The Berkshire Edge On-Air - Wednesday January 20, 2021

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.

1. Last night at 9 p.m., on the eve of the Presidential inauguration and, hopefully, the beginning of a new era, Great Barrington residents joined other communities in “shining a light for democracy.”
https://theberkshireedge.com/shine-a-light-for-democracy/
And one of the brightest lights, it turned out, was the Great Barrington Police Department, that illuminated its headquarters:
https://theberkshireedge.com/great-barrington-police-department-mourns-covid-19-victims/

2.  Our Berkshire legislative delegation is satisfied with the aid packages offered Berkshire residents and businesses by the federal government, but is less than satisfied with state contributions:
https://theberkshireedge.com/boston-delegation-would-like-to-see-more-aid-to-county-but-still-bullish-on-the-berkshires/

3. Writer Julia Dixon has a fascinating look at how artists and freelancers are navigating the pandemic economy:
https://theberkshireedge.com/business-monday-artists-creative-freelancers-navigate-covid-era-funding-challenges/

4. Writer Bob Luhmann — a Connecticut scribe, we should note — has written an amusing tribute to oatmeal, since January is Oatmeal Month. Luhman wonders whether oatmeal could heal the nation’s divided soul:https://theberkshireedge.com/on-oatmeal-the-way-forward/

5. Our columnist Leonard Quart has written a column about the influence that Mass MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) has had upon the city of North Adams. He writes about a film “Farewell to Factory Towns? and Quart’s conclusion is that the museum has really transformed the city of North Adams as much as cultural aficionados have claimed:https://theberkshireedge.com/leonard-quart-the-plight-of-an-old-mill-town/
6. Let us conclude with Sarah Wright’s account of getting the COVID19 vaccine… she’s a health care worker at Berkshire Health Systems — and a very fine writer, as well:
https://theberkshireedge.com/the-bearable-lightness-of-being-vaccinated/