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The Quadricentennial Flotilla on the Hudson

It's hard to say which is the more iconic ship for this region—Henry Hudson's Half Moon (left) or the Hudson River sloop Clearwater, which we tend to think of (erroneously) as Pete Seeger's boat.  Luckily, next week, from Tuesday the 9th when they

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Community

Suddenly Unemployed? Kripalu Wants to Help

It's not unusual for someone to have a favorite getaway, a place he or she loves above all other destinations.  For many people, Kripalu, in Stockbridge, is just such a place.  Far from your average spa, Kripalu offers world-class instruction in yoga, holistic health, personal growth, and spirituality.

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Community

Rural Rules of Life: Twenty Questions for Ellen Spear, President of Hancock Shaker Village

Since taking over as president and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield four years ago, Ellen Spear has become a regional mover and shaker,  a visionary who helped establish the Berkshire Creative Economy Council. “The challenge is how to transform our cultural and artistic wealth into something richer, more

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Community

Lodgings: The Inn at Hudson, a One-Doily B & B

What do you do when it dawns on you, too late, that you may have bought more house than you can afford to maintain?  That’s easy; turn it into a b & b.  At least, it was easy for Dini Lamot and Windle Davis. A little background: The couple

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Community

Summer Starts Here & Now with 3rd Thursday in Pittsfield

Pittsfield has become the region's Street Fair Mecca. Megan Whilden, the city's director of cultural development, has mastered the art of organizing a monthly, massive block party. The third year of Third Thursdays, as the street fairs are called, begins on the eve of Memorial Day

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Community

Road Trip: Hillsdale Heats Up!

What the do-dad is happening to Hillsdale?  Long the very definition of a sleepy crossroads, it's suddenly showing signs of, well, awakening. Around these parts, it's usually a sign that things are looking up when a town gets a place to buy fresh fish.  Recently, Hillsdale&

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Rural Rules: 20 Questions for MASS MoCA Director Joe Thompson on the Museum's 10th Anniversary

Although MASS MoCA is celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekend,  its founding director, Joseph C. Thompson, has been involved with MASS MoCA since it was conceived in 1987. A 1981 graduate of Williams College who has masters degrees in both art history and business from the University of Pennsylvania, Thompson

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Community

Tracy Seckler Is A Mother On a Mission To Save Lives

Mother's Day, like every other day of the year, is bittersweet for Tracy Seckler. The high-energy, one-time elementary school teacher lives in a 200 year-old-farmhouse in South Egremont, MA, with her adoring husband, Benjamin (a doctor whom she met when they were both undergraduates at Harvard), and their

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Community

The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA

I have to make a confession: I was skeptical about staying at Porches. Although I love visiting MASS MoCA, I could not imagine paying to spend a night in converted Victorian factory-workers' houses across from the museum in order to wake up in North Adams instead of my own

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Community

Dan's Diary: The Daffodil House

Every town has one or two. If you're lucky, there may be half a dozen houses with breathtaking fields of daffodils, which make you take scenic detours this time of year.  In Salisbury, CT, one of the most stunning roadside attractions belongs to Inge Heckel, the former president

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Community

DUI Inc., A Growth Industry

Now, let's get one thing straight from the outset: I am against drunk driving, even if it's a friend who is doing it.  I have been a supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving since it was founded in 1980. I cheered the judge who threw the

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Community

Dan's Diary: Berkshire Museum's Stimulus Plan

The venerable Berkshire Museum is one of those secret gems in plain sight. Located in the heart of Pittsfield, it is an eclectic family-friendly museum that is especially family friendly for the entire month of May when admission will be free to all. "It's our version of

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