The Yes Men, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. - Berkshire Community Radio and Berkshire International Film Festival will co-present a screening of The Yes Men Fix the World, followed by a Q&A with anti-corporate pranksters, The Yes Men (Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno) on Friday, November, 20 at 7:30pm at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. The event is a fundraiser for WBCR-LP, 97.7 FM, the volunteer-based, noncommercial, community radio station in the town of Great Barrington, Mass.

Tickets are $15 and $10 for full-time students with ID. A limited number of priority seating $50 tickets are available as well, which will include a post-screening party with the Yes Men at the radio station. The party will be broadcast live in true freewheeling community radio style. To purchase tickets, visit www.mahaiwe.org or phone the Mahaiwe box office at 413-528-0100.

The Yes Men have been called “the Jonathan Swift of the Jackass Generation” by author Naomi Klein. They pose as corporate bigwigs, infiltrate the world of big business, and scandalize unsuspecting audiences in ways that shame the world’s biggest corporate criminals. Although fronted by Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, their membership includes hundreds of agents who prefer to remain anonymous – until duty calls. The group first gained international notoriety a decade ago by impersonating World Trade Organization spokesmen on international TV and at business conferences. In 2004, United Artists released a feature documentary about their hijinks (The Yes Men directed by Chris Smith, Sarah Price, and Dan Olman), which became an instant cult hit, received numerous festival awards, and was distributed theatrically and on television around the globe. Their new film won the Audience Award at the Berkshire International Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Founded in 2004, WBCR-LP, 97.7 FM is a volunteer-operated and listener-supported noncommercial community broadcast and Internet radio station in the town of Great Barrington, Mass. Each week, WBCR-LP broadcasts over 90 locally-produced or sponsored radio programs; with programmers ranging from elementary school students to retirees; with topics including local community issues, astrology, skate-boarding, women's issues, and water preservation and protection; and with live and recorded music ranging from classical to Italian folk to death-metal. In addition, dozens of community volunteers perform the myriad of tasks required to maintain the studios and keep the station running. For more information about the station, see www.berkshireradio.org.

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is located at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington, Mass. Box Office Hours: Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm and 3 hours before show times. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.mahaiwe.org or via phone at 413-528-0100.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Dalton Counter Sues Berkshire Concrete

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The dispute between Berkshire Concrete and the town has taken another turn as the town pursues a countersuit against the excavation company.
 
On April 13, Berkshire Concrete Corp., a subsidiary of Petricca Industries, launched legal action against the town, seeking damages, the overturning of the Planning Board's denial of its special permit, and additional proposed orders of a court. 
 
The town has responded with a countersuit of its own, seeking a preliminary injunction requiring Berkshire Concrete to fully restore Lot 105-16 and a permanent injunction mandating an effective dust mitigation plan. 
 
The suit also requests that Berkshire Concrete pay all fines assessed against them, along with the town’s legal costs and attorney's fees, and other relief deemed by the court. 
 
The claim explains the timeline of events dating back to 2024 when Berkshire Concrete started mining without town approval on parcel 105-16, clearing trees and vegetation that abuttors claimed acted as a natural barrier. 
 
The removal of this vegetation resulted in the creation of a corridor for wind to carry dust from the lot and onto residential properties in the abutting neighborhood, the suit claims. 
 
Almost a year ago, both the Select Board and Planning Board expressed that they wanted parcel No. 105-16 fully mitigated to abide by the town's bylaws.
 
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