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Berkshires Beat: OLLI Opens Spring Classes
12:58PM / Monday, January 16, 2017
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'The Apples of our I: iPhone Photography and iPad Paintings' will teach people how to to cool and artsy things with their i gadgets.

Lifelong learning: OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College, kicks off its winter semester of classes this month in Pittsfield and Great Barrington. OLLI is a membership organization that offers over 80 classes, talks, workshops, events and trips a year, designed especially by and for people 50 years old and up.

There is no educational requirement for joining OLLI, just a love of learning for the sake of learning. The classes have no tests, no grades and no required homework.

Winter OLLI classes in Pittsfield include "International Folk Dance," "Ancient Writing Systems," "The Many Faces of Addictions," "Today’s Headlines," "The Apples of our I: iPhone Photography and iPad Paintings" and "Bach is Back."

In Great Barrington, classes are held on Tuesdays, including "Tuesdays at the Movies: Great Parodies" (held at the Triplex Cinema), "Travel Photography for Everyone" and "Cracking the Medieval Glass Ceiling: Women Writers of the Middles Ages."

On Fridays the Berkshire Museum hosts three accessible science classes: "Science Conversations," a moderated discussion of the latest scientific advances as written about in the Science Tuesday section of the New York Times; "Advances in Medicine," featuring three different doctors discussing the latest medical advances in their field; and "A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words: Understanding Visual Perceptual Phenomena" on the neurology of seeing.

OLLI membership is $50 a year and allows people to enroll in up to four semesters of classes, join a variety of free Shared Interest Groups, enjoy discounts from cultural partners, and much more. OLLI's programs are designed especially by and for people 50 years old and up, but are open to all. For more information about joining OLLI and the programs it offers, visit their website or call 413-236-2190 to request a free catalog.



History in action: The Mass Humanities Board of Directors voted to offer an Open Discussion Grant to the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams for "Overcoming the Impossible: A Speaker Series on the Era of Reform." The funding will ensure that all guests can attend these discussions without admission. The grant will cover the cost of the speakers/performers and advertising costs.

The series will link the reforms of Susan B Anthony's time period with the obstacles we face today that directly correlate with the mission of the museum. Susan B Anthony was involved is nearly every reform from the mid-1800s to the end of her life in 1906; however, as we near the 100th Anniversary of Suffrage, we are reminded that there is still quite a bit of work left to do.

The series will begin with the annual birthday celebration on Feb. 12. This year, the museum has invited actress and performer Judith Black to come in as Lucy Stone, an abolitionist and suffragist who fought for wage equity and educational reform who believed that women were not the property of their husbands and refused to take her husband’s name. For more information, visit the museum's website.


 
Habitat home: Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity is accepting applications from individuals and families who have the desire and commitment to become a homeowner. Residents can home a two-bedroom home for less than $750 a month, including taxes and insurance.

Income qualification for a three=person household for the two bedroom home is between, $29,960-$44,940. Call 413-442-3181 or stop by the office (314 Columbus Ave, Pittsfield) to meet with staff and complete an application.



Learn to swim: The Dalton Community Recreation Association will begin registration for Session III Swimming Lessons on January 16. Lessons run from Jan. 30-April 15 (10 weeks). A General CRA Junior Membership ($40) is required and everyone must wear a swim cap.

The Dalton CRA offers a full range of swimming lessons including: Parent-Toddler (6 months to 3 years, parent needs to be in the pool with toddler); Pre-School (3-5 years, not in kindergarten); Beginners (5 years and up); Beginners Deep End (5 years and up - no bubble); Advanced Beginners, Intermediate Swimmer and Advanced Swimmer. Cost for lessons is $60 (plus Membership). Parent Toddler lessons are $30 (plus membership). There will be no lessons Feb. 20-25.

Adult Learn-to-Swim class is also offered. Cost is $6 per class and a CRA Membership is not required. Register at the Dalton CRA. For more information and class schedule, call the CRA at 413-684-0260 or go online.



Waste not, want not: The Town of Great Barrington Wastewater Treatment Facility has been selected as a 2016 Regional Wastewater Treatment Operation and Maintenance Excellence Award recipient by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA Regional Wastewater Treatment Operation and Maintenance Excellence Award is given out annually and was established to recognize and honor publicly owned wastewater treatment plants for their commitment to improving water quality with outstanding plant operations and maintenance.

This is the first time Great Barrington has been recognized. The award will be given out at the annual New England Water Environment Association Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Boston Marriott Hotel at Copley Place. Timothy Drumm, superintendent of the Wastewater Treatment Facility, will attend.

Great Barrington’s facility, which maintains 35 miles of sewer line and six pumping stations throughout Great Barrington and Housatonic, was recognized for its exceptional organization and exemplary maintenance program.

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