passion as the driving forces behind film, more so than money and marketing. It covers the very first movie stars, the close up shot, special effects, and the creation of the Hollywood myth, along with a surprise: the women who were the greatest — and best-paid — writers in these early years. Part 2: “The Hollywood Dream” (1920s)
Star/directors like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton made Hollywood a glittering entertainment industry. But the gloss and fantasy was challenged by movie makers like Robert Flaherty, Eric Von Stroheim, and Carl Theodor Dreyer, who wanted films to be more serious and mature. The result of this battle for the soul of cinema: some of the greatest movies ever made.
October 25, 7 p.m. Part 3: “Expressionism, Impressionism, and Surrealism: Golden Age of World Cinema” (1920s)
German Expressionism, Soviet montage, French impressionism and surrealism pushed the boundaries of film as passionate new movements. Less known are the glories of Chinese and Japanese films, and the moving story of a great, now-forgotten, movie star, Ruan Lingyu. Part 4: “The Arrival of Sound” (1930s)
Along with the advent of sound with film comes a host of new genres: screwball comedies, gangster pictures, horror films, westerns, and musicals. Director Howard Hawks was a master of most of them. During this period, Alfred Hitchcock hits his stride and French directors become masters of mood. Read the rest of this entry »
Ghost town, fiber arts, sauerkraut and more!
An Inside Look at Hatfield’s Fall Festival
by Kathie Gow
Outside of the Hatfield Farm Museum. (Photo credit: Kathie Gow)
If you’re looking for a traditional New England Fall Festival with bits of local history, antique cars, art and archaeology thrown in, then Hatfield’s Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 11am-3pm is the place. I’m biased, of course, because I’m curator of one of the two museums involved, but I’m also a frugal, busy soccer mom who works part-time, and this event meets my criteria: educational and fun for the kids, low-cost, easy to find, and has some intriguing things for me.
HANDS-ON & DEMOS
Monica and Pat from the Weavers Guild of Springfield lead youth in hands-on weaving demos. (Photo credit: Kathie Gow)
Our family has attended for the last four years, and my daughter (who’s now 10), still likes getting her face painted and turning the apple cider press, though she now leaves Balloon Man to the younger kids. She’s into knitting and other kinds of needlework, so she always checks out the fiber arts demos toward the back of the Farm Museum (housed in a converted tobacco barn). The Weavers Guild of Springfield comes and demonstrates every year and often gives out samples to the kids. (The samples are beautiful – sometimes it pays to have a kid in your group.). Other fiber arts demos include knitting with Elinor Bell, rug making with Avis Fusek, and hand quilting with Marsha Molloy. What’s nice is that you can get up close and ask them questions while they work.
LOCAL HISTORY
Speaking of questions, I encourage you and your family to ask questions about the items you see in the Farm Museum. With so much to look at, it makes all the difference. Ask to see the six-at-once mousetrap. Or the broom-making machine from when broom sales were big in Hatfield, MA. Or the Native American-styled dugout canoe made by a Northampton scholar. And don’t miss the recreated tobacco shop, where workers sorted the leaves.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
My son, who just started high school, now prefers to wander around and see what interests him. It might be a vintage Corvette or Indian motorcycle, an antique tractor, or a corn shelling machine (It might just be finding another teenager with a soccer ball and slipping behind the elementary school to play!). Speaking of which, if your younger kids need a break, try the playground at the elementary school, just beyond the Farm Museum, and the school should be open for bathroom visits.
LOCAL FOOD
Around lunchtime, I’m sure my son’s interests will include a cheeseburger and fries, and I’ll probably ask him to bring me a plate, since I’ll be working in the Historical Museum down the road. What I love about the fries is that the Boy Scouts make them, using potatoes from Hatfield farmers, and the kids can watch them cutting and cooking the potatoes. Real food, tastes good, local.
Our family is into eating healthy and buying local produce whenever we can, so we always stock up at the Fall Festival and buy bags of Hatfield onions and potatoes and several large cabbages at the farmers market. I don’t know about this year’s crop, but last year’s cabbages were bigger than your head and mine put together! The cabbages will be particularly appropriate this year, because local farmer John Pease (grandson of Hatfield Polish immigrant Jan Waskiewicz) will be demonstrating making sauerkraut outside the Farm Museum. If you’re not already a fan of this Eastern European staple, look up some of the health benefits of fermented vegetables and you might become a convert.
HISTORICAL MUSEUM
After watching John’s demo, stroll back down the road to the library and head up to the second floor where you’ll find the Hatfield Historical Museum and an exhibit that shows what life was like for those Polish immigrants who arrived in Massachusetts in the early 1900s. One of those newcomers was Matt Klocko, who came to America on his own at age 14 (the same age as my wandering soccer player!), and arrived in Hatfield soon after. You can see a photo postcard of Matt with his father, just before he left home, never to return, and another as a 37-year-old groom, then a store owner and farmer, marrying the lovely 19-year-old Helen Kugler.
HATFIELD GHOST TOWN
But while you’re at the Historical Museum, don’t miss the new exhibit opening that day on Hatfield’s “Ghost Town.” This site, discovered by archaeologist and UMASS PhD student Randy Daum, is the only preserved 17th century English village site EVER discovered in Southern New England – and it’s right in our own Connecticut River Valley! Come see what artifacts and foundation elements he found of the 10-house village abandoned in 1704, more than 300 years ago. The photos and artifacts do more than prove the village existed – they tell stories of the people who lived there and hint at what life was like at the turn of the 17th century.
LIBRARY BOOK SALE
Well, the abandoned village exhibit would be my first stop at the Festival (if I wasn’t already there) since I’m interested in archaeology and local history, but my next two stops would be the Friends of the Library book sale in the parking lot outside (since I’m a library book sale junkie – you can get such good deals), followed by the unveiling of the “Art of Farming” mural on the south side of the Farm Museum at 1:30. If you’ve ever driven through Hatfield before, you might have noticed these barn-sized, eye- popping murals celebrating farming. A joint project of the Smith Academy Art Dept. and Hatfield’s Agricultural Advisory Commission, this 6th year of the project traces the history of farming in Hatfield from Native American settlement to the present. It’s been on display at the back of the Mass. State House at the BigE, where my daughter and I saw it last week – it’s big and it’s beautiful!
Hope to see you Sunday. Stop by and say hi!
Fall Festival Details:
Sunday, Oct. 7, 11 am to 3 pm
Billings Way, Hatfield (corner of 39 Main St.)
If you’d like to participate in the antique & classic auto show, call Pat at 413-247-6193 to see if there’s still room. For photos from past years, more info or a question on the Festival, click here: www.hatfieldhistory.weebly.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathie Gow is curator of the Hatfield Historical Museum and writes the blog “Bird by Bird” hatfieldhistory.weebly.com/blog.html for the Hatfield Historical Society website. For her business producing audio memoirs, she also writes a periodic blog about the value of saving your family’s stories. Kathie lives in Hatfield with her husband and two children.
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Caramel apples are sure to be found at the many fall festivals happening this weekend and over the next few weeks! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families 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, place, age appropriateness and costs before attending.
Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families supports development and enhancement of our local economy and community. Local businesses, individuals, schools and non-profits are encouraged to partner with Hilltown Families throughsponsorship and advertising. Let us help get the word out about your after school/homeschool class, event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business/school, service, open house, volunteer opportunity or general announcement. Deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. Click HERE to find out more.
Next Saturday, Oct. 6th at 11am and 1pm – CULTURAL/ART STUDIES: The Berkshire Museum hosts guest artist Jeremy Frey, who will be demonstrating traditional Passamaquoddy basket-weaving techniques. The demonstrations are in conjunction with the museum’s Rethink! American Indian Art exhibit. Tickets required. 413-443-7171. 30 South Street. Pittsfield, MA. (FREE with museum admission)
Next Sunday, Oct. 7th from 2-5pm – FALL FESTIVAL/HISTORY: Explore local history and celebrate fall at the Wilder Homestead’s Colonial Sampler! There will be open hearth cooking, Morris dancers, cider making, and traditional arts like weaving, spinning, and shoemaking. 413-625-9763. Buckland, MA. (<$)
BULLETIN BOARD
Sept 25 – Oct 16
Enjoy gardening with your child or want to start? Join the Sweet Roots Kids CSA this fall for kids (2-5yo) and their grown ups! This 4-week program runs Tuesday mornings, Sept 25-Oct 16, from 10-11:30am in Deerfield. Sweet Roots Gardens is a garden-based education program providing on site programs as well as off-site garden installation & education services for children & families. The Tuesday Kids CSA program celebrates the fall harvest. Participants can pick beans under the bean tunnel, paint pumpkins, snack on fresh veggies & get silly in the garden. Includes a weekly veggie snack share. Cost: $75 for 4-weeks or $20 per session. More info at www.facebook.com/SweetRootsGardens. To register contact Sara: saracoblyn@gmail.com. 413-230-4833
Sept 29-30
The Sharing Tree Consignment Sale: Offering high-quality, gently used items for babies and kids, including clothes, shoes, toys, books, baby equipment, and maternity wear. Thousands of items expected. Public sale: Saturday, September 29, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Half-Price Sale: Sunday, September 30, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield, 28 West Silver St., Westfield (behind Amelia Park Ice Arena). Now registering sellers and volunteers: sellers earn a percentage on the items they sell and shop early – before the sale opens to the public. Volunteers shop first – even before sellers! Find out more at www.sharingtreekids.com. For questions, email Karen at info@sharingtreekids.comor call 413-324-8733.
Sept 30
Conway Festival of the Hills – Sunday, September 30. One of the best fall festivals around! Like their page onFacebook. The Festival has something for everyone – Covered Bridge Classic Road Race, kids activities (hill slide, hay maze, petting zoo, pony rides, and more), food (ice cream, baked goodies, fresh cider, and more), craft fair with many vendors, art exhibit and book sale, author signing with numerous local authors, live bands and music all day, Festival Parade at 1 p.m., Conway Historical Society open house, and the heralded Log Splitting and Skillet Toss competitions. 10am – 4pm. Free. Center of Conway, MA.
Oct 4
Free introductory sign language class for parents and children 0-3 yrs on Thursday, Oct 4th at 11am at Cradle in downtown Northampton. An 8-week class to follow on Thursdays at 11am beginning Oct 11th, also at Cradle. Cost: $100. Instructor: Kathryn Petruccelli. Classes include music, movement, & stories. Follows the Baby Signing Time series with additional activities apart from the Signing Time curriculum. Teaches real American Sign Language. Reduces frustration and tantrums; enhances cognitive development. A space to play and learn around this amazing communicative tool and watch our children speak to us with their hands – even before we get to hear their voices! Expectant parents, older siblings welcome. More info: www.startwithsign.com.
Oct 2, Oct 27 & Nov 7
Nestled among field and forest, The Montessori School of the Berkshires in Lenox Dale provides hands-on, individualized education for toddlers through eighth graders. Montessori education helps children become responsible, caring learners and community members who are self-motivated, confident, independent, and creative. MSB’s LEED-registered campus allows children to learn about sustainability both within the classroom and out of doors. Children have access to the natural world through garden areas and trails. Dr. Maria Montessori considered this connection to the earth and living things to be an essential part of education. Join the school for an Open House! Oct 2, Oct 27, Nov 7. For more info and to register visit BerkshireMontessori.org.
Oct 20 & 27
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst is offering a two-Saturday youth workshop in Oct in conjunction with their newest exhibit. “In The Art Studio: Inspired by Eric Carle” takes place on Oct 20 & 27 from 9:30-11:30am for youth ages 5-8. In this workshop children will study the new exhibition Beyond Books: The Independent Art of Eric Carle to take inspiration from his non-representational, 3D & collaborative art. Participants will paint colorful textures & patterns on a variety of surfaces such as paper, vinyl, & cardboard then sculpt them into window hangings, mobiles, name plates, & more. Advance registration required by Oct 15. Instructor: Meghan Burch. Cost: $50 (Members $40). Registration info at www.carlemuseum.org.
Oct 28
Halloween Costume Party with Mister G! Popular, international children’s music artist & local hero Mister G will be hosting a one-of-a-kind Halloween costume party at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton on Sun., Oct 28 at 11am. The event will double as a CD release concert for his Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winning album, Chocolalala. The bilingual (Spanish/English) CD blends Latin rhythms, traditional instruments and uniquely catchy songwriting. Mister G will also perform songs from his 2011 Grammy-nominated CD BUGS, called “irresistible” by People Magazine. Eat Pizza for Breakfast, wear your funkiest, scariest costume & come ready rock. !Bailamos! Tix: $8 children/$10 Adults. info@mistergsongs.com. www.mistergsongs.com.
ADVERTISE YOUR FALL FUNDRAISER: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your fundraiser, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, or businessfeatured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Ashfield Community Preschool is looking for some volunteer help with their booths during the Ashfield Fall Festival Columbus Day Weekend – October 6 and 7. This small non-profit preschool relies on the Fall Festival as the biggest fundraiser of the year. Volunteer jobs are appropriate for teens and up. If you would like to help with simple face painting, running a mini-golf game (also very simple), or dipping apples in caramel while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Ashfield in early October please contact Jess Kuttner at jkuttner@gmail.com or 413-522-9732.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME SWAP: You know that handmade costume you spent hours on a couple of years ago that your child has now outgrown, or the mask and cape you picked up at the dollar store that is “so last year” for your child this year? Bring it to the Hilltown Families Halloween Costume (& Props) Swap on Saturday, Oct 13th from 9:30-11am in the community room of the Meekins Library and swap with another child who would love to be that robot, purple monster or masked superhero this year… all while finding new inspirations for this year! Leftover costumes and props will be donated to Northampton ReUse. The Library is located at 2 Williams Street (Route 9) in Williamsburg, MA. Free & open to all. Join us on Facebook.
KIDS’ WINTER WEAR SWAP: Do you have a bunch of winter weather gear that your kids have outgrown and wish that it would somehow just… get bigger? That may never happen, but you can get the next best thing… new-to-you gear that fits! Hilltown Families Kids’ Winter Wear Swap is happening again this year after a fun and successful swap last year on Saturday, Oct 13th from 9:30-11am in the community room of the Meekins Library! Bring winter jackets, boots, snow pants, hats, gloves & scarves that kids of all ages have outgrown to swap with other families. Leftover winter wear will be donated to charity. The Library is located at 2 Williams Street (Route 9) in Williamsburg, MA. Free & open to all. Join us on Facebook.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS:
September 29th – October 5th, 2012
Westfield Colonial Harvest Day
Saturday, Sept 29th, 2012
Westfield Colonial Harvest Day is free to all, and takes place on Saturday, September 29th from 10am-6:30pm (rain date: Sept 30). The festival offers a wide variety of events, performances, activities, and sales, and takes place in the center of town near the green.
Take a step – a BIG one – back in time to 1669! The city of Westfield is hosting the 8th annual Colonial Harvest Day this weekend – the event celebrates the history and culture of the city’s 17th century self.
Downtown Westfield will be alive with Revolutionary War reenactments, a Harvest Hoedown accompanied by a fiddle contest and other live music, colonial games and activities for kids of all ages, horse-drawn carriage and wagon rides, and tons of fun! Artists and artisans of all types will show and sell their wares, the library will host a book sale, and local vendors will offer seasonal foods.
Perhaps the most entertaining element of the festival is the Celebrity Town Crier Contest, in which local celebrities will compete for the position of Town Crier for the next year.
Families can visit the festival to learn about Westfield’s 17th century history and culture, and to learn about the community’s role in the Revolutionary War. The event can serve as an extension of studies of early New England – students will be able to experience 17th century culture hands-on and can see a live wartime re-enactment.
The 8th annual Westfield Colonial Harvest Day, sponsored by Westfield on Weekends and the Westfield Business Improvement District, celebrating the colonial history of Westfield and the autumn harvest will take place on Saturday, September 29th from 10am-6:30pm. The event will take place on the grounds of the Westfield Athenaeum at 6 Elm St. and on Goose Lane (known today as Court Street) up to the intersection with Washington St.
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Kids crazy about yo-yos? The Massachusetts State Yo-yo Contest takes place Sunday morning, Sept 23rd at the Academy of Music in Northampton!
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families 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, place, age appropriateness and costs before attending.
Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families supports development and enhancement of our local economy and community. Local businesses, individuals, schools and non-profits are encouraged to partner with Hilltown Families throughsponsorship and advertising. Let us help get the word out about your after school class, event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business/school, service, open house or general announcement. Deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout Western Massachusetts while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. Click HERE to find out more.
BEST BETS
Find out what’s going on in Berkshire County in our bi-monthly column, Berkshire Family Fun.
Fri. Sept 21st-Sun., Sept 23rd - AGRICULTURAL FAIR: The annual Belchertown Fair takes place this weekend, featuring tons of opportunities for fun and learning! There are, of course, midway games and rides, along with the chance to meet and learn about a wide variety of farm animals, exhibition halls filled with foods and crafts, and lots of live agricultural events. 413-323-6654. 28 Park Street. Belchertown, MA. (<$)
Sat., Sept 22nd at 11am – FAMILY CONCERT: The Eric Carle Museum hosts Hey Dango – a kids’ music group (made up of three intrepid space explorers, plus Dango) who sing about language, science, math, individuality, healthy habits, and more! The event is part of the Northampton Community Music Center Concert Series. 413-658-1100. 125 West Bay Road. Amherst, MA. ($)
This month the Emmy Award winning TV series has been re-launcehd to DVD, The Magic School Bus: The Complete Series, bringing together all 52 episodes of the program on 8 DVDs… and Hilltown Families has a set of the complete series to giveaway to one very lucky family! Deadline to enter to win is Tuesday, October 2nd by 7pm (EST).
Sun. Sept 23rd from 11am-6pm – COMMUNITY CELEBRATION: Celebrate bread, the equinox, and all things fall with Hungry Ghost Bread! Wonder Not Bread Fest will take place at the Hungry Ghost bakery today, and will feature a puppet parade, music, vendors (selling local honey, cheese, jam, etc. – things that are good with bread!), gardening activities, and more! State Street. Northampton, MA. (FREE)
Sun. Sept 23rd from 1-4pm – FALL FESTIVAL: Hopkins Forest celebrates fall this weekend at the annual Fall Festival! There will be apple butter, fresh apple cider (and a chance to see pressed cider production), live music, woodworking demonstrations, a tree canopy walkway, and fun hands-on activities for kids! Families can learn about the apple harvest and cider production, and woodworking demonstrations will be centered around the skills necessary to build a barn. 413-597-4353. Northwest Hill Road and Bulkley Street. Williamstown, MA. (FREE)
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Continuing our Parents’ Night Out promotions, Hilltown Families and Signature Sounds Concerts have partnered up to offer two pairs of tickets for two lucky couples to see Ramblin’ Jack Elliot in concert at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls on Sunday, October 7th at 7pm with special guests, Jeffrey Foucault. Win a pair of tickets and take your spouse, partner or good friend for a night out. Deadline to enter to win: 10/3/12 at 7pm (EST).
Sat., Sept 29th from 10am-6pm – FALL FESTIVAL: The town of Sunderland is hosting the 14th annual Fall Festival! The event features local artists and crafters, livestock exhibits, live music throughout the day, games and activities for kids, an amateur dog show, local food (and beer from BBC for grown ups!), and more. Takes place on the town ball fields behind the library. 20 School Street. Sunderland, MA. (FREE)
Sat. & Sun., Sept 29th & 3oth from 8am-12midnight: FALL FESTIVAL: North Adams celebrates the annual Northern Berkshire Fall Foliage Festival happens next weekend! Events include a morning farmers’ market, a pet parade, family music, a family dance, and more! North Adams, MA. (<$)
Sun., Sept 30th from 10am-4pm – FALL FESTIVAL: The 51st annual Festival of the Hills is next Sunday! The event, an annual celebration, features a plethora of fun activities and educational opportunities. The day begins with a road race, and will also feature a parade (at 1pm), live music, pony rides, an art show featuring work by local artists and artisans, a skillet toss, and many demonstrations and exhibits from which families can learn about many different fall- and country-themed skills, activities, and more. South Deerfield Road. Conway, MA. (FREE)
Sun., Sept 30th from 12noon-3pm – FALL FESTIVAL: Apple Spree takes place at Look Park next Sunday! The event is a fundraiser for the Northampton Survival Center – for each peck of apples purchased by a family, a peck will be donated to the center. There will be live music from Appalachian Still, an apple car race for kids to enter, an apple cooking contest, and, of course, lots of delicious apples to enjoy! 300 North Main Street. Florence, MA. (FREE, fee for parking)
BULLETIN BOARD
Sept 23
North Amherst Community Farm & Simple Gifts Farm will celebrate the 7th annual North Amherst Harvest Festival on Sun., Sept 23rd from 12noon-5pm in North Amherst (1089 N. Pleasant St.). The festival will feature locally grown and prepared foods & a non-stop line up of entertainers, including, New Growth String Band, Rusty Belle, Jay Mankita & several others. Families can enjoy hula-hooping, kids crafts & activities, pumpkin bowling, cider pressing & even a chance to make smoothies using a kid-sized blender bike. Horse drawn wagon rides around the farm will tour crops & livestock for families to learn about the farm’s integrated, bio-diverse land management system. This is a free rain or shine event. (>$ parking) nacfonline.org
Sept 23 & Oct 7
Is your child already a chicken lover or maybe your family is thinking about getting a few hens for the backyard? On Sunday, Sept 23 from 1-2:30pm, Crimson & Clover Farm (part of Northampton Community Farm) in Florence will host, “Who You Callin’ Chicken?,” a program for kids ages 6-12yo. Come meet a few egg laying ladies and learn the ins and outs of caring for hens. Participants can hold and feed chickens, share a story, ask questions, and of course, cook and eat an egg snack! Cost: $10-15 per child (sliding scale). Then on Sunday, Oct 7th the farm will hold a Fall Beekeeping for Families program from 11am-2:30pm. Cost: $25-35/family. Spaces are limited. For more info & to register online, visit thefarmeducationcollaborative.org.
Sept 25 – Oct 16
Enjoy gardening with your child or want to start? Join the Sweet Roots Kids CSA this fall for kids (2-5yo) and their grown ups! This 4-week program runs Tuesday mornings, Sept 25-Oct 16, from 10-11:30am in Deerfield. Sweet Roots Gardens is a garden-based education program providing on site programs as well as off-site garden installation & education services for children & families. The Tuesday Kids CSA program celebrates the fall harvest. Participants can pick beans under the bean tunnel, paint pumpkins, snack on fresh veggies & get silly in the garden. Includes a weekly veggie snack share. Cost: $75 for 4-weeks or $20 per session. More info at www.facebook.com/SweetRootsGardens. To register contact Sara: saracoblyn@gmail.com. 413-230-4833
Sept 27 – Nov 1
Pilates for Moms! Two new Pilates classes just for Moms with seasoned instructor Anneliese Mordhorst on Thursdays, September 27 – November 1st. $15 single class/$75 series. Postpartum Pilates – Strength, Stretch and Support at the Cooley Dickinson Center for Midwifery Care in Northampton, Thursdays at 10am. An all-levels mat class for renewing strength and vitality after pregnancy. BYOBaby at The Pilates Studio in Hadley, Thursdays at 12pm. A mat class for all-levels using Pilates props for strength, tone and stretch. All exercises are modified to accommodate for fussiness. Contact Anneliese for more information and to register: 413-296-4306/anneliese@slashmail.org. thepilatesstudioinhadley.com
Sept 29-30
The Sharing Tree Consignment Sale: Offering high-quality, gently used items for babies and kids, including clothes, shoes, toys, books, baby equipment, and maternity wear. Thousands of items expected. Public sale: Saturday, September 29, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Half-Price Sale: Sunday, September 30, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield, 28 West Silver St., Westfield (behind Amelia Park Ice Arena). Now registering sellers and volunteers: sellers earn a percentage on the items they sell and shop early – before the sale opens to the public. Volunteers shop first – even before sellers! Find out more at www.sharingtreekids.com. For questions, email Karen at info@sharingtreekids.comor call 413-324-8733.
Oct 20 & 27
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst is offering a two-Saturday youth workshop in Oct in conjunction with their newest exhibit. “In The Art Studio: Inspired by Eric Carle” takes place on Oct 20 & 27 from 9:30-11:30am for youth ages 5-8. In this workshop children will study the new exhibition Beyond Books: The Independent Art of Eric Carle to take inspiration from his non-representational, 3D & collaborative art. Participants will paint colorful textures & patterns on a variety of surfaces such as paper, vinyl, & cardboard then sculpt them into window hangings, mobiles, name plates, & more. Advance registration required by Oct 15. Instructor: Meghan Burch. Cost: $50 (Members $40). Registration info at www.carlemuseum.org.
Nov 3
CALL FOR CRAFTERS: Hilltown Families is a proud sponsor of the Cummington Family Center’s 3rd annual Handmade for Kids Holiday Fair. The fair is the center’s annual fundraiser and an excellent opportunity for community members to find commercial-free handmade items, many supporting creative free play. This year’s fair will be held on November 3rd at Berkshire Trail Elementary School in Cummington, MA. Registration is now open for crafters who make handmade, commercial-free items for kids of all ages. Spaces are also open for anyone interested in leading hour long gift-making workshops for children and/or adults. This is a great family-friendly event. If you are interested in learning more, email Stacey at cummingtonfamilycenter@yahoo.com.
ADVERTISE YOUR FALL CLASS: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS:
September 22nd-28th, 2012
Visit Historic Deerfield this Fall for Fun Seasonal Activities with Your Family
Apprentice’s workshop open daily. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
Historic Deerfield is a lovely place to visit any time of the year – but the fall is definitely a most special time. In addition to visiting historic homes and collections, visitors on weekends will enjoy involvement in hands-on activities on a variety of topics.
Open Hearth Cooking and Historic Tradedemonstrations are featured on Saturdays, Sept-Nov, 2012.
Highlights this fall for families include Stencil Art offered September and October weekends 12–4:30pm. Learn about the work of stencil artists who traveled from town to town taking commissions to decorate building interiors. Explore the art of stenciling and make a beautiful and unique stenciled artwork to take home. Also visit Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture to see painted and stenciled furniture for inspiration!
Participate in a Family Scarecrow-Making Workshop held on September 29 at 10am or 2pm. Once a familiar sight as a guardian of crops in the rural landscape, scarecrows are now more often seen as symbols of harvest time and Halloween. Try your hand at making a scarecrow, and learn about the fascinating history of scarecrows in New England, and around the world. Space is limited; pre- registration is required. Contact Faith Deering at 413-775-7116 or fdeering@historic-deerfield.org. Activity available with museum admission plus a $5 materials fee.
Studded with cloves and fragranced with cinnamon, an apple pomander historically served as a festive and decorative air freshener. (Courtesy photo)
Taking our cues from the seasonal changes around us, the museum will feature a program about apples on November weekends, 12-4:30pm. From Apples to Ornaments teaches about uses of apples and spices as you make an apple pomander to take home with you. From cider to pies to sauce, the bounty of fall apples has many uses. One way to use an apple is to preserve its fragrance and shape in the form of a pomander. Studded with cloves and fragranced with cinnamon, an apple pomander historically served as a festive and decorative air freshener.
During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend learn about both Native and English histories. Friday, November 23 meet Narragansett descendant Jennifer Lee will talk about Native history and culture while demonstrating traditional bark-basket-making technology in a program called Native Traditions Past and Present. On Saturday November 24 we welcome Season of Thanks: Society of the 17th Century, a group of re-enactors who will bring our historic Hall Tavern building to life with an incredible array of period arts, crafts and trades. See redware pottery, spinning, lace making, herbal lore, quill pen writing, wood carving, basket making, and arms and armor.
Hearth Cooking demonstrations this season will focus both on recipes for fresh foods of the harvest, as well as some techniques for preservation (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
Capture the holiday spirit this December by joining our cooks, guides, educators, and craftspeople in a month-long series of traditional festive activities. Starting Saturday, December 1, visitors can see daily “Sugar & Spice” open hearth cooking demonstrations, participate in hands-on “Giftmaking” activities, and enjoy seasonal decorations hung throughout the historic Hall Tavern (except December 24-25). Experience the warmth of the hearth and take in the aroma of sweet, savory, and spiced foods prepared in the open hearth. Make one of three gifts by hand to take home and give to someone special.
Weekends will offer additional activities including horse-drawn wagon rides, and a special “Silhouettes” event. Bundle up and tour the village aboard a wagon drawn by the beautiful horses of Karas Farm December 1–2, 8–9, and 15–16. Don’t miss artist Lauren Muney demonstrating the historic art of cutting likenesses from paper with just a pair of scissors on December 8–9.
For more information about Historic Deerfield visit www.historic-deerfield.org for a full calendar of events and visitor information, or call 413-775-7214.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amanda Rivera Lopez
Amanda is the Director of Museum Education at Historic Deerfield. She lives in Amherst with her family which includes an 11 year old daughter and 8 year old son.
Quests often show up in mythology and folklore as journeys towards a particular goal, often filled with obstacles and challenges. North Quabbin Woods has a fresh take on this idea and has created a series of three quests. Using the North Quabbin Woods Recreation Map and Guide and clues hidden in rhyming verse, you will likely discover amazing places that you never knew existed! Download your passport book and begin your quest!
The Quabbin Reservoir in Western Massachusetts, source of clean drinking water for the Boston metropolitan area, holds years and years of interesting history. The body of water is vast, and is home to lots of fascinating plant and animal life, as well as hidden gems like small old buildings, stone walls, historic farmstead, waterfalls, Native American history and much more.
Families can explore and learn about the Quabbin area this summer by participating in the North Quabbin Woods 2012 Quest, a series of adventures that will take families to a number of locations in and around the North Quabbin Area.
This river has served us since the old days of yore; you’re embarking on a journey to Rec Map and Guide number twenty-four. From Pequiog to Rowlands to Miller and his brethren, you’re looking for the imprint at the paddle stop after seven. Think hard how important this river still is, and all the prosperity it continues to give.
Interesting historical facts supplement the passport book, like:
King Philip’s Rock along the bank of the Millers River is a historical site and meeting ground for the Narragansett’s tribal council in the 1600s. Metacomet (known by the English as “King Philip”) was Chief of the Narragansetts and leader of the Wampanoag Confederacy. He met with English settlers at this landmark to negotiate policies and use of land. King Philip’s Rock was the initial site for bargaining amongst the settlers and Native American inhabitants before it lead to conflict and war in 1675 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Participants can spend a day exploring the area, or make many visits throughout the summer to encounter all of the special interesting spots. Families will learn much about the local and natural history of the Quabbin working together on the North Quabbin Woods 2012 Quest this summer. For more information, visit www.northquabbinwoods.org.
Berkshire Museum presents Rethink! American Indian Art
Striking Contemporary Art & Significant Historic Objects
The innovative exhibition, Rethink! American Indian Art at Berkshire Museum, features both striking contemporary art and important historic art objects, on view from July 7, 2012 to January 6, 2013. An opening reception will be held Thursday, July 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. and a Family Day of programs and activities will take place on Saturday, July 14. (Courtesy Photo)
The Berkshire Museum presents, “Rethink! American Indian Art,” an exhibit featuring art, artifacts, and educational materials expressing the rich skills and crafting traditions of Native American nations, from July 7, 2012 – January 6, 2013 in Pittsfield, MA.
The exhibit features not only a history of Native American artistry, but also includes contemporary pieces showing the evolution of skills and traditions and how modern culture has influenced changes in techniques and uses of skills (One piece, for example, features beautiful embroidery – done on a “canvas” of Converse high-top sneakers!). Pieces featured in the exhibit include blown glass, basketry, video installations, beadwork, sculpture, and more, representing tribal nations from across the country.
Frequently, lessons taught in school about Native Americans focus on the early days of American History, but might not look closely at how native culture has endured and evolved. Kids of all ages can learn significant lessons about modern Native American culture by exploring the exhibit. Students can familiarize themselves with many different traditional skills, and begin thinking about how and why such skills continue to be passed on, forming their own questions about Native American culture and history, while gaining insight on modern Native American art.
FAMILY DAY – JULY 14th
To celebrate the opening of the exhibit, the Berkshire Museum is hosting a special family day on Saturday, July 14th from 10am-4pm. There will be special events throughout the day, including a performance of Native American dance and song, demonstrations of basketry and wigwam building, and a storywalk!
For more information, visit www,berkshiremuseum.org or contact the Berkshire Museum at 413-443-7171.
Tales from the Trail:
Four Centuries of Travels Along the Mohawk Trail
By Gabriel Abbott Memorial School Students
(Florida, MA)
The Mohawk Trail has been an important transportation route to communities across the northwestern part of Massachusetts for hundreds of years. Though the types of vehicles used for transportation and the purpose of transportation have changed, the Mohawk Trail remains an important route through the Western Massachusetts.
Students from Gabriel Abbott Memorial School in Florida, MA conducted a year-long study of the history of the Mohawk Trail, and their work has been made into a full-length documentary! Students in grades 4-7 worked to conduct interviews with community members (featured in the film) and used primary and secondary resources to piece together the story of the Mohawk Trail’s role in the community throughout its history.
Titled, “Tales from the Trail: Four Centuries of Travels Along the Mohawk Trail,” the film is a full 90-minutes long, and is available for viewing at www.abbottmemorial.org. Watch it as a family to learn about Western MA history, the advancement of transportation, and the gradual changes in culture that the area has seen.
Welcome to Hilltown Families, a grassroots communication network for families living in Western Mass, established in 2005 by hilltown mother and long time activist Sienna Wildfield.
"Hilltown Families keeps us connected with all the amazing educational and cultural activities and resources that abound here in W. Mass and curates them in a way to let us know just what’s out there for the many varied interests of our young families and communities,while creating networks of support and growth." - Kara Kitchen (Plainfield, MA)
The Hilltown Family Variety Show (HFVS) airs Saturday mornings on Valley Free Radio, 103.3FM WXOJ, Northampton, MA from 9-10am with encores on Sunday from 7-8am. Playlist and podcasts are posted immediately following broadcast. Listen to our archived shows at any time: HFVS Archived Shows.
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The exhibit will be on display at the Forbes Library in Northampton for the month of February 2013, and at the City Hall Gallery in Easthampton from Sept 13-Dec 11, 2013. - We're currently booking shows for the Spring/Summer of 2013 and for 2014. Each exhibit is a unique showcase of images that correspond with the season and venue. Contact us to inquire about hosting this fundraising exhibit for Hilltown Families in your town/venue.
One of the best ways to learn about the changes that historical events and innovative inventions create is by studying local history. By learning about broad concepts and eras within history, we can gain an understanding of how things changed on a large scale. However, to really understand how these changes were played out on a smaller scale, we must examine the effect that they had on our own communities.
Carver, a life in poems (Front Street, 2001) is an intimate portrait of the botanist, inventor, scientist, artist, musician, and teacher, known as George Washington Carver. Written by acclaimed poet, Marilyn Nelson, the book takes us through Carver’s life in a series of narrative poems told from the voices of the people who knew him, and from Carver himself. Wrought with emotion and meaning, Nelson gives us a biographical experience of a man whose imprint on the world is still felt today.
written by Marilyn Nelson. Published by Front Street, Asheville, NC, 2001. ISBN: 1-886910-53-7
, which tells a story of the natural and human-impacted history of the Nashua River and it’s restoration and renewal. Though it is a picture book, the topic is sophisticated enough that even slightly older students can appreciate and learn from it.
The museum, which is one of the country’s oldest, also offers virtual educational resources. In addition to offering information on much of the 
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Ashfield Community Preschool is looking for some volunteer help with their booths during the Ashfield Fall Festival Columbus Day Weekend – October 6 and 7. This small non-profit preschool relies on the Fall Festival as the biggest fundraiser of the year. Volunteer jobs are appropriate for teens and up. If you would like to help with simple face painting, running a mini-golf game (also very simple), or dipping apples in caramel while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Ashfield in early October please contact Jess Kuttner at 
Amanda Rivera Lopez
