Rain Shorts Out Second Hoosac River Lights Fest
 Photos by Melanie Rancourt
Despite the rain, the fish painting was accomplished under tents along the flood control chute. But the night lighting events had to be canceled; hopefully, they will be exhibited on Sept. 12. |
The skies cleared in time for last year's Hoosac River Lights night event, which drew thousands. Not so this year, as the wet weather that's plagued the summer season forced several outdoor art-lighting installations to be postponed until Sept. 12. They were to include a light show at the river, a film projection on the water and hundreds of light-filled helium balloons.
Event organizer Ralph Brill, owner of the Brill Gallery in the Eclipse Mill, attempted to hold the children's events outside in the parking lot behind Big Y Supermarket near the Hoosic River. For nearly three hours in the early afternoon, the weather cooperated; however, as the day rolled on, weather conditions worsened.
"The rain has not been our friend today," Brill said. "It has scared away the crowds."
Dawn Nelson assisted youngsters in painting thick wooden cutouts of trout that were displayed on the Holden Street fence in preparation for the evening's activities. Among them was 3-year-old Cameron, son of AJ Bostwick.
"Cameron has painted nearly 15 fish today and has had a lot of fun," Bostwick said. "I'm also here because I was one of the volunteers that helped construct the big fish made out of PVC pipe and green snow fence. (Wind knocked the fish about on Friday.) There is a big LED light used for the eye, which hopefully will be lit if the rain stops by the time it gets dark."
Brill said the purpose behind Hoosac River Lights is to use art to educate people about the river. His idea this year was to get children and families more involved by providing afternoon activities, food and information about the river, the native brook trout, and environmentally safe products.
"In the 1950s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed 50-foot-tall, 12-foot-wide flood-control chutes in many mill towns due to the fact that the river would flood and destroy houses approximately every 10 years," Brill explained. "The flood chutes served their purpose; however, the concrete in the chutes raise the water temperature 7 degrees, which on a hot August day will kill the fish swimming through the river."
To prevent this, Brill said there are considerations to break the concrete in the chutes and possibly lay stone so that the fish can swim through the river unharmed and the water will stay its natural temperature. Another group working to make the Hoosic River a vital part of downtown North Adams is the Hoosic River Revival coalition led by Judy Grinnell.
The coalition imagines a downtown where both branches of the river are lovely to look at, suitable for fishing, boating, and swimming, bordered by trails running through parkland, and where people came for business and socializing.
The participants at the afternoon were Green Depot, an environmentally friendly building supply company with a store in Albany, N.Y., Trout Unlimited and Harvest Moon General Store of Williamstown, which offered its award-winning barbecue ribs and its homemade macaroni and cheese and brownies at affordable prices.
Green Depot's philosophy is that any "green" choice, big or small, is a positive step for our future.
Jenny Gitlitz, the company's director of environmental assessment, and employee Danielle Picratti exhibited safe alternatives to current home products.
"Our cleaning products, laundry products, and cleaning cloths are all products that went through strict scrutiny by our company," Gitlitz said. "If a company says their product is 'green,' it is tested for toxins and if it passes, then we will sell it."
Joe Overlook, president of the Hoosac Chapter of Trout Unlimited, said two projects are about ready to begin in Clarksburg and Cheshire.
"Our hope is to use grant money that we have been awarded to remove the dam located near the cascades [Briggsville Dam] on River Road in Clarksburg and the dam in Thunder Brook in Cheshire," Overlook said. "Once the dams are removed, the rivers will be restored to their natural states over 200 years ago."
Because of the hazards with electrical equipment and the continuing rain, many activities had to be canceled Saturday night. However, the "Legacy of Light" exhibit based on the work of holographic artist Rudie Berkhout amazed visitors inside gymnasium at St. Elizabeth's (St. Anthony's) Parish Center.
Linda Law, curator of Berkhout's gallery of work in Catskill, N.Y., guided visitors through the exhibit, talking about Berkhout's life, his work and how to properly view it.
"Rudie Berkhout grew up in Holland and was a world-class holographic artist who finally settled and built an amazing house with this lifelong partner, Hudson Talboott, in the Catskill Mountains," Law said. "One day last September, we lost Rudie when he died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 61."
The installation was a moving array of green lights. Law said most of the lighting effects were made with laser wands, an invention of Berkhout's, which were being held by volunteers stationed around the room. The wands are unique because of their diffraction grating, in which the laser is split into galaxies of points. They were for them for sale for $100 each.
 Organizer Ralph Brill tried to be optimistic despite the overcast skies. |
"The proper way to view a piece of rainbow holographic art is to stand farther back and move around," Law explained. "The more you move around, the more the picture will come alive, and the more colors you will see."
On Sept. 19, Law is planning a major retrospective of Berkhout's art at the Union Mills Gallery in Catskill.
Brill handed out small, blinking LEDs (light-emitting diodes) to those attending.
"I was waiting until 9 o'clock to see if the weather was going to change so we could begin some of the outdoor activities, however, we are not going to be allowed to," said a saddened Brill. "Maybe we will have drier weather next year."
