Yankee Shopper by Hersam Acorn

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Shopper

September 5, 2012

IN THIS ISSUE: Crossword......................... Page 12 Business & Services ........... Page 9 Classiﬁeds ........................... Page 9 Real Estate ........................ Page 13 Auto ................................... Page 16 Help Wanted..................... Page 15

editorial email yankee@hersamacornma.com

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Editorial Deadline: 20th at noon the month before publication.

Classiﬁed Deadline: September 24, 2012 Display Deadline: September 24, 2012

Manager’s Memo

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800.234.1432 Fax 802.447.3270 Classiﬁed 800.234.1432 editorial email yankee@hersamacornma.com advertising email art@hersamacornma.com ■

Renee Tassone, General Manager Linda Devlin, Circulation Manager Carrie Devlin, Advertising Sales Jessica Floyd, Advertising Sales Sarah Masiero, Advertising Sales Jen Hathaway, Production Director Chris Sobolowski, Art Director Barbra Retzlaff, Graphic Artist ■

Editorial Deadline*: 20th of month prior Classiﬁed Deadline*: 20th of month prior Display Deadline*: 20th of month prior *Deadlines will change due to Holidays. See special deadline notices published before major holidays. ■

Submission Guidelines: Those wishing to submit event listings or editorial content may email yankee@hersamacornma.com. ■

Notice: The Yankee Shopper will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. The publisher reserves the sole right to edit, revise, or reject any and all advertising, with or without cause being assigned, which in the publisher’s judgement is contrary to the interests of this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. ©2012, Hersam Acorn Newspapers. All contents of the Yankee Shopper are copyrighted, and any reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Martin Hersam, Chief Operating Ofﬁcer Thomas B. Nash, Publisher

And they’re off....I just came back from two days at Saratoga. My husband and I go there every year in August right around our Renee Tassone, anniversary. General Manager This year we celebrated our 24th year together. We spent our anniversary day at the track, which was wonderful. I love going there. Too bad it is open for such a short time because I would love to go more often. We did really well this year winning almost $800! This year made up for all of the years we lost money. We were both just really lucky this time. Race 6 I hit the 20-cent superfecta and the exacta for a total of $445! I was so excited I was shaking. My husband won 6 out of 10 races, whatever strategy he was using was working for him. The track is a great place to people watch, you see all kinds of people there. Some dressed in shorts and flip flops like me, and others in fancy dresses and heals. It is fun to just sit and watch everyone, watch their reactions when they win and when they lose. We stayed overnight at the Hampton Inn, which was very nice. The next day we walked around and shopped. We always eat at two restaurants that have gluten free menus - Circus Café and Wheatfields. It is such a treat to have an entire menu to choose from. I always order more than I can eat. Eating out at Wheatfields is really the only time I eat pasta these days. Just because I can, it is nice to not have to go with salad and actually get to eat pasta out. I don’t eat meat or chicken anymore so I am really limited when I go out to dinner. We stopped at one restaurant that had a couple of special menus I was

so excited but when I looked them over the gluten free menu had only choices that involved meat or chicken and the vegetarian menu they offered had meals that all included gluten. Needless to say we didn’t eat there. All in all, our trip was wonderful, I cannot wait to go back next year for our 25th! As most of you know I recently started my own business called Weigh To Total Health. I consult with people and customize a cleanse program that fits their needs and goals, because everyone should cleanse their bodies at least twice a year. We use the cleanse as a springboard to a healthier lifestyle. I also prepare and deliver meals that are made of all plant-based, whole food ingredients, and are allergy free. In September I will be giving two lectures about the connection with nutrition and our health. Both lectures will be held at the North Adams Regional

Hospital Clark House downstairs in the conference room on September 18 and 20. They will start at 6:30 p.m. and the cost is $20. Call for more information 413-329-4710, email info@weightototalhealth. com or just show up. Hope to see you there. Please remember to tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Yankee Shopper and Berkshire Penny Saver. Check out the list of gift certificates we offer for sale at a 20% discount. You can purchase them online at www.gooddealsne.com. We have sold over 750 gift certificates - people love buying them at such a great discount! �� As always we encour�� age your feedback. Feel free to send us your press releases to �� yankee@hersamacornma.com �� or berkshire@hersamacornma. com. Check us out online at �� www.ishopberkshires.com. �� -Renee Tassone, General Manager ��

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Norman Rockwell Museum to Hold Naturalization Ceremony in Front of Norman Rockwell’s Iconic ‘Four Freedoms’ Paintings Stockbridge, MA, August 29, 2012—Berkshire County residents who immigrated to the United States from around the world will be swornin as new naturalized United States citizens during a special ceremony to be held at Norman Rockwell Museum on Saturday, September 8, starting at 10 a.m. Norman Rockwell Museum and the Berkshire Immigrant Center joined together to bring the event to fruition following the Museum’s recent Four Freedoms Forum community dialogue on immigration that took place in March 2011. Four Freedoms Forums are Town Hall style meetings held at Norman Rockwell Museum, designed to inspire civility, community discourse, and social justice around complex topics of immense importance to the nation and the Berkshires. The naturalization ceremony will take place in the Museum’s main gallery against the backdrop of Norman Rockwell’s iconic “Four Freedoms” paintings. The oath of allegiance will be led by Southern Berkshire District Court Judge Frederic Rutberg, a resident of Stockbridge, who was also sworn in at Norman Rockwell Museum back in 1994, in front of “The Four Freedoms.” “I am extremely honored that the Norman Rockwell Museum has asked me to officiate at the citizenship swearing-in ceremony,” says Judge Rutberg.“I was fortunate to preside over a similar ceremony many years ago and it was one of the most moving experiences of my life. The stories and accomplishments of our newest citizens were truly inspiring then, and I am sure that this will be a memorable day not only for those who take the oath of citizenship, but also for all those lucky �� enough to witness the event.” �� Other local dignitaries sched�� uled to attend the ceremony �� include Massachusetts State �� Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D- Pittsfield); and State �� Representative William “Smitty” �� Pignatelli (D- Lenox), who was �� also a child model for Norman Rockwell back in the 1960s. Jean �� Atwater-Williams, a classically �� trained soprano and President of �� the Sandisfield Arts Center, will ��

sing “The Star Spangled Banner” and other patriotic selections during the ceremony, in addition to a flag presentation from the Dalton Color Guard.

The event at the Museum marks the first naturalization ceremony held in Berkshire County since 2002. Prior to that year, citizenship oath ceremonies were held twice annually in Pittsfield Superior Court, however the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) discontinued this practice citing costs. Since that time, Berkshire County residents have mostly had to travel to the Boston area for their oath ceremonies. Local support for this year’s ceremony has been made �� possible by Berkshire Health �� Systems, Berkshire Community College, and Lee Bank. Over 20 residents will be �� sworn in during the September �� 8 ceremony. Many of those resi�� dents were aided in their pursuit �� of citizenship by the Berkshire �� Immigration Center (BIC), a �� resource and advocacy organiza�� tion that serves the local immi��

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Rockwell Museum Naturalization Ceremony gration population. “We are so excited for our local residents to have the opportunity to mark this milestone in their lives at the Norman Rockwell Museum,” stated Hilary Greene, BIC Director. “I cannot think of a more beautiful or fitting location for the occasion.” “Norman Rockwell celebrated all the world’s cultures and peoples; he painted President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms as hallmarks of American democracy. New citizens from international cultures add vibrancy to our Berkshire community, and I hope they will always feel at home and hold a special memory of their citizenship ceremony at Norman Rockwell Museum,” noted Laurie Norton Moffatt, Director/CEO of the Museum. The residents to achieve U.S. citizenship represent 15 different countries, including Benin, Canada, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, India, the Ivory Coast, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. To obtain U.S. citizenship, one must hold legal permanent resident (green card) status for a minimum of five years (three years if married this whole time to a U.S. citizen), take an exam on U.S. history and civics, demonstrate proficiency in the English language, and be of “good moral character” among other requirements. The Berkshire Immigrant Center offers assistance with every aspect of the naturalization process including screening for eligibility, application support, disability and fee waivers, legal assistance, transportation, advocacy with USCIS, and English language, history and civics classes. For more information about the Center, please call 413.445.4881 or email: info@berkshireic.com. About Four Freedoms Forums: Town Hall Meetings at the Norman Rockwell Museum Four Freedoms Forums are a series of ongoing Town Hall conversations inspired by Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” paintings. Started in 2010, the conversations have served as a forum for the public ■

FROM MY CORNER

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— by Susan J. Coons ...stamp of approval... I like the Post Office. I like my mail carrier. I like the folks who work for the United States Postal System. I can understand why they sometimes “go postal.” I depend on the Post Office to deliver my payments, to be sure my Social Security Check is here on the proper date, and to deliver my two favorite magazines, “Newsweek” and “The New Yorker” on time. For at least two years I have been receiving sporadic delivery of “Newsweek.” I think it is acciden�� tally put into someone else’s mail box and they like to read it! I would wager that I probably only receive 38 of the 52 issues I have paid for. It’s very upsetting. But what is more upsetting �� is trying to find the phone number of my local post office in the �� Verizon-issued phone book for �� Hoosick Falls, New York. There is �� no listing under “Hoosick Falls,” nor �� under “United State Post Office,” nor �� under just plain old “Post Office,” �� and there are no government list-

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and noted commentators to explore aspects of our democracy and important social concerns in a rapidly changing and increasingly global world. About Norman Rockwell Museum Norman Rockwell Museum is the preeminent museum of American illustration art. Dedicated to art education and art appreciation inspired by the enduring legacy of Norman Rockwell, the Museum stewards the world’s largest and most significant collection of Rockwell art, and presents the works of contemporary and past masters of illustration. The Museum’s holdings include Rockwell’s last studio, moved from its original location to the Museum grounds, and the Norman Rockwell Archives, a 200,000-object collection undergoing digital preservation through ProjectNORMAN, “A Save America’s Treasures Project.” The Museum is also home to the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the nation’s first research institute devoted to the art of illustration. In 2008, Norman Rockwell Museum became the first-ever museum recipient of the National Humanities Medal, America’s highest honor in the field. Norman Rockwell Museum is located on 36 park-like acres in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Rockwell’s hometown for the last 25 years of his life. The Museum is open year-round; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. From May through October, hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; from November through April, hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Rockwell’s studio is open May through October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum admission is $16, $14.50 for seniors, $10 for students, $5 for kids, and teens 6 to 18, and free for Museum member, active military personnel, and children 5 and under. Visit the Museum online at http://www.nrm.org.

ings. I called information. A robot answered the phone and listed options. After choosing one option I was given another list of options from a second robot who sent me to still another robot. After three robots I was shocked to speak to a real person! After explaining my problem I asked for the phone number of our local post office which is what I wanted in the first place. The 800-number people are going to look into the problem which will only insult the folks at our little village post office. I then called the local number and explained my problem (or their problem). They’re going to check it out. In the mean time I was asked to check with continued on page 8

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Abundant Produce Found at Numerous Berkshire County Farmers’ Markets

The opening of familiar farmers’ markets marks the beginning of warmer months in the Berkshires. They give the little guy the opportunity to sell homegrown plants, fruits, vegetables and more, usually a couple times a week. Most farmers’ markets will continue dotting the area through late fall. Some even run until November.

Eggplant from Blossoming Acres Farm in Southwick. They can be found at the Farmers’ Market at Berkshire Mall in Lanesboro weekly.

Visiting farmers’ markets provides a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy. Fat, sun-ripened red tomatoes, cucumbers, piles of yellow squash and crunchy carrots vie for attention with shiny eggplants, berries and juicy apples. Baked goods are found in abundance. One can sometimes buy an apple, blueberry, or strawberry rhubarb pie. Or how about a loaf of carrot bread with cream cheese frosting? Some of the markets also carry cheese, including goat’s cheese, spices and all kinds of other wonderful treats such as biscotti and mushrooms with a special, tangy sauce. In the spring, the markets sell colorful flowering plants, including hanging ones. In the fall, bouquets of bright chrysanthemums and zinnias are available. They can perk up the table. They are a perfect way to

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celebrate throughout all the days of fall. Herbs, too, can be found. Fresh basil, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano and many others can usually be seen, promising to enhance the flavor of any dish. Delicious berries are usually on parade, too, from strawberries in the spring, to blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. How about freshly made jars of bread and butter pickles or strawberry and peach jam? Corn on the cob, picked from fields in the early dawn hours, shows up in almost every stall in late summer. What can beat the taste of that first bite of sweet, luscious corn on the cob? Some people serve it with butter and a light dusting of salt. Another less fattening method, popular in Latin American countries, is to squeeze fresh lime juice on the hot corn and then dust with chili pepper! It’s tasty either way. If you haven’t visited a farmers’ market yet this year, there’s still time. Almost every community has one. Here is a partial list of Berkshire County farmers’ markets. It’s always a good idea to check with town offices in advance to make sure the market is taking place. Downtown Pittsfield, Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m., Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m., Ends October 18 Pittsfield at Park Square’s Bank Row and Court House parking lots , Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ends October 2 Lanesborough Berkshire Mall parking lot by Sears, Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ends November 28 Lenox Shakespeare and Company Campus on Kemble Street, Friday from 1 to 5 p.m., Ends October 5 Lee Next to post office , Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ends October 12 West Stockbridge Town center across from post office, Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m., Ends October 25 For a complete listing of area farmers’ markets, go to www.farmfresh.org.

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Country Legend Kenny Rogers to Play The Colonial Theatre Pittsfield, MA – Kenny Rogers will serenade audiences with country classics and contemporaries at The Colonial Theatre on September 27 at 8pm. Tickets to Kenny Rogers are $50-$125. Contact the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield by calling 413-997-4444 or the Stockbridge Campus Ticket Office at 83 East Main Street, by calling 413-298-5576. Tickets can also be bought online at www.berkshiretheatregroup.org. Ticket Offices are open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm or on any performance day from 10am until curtain. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change. Known for instantly identifiable, sweet, raspy vocals and an extraordinary ability to vividly inhabit each song he performs, Rogers has sold more than 120 million records worldwide and recorded more than 65 albums during his storied 52 years in show business. His long list of timeless classics includes an impressive 24 #1 hits: “The Gambler,”“Lady,” “Lucille,” “She Believes in Me,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “We’ve Got Tonight” among them. Rogers’ Greatest Hits album has sold over 24 million copies worldwide to date. He is the Recording Industry Association of America’s eighth best selling male artist of all time with one Diamond album, 19 Platinum albums and 31 Gold albums. For over five decades, the gifted singer, songwriter, musician, producer, actor, photographer and entertainer has delivered memorable songs, drawing fans from many different backgrounds. “I really, really love what I’m doing,” Rogers says. “People survive longer if they love what they’re doing. Because you just don’t quit.” Rogers is one of very few artists who have enjoyed successful careers in such a variety of genres – jazz, folk, rock, country and pop. Houstonborn Rogers formed his first band while in high school in the mid 50’s – a doo wop and rockabilly group called the Scholars – and has never quit making music. He performed as solo artist Kenneth Rogers onAmerican Bandstand, played stand-up bass in the jazz group the Bobby Doyle Three, and later became a member of the popular folk group, The New Christy Minstrels. The spotlight started focusing on Rogers when his group, the First Edition, scored their first hit, “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In),” which was followed by the pop and country chart success of “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town.” Rogers’ solo career shot into the stratosphere with the #1 hit, “Lucille,” which won a Grammy Award and became the Academy of Country Music Song and Single of the Year and the Country Music Association’s Single of the Year. “Daytime Friends,” “Sweet Music Man,” and “Love

Or Something Like It” continued his run of success. Then came “The Gambler,” a story song so vivid it not only delighted country and pop fans, it also became a TV movie, starring Rogers himself in the title role. The movie spawned four follow-ups, making it the longest running miniseries franchise on television. The fiveGambler mini-series have attracted over 100 million viewers nationwide and launched a second career for Rogers as an actor on television and movies. Rogers consistently finds songs with universal appeal. Throughout the course of his career, he has attracted fans with an incredible range of music from country to soul to pop. “I’ve never considered myself a great singer, but I am a great storyteller,” Rogers told Billboard Magazine, also noting that he feels his strength as an artist is in finding great songs. In the 1980s, Rogers’ romantic country hits “Through The Years,” “She Believes In Me,” “You Decorated My Life,” and “Lady” — the biggest song of his career — quickly became classics. “There are a lot of songs that may have initial success but don’t linger the period of time those songs have,” Rogers says. “They do take a different value in your heart when they have that kind of staying power that represents your success and represents a feeling and a thought. A song like that becomes a part of your soul.” In 1999, after forming his own record company, Dreamcatcher Entertainment, Rogers returned to the charts in a big way with the hit, “The Greatest,” and when the follow-up, “Buy Me A Rose,” hit #1 in 2000, Rogers, at age 61, became the oldest artist in chart history to have a #1 solo record on the country chart, proving his talent was just as continued on page 8

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265 Main St., Dalton, MA • 413.684.3212 September 5, 2012

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Kenny Rogers at The Colonial

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In Greenridge Plaza

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vibrant and meaningful as it was when he first started out. That same year, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded Kenny the prestigious Diamond Award celebrating sales of more than ten million albums for his Greatest Hits album (sales to date have exceeded 24 million). With his unique storytelling ability and soulful voice, Kenny has continued his amazing run into the 21st century with a critically acclaimed album (Water and Bridges) and hit single, “I Can’t Unlove You,” a gold certified record (21 Number Ones), and now, the sweetly timeless The Love of God, released to rave reviews in 2011. Kenny is currently working on a new studio album for Warner Bros. Records with award-winning producer Dann Huff. Kenny’s autobiography, Luck Or Something Like It – A Memoir, will be released by HarperCollins on October 2, 2012. Kenny’s relevance in the world of music and pop culture has never been stronger. For more information on Kenny Rogers, visit www.kennyrogers.com. For more information about the performance, please visit our website at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org

FROM MY CORNER

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the subscription department of “Newsweek.” This is why it doesn’t do any good to complain about anything. I have put this off for two years because of what happened. Can you imagine the number of robots I would have to talk to if I tried to call “Newsweek?” Trying to straighten something out as simple as this becomes a daunting task and one has to be up to it. You �� have to be able to set aside a day to take care of such things. Allow yourself time to regain your senses before you attempt to continue �� talking to another set of robots. �� I feel sorry for postal work�� ers. They are at the bottom of �� the food-chain and only get grief �� if something isn’t right. They are �� seldom thanked. I’m guilty of this �� myself. �� I don’t know if I’ll ever find �� out if someone is keeping my �� magazine or if the problem lies �� somewhere between the circula�� tion department of “Newsweek” �� to the postal distribution center �� and then to another postal dis�� tribution center and ending in �� Hoosick Falls. �� If someone is keeping my mag�� azine they need to know that if �� they subscribe to “Newsweek” for �� less than a dollar week they can go �� to bed with a clean conscience! �� ...Why didn’t I receive my “New �� Yorker” this week?

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SERVICE DIRECTORY

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IS YOUR POOL COVER THIS SAFE?

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September 5, 2012

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PEACHES, PLUMS & APPLES NOW AVAILABLE!

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OUR BAKERY & KITCHEN ITEMS AVAILABLE DAILY ��

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September 5, 2012

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PAYMENT INFORMATION

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September 5, 2012

TRI-STATE JOB CONNECTION

September 5, 2012

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September 5, 2012