Stockbridge to hold energy meeting

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A public meeting to discuss the ways the town of Stockbridge might reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions will be held Tuesday, February 19, at 7 p.m. at the Stockbridge Grange (on Church Street, just east of the town waste transfer station).

The meeting will be hosted by the Stockbridge Board of Selectmen and the citizens committee that sponsored the successful motion at the 2007 Annual Town Meeting, where the Town officially voted to join the Cities for Climate Protection. Through this program, communities commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using less energy, increasing recycling and supporting clean energy. To date the town has earned $12,000 for renewable energy projects through its participation in the Clean Energy Choice Program.

“This is a great opportunity for Stockbridge citizens to address their concerns about climate change and to be engaged in community environmental stewardship,” said George Shippey, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.

The meeting will provide a forum for citizens to ask questions, offer suggestions and help initiate a citizens advisory committee. Wendy Penner from the Williamstown COOL (Carbon Dioxide Lowering) Committee will talk about COOL’s experiences and accomplishments. Rev. Tom Damrosch, rector of St. Paul ’s Episcopal Church, will facilitate.

For more information, contact Laura Dubester at 413-445-4556 ext. 13 or laurad@cetonline.org; or Tom Stokes at 413-243-5665 or tstokes@bcn.net.
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Berkshire Museum Explores Ancient Egypt With ‘Soulful Creatures’

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Following its multimillion-dollar renovation, the Berkshire Museum is welcoming an exhibition unlike any it has been able to host before.
 
Marking the museum's first major exhibition since its renovation, "Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt," opening Saturday, Oct. 10, thins the veil between the ever-evolving history of Egyptian culture and society and modern day people. 
 
"The most important thing about history is recognizing people from the past as actual people. Ancient Egyptians are no different than us," said William Dore, the museum's chief curator. "They have different cultures and beliefs and different viewpoints, but you can say the same thing about people today."
 
When audiences experience the exhibit, they will see the humanity in the people of the past, which in turn helps them connect with different views and perspectives around the world today, he said. 
 
Combining archeology with modern scientific imaging, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Museum curators Yekaterina Barbash and Edward Bleiberg designed an exhibit that works to uncover the mysteries behind these objects and the beliefs and rituals that surround them. 
 
"I think something that people kind of misunderstand about history is none of it's ever settled. ... History is a science that is constantly questioned,” Dore said. "It only works if everyone's constantly rethinking things, learning new things ... which is for me super exciting because as much as we know a lot about the ancient Egyptians, there's a lot we don't know.”
 
The installation features dozens of artifacts on loan from the Brooklyn Museum that explores the practice of animal mummification and the role animals played in ancient Egyptian religion. 
 
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