The Berkshire Edge On-Air - Wednesday April 3, 2019

The Berkshire Edge LLC is a locally owned, regional publication. Our goal is to provide – regularly and in depth – content that truly reflects the life, interests and aspirations of this unusually rich and vibrant community.

Guided by respected journalistic standards, the principle of fairness, the quest for truth, a commitment to social, economic and environmental justice, and an abiding admiration for the independent spirit of the Berkshires, The Berkshire Edge offers in-depth local news reports and features, perspectives on the arts, wide-ranging commentary, and a comprehensive calendar of events – all written, illustrated, and, in some cases performed, with wit, intelligence, insight and humor.

This week we talk about:

1 . Part VII of our series, written by Sheela Clary, on the implications of legalizing marijuana. This week we focus on its effect on youth .. both socially and physiologically:
https://theberkshireedge.com/opening-the-weedgates-part-vii-youth-at-risk/
1a. Of course, our  columnist Alan Chartock had to weigh in on legalizing marijuana, and he notes that New York State may consider it as well, since Great Barrington’s pot shops are crowded with New Yorkers coming across the border… ahhh. The wages of sin. Sin is in.
https://theberkshireedge.com/alan-chartock-12/

2.  Here’s a story about how teens at Monument Mountain Regional High School have gotten behind a campaign to raise funds to cure a crippling disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which a classmate of theirs , Charley Seckler, is suffering from. His parents, Benji and Tracy Seckler, have started this campaign to find a cure for the disease that endangers the life of their son, as well as thousands of other children:
https://theberkshireedge.com/charleys-fund-raises-awareness-for-local-teen-and-others-with-duchenne-muscular-dystrophy/

3. Of course, how could we not have a story — in fact two stories, about the college admissions scandal. The first is a survey of the national scandal, written by our national education observer, Bob Fizzolio:
https://theberkshireedge.com/up-the-creek-without-a-palette-the-school-admissions-scandal/
And the second, story looks into the corruption of the admissions scandal through the eyes of a college admissions counselor, who is appalled:
https://theberkshireedge.com/corruption-and-the-commodification-of-college-admissions/

4.  Now on the lighter side of the world of college education, we have been running articles by Bard College at Simon’s Rock theatre professor Ken Roht, highlighting Daniel’s Art Party, a series of events at the college — (Daniel is the name of the art center at Simon’s Rock) — in which the performances engage the local community of Great Barrington. It’s an Edgy idea:
https://theberkshireedge.com/daniels-art-party-at-simons-rock-community-radio-and-berkshire-bedtime-stories/

5.  In a campaign to discourage the use of single-use plastic water bottles, Great Barrington will soon have water stations location in town for people to fill up their reusable water bottles:
https://theberkshireedge.com/news-brief-water-stations-funding-in-place/