Our BerkshireTimes Magazine, Early Summer 2018

Early Summer 2018, vol 48

Complimentary

Our BerkshireTimes

™

Local Events | Art & Culture | Home & Garden | Vibrant Living

Cover art by Elisabeth Ladwig, www.elisabethonearth.com

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Our BerkshireTimes™ PUBLISHERS Kathy I. Regan publisher@ourberkshiretimes.com Kevin J. Regan kevin@ourberkshiretimes.com _______________ EDITORIAL Kathy I. Regan editor@ourberkshiretimes.com Proofreader Rodelinde Albrecht _______________ DESIGN Magazine Design/Layout Kathy I. Regan Brianna I. Regan _______________ TO ADVERTISE CONTACT Account Representatives Kevin J. Regan kevin@ourberkshiretimes.com Debra Johnson debra@ourberkshiretimes.com _______________ Our BerkshireTimes magazine is a division of Visionary Group Unlimited P.O. Box 133, Housatonic, MA 01236 Phone: (413) 274-1122 advertise@ourberkshiretimes.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com Contact us to find out more about advertising, and submit editorial and art. _______________ COVER ILLUSTRATION

“Starpolish” by Elisabeth Ladwig www.elisabethonearth.com Elisabeth Ladwig is an award-winning photographic artist who lives with her husband, David, and dog, April, in the New Jersey Highlands (aka bear country), where an abundance of protected land offers endless opportunities for creative inspiration. More of Elisabeth’s striking creations are on display locally at The Wit Gallery in Lenox, MA, www.thewitgallery. com. Also see Elisabeth’s website at www. elisabethonearth.com, and read more about her on page 6 of this issue of Our BerkshireTimes magazine.

Contents 4

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art, culture & entertainment ELISABETH LADWIG FUN THINGS TO DO PROVINCETOWN TUNA

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food & drink ASPARAGUS, WATERCRESS, AND RADISH SALAD

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home & garden CHOOSING YOUR NEW MOWER CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS LIKE A PRO

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animal talk A PATTERN OF CONTAMINATION

15

shop local gift guide

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education & workshops COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

18

15

health & wellness OUR FOOD SYSTEM: AN INVISIBLE FORM OF OPPRESSION BIOCOMPATIBLE DENTAL MATERIALS

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featured advertisers THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

S ON THE COVER - Starpolish is printed on museum-grade, textured fine art paper (100% rag archival) with Canon IPF Pro-2000 and 11 color Lucia Pro pigment inks that ensure visibility of the smallest details, and colors that appear as fresh as day one, even after 100 years. Prints available framed and unframed in various sizes at www.elisabethonearth.com.

Our BerkshireTimes magazine has been proudly created without Wi-Fi since it was first published in 2009. This publication is printed with soy ink on Forest Stewardship Council® certified paper. We distribute bimonthly (six issues per year) and most of our editorial content is contributed by our community members.

All content in Our BerkshireTimes™ is accepted in good faith. We do not necessarily advocate and cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by our authors, illustrators, and advertisers. We reserve the right to refuse advertising for any reason. For printing errors of the publisher’s responsibility, liability is limited to the cost of the ad space in which it first appeared. Unless otherwise noted, we use a Creative Commons License in place of a standard copyright.

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Elisabeth Ladwig OUR BERKSHIRETIMES MAGAZINE'S EARLY SUMMER 2018 COVER ARTIST

Somebody has to go polish the stars, They’re looking a little bit dull.

Somebody has to go polish the stars, For the eagles and starlings and gulls Have all been complaining they’re tarnished and worn.

They say they want new ones we cannot afford.

So please get your rags And your polishing jars, Somebody has to go polish the stars. ~ Shel Silverstein

“I

remember when a former coworker introduced me to “Somebody Has To” by Shel Silverstein. For me, the poem immediately begged the question: What needs polishing in my life? The answer has varied over the years, but one interpretation that has stuck is the stars representing spiritual intuition. It’s like a muscle that needs exercise. Just as it takes time to get to know a new friend, connecting with our inner selves also requires conscious effort. I began hosting annual Starpolish gatherings with close friends, lighting candles and setting up a variety of introspective exercises around my home that focused on soulsearching and meditation. They were magical evenings of connecting, sharing, learning about ourselves, and getting excited about the next steps in our lives.

Somebody has to go polish the stars. What does that mean to you?” ~ Elisabeth Ladwig

Elisabeth Ladwig is an award-winning photographic artist living in West Milford, NJ. Her art offers viewers a variety of metaphors for the miracles all around us, and for humankind’s relationship with the Earth and the Cosmos. Visit The Wit Gallery in Lenox, MA, www.thewitgallery.com, to view more of Elisabeth’s work. Go to www.elisabethonearth.com to learn more about her creative process and to order limited editions in a variety of sizes. Each piece is printed on museumgrade, textured fine art paper with Canon IPF Pro-2000 and 11-color Lucia Pro pigment inks.

Elisabeth Ladwig

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Early Summer 2018 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

art, culture & entertainment

Explore the Berkshires AND BEYOND - FUN THINGS TO DO! Sit & Knit When: Wednesdays & Fridays 2-4pm, and Wednesdays 5-7pm Where: The Spin-Off Yarn Shop, 130 Water Street (lower level), Williamstown, MA Cost: Free

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Knitters, crocheters, and yarn enthusiasts of all skills welcome every Wednesday and Friday. Project help, inspiration, and fellowship are plentiful. Join this lively group at The Spin-Off Yarn Shop for an afternoon of fun! (414) 344-6257, www.spinoffyarnshop.com

Stephen Stills & Judy Collins When: Sunday, June 17, 2018, 2:30-4:30pm Where: Tanglewood, 297 West Street, Lenox, MA Cost: $26 to $174 For this once-in-a-lifetime experience, legends Stephen Stills and Judy Collins will pull from their rich catalogs, including songs from their 2017 album together, and share warm and intimate stories from their journeys.

For more information go to www.bso.org/performance/detail/93703.

15 Main Street, Lee 413-243-0508 www.zabians.com

Summer Launch Party When: Friday, June 22, 2018, 5-7pm Where: Guido’s Fresh Marketplace Cafe, 1020 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 Cost: Free Come kick off summer on the patio at Guido’s in Pittsfield! Enjoy ice cream, pizza, and an awesome #ARTFEEDSUS raffle. Good family fun! For more information call (413) 442-9912 x145 achernila@ guidosfreshmarketplace.com or go to www.guidosfreshmarketplace.com.

Foraging And Feasting: Plant Walk, Cooking Demo, And Tasting When: Saturday, June 23, 2018, 10am-2pm Where: Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, MA Cost: Members $155, Nonmembers $175

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art, culture & entertainment

Provincetown Tuna THE RUSSIAN CONNECTION / By Michael Romano

B

ig John, all six feet five inches of him, loved to come here to the Berkshires from Provincetown (a beautiful seaside town on the very tip of the Cape) to fish for trout and hunt deer. My friend Bruce and I would meet him at 20 Railroad Street in Great Barrington whenever he was in town.

We would start quietly telling fishing stories, but after a few shots of ouzo (Greek aperitif we fondly referred to as paint thinner of the gods) the stories became, how should I say . . . embellished and loud, accompanied by raucous laughter. He appreciated our suggestions about the best places to hunt and fish in the area, but it was after I got him permission to hunt at the Jug End resort where I was chef that he invited us to go tuna fishing with him in Provincetown. Bruce and I had fished P-town before but it was for striped bass, cod, and bluefish, never for giant tuna. Mind you, this was decades before the “Wicked Tuna” TV show, so we didn’t know what to expect.

the radio chatter as the planes kept track of the schools of fish and reported their whereabouts. It wasn’t uncommon to have several schools at a time in the deep bay off of Provincetown.

We boarded the boat to start our adventure.

So, we made the five-hour trip from Great Barrington to Provincetown, trading one tourist trap for another, and arrived at the small coastal town just around dinnertime. John met us at the Beachcombers right off of MacMillan Wharf and we had drinks and dinner while we made our morning plans. John introduced us to Captain Mike, a lobster fisherman, who like most lobstermen reequipped his boat every fall to go after giant bluefin tuna as they migrated past Cape Cod eating their way through tons of baitfish. The fattened fresh tuna is prized by many including the Japanese who can often be found on the dock ready with cash to purchase tuna directly from the fishermen for sushi and steaks.

Bruce and I were to be unpaid crew on Captain Mike’s boat and it was understood that Mike would keep any fish caught, but we were just happy for a chance to fish and the adventure. The tuna’s average weight was about 500 pounds and at fifty dollars a pound at the time, a few nice fish would insure Mike’s fishing enterprise through the long winter.

Our job consisted of watching the water for bait runs and manning the poles. Mike used a lure on the shock line that looked like a school of rubber squid with a single giant hook that cost 120 dollars. If we caught anything the lure would be destroyed but the loss was worth it. After a while, Mike handed me a harpoon and stationed me in the bow of the boat. Fish were underneath us and I was told if I saw one close to the surface to throw the harpoon as hard as I could. I stood poised and ready but before I could do anything I was interrupted as a large trawler floated in front of us. Mike said it was Russian and probably illegally in our waters. The other boats blew their air horns in displeasure but the Russian rig lowered two speed boats into the water, both carrying net rigging. The boats headed in opposite directions encircling a large school of fish with a purse seine net. The boats met so the men on board could tie off the net, then a crane on board reeled the net in. The fish went crazy at being netted and tried to jump out, but the net was very effective and soon a million pounds of tuna were on the trawler and being processed.

Bruce and I got up early the next morning and left the motel to get coffee and rolls at a local Portuguese bakery and meet Mike and John at the boat. The old lobster boat was definitely a working fishing boat, not pretty but efficient. It had been refitted with large reels filled with 1000-pound shock line, some large broomstick-like thick fishing poles, and several There were spotter planes wicked-looking harpoons. employed by commercial flying overhead who were the fishermen listened to and charter boats, but all

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Early Summer 2018 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

The waters off of the Provincetown bay are deep and usually calm. It was a beautiful morning and we drank coffee as we steamed out of port and left the town behind us. There were many boats out and the captains all seemed to know each other.

We went past some brightly colored buoys and Mike told us that they marked his lobster traps. I noticed several guns aboard and he explained that they were for protecting his traps from lobster thieves and pirates. He had shot at some the week before but didn’t say if he hit anyone. Mike said most of the boats were armed because there were few law enforcement boats on the water and it was necessary. I believed him.

This incident marked the end of our fishing trip as the remaining fish took off. Mike said the catch was far over the commercial limit but in general even if a boat is caught exceeding the limit, the fine would be minimal . . . the price of doing business. We turned around and headed back, stopping at the captain’s lobster traps along the way. I watched in fascination as he harvested some nice lobsters, throwing the little ones back. We had an enjoyable dinner that evening but were rather disappointed about our catch that day. Mike and John said we could go out for another try

art, culture & entertainment

the next day. So the four of us met at the Portuguese bakery that morning for breakfast, enjoying hot rolls with bacon and cheese and strong coffee – the coffee had to be strong as we had spent a good part of the night before barhopping on Commercial Street.

In addition to being a haven for artists and a cosmopolitan mix of people, restaurants, and stores, Provincetown is also a brilliant party town and a lot of fun if you keep an open mind. For instance, Bruce and I rented rooms at a small motel on the Provincetown/ North Truro line, not knowing the owner was a dedicated nudist.

Imagine our surprise when we went out for an early morning swim in the pool only to find a naked guy serving coffee and donuts poolside (no lie). It set the tone for the day!

After breakfast at the Portuguese bakery, we grabbed our coffees and made our way to the boat where it was docked at MacMillan Wharf. It was a sunny morning and the spotter plane radio chatter said the tuna schools were plentiful, so after loading equipment and bait aboard we were off for part two of our adventure. As we made our way out of the harbor on the converted lobster boat, we noticed the water boiling with tons of baitfish being chased by bluefish and striped bass, as sea birds hovered over the carnage to get an easy meal. Since we weren’t in tuna water yet, I baited up a surf casting pole to try my luck with some blues or stripers.

I hooked one right away and brought a 26-inch blue on board.

Bluefish are the bullyboys of fishing, strong, mean, and always hungry. So imagine my surprise when we noticed a big school of them jumping out of the water with fear in their eyes. Captain Mike said the tuna were chasing them and invited us to watch on the boat’s fish finder. The big fish were everywhere so Big John told me to pull my light fishing pole up because if I hooked a tuna it would break my pole, and at 400 dollars a pole I took his advice.

Big John and Captain Mike got the large umbrella rig prepared to go overboard and Bruce and I took our places on the bow of the boat with harpoons on either side. Big John yelled out that the fish finder said we were right over a school of tuna and to get ready, so we took our stance. But as we did, we heard something that sounded like a person loudly exhaling and we looked up just in time to see an orca (also known as a killer whale) breaching not far from the boat. It was quite the experience! I have had encounters with some marine mammals before – I’ve seen dolphins quite a few times while fishing, watched manatees in Florida, encountered seals on the Wareham beach, and even whales on a watch boat – but I had never seen orcas except on TV. They were beautiful, powerful creatures and we watched as a pod of them breached, blowing water from their blowholes loudly before diving back in the water again. The next sound we heard was Captain Mike swearing as we realized that these beautiful creatures wanted tuna for a meal. Our tuna!

Killer whales are very intelligent and social mammals who share their catch with each other. They hunt together in packs surrounding their prey, driving hapless fish into their waiting jaws for the kill.

Mike sat down in disgust as we watched the orcas take their fill of the tuna while seabirds went crazy for the leftovers. I couldn’t help but reflect on the morning’s events. We had seen bluefish chasing bait fish, tuna chasing bluefish, and orca chasing tuna – it made me

reconsider our place in the food chain and more than a little fearful of what we would see next (Godzilla came to mind)! Captain Mike was not happy with the turn of events and decided to head back to shore after checking his lobster pots again . . . he did catch a half dozen big lobsters so the day was not a total loss.

Once we got back to the wharf we cleaned up the boat, filleted the blue, and headed back to the motel where the naked guy checked us out of our rooms. Then Bruce and I headed back to Great Barrington to our jobs and girlfriends. We were tired, sunburned, and smelling a little fishy, so were quiet for the drive home. The next day Big John called to tell us he and Mike had caught a 470-pound tuna that morning. We were sorry to have missed that experience, but it was good news for our new friend and his boat and as consolation for us, the bluefish chowder I made with my catch for dinner that night kicked ass! ~ Michael Romano, a Great Barrington, MA, resident for almost 40 years, is an avid fisherman who in his own words “kind of treats fishing as a contact sport and has had more than a few misadventures in the process.” He has fished many local waters and also enjoyed quite a few saltwater trips. Michael is a retired chef – he and his wife Susan, worked for years at the now-closed Kolburne School in New Marlborough, MA, where he enjoyed taking many of the students fishing.

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7

Asparagus, Watercress, and Radish Salad Serves 4 to 6 / By Guido’s Fresh Marketplace

Ingredients SALAD 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 bunch watercress, washed, torn into small pieces 1 head Boston lettuce, washed, torn into small pieces 1 bunch radishes, cleaned, thinly sliced ¼ cup chopped parsley ¼ cup chopped tarragon

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 T red wine vinegar 6 T sunflower oil salt and pepper to taste

Directions FOR THE SALAD Prepare a bowl of ice water. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and reduce to medium heat. Add asparagus to the pot and cook until tender, 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice bath. Drain, transfer to paper towels, and pat dry.

FOR THE MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE Place mustard in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the vinegar. Whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.

Season with salt and pepper.

In a salad bowl, combine watercress and lettuce. Add the asparagus, radishes, parsley, and tarragon. Toss together with mustard vinaigrette. ~ Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, located in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, MA. www.guidosfreshmarketplace.com

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home & garden

Choosing Your New Mower WHAT TYPE OF MOWER FITS YOUR LAWN AND LIFESTYLE? / By James Reynolds

I

t’s that time of year. The grass is growing with a vengeance.

Maybe your old mower is on its last legs, or maybe you’re just ready for a new one. Following are some tips for choosing your next mower.

Consider the Size of Your Yard ● For small to medium yards you may only need a small push mower. They are lightweight, very maneuverable, and take up little storage space. Many people also like the fact that they can get their exercise while doing the lawn. ● If you have a medium-sized yard or a yard that has a lot of hills, you may want to consider a self-propelled mower. Just as power steering helps you turn the wheel in your car, these mowers take most of the effort out of pushing the mower. They only help going forward though. You have to pull the full weight of the mower backward, so that is a consideration if you have a lot of back-and-forth trimming. If you have a half acre or more of land but you still want to use a walk-behind mower for the exercise or because you have limited storage space, you may want to look at a wider mower. Most walk mowers are 18 to 21 inches wide. A wide-area mower can be 30 inches or more. These are heavier and take a little more effort to maneuver, but they can reduce the time it takes to mow the lawn. ● For large yards a riding mower is a must. Riding mowers come in two varieties: traditional lawn tractors, and zero-turn riding mowers.

Traditional lawn tractors have a steering wheel and the engine in the front, under a hood. They come with mower decks that can vary from 30 inches wide to 60 inches wide. They are great for mowing larger areas, especially if the area is fairly wide open.

Like a car, you may have to back and fill a little when turning in more confined spaces. Most people are comfortable driving lawn tractors since they are very similar to cars in the way they handle.

Zero-turn riders have the engine in the back and are typically steered with two levers that control the rear wheels independently.

(There are a few models that have steering wheels instead of levers for those who are more comfortable with that type of steering system.) The main advantages of zero-turn mowers are speed and maneuverability. It’s possible to reduce your mowing time by as much as 50 percent with a zero-turn mower. Because the steering levers control each rear wheel independently, you can make the mower pivot like a soldier doing an about-face (standing in the same place but now facing the opposite direction). This type of maneuverability, combined with their faster ground speed, makes the zero-turn mower much more productive. Plus, they can be a lot of fun to drive.

Consider the Terrain of Your Yard ● Flat yards can be easily mowed with any style of mower.

Hilly yards, however, may require a self-propelled walk-behind mower to assist in climbing hills, though they are heavier overall.

In some cases a lightweight push mower may still be easier to use. Tractors and zero-turn mowers can both handle hills but it is important to consider safety. The rule of thumb is that if your mower cannot back up the hill in reverse with the blades engaged, then the hill is too steep for the riding mower to mow safely. ● Smooth lawns can be easily mowed with any style of mower.

“Country lawns,” as my dad liked to call ours, are rougher and more bumpy than a well-manicured, smooth lawn, and are usually large enough that you will use a riding mower. Lawn tractors or zero-turn mowers will both do a good job. Zero-turn mowers are faster, but lawn tractors may give a smoother, more comfortable ride. The prime consideration here is to get a mower that is a little more rugged than the basic entry-level mower. The extra durability will more than pay for itself in longer life.

Where to Buy While there are plenty of places you can get your new mower, we recommend that you check out your local power equipment dealer. A mower dealership offers a number of advantages that big box stores and the internet can’t, including: 1) Information - Equipment dealers are specialists who work on and use the equipment they sell, stay up-to-date on new trends and innovations, and often have demo units you can test drive.

They understand what their equipment can and can’t do and how best to use it.

2) Recommendations - Equipment dealers can help you choose the mower that fits not only your needs but your budget as well. They can offer expert advice and suggestions that come from years of experience, and most dealerships can offer zero-percent financing.

3) Service - There’s a saying that you can’t hammer a nail over the internet. It’s also true that you can’t fix a mower over the internet. Anything with moving parts will, at some point, need maintenance or repair. Your local power equipment dealer has trained service technicians who work on your equipment right there in their shops and who stand behind their work. ~ James Reynolds is co-owner with his brother George of H.D. Reynolds Merchandise, Inc., a full service power equipment dealership in Cheshire, MA. www.reynoldslawnmower.com, jim@reynoldslawnmower.com

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home & Garden

Clean Your Windows Like a Pro

By Thiago Oliveira

Y

ou may be thinking, why should I learn how to clean my windows like a pro and what will the benefits of that be for my home or business? Stick with me through this article, try my suggestions (or consider hiring a professional service for convenience), and I guarantee that you will have more days filled with sunshine, a clearer view of our beautiful Berkshire sky, and a healthier and happier home or office space.

1) First, take the screens out of the windows and put them

The Benefits of Regular Window Cleaning

3) Next, tip the squeegee so that only the corner contacts the

● Extend your window’s life - Regular window cleaning reduces

the negative effects of acid rain, mineral buildup, and oxidation.

It’s also a great time to catch rotting windowsills and loose or cracked glass so it can be repaired promptly. Clean windows make your home look more appealing, and in business it is a very important factor in maintaining a professional appearance. ● Reduce allergens and mold - natural allergens, mold spores, and manmade pollutants gather on your windowsills in and outside your home. Cleaning your windows regularly will greatly reduce these health irritants. ● Save money - In addition to making your home or office brighter and more cheerful, and improving its overall appearance, the added sunshine you will get from sparkling clean windows will lead to the use of less electricity and in turn save money. Who doesn’t want to save more money these days?

Professional Window Cleaning Tips for Better Results ► Try washing your windows with a squeegee and scrubber and you’ll never go back to a spray bottle and paper towels again!

The equipment you will need for fast, clear, streakfree results is inexpensive and will last many years. You will need a 14-inch squeegee with a 14-inch scrubber (my personal preference), a bucket (a 5-gallon plastic bucket will work well), detergent, and a few fiber cloths rags or small towels. ► Prepare your own homemade window-cleaning solution: Mix approximately ¼ cup of ammonia (or white vinegar) with 3 gallons of water in your bucket. Then, mix in one tablespoon of liquid detergent. It’s just that simple! ► Now that you have your equipment and homemade window cleaning solution, you’re ready to get started. Follow these six steps to clean your windows like a pro.

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Early Summer 2018 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

somewhere safe. At the end of the process you will come back and clean them.

2) Dip the scrubber in the bucket and squeeze excess water from

it. Scrub the glass, working at all angles to clean the edges. Make sure to cover every square inch of the glass. This technique allows you to get great results immediately. glass. Then, starting at the top corner of the glass, clean a narrow strip from top to bottom on one side. This clean strip makes it easier to start the horizontal strokes. Move the squeegee horizontally across the glass, but vertical strokes will work too.

If you work vertically, angle the squeegee to direct excess water toward the unclean areas.

4) Use the fiber cloth to wipe away the excess water around the entire perimeter of the window. You can also use the fiber cloth to remove any streaks left behind on the glass.

5) Don’t think it’s over quite yet! Most people don’t remember the necessity of cleaning the windowsills. For this, professionals use a sea sponge, but to simplify for home use you can use small towels or fiber cloths to wipe all the dirt away.

6) Now that the windows are done, the time has come to clean the

screens. If you have allergies like me, you will be better off washing the screens instead of brushing them out. To wash the screens, bring them outside first and lean them against an outside wall or fence. Use a hose to rinse the screen thoroughly. This process should remove most of the dirt. Using a nylon brush, scrub the screens to take away the remaining residue. Let them dry for a few minutes, then reattach the screens in their rightful places and enjoy the beautiful and shiny days that are ahead of you.

~ Thiago Oliveira is the president and founder of F&T Cleaning Services, Inc., and pastor and leader of the Evangelistic Ministry Church in Pittsfield. Thiago has lived in the Berkshires for fourteen years and is married and the father of two boys. ftcleaningexperts@gmail.com

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animal talk

I

A Pattern of Contamination / By Kristina Dow

n February 2018, the FDA alerted the general public to the fact that Darwin’s Pet Products had been the subject of five FDA recalls of their raw food diets since October 2016; however, not one of those recalls had been previously reported to the general public. In each instance, the FDA allowed Darwin’s to avoid public scrutiny of its recalls by deeming it acceptable for Darwin’s to proffer only a discreet, private notification to its directship consumers. While that alone constitutes a troubling lack of the usual transparency associated with pet food recalls, there brews an even greater concern. But first, some background . . .

In its oversight of raw meats intended for human consumption, the USDA presumes a cultural awareness of safe handling practices, and so allows managed-risk levels of pathogens in raw meats intended for human consumption. But the FDA, overseer of pet food safety, presumes a cultural complacency with regard to safe handling practices for pet foods, and so maintains a standard of zero-tolerance for pathogens in foods intended for pet consumption. Commercial raw meat diets for pets are, therefore, held to a stricter pathogen control standard than are raw meats intended for human consumption.

But there is yet another mitigating factor when it comes to pathogens and raw food diets for pets: Mother Nature expressly equipped her carnivores to survive (and thrive on) a speciesappropriate raw meat diet, reasonable levels of pathogens notwithstanding. Enzymes in the saliva of our carnivorous dogs and cats begin the destruction of harmful bacteria that might be

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Early Summer 2018 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

found in a raw meat diet, and the process of pathogen control continues with the pathogen-destroying acidity of the rawfed carnivore’s gut. In contrast, when a traditional plant-based dry kibble is consumed (and don’t be fooled, all dry kibbles are plant-based), the pH level in the gut is far too alkaline to destroy pathogens, and the high levels of carbohydrate sugars encourage pathogen proliferation throughout the digestive tract.

Keeping in mind the strict pathogen control standards for raw meat diets for pets, as well as the pathogen-unfriendly biochemistry of the raw-fed carnivore, it should be more easily understood why recalls of raw food diets for pets are typically limited in scope (single batches pulled from retailers’ shelves for random testing), and limited in impact (no complaints nor illnesses reported).

Nevertheless, raw diet manufacturers don’t like getting dinged for a recall any more than any pet food company does, but the question of how to avoid a recall and still maintain the integrity of a “natural” diet has plagued raw diet manufacturers ever since the beginnings of their normalization as a pet food option. Typically, there are two kill-step processes for raw food diet pathogen control that are usually considered.

High pressure processing (HPP) is a cold water pasteurization technique by which food products, sealed in water-proof packaging and placed in a water-filled chamber, are subjected to an intense pressure at levels as high as that measured at the deepest parts of the ocean. Unlike thermal treatments, HPP does not alter a food’s nutritional value, taste, texture, or appearance, yet it effectively improves food safety by neutralizing bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, and parasites. Any collateral damage to beneficial probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes is easily addressed with a simple digestive supplement. HPP is a USDA-approved food processing technique, and is considered a safe and reasonably natural process.

Alternatively, bacteriophages (aka phages) are viruses that infect host bacteria and modify the host by injecting phage genes into the host chromosome. However, as biological “tools” developed to perform targeted microbial modification, there can be, when used as a generalized kill-step, an uncontrolled element with phages whereby the DNA of a donor host may undergo an unintended recombination within the DNA of a recipient host and turn a mildly harmful bacterium into an agent of deadly disease.

And so we come back to the haunting of the Darwin’s recalls.

Darwin’s recalls for salmonella and listeria across multiple productions of food and over a period of many months speak to the likelihood of a problem with ongoing facility-wide contamination. Moreover, as raw food diet recalls go, the atypical Darwin’s recalls, with multiple complaints of illness and the related death of a kitten, raise the possibility of the development of particularly virulent strains of pathogens. By all reports, the Darwin’s pattern of contamination speaks to unmitigated problems with unhygienic conditions, as well as, perhaps, the running amok of genetically modified bacteria. In an April 2018 warning letter to Darwin’s (following yet another Darwin’s recall in March, this time for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli), the FDA pointedly raised safety concerns with regard to Darwin’s use of bacteriophages. ~ Kristina “Tina” Dow is sole proprietor of

BensDotter’s Pet in Great Barrington, MA. www.bensdotters.com

SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDE Shop local

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Dine local

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Our stylish gazebos come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles, and materials, and upgrades such as screens, windows, railings, and benches.

Sheds-N-Stuff has been in business for more than 25 years and we have built solid relationships with residents in Berkshire County, Bennington County, and across Massachusetts.

We strive to build all our relationships on mutual trust, honesty, and respect. We sell quality, Amish-made products ranging from mailboxes to gazebos and everything in between.

We also have the ability to customize almost any project to your specific needs.

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VIBRANT

Handspun Glass Vases / Cheshire Glassworks

These bespoke, handspun glass vases are both decorative and useful. The translucent quality of the glass brings their vibrant colors to life in any light. Cheshire Glassworks, run by artist/owner Jill Reynolds, is an independently owned studio and gallery located in the northern Berkshires filled with sparkling pendants, earrings, bracelets, and rings, glass vases, and imaginative sculptures. Jill lovingly creates each one-of-a-kind piece with the magic of fire, glass, and brilliant color. Now celebrating 12 years in business! Located at 24 South Street, Cheshire, MA. (413) 743-7828, www.cheshireglassworks.com

Cider / Berkshire Organics POTENT Fire Berkshire Organics is committed to carrying healthy, quality

products made by small, independent companies. In their Dalton store (and online) you will find Fire Cider Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Tonic. This delicious tonic is made right here in the Berkshires and comes in a variety of flavors that include raw, organic, health-promoting ingredients like garlic, ginger, onions, horseradish, spicy peppers, turmeric, black pepper, and citrus fruit in a base of raw organic apple cider vinegar and wildflower honey. Its distinctive fresh foods taste is potent and energizing. Visit Berkshire Organics at 813 Dalton Division Road, Dalton, MA, or order online.

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Jewelry / Wonderful Things WHIMSICAL LizTech Follow the yellow brick road to Wonderful Things, owned

by Harry and Debbie Sano, to buy these whimsical Wizard of Oz pins by LizTech Jewelry.

This jewelry is created with mirrored chrome, vintage glass stones, crystal and glass beads, anodized aluminum, and 24K gold-plated findings, and are hand wrapped and sewn.

Wonderful Things also has the largest selection of yarn, needlework, and craft supplies in the area along with a wide array of handcrafted gifts. Give the special person in your life one of these imaginative pins, a fabulous selection of yarn or other craft item, or a gift certificate. Visit 232 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-2473, www.wonderful-things.com 15

Engaging children 15 months through 8th grade

Montessori means

expression

education & workshops

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hen I get really upset with my children, the first thing I want to do is solve the problem. Tell them what needs to happen. Take control. Basically, become a dictator.

In those times of frustration or anger, our rational thinking tends to take a back seat to our emotions. We forget what might be happening in our children’s internal (and sometimes external lives). We rush ahead instead of taking the time to help guide our children.

Yet our children look to us for assistance and support. When our children are struggling, they need us to show compassion, patience, and empathy.

Dr. Ross Greene, a clinical psychologist and author of Raising Human Beings, among other publications, makes an impassioned plea on his website, Lives in the Balance (www.livesinthebalance.org), asking adults to recast how we think about challenging behavior. When children are behaving in challenging ways, Dr. Greene explains, it is “because they’re lacking the skills not to be challenging. If they had the skills, they wouldn’t be challenging.”

Then, and this is key, we ask, “What’s up?” or “What’s going on?”

This statement of a nonjudgmental observation, and then the invitation to share, initiates what Dr. Greene calls the Empathy Step. The Empathy Step is an information-gathering process in which we really try to understand the child’s perspective and experience. We listen without reacting, and ask questions or reflect back answers in order to peel back the layers of what is really going on for the child in those moments of challenge.

During this time of reflective listening and questioning, it’s essential that the child is heard, really heard. All too often, we try to jump in too quickly with advice or solutions, without giving enough time and space for the child to share valuable perspectives and insights. Just this process of listening can be incredibly healing. If a child isn’t used to us really listening, or we aren’t used to asking questions rather than offering solutions, a cheat sheet for how to get to the heart of the matter might be useful. See www.tinyurl.com/yaud7qkp.

Dr. Greene also emphasizes two vital themes to better support our children. “Kids do well if they can,” he states, and, “Doing well is always preferable to not doing well.”

Assuming the child has been able to share what’s really going on in those moments of challenge, we then summarize the child’s concerns and share our own concern. For example, “I understand, and my concern is that I feel stressed and anxious when we are rushing to get out the door in the morning.” We then invite the child to work together to find a solution that can meet everyone’s needs.

If we wholeheartedly embrace the fact that our children want to do well if they can, we take what Dr. Greene calls a “dramatic departure from the view of challenging kids as attention-seeking, manipulative, coercive, limit-testing, and poorly motivated. It’s a completely different set of lenses, supported by research in the neurosciences over the past 30 to 40 years, and it has dramatic implications for how caregivers go about helping such kids.”

In using this process with children, I’ve found that sometimes I don’t even get to the last steps of stating my concern and initiating a collaborative problem-solving process. Sometimes it makes sense to listen to what the child has to share about what is going on and then let that really settle. Sometimes just the process of being heard is significant enough for shifts to occur for the child, as being heard helps the child feel validated.

It’s worth noting that all children at some point demonstrate challenging behaviors. So how do we, as adults and caregivers, help children with these challenges?

Now in those moments of frustration or upset, I try to slow myself down and remember that the child in front of me wants to do well. My job, at another time, will be to listen and empathize.

And in doing so, I can support that child in solving problems, learning new skills, and becoming a more whole human being.

The first step is to think about what difficulty a child is facing.

The challenging behavior arises because of a difficulty. Listing specific difficulties helps us shift our thinking away from the behaviors that can cause us frustration.

Next, at a time when the behavior isn’t happening, we find a time to connect and make sure it’s a good time to talk. At that point, we state what we’ve observed: “I’ve noticed it’s been difficult for you to finish breakfast before we need to leave for school.”

~Both at home and at The Montessori School of the Berkshires, K. Meagan Ledendecker has plenty of opportunities to practice the collaborative problem solving model! www.berkshiremontessori.org www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Early Summer 2018

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home garden& landscape home, &garden

Our Food System: AN INVISIBLE FORM OF OPPRESSION

By Mark Hyman, MD

O

n April 4, 2018, the fiftieth anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, I was honored to be asked to speak at Riverside Church in Harlem, the church where 51 years ago to the day Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out about the injustice of the Vietnam War. From that same pulpit, I gave a talk about the role of our food system and the food industry in deliberately subverting public health and targeting the poor and minorities. The day was focused on Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for civil rights and social justice for the minorities and poor. The harm of the food system, however, affects all of us. Following is the transcript of the speech I gave on that auspicious night.

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As a doctor, I took an oath to do no harm. Today, I stand here because there is harm being done to millions and I must speak out. We know all too well the visible forms of racism in our society. We know the inequities in income and opportunity. We know the brutal violence and discrimination of the police. We know the shooting of black children. We know the name of Tamir Rice. We know the name of unarmed black men shot in the back. We know the name of Stephon Clark.

But we don’t know the names of millions of African Americans killed every year by an invisible form of racism, a silent and insidious injustice. This is an often-internalized force of racism and oppression that disproportionately affects the poor and African American communities. We do know that 1.3 percent of all deaths are caused by gun violence. And it is real and tragic and needs to end. But we may not know that 70 percent of deaths are caused by chronic disease – mostly the result of our toxic food system. More African Americans are killed by bad food than anything else.

The science is clear – our processed, sugary, starchy diet is the single biggest cause of disease and death – type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and even dementia. Our food system is the deadliest weapon used against the poor and minorities – keeping them poor, sick, and fat, hijacking their brains and biology. We are told that it is our personal choice, that being fat results from eating too much and not exercising enough. That blames the victim – the subliminal message is that it’s your fault you are fat and sick.

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Early Summer 2018 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

We may think that what we eat is a personal choice that is rooted in our cultural heritage and family customs. But we know that the food industry designs our food to be addictive, that they hire craving experts who work in taste institutes to design what they call the bliss point of food – all with the purpose of creating heavy users. These are their internal corporate terms.

What if I told you that the food industry specifically targets the poor and minorities? It is easy to get someone who is already drinking a 20-ounce soda to buy a 2-liter bottle of soda. Research shows that African American kids drink twice as much soda as white kids. What if I told you that sugar and processed foods were more addictive than cocaine, that the food industry has hijacked our brain chemistry, our taste buds, our metabolism, our bodies, and our minds?

When our foods are biologically addictive the notion of personal choice is a fiction. It blames the victims for their choices. How can we take care of our communities when 23 million Americans live in food deserts? Where the only food available is processed junk from convenience stores and fast food outlets, and the closest grocery store is more than a mile away? And where it’s hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables or healthy food?

But the problem isn’t only food deserts. It is food swamps – communities filled with fast food chains and bodegas plying highly processed addictive foods. They sell gallon cups of soda, and other sugar-loaded beverages, and there are fast food chains peddling burgers, fries, and fried chicken on almost every street corner. We know that your zip code is more important than your genetic code in determining your risk of disease and death. We also know that our food system is the number one cause of climate change.

And what about our kids? Forty percent of them are overweight.

We now see 3-year-olds with type 2 diabetes – which we used to call adult-onset diabetes. We are told that kids’ behavior problems results from bad parenting. The research shows that African Americans are far less likely to graduate from high school or go to college. But if our children go to school with a breakfast of Coke or colored sugar water and Doritos or Flaming Hot chips,

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One in 10 of our kids are on ADD medication. And the science shows the junk our kids eat is a big part of the cause. The food industry spends 10 billion dollars on marketing junk food to our kids every year. The average kid sees more than 6,000 ads for junk food and soda on TV and even more through social media. And minorities and African American kids are targeted more aggressively. These companies are junk food pushers. Do you really think it was a coincidence that Paula Abdul and all the judges on American Idol had a 24-ounce container of Coke in front of them at every show? Top sports stars receive tens of millions of dollars from soda and fast food giants to promote their products to our children who idolize them.

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how can we expect them to focus or pay attention? These are not foods. They are foodlike substances with no nutritional benefit. This diet creates an “achievement gap” because kids are too sick to learn – and affects far more kids of color than any other group. These kids are less likely to go to college and earn good incomes, and more likely to get sick and die young.

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Lisa Baumgart, MPT, FAFS “Lisa Baumgart is a very talentedFunction & Fitness Restoring healer/therapist.

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We know that the task of ending mass incarceration and the New Jim Crow is complex and urgent. We know that the task of building a just food system is also complex and urgent. We have to build a new food system together. Part of this task is listening to the voices of those directly affected by our toxic food system. I once received a letter from a prison, from a murderer who changed his diet in prison and realized that his whole life of eating junk had made him violent and eating real food transformed him into a different person.

413-442-7007

The food industry employs nefarious tactics to prevent change.

They buy friends, silence critics, and sweeten their profits. I was part of a documentary called Fed Up – a movie about how our food system makes us sick and fat with addictive sugary, starchy products. I met with Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, and she explained to me that nonviolence also includes nonviolence to ourselves. She was excited about showing Fed Up at the King Center in Atlanta. But a few days later I got a call that the we couldn’t show the film. Why, I asked. The answer: Coca-Cola funds the King Center.

Baumgart

The Dean of Spelman College in Atlanta told me that 50

continued on page 20

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Early Summer 2018

19

Our Food System: AN INVISIBLE FORM OF OPPRESSION / continued from page 19 percent of the entering class of African American freshman women had a chronic disease – type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or obesity. I asked her why there were Coke machines and fountains all over campus. Coca-Cola is one of the biggest donors to the college. The NAACP has received 2.1 million dollars from Coca-Cola alone since 1986. Coca-Cola also funded the Hispanic Federation. Is it any surprise the NAACP and Hispanic groups oppose a soda tax? We cannot stand for this.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” We can no longer be silent about this.

If you are African American you are 80 percent more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, more than 4 times as likely to have kidney failure, and 3.5 times as likely to suffer amputations as whites. Yet we remain silent about the role of the food system killing millions of Americans. They tell us it is all personal choice. Nonsense.

our food system is a revolutionary act. There are things we can’t change as individuals. But we all eat. We vote three times a day with our fork. The single biggest political act and the single biggest act of self-love, of rebuilding our communities, is to choose real food. So, what is real food? It’s pretty simple. Next time you pick up something to eat, ask yourself this question: Did God make this or did man make this? Did God make Doritos or a Coke? No. Did God make an egg or broccoli? Yes. We can teach our kids and teach ourselves how to choose and eat food that brings life not death. Big Food would have you believe So, what is real food? that it is expensive, that it is difficult, that it takes It’s pretty simple. too much time. Don’t believe them. It is not true.

Next time you pick up something to eat, ask yourself this question: Did God make this or did man make this? Did God make Doritos or a Coke?

No. Did God make an egg or broccoli? Yes.

Big Food (large industrial food producers and manufactures) corrupts public health and advocacy groups. They fund hunger groups like the Food Research and Action Center and Feeding America. These hunger groups strongly oppose limiting the use of food stamps or SNAP to buy soda, despite the fact the single biggest item of our food stamp bill (more than 7 billion dollars a year) is soda, or 20 billion servings a year to the poor.

Soda and sugar-sweetened beverages are the single biggest cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Our bodies, our health, our children, our communities have been taken from us. It is time we take them back. It is time we say no to big food and institutionalized food injustice that is causing this slow-motion genocide. It is time to free ourselves from corporate interests that privatize the profits and socialize the costs of their products. Taking back our food and

ndy WeOPTICAL

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Early Summer 2018 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

We need to educate our kids, ourselves, and our communities. We have to do this together. In fact, we can only do this together.

Black lives matter. Yes. And black health matters, too! The harm done by the global food industry affects nearly all humans on the planet in some way. This must stop. We can stop it with our fork, the most powerful weapon we have to change our health, our communities, our economy, and the health the of the planet.

Wishing you health and happiness, Mark Hyman, MD ~ Mark Hyman, MD, is a practicing family physician, a ten-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in his field. He is the director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. Mark is also the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA, chairman of the board of the Institute for Functional Medicine, a medical editor of The Huffington Post, and was a regular medical contributor on many television shows including CBS This Morning, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The View, Katie, and The Dr. Oz Show. www.drhyman.com

happy customers AND EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

W

endy Streeter, the proprietor of Wendy Optical, is a licensed optician in the Berkshires with 25 years of experience fitting happy customers with beautiful frames and lenses. Come in and see her fashionable summer styles. Progressive, single vision, high quality, and affordable frames in many shapes, styles, and colors. If you need your glasses repaired, cleaned, or adjusted you can expect excellent customer service. Located conveniently on Elm Street in Pittsfield, MA (next door to the Clip Shop).

health & wellness

Biocompatible Dental Materials

I

HEALTHIER CHOICES / By Drs. Maureen & Jeffrey Viglielmo

n the past two articles we discussed how we found ourselves concerned about dental materials and how we safely remove one of the worst toxins on the planet from our patients’ mouths: mercury. But once mercury amalgam fillings are removed, one might ask “What should we use to replace them?”

Although no manmade product is as good as what you were born with, the great news is that there are many biocompatible materials that can be chosen to restore teeth. For smaller restorations, composite (a mixture of quartz and plastic) can be used. Most people will recognize these as tooth-colored fillings. For crowns and bridges, zirconia (a newer ceramic material) can be used.

Both composite and zirconia are metal-free materials, which is an important goal. We now understand that metals placed in the body (piercings, prosthetics, dental fillings) can disrupt energy meridians and also cause a galvanic reaction (when electrons move from one metal to another through saliva or other body fluid). When this happens, some people will report a feeling like biting on tin foil or a metallic taste. These sensations are caused by a current (many times that of what our nervous system runs on), traveling through the various fluids within our body. Being so close to the central nervous system, these currents can cause ringing in the ears,

tingling in extremities, headaches, and other unpleasant symptoms.

But luckily, biocompatible metal-free materials can be chosen for dental restorations when one is aware of these issues. Even removable dentures and implants have metal-free options.

Depending upon the individual and their sensitivity to chemicals, one replacement dental material may be better than another. The composites that we use are free of harmful fluoride and BPA (a chemical that can disrupt the body’s hormones and cause cancer and other serious illnesses). With Clifford Consulting and Clinical Research’s Materials Reactivity Test, it’s possible to find out which dental materials are the least likely to elicit an allergic reaction.

This test can check the suitability of nearly 20,000 dental materials for the individual patient (a blood serum sample obtained by a local licensed health care professional is sent to their lab in Colorado).

Our patients also have the option to utilize applied kinesiology (muscle testing) in our office with Dr. Maureen to check for sensitivities. Watch for our next article in Our BerkshireTimes for more about Dr. Maureen’s special interest in nutrition and detoxification. We encourage our patients to do their own research if they are concerned about the techniques and materials we use so that they feel confident in their amalgam replacement.

~ Drs. Viglielmo Biological Dentistry, (845) 339-1619, www.drvigs.com

Drs. Maureen & Jeffrey Viglielmo Biological Dentistry The beautiful smile we can help you create is the gateway to a healthy body.

As biological dentists we provide safe mercury removal, biocompatible restorations, and customized periodontal therapy. Our office is located in Kingston, NY– a pleasant, scenic drive from the Berkshires and well worth the trip! ● Mercury-safe amalgam removal ● Invisalign® ● Biological periodontal therapy ● Mouthguards ● Customized supportive nutrition ● Intraoral imaging ● iTero® digital goop-less impressions ● Ozone therapy ● Only a little more than one hour from the Berkshires, MA ● Cosmetic & restorative dentistry ● Phase contrast microscope ● Digital radiography

(845) 339-1619 ● www.drvigs.com ● 56 Lucas Ave, Kingston, NY www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Early Summer 2018

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