Berkshire Penny Saver by Hersam Acorn

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There’s Something In It For You!

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Berkshire

Penny Saver www.berkshirepennysaver.com

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December 14, 2011

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IN THIS ISSUE: Auto ....................................... 14 Business Directory .................. 2 Classiﬁeds ................................ 3 Sudoku Puzzle ....................... 15 Help Wanted .......................... 15 Real Estate ............................... 7 Holiday Greeting ................8-13

editorial email berkshire@hersamacornma.com advertising email art@hersamacornma.com

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Editorial Deadline: 20th at noon the month before publication. Classiﬁed Deadline:

January 23, 2012 Display Deadline:

January 23, 2012

Manager’s Memo

Berkshire

Penny Saver 800.234.1432 Classiﬁeds 800.234.1432 editorial email berkshire@hersamacornma.com advertising email art@hersamacornma.com

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Renee Tassone, General Manager Linda Devlin, Circulation Manager Sarah Masiero, Advertising Sales Carrie Devlin, Advertising Sales Kitty Lewis, Advertising Sales Brad Croff, Web Sales Mark Payton, Web Sales Jen Hathaway, Production Director Chris Sobolowski, Art Director Barbra Retzlaff, Graphic Artist ■

Deadline*: 20th of Prior Month *Deadlines will change due to Holidays. See special deadline notices published before major holidays.

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Submission Guidelines: Those wishing to submit event listings or editorial content may email berkshire@hersamacornma.com. ■

Notice: The Berkshire Penny Saver will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. The publisher reserves the sole right to edit, revise, or reject any and all advertising, with or without cause being assigned, which in the publisher’s judgement is contrary to the interests of this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. ©2008, Hersam Acorn Newspapers. All contents of the Berkshire Penny Saver News are copyrighted, and any reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Martin Hersam, Chief Operating Ofﬁcer Thomas B. Nash, Publisher

‘Tis the Season…again. I cannot believe that Christmas 2011 is just around the corner. Where did this year go? I think when you get older time goes faster. I remember back to January 1, 2011 thinking how wonderful it felt to leave 2010 behind and start a new year. My hopes for 2011 were high, but the year had a rough start, the economy seemed to be getting worse instead of better and in March my mother was diagnosed with stage four Pancreatic Cancer. The year seemed to level out, economy seems to have stabilized a bit and my mother is still going strong. Other than the drastic weight loss of 66 pounds she is energetic and feels quite good. We had a family reunion a few weeks ago where I was able to Renee Tassone, General Manager see my mom. She planned the entire reunion herself, 126 people attended and everyone had a great time. While she was here in Massachusetts she went to see Father Diorio who is a healing priest. She did not pass out like so many do, but miraculously her numbers started improving after attending that Mass. Every time she receives chemotherapy, which is every two weeks, they do blood work. One of the things they check are what they call tumor markers, which measure the amount of cancer in your blood. Zero is normal and when my mother was first diagnosed her tumor marker numbers were over 2,600. They have progressively been going down. Even getting as low as 53. Well, the last few months they started to climb again. The doctor told her the challenge is not getting them down but keeping them down. They were starting to get back in to the 100-range and then she went to see Father Diorio. When she returned to Florida she went to her treatment after having four weeks off due to her traveling to Massachusetts. They thought for sure her number would be up since it had been four weeks since her last treatment. The doctor said it was nothing short of a miracle; her tumor marker number had dropped to 42! Not sure if it is the treatment keeping her alive or all of the prayers, Father Diorio or just plain luck, but she is doing well and I am grateful. I always set goals for the New Year. I think it is important. I usually have one or two professional goals, one financial goal, one health goal and one personal goal. I write them down in a notebook and include how I plan on reaching each of them. I try to keep them realistic and within reach. This coming year my health goal is to stay away from foods that have more than 5 ingredients. Have you ever truly looked at what is being put in our food? Some lists are as long as the box they are printed on. I could go on and on but I will save that discussion for another issue. One of my goals this year after getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease was to start a support group for people newly diagnosed with Celiac or gluten intolerance. I was so overwhelmed when I was diagnosed that I wished there was someone to help me through it all. I now own the Berkshire County chapter of the Celiac Sprue Association support group for Celiac Disease & gluten intolerance. The first meeting will be held on January 19 at the VNA offices on Curran Highway in North Adams. I am planning speakers, gluten free refreshments and of course support. I am very excited. I plan on having them at different locations until I see where most of the people are coming from. I am amazed at how many people I meet every single day in this area that are affected by this disease. I hope that 2012 is going to be a good year for all of you. Let’s hope the economy continues to improve, that everyone stays healthy and that you create many wonderful memories for you and your family. Check out our special Holiday Greetings in this issue. Please remember to shop local this holiday season and tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Yankee Shopper and Berkshire Pennysaver. Please also check out the list of gift certificates we offer for sale at a 20% discount. Gift certificates make great gifts! As always we encourage your feedback. Feel free to send us your press releases to yankee@hersamacornma.com or berkshire@hersamacornma. com. Check us out online at www.ishopberkshires.com. -Renee Tassone, General Manager

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December 14, 2011

CLASSIFIEDS

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Berkshire Penny Saver

Muppets Art Exhibit Opening at Du Bois Center Great Barrington--The WEB Du Bois Center at Great Barrington will host the exhibit, “Bein’ Green: Why Every Color is Beautiful,” featuring the fanciful artwork of Sesame Street and Muppets illustrator Joel Schick, from Friday, December 3 through Sunday, February 13, 2012. The proceeds from the exhibit will be donated to Berkshire County Kid’s Place, Pittsfield. The illustrations and paintings of beloved characters such as Kermit the Frog, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, and many others from the Muppet menagerie, will be on display throughout the Center, along with some of the finished books and toys for which the illustrations were created. “These paintings will naturally speak to children of all ages,” says

Randy F. Weinstein, founder of the Du Bois Center. “But they also bring back wonderful memories and feelings in the adults who grew up with them.” “With all the racial unrest in this world, we also thought it was a good time for people to re-experience a childlike perspective,” says Weinstein. “Someone green can still love someone blue, and someone turquoise can still play with someone red. The Muppets have spent years showing us that, regardless of color, we all sing and laugh and love.” The exhibit coincides with the holiday release of Disney’s’ new movie, “The Muppets,” and Jim Henson’s 75th birthday. Because Schick used continued on page 5

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Give the Gift of Music! Sign up for 10 or more private lessons and get a free lesson. For beginning or advanced students of all ages. Free Open House Saturday, January 28 30 Wendell Avenue * Pittsfield 413-442-1411

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Muppets

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liquid water colors and then stored the paintings in a metal locker for 25 years, the artwork has retained its original vibrance. “It’s been great fun getting this exhibit ready because everyone reacts so positively to each piece,” says Weinstein. “And what makes this collection so unusual are some of the early pencil sketches, overlays, and notes, showing the progression of a piece as Joel created it. We also have some unpublished pieces that are stunning.” This exhibit is a first of its kind, giving the public the opportunity to see around 100 original Muppet drawings. Because of Schick’s expertise in capturing the “essence” of each character, Sesame Street’s corporate office eventually asked him to create the “how-to-draw” books that Muppet sketch artists continue to follow. An

award-winning illustrator of 40 years, he also designed numerous Kurt Vonnegut and Barry Lopez books and provided the illustrations for acclaimed “Babar” and “Magic School Bus” books. The WEB Du Bois Center, located at 684 Main Street, Great Barrington, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the study of social justice. Berkshire County Kid’s Place, an accredited nonprofit Children’s Advocacy Center, provides services for child victims of abuse. The exhibit will be open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm - 4pm, except for holiday weekends. School groups can arrange private educational programs by appointment. There is a $5/ person admission charge. For more information, call 413-644-9595 or email duboiscenter@gmail.com.

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Berkshire Penny Saver

December 14, 2011

Support Group Meeting for Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance

REAL ESTATE

A meeting of the Celiac Sprue Association of Berkshire County support group for Celiac Disease & gluten intolerance is scheduled for January 19 at the VNA offices on Curran Highway in North Adams, MA at 6:30pm. Dr. Zhang, a Gastroenterologist from North Adams Hospital will be speaking about different tests for finding Celiac Disease and why it is important to be gluten free. If you have any questions feel free to call Renee Tassone the support groups founder at 413-329-4710 or check us out on Face Book at Celiac Support Group Berkshire County.

Old Chatham Quaker Meeting Old Chatham Quaker Meeting will screen “Inside Job” Monday, December 5, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Powell House Quaker Conference and Retreat Center, 524 Pitt Hall Road, off County Route 13, Old Chatham NY. ‘Inside Job’ provides a comprehensive analysis of the global financial crisis of 2008, which at a cost over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose their jobs and homes in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and nearly resulted in a global financial collapse. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and a moderated discussion will follow. For more information call 518-766-2992. For directions: www.oldchathamquakers.org. ��

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Greetings from LEE Delicious Sugar Cookies Part of the enjoyment of the holiday season involves spending time in the kitchen whipping up delicious treats. Particularly for young children, baking sugar cookies with Mom or Dad and then decorating the creations can be a festive way to spend a day. Those short on time can turn to store-made sugar cookie dough for their cookie making, but those who want the authentic taste of cookies from scratch, there are many recipes from which to choose. This recipe for rolled sugar cookies produces cookies that will hold up well to cutting and baking. They’re also quite delicious. Rolled Sugar Cookies (Makes 5 dozen) 11/2 cups butter, softened ��

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3 cups white sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 5 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 2. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the wet ingredients until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour. 3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. On a surface coated with some confectioners’ sugar, roll out the dough to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thickness (a thinner cookie will be crispier). Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. 4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the parchment. 5. Bake around 5 to 7 minutes, or just until the edges of the cookies start to brown.

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Remove promptly from the cookie sheet and cool on a rack. 6. Decorate the cookies using icing (recipe below) when the cookies cool, or sprinkle with colored sugar while cookies are warm. Cookie Icing 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 teaspoons milk 2 teaspoons light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon almond extract Assorted food coloring 1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. 2. Divide the icing into separate containers to add choice of colors. Mix until well blended. 3. Use a piping tip and pastry bag to outline the cookie in a thin bead of the icing. Allow to dry. 3. Then use a paintbrush to fill in the design with the remainder of the icing. 4. Wait an hour or more for the icing to completely harden before serving. TF11C576

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December 14, 2011

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Greetings from LEE A Quick Guide to Gift-Giving Etiquette

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Deciding on and paying for holiday gifts can be a challenge under the best circumstances. But then there are the inevitable “sticky situations” that can leave even the most experienced gift-givers scratching their heads. In the hopes of dodging major gift gaffes this holiday season, here are eight tips for gracious giving and receiving. • Review your gift list each year to determine if any relationships have changed and require a shift in your gift•giving plan. • Don’t ask non•family members on your gift list what they would like. This not only spoils the surprise, but puts pressure on recipients to gauge how much you want to spend and requires them to get you something in return. • Don’t feel obligated to match what others spend. Buying gifts based on what others spend is both unnecessary and can lead to excessive expenditures. • For workplace gifts, adhere to the company’s policies and make sure that gifts are given out of appreciation, not expectation. • Including a gift receipt is a good idea and avoids potentially awkward situations when an item doesn’t fit or doesn’t work. • Give holiday tips to those individuals whose service you count on throughout the year, such as hairstylists, babysitters, dog walkers, etc. An easy rule of thumb for holiday season tips is to double the usual tip. For household employees, give one week’s pay. • If someone surprises you with a gift, the best bet is to respond honestly. Let the giver know that you are surprised, touched and appreciative as well as a bit embarrassed that you don’t have a gift in return. Then let it go and add his/her name to your gift list for the following year. • Don’t arrive at holiday gatherings empty•handed. A small gift, bottle of wine or contribution to the evening’s edibles is the right way to thank your hosts for their invitation. • Acknowledging gift givers is a must, but formal, written thank you cards are optional. While handwritten notes are always preferable and greatly appreciated, e•mails are increasingly acceptable •• especially for young people. • Regifting is now considered a (mostly) acceptable practice, as long as it’s done thoughtfully, tastefully and within the following guidelines: • The regifted item should not be homemade or made especially for you. • The item should be new, unused and in its original packaging, along with instructions. • Be sure to remove all previous wrapping and gift tags. • Don’t regift to friends or family members who have a reputation for returning things they don’t like. You don’t want to be asked for a gift receipt. • Make certain that the original giver and the new recipient will never cross paths. GG11B300

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December 14, 2011

Greetings from LENOX ‘Tis the Season for Caroling, Gingerbread and Santa

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Lenox, MA – Those seeking a traditional holiday experience should head to historic Lenox, Massachusetts on December 10 and 11 for the Lenox Caroling Festival. Decked out in holiday splendor, the streets of this quaint Berkshires village will be filled with Holiday music sung by singing groups from throughout �� the Northeast. The festival is one of several holiday activities planned �� throughout the weekend to celebrate the spirit of the season. �� The caroling competition will be held on Saturday (12/10) from 10 �� am to 4 pm with each group performing at least one 15-minute set at �� one of several street locations throughout the village. Winners will be �� decided by a combination of popular vote and a panel of professional �� judges. The public is invited to attend a Caroler’s Reception emceed by Gene Shalit of the Today Show at 5:30 pm at Shakespeare & Company’s �� Bernstein Theatre which will feature festive food, a sing-a-long and an �� awards presentation. �� Participating choirs include the Berkshire Concert Choir, the Hudson Valley Choral Society, �� Quintessential, the Glee Club �� and a cappella choir from the Lenox memorial High School, the �� Berkshire Country Day Chorale �� (administrators and teachers), the Taconic High School Honors choir, Mt. Everett High School madri�� gals, the MCLA Allegrettos Gospel Choir, and the Senior Choir of �� Christ Memorial AME Zion �� church. �� Also scheduled that weekend, �� Shakespeare & Company will perform David Sedaris’“The Santaland Diaries” based on his short story about working as an elf during the holidays at Macy’s Department Store. Performances are on Friday (12/9) & Saturday (12/10) at 7:30 pm and matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday (12/11) at 2 pm. The performance is suitable �� for ages 13 and up. Purchase tickets �� in advance at www.Shakespeare. �� org or by calling the box office �� (413) 637-3353. �� Additional information includ�� ing a list of village inns, shops and �� restaurants offering special festi�� val discounts can be found on the �� event’s website www.lenoxcaro�� lingfestival.org.

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PITTSFIELD

Anatomy of a Snowﬂake

Oftentimes, when winter arrives people are more concerned with what snowflakes as a large group can do (blizzards, snow mounds, etc.) and rarely give thought to the beauty and intricacy of an individual snowflake. By now most probably know that no two snowflakes are alike and that they have some unique characteristics. Here’s an exploration of some of the components of a snowflake and what makes them a marvel of natural engineering. Snow is created when the water vapor in the air falls below the freezing point. The vapor loses an amount of energy known as the heat of crystallization. The same process occurs when ice forms, except the water is in liquid form and then becomes a solid. It is not a vapor, as is the case with snow. In many snowflakes, the water vapor crystalizes most easily on a particle in the air, such as dust. Other crystals then build upon the original in a domino effect. Essentially, snowflakes are ice-covered specks of dirt. But if everyone knew that the mystery surrounding snowflakes could decline. In perfect conditions, the geometric bonds of water in the snowflake occur in a hexagonal shape. However, depending on weather conditions and the snowflake’s trip through clouds and the atmosphere as it falls to the ground, the shapes in the �� flakes can change. Snowflakes �� may not be perfectly symmetri�� cal like they are when kids craft �� paper snowflakes. Though they �� are, in fact, all different when �� viewed under a microscope, to �� the naked eye snowflakes all �� appear very similar in shape. �� According to the Lansing State �� Journal, scientists think that there �� are really four different shapes of �� snow crystals. The simplest shape ��

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Greetings from SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTY Snowflake

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is a long needle shaped like a spike. The other shapes all have six sides. One of them is a long, hollow column that is shaped like a six-sided prism. There are also thin, flat sixsided plates. And lastly there are intricate, six-pointed stars. A snowflake is not one piece of ice, but rather up to 200 separate ice crystals. Therefore, the intricacy of each snowflake is more than most imagine. Snowflakes come

Merry Christmas from all of us at Formel Motor Co. Inc.

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together to form the snow that blankets the ground and landscape. Snowflakes are wonders of natural creation. Love or loathe the snow, viewing it from a microscopic level can bring a new perspective to the white stuff. TF11C560

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�� 21 Van Deusenville Road Great Barrington, MA 413-528-9424

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AUTOMOTIVE

Berkshire Penny Saver

December 14, 2011

JOB CONNECTION ��

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