SPRIN G 7

Let OLLI’s Courses Green Up your Spring!

OLLI is offering a full plate of courses this spring term. Locations are all over the county, from Great Barrington to Williamstown. Courses begin on April 12 and end on May 23.

Class Locations: Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield BCC; Clark Art Institute, Williamstown TCW; Kimball Farms, Lenox KF; Museum, Stockbridge NRM; BCC South County Center, Great Barrington SCC; Williams College, Williamstown WC.

See the Spring 2017 Catalog or visit or visit www.BerkshireOLLI.org for more details.

Russia in the 21st Century – Kidd – BCC Call for Photos of Criminal Justice, Public Policy and the Individual – Toran and Bogomolny – BCC Berkshire Autumn

MO N . Further Aspects of Jazz and a Reprise – Evans – BCC Want to share your scenic photos of Berkshire area autumn scenes? The Today’s Headlines – Tabs – SCC OLLI Fall 2017 Photo Contest has Theatre Out Loud: A Play-Reading Workshop – Fisher – SCC begun. The winning photos will be on An Intro to Tai Chi and Qigong – Barbara Muso Penn – SCC the cover of the Fall 2017 catalog, and The Power of Published Art: a Critical Exploration – Plunkett and the winner will receive a one-year free

t u e s . Kowalski – NRM membership to OLLI. Please submit The Best Years of Our Lives: The Gifts of Being an Elder – Reeve – SCC photos no later than May 5, 2017, in digital format (jpeg, tiff, png), 3.2 Highs and Lows of the Himalayas – O’Leary – BCC mega-pixels or greater, full-resolution Women & the Creative Self Returns – Schorr – BCC and horizontal aspect. Limit of five Two American Masters of the Brush: Homer & Sargent – Brooks – TCW photos per person, please. Email

W E D. Gabriel García Márquez: 100 Years of Solitude & More – Bell-Villada – WC images to [email protected].

Elemental Power: Tales of the Golem – Breindel – KF Birding in the Berkshires – Neumuth – BCC and field visits Spring 2017 Photo Plato’s Republic: The Ideal Life and the Ideal City, Part 2 – Cameron – KF Lenox at 250 – Kennedy – KF Contest Winner Getting Hooked on Flyfishing – Travis – BCC and field visits

T HURS. Congratulations to Sue Purdy of Abstract Art in America – Diamond – KF Dalton for winning the Spring photo contest. Her photo of Pink Lady Berkshire Theatre Previews – Spatz, Vale – BCC Slippers, a indigenous Shakespeare’s Tragedies – Matturro – BCC orchid, appears on the cover of the Wildflowers of the Berkshires – Quinlan – BCC and field visits Spring 2017 OLLI Catalog. Sue FRI. Who Are Your Heroes? Why? – Berson – BCC also wins a free one year OLLI membership! President’s Message Cokie Roberts Will Be 2017 Mona

The Winter semester is almost over Sherman Memorial Lecturer on May 24 and I’m pleased to say attendance is equal to last year. Considering OLLI is delighted to host journalist, author and how the OLLI membership and the NPR commentator Cokie Roberts as the speaker at Berkshires thin out during the winter the 2017 Mona Sherman Memorial Lecture. The months, this is a positive sign. Our event will be at 6 pm on May 24th at the Mahaiwe membership level remains steady at Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. The 1000+ and we are planning for our Mona Sherman Memorial Lecture is free and open spring semester and an open house. to the public. As in prior years, the lecture will After much deliberation, I have immediately follow OLLI’s Annual Meeting. decided to step down as President at Cokie Roberts is a political commentator for the end of our fiscal year in June. I ABC News and NPR. In her more than forty years wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to in broadcasting, she has won countless awards, Megan Whilden, Executive Director, including three Emmys. She has been inducted the OLLI Board of Directors, the BCC into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and Administration, the Committee Chairs was cited by the American Women in Radio and and their members, and the many Television as one of the fifty greatest women in the history of broadcasting. In OLLI volunteers for their hard work addition to her reporting, Roberts has written six Times bestsellers, and dedication during my tenure. most dealing with the roles of women in U.S. history. During the past 20 months, much The lecture series honors the late Mona Sherman, a former OLLI President has been accomplished to reinforce who had a transformative effect on the OLLI program, beginning when it was the infrastructure, to support future still known as BILL, the Berkshire Institute for Lifelong Learning. By presenting growth and to introduce new a nationally known speaker each year, the series honors her memory and her products that will broaden OLLI’s love of learning. Thanks to the generosity of the Sherman and Sharkey families, appeal. A new three-year strategic the lecture is free to the Berkshires community that Mona loved. Please consider plan is in place, allowing us to define reserving your lecture tickets in advance. Last year’s lecture featuring TIME and measure our progress against our magazine columnist and bestselling author Joe Klein was sold out. goals. A new state of the art website is operational, providing access for on-line registration, membership Making Sense of the 2016 Election renewal, payments, donations, and Speaker Alec MacGillis Talks to Capacity Crowd current news. Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) have been formed to create On Friday, December 9th, one month after the more contact in a social setting among 2016 presidential election, OLLI hosted award- members. I’m pleased to announce winning political author and journalist Alec there are nearly 20 SIGs presently MacGillis for a lively and sobering discussion on operating. My thanks go to the leaders the election and its aftermath. The event was held of each SIG for their efforts. A new at the Berkshire Museum, in conjunction with the event, University Day, was introduced museum and the Berkshire Eagle. There was a full last August. The event was attended by house of close to 200 attendees listening followed 70 OLLI members in Great Barrington by a question and answer period. at the campus of American Institute Pittsfield native Alec MacGillis covers politics for Economic Research. Lectures were and government for ProPublica, a non-profit on- given on Economics by Dr. Polina line investigative journalism organization which Vlasenko and on Cybersecurity by Dr. has twice won a .. MacGillis has also Adam Segal. A luncheon presentation reported for The New Republic, and The Baltimore Sun, was given by State Senator Ben where he and collaborators were Pulitzer Prize finalists for their coverage of Downing. the Beltway sniper. His work has also appeared in , The New In closing, I’ve tried to add to the Yorker and Harper’s. MacGillis is the author of The Cynic, a 2014 biography of present and future success of OLLI at Sen. Mitch McConnell. BCC. I’ve enjoyed meeting the OLLI membership and extend good luck and best wishes to the next President. — Leonard Tabs

2 OLLI and the Age Winter Open House Draws a Crowd Friendly Berkshires Project

One year ago the OLLI Board completed a strategic plan which said, among other things, that OLLI should serve the Berkshires retired community better and more broadly. With that in mind, several OLLI members have been working with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to qualify the Berkshires as an Age Friendly Community. The Age Friendly program was Above: Lance and Chelly Sterman, Ellen Tabs, Monica Sinclair and Judy Cromwell launched by the World Health Organi- zation and in the United States is sponsored by AARP. The movement seeks to treat everyone with respect, regardless of age or status, and to enable people of all ages to participate in community activities. An Age Friendly community is a place that makes it easy for older people to stay connected, healthy and active. Each of these programs encourages localities to determine the needs of their older citizens and find ways to meet those needs through local action. The initial step in the qualifying process has already been completed. The Berkshire County Age Friendly Above: Membership Committee Survey determined the attitudes and members Barbara Lane, Michael desires of older residents in 2015, and Margolis and Shirley Shapiro the findings of that study have been published. Those fact-based conclu- sions are now informing the drafting Left: Virginia O’Leary and Arthur Sherman of an Action Plan for the Berkshires. The Action Plan will recommend goals and strategies in eight domains: Below: Carol Sabot, Kenneth outdoor spaces and buildings, trans- Stark, and Enid Michelman portation, housing, social participa- tion, respect and inclusion, work and civil engagement, communication and information, and community and health services. OLLI is currently pre- paring draft recommendations in the work and civil engagement domain. Various communities in the Berkshires have formed an Active Agers Advisory Group, and that group will be reviewing the draft of the Action Plan. Visit AgeFriendlyBerkshires. com for more information. — Carl Shuster Photos by Megan Whilden by Photos

3 The Stockbridge Indians Maintaining a Bond with the Berkshires

The Stockbridge Indians were The Stockbridge Indians were loyal members of the Mohican tribe. to the colonists and supported them Mohicans settled in the Hudson River in the Revolutionary War, but they area near Albany in the 1600s, and were not rewarded. After the war, the the Stockbridge tribe later migrated Massachusetts General Court instead to the Housatonic River area. Their ordered them to move from Stock- complex history involves many bridge. The tribe then made the first moves, wars, diseases, trade conflicts of several forced moves, to land of- and a conversion to Christianity. fered by the Oneida Tribe near Oneida The name Mohican derives from Lake in New York. Later the New York “Muhheconnuk” which means “The government forced them to move People of the Waters that are Never again, this time to Indiana. Still.” The Mohicans’ first contact with Forced Indian relocation continued Europeans was in 1610 when they in the 1800s. In 1832, under President went aboard Henry Hudson’s ship on Andrew Jackson, Congress passed a the Hudson River to meet “pale-faced” law requiring all Indians in the east to men for the first time. This began an move to lands west of the Mississippi. important trade relationship between Ultimately, the Stockbridge Indians the tribe and the Europeans. The Indi- were allowed to live in Wisconsin, Chief Eton Oh Kuam of the ans offered food and furs for European where they established a reservation Stockbridge-Munsee Band guns, other new materials and most and named the area Stockbridge. significantly, wine and drink. As trad- In the 1840s the Stockbridge tribe members; about 600 live on the ing continued, alcoholism became a was joined by the Munsee tribe and reservation in Bowler, Wisconsin. The major problem for the Indians. They formed the Stockbridge–Munsee Band band runs the Mohican North Star also suffered greatly from European of the Mohican Nation, which still Casino and Bingo Enterprise, which diseases, including smallpox, scarlet exists in Wisconsin. This band main- successfully generates funds for tribal fever and measles, against which they tains a close bond with Stockbridge, welfare and economic development. had no immunity. Massachusetts, which members con- In Stockbridge, John Sergeant’s In the 1700s, trade and land sider their homeland, and tribal repre- Mission House is located on Main conflicts with their rival tribe the sentatives make periodic visits to the Street and is open to the public in the Mohawks and with the Europeans area. On their last visit in April 2016, summer. A small Indian Museum is caused the Mohicans to move east as tokens of friendship, they present- also on the property. A monument to to the Stockbridge area. In 1739 they ed a blanket and a peace pipe which the Stockbridge Mohicans, erected in became known as the Stockbridge now hang in the Stockbridge Library 1877, still stands at their ancient burial Indians when their village (then Museum and Archives. place. The Stockbridge Library has called Indian Town) was incorporated Today the Stockbridge-Munsee an extensive collection of books and into the newly formed town of Band consists of approximately 1600 documents on the tribe. The history Stockbridge. It was in Stockbridge that of the Stockbridge Indians they experienced major changes in and how we treated them their tribal life: Mohican religion and give us much to study and education were greatly influenced by ponder. Christian missionaries. — Joanna Fribush In 1734, John Sergeant, a young Yale graduate, came to live with the Indians. He intended to convert them to Christianity and to teach them the English language. Some Indians, noting the Europeans’ prosperity, thought the Christian God must be more powerful, and they agreed to be converted. In 1739, with interest in conversion growing, Sergeant built his Mission House in Stockbridge.

4 Thank you to our Instructors and Speakers

OLLI thrives because of the Barbara Greenbaum Doug Salvatore generosity of our instructors and David Greetham Robert Savage speakers, who share their insight and Laura Gross Smith Marney Schorr knowledge with our members and Phil Halpern David Scribner the public each year. The following Gwendolyn Hampton-VanSant Adam Segal instructors and speakers contributed Charles Haynes Anthony Segal significantly to OLLI in 2016. Please Drew Herzig W. Anthony Sheppard join us in extending our sincere Marc Hoechstetter Steven Somkin gratitude for all they do to enhance Frederic Hyman Kenneth Stark the quality of life in the Berkshires. Markes Johnson Lance & Chelly Sterman And please join us for our annual Gordon Josephson Kait Stinchcomb instructor thank-you party in June Jamie Keller Matthew Strassler (details coming soon). Susan Kelly William Sturgeon Mehernosh Khan Stephen Sweet Kyneret Albert Joe Klein Henry Sweren Howard Arkans Larry Klein Kirk Swiss J. Peter Bergman Daniel Kramer Leonard Tabs Michael Bergman Sandra Kreiger Alexandra Tinari Robin Berson Thaddeus Kubis John Trainor Michael Birch John & Nina Lipkowitz Nancy Travis Scott & Beverly Blonder Benjamin Liptzin William Travis Peter Bluhm Benjamin Luxon Nancy Vale Julianne Boyd Alec MacGillis Dan Valenti Ralph Bradburd Cecilia Macheski Kelley Vickery Josh Breindel Kate Maguire Polina Vlasenko Jock Brooks Maggie Mailer Abbie Von Schlegell John Burns Richard Matturo Zachary Wadsworth Michael Vincent Bushy Philip McKnight Barbara Waldinger Hanan Caine Wilson Mertens Stacy Wallach William Cameron Kevin Moran Nancy Walters Roselle Chartock Jim Nejaime Martin Weinstein Carol Chiavetta Ed Neumuth Tom Werman Debora Coombs Virginia O’Leary Daniel Wollman James Cotter Mary O’Malley Ben Wood Jonathan Croy David Orenstein Elizabeth Young Joel Curran Norton Owen Jeremy Yudkin Stephen Dankner Jay Pasachoff Joshua Yurfest Herbert Diamond Allison Pascelli Stephen Gerard Dietmann Ileana Perez Velasquez *deceased Vivian Dorsel Eric Peterson Benjamin Downing Debra Ann Pollack Richard Evans John Pollok Save the Date – Karel Fisher Dennis Powell Russell Freedman Megan Reisel Annual Meeting Kinney Frelinghuysen Ben Rose Gregory & Paula Gimblette Leyla Rouhi OLLI’s annual meeting, Edward Gollin Steven Rubin which is open to the public, will Carl Goodman Frederick & Dorothy Rudolph* be at 4:30 pm at the Mahaiwe on May 24, immediately preceding OLLI NEWSLETTER: Editor: Peter Bluhm Feature Writer: Joanna Fribush the Mona Sherman Memorial Assistant Editors: Linda Halpern, Judy Katz, Sandi Rubin, Myrna Schneiderman, Lecture, For more information, Rose Scotch, Ruth Weinstein, Katherine Zdeb visit BerkshireOLLI.org or call Proofreaders: Magda Gabor-Hotchkiss, Marie Milazzo, Harriet Shair 413-236-2190.

5 Instructor Corner Bill Cameron Plato’s Republic: The Ideal Life Katherine Kidd and the Ideal City, Part Two Russia in the 21st Century The dictionary defines philosophy Katherine Kidd was born in Idaho as the: “study of the fundamental and grew up in Oregon. She attended nature of knowledge, reality and elementary school in Oregon and existence….” What a vast topic! spent an exchange summer in Holland. Yet Bill Cameron, who has made She then went to Pacific Lutheran it his lifelong study, helps OLLI University in Washington state, where students to wrap their minds around she received her BA degree in History philosophy, and relate classic texts to and German. While there she spent her current themes. His first OLLI class, junior year in Vienna. Her experiences Dialogues of Plato, was successful, as an exchange student instilled a and he inspired many participants passion for foreign affairs. to continue studying Plato in his fall After working for a few years in class on The Republic. He will resume , Katherine next went to that subject in the spring. Harvard University where she received Bill’s presentation skills and unique an M.A. in Russian Studies. She met her husband, John, who is a Lutheran professional experiences account minister, while in Cambridge. for the popularity of his classes. He After completing their studies at Harvard, the Kidds lived in Argentina. attended high school in Albany, NY, They experienced the end of the Peron regime, a coup, general strikes and the followed by Canisius College, a Jesuit shut-down of human rights organizations. institution in Buffalo. His credentials Returning to the U. S. they settled in Pennsylvania. Katherine worked as include a master’s in philosophy an administrator at Cedar Crest College. She then realized her true calling was at SUNY Albany and a doctorate teaching, so she attended the University of Pennsylvania and received a PhD in philosophy at the University of in International Relations. Toronto. Next, Katherine and John moved to Connecticut where she taught at Sacred Heart College and then Fairfield University. At Fairfield, in addition to teaching, Katherine worked with Russian university faculty members who were re- envisioning their courses after glasnost. These instructors were being permitted to teach new things, and they needed some guidance. A U.S. Department of State grant allowed internet communication and enabled four Russian faculty members per year to attend Fairfield and be mentored by faculty members, sit in on classes and get help creating syllabi. Katherine has also written a book entitled Political Parity Reader which will be coming out next year. Upon retirement, the Kidds moved to the Berkshires. Katherine knew about OLLI before moving here since Fairfield University has a similar program. She attended the OLLI Open House in September where she was recruited to teach a class. She loves to teach. She said: “I enjoy the excitement of people learning new things.” She volunteers at Taconic High School working with students to help position themselves for their college applications. She also loves to garden and to read. Katherine sits on the board of the Vesper Foundation, an organization committed to linking arms with leaders of overlooked communities and helping them devise ways to create a healthy future. Early on, Bill showed a talent The Kidds are very proud of their two daughters. Elizabeth is married and for educating all kinds of students. lives in with her husband and two children. She is the Chief Program While pursuing his doctorate, he Officer for the Hunt Alternatives Fund, a foundation concerned with the held several adjunct positions, among empowerment of women and girls. The other daughter, Christine, is recently them instructor of philosophy at married and lives in Brooklyn. She works for the Center for Employment Attica Correctional Facility. Later, Opportunities dealing with people recently released by the criminal justice his experience as an administrator system. and union member in the Pittsfield We are delighted to have Katherine and John as new members of the OLLI schools stimulated an interest in labor community. — Sandi Rubin relations. This led to his pursuing a

6 law degree from Western New England College School of Law. Norman Avnet – In Memoriam After law school, Bill worked in a New York state regional education Norman Avnet was a force of nature at OLLI, from its earliest division, and at the same time served beginnings 22 years ago. A founding member of the Berkshire Institute two terms on Pittsfield’s School for Lifelong Learning (BILL), as OLLI was known then, he served as Committee. After a decade as director President and in other positions on the Board of Directors, as moderator of personnel and negotiations in for Today’s Headlines, and, always, as enthusiastic student. Norman was Pittsfield schools, he briefly worked known to many at OLLI for his friendly, intelligent, curious nature. as superintendent of schools in Current Board President Leonard Tabs Salem, MA, before returning to the noted, “Norman is the reason I got involved Berkshires as superintendent of the with OLLI in the first place. He first invited Central Berkshires Regional District, me to moderate Today’s Headlines, which retiring in 2014. He was lured back to led to my serving on the OLLI board. I serve as interim superintendent of the will always be grateful to him for his in- regional district encompassing New vitation.” Ashford, Richmond and Hancock Norman Avnet was a board certified before retiring a second time. radiologist and Chairman of the Radi- Bill’s classes offer a thorough ology Department at Berkshire Medi- examination of topics, close readings cal Center before retirement. He was a of texts, and provocative discourse. founding board member of the Berkshire A leisurely pace allows for lively Community College Foundation, where discussions and reflection on current he endowed a scholarship in honor of his events. For instance, last fall’s sessions late wife Rose Avnet. on The Republic led inevitably to Our hearts go out to his family and to conversations about the political Selma Williams, his devoted companion campaign then in progress. He for the past seven years and an OLLI explains that, in order to understand a member. Gifts in memory of Norman Avnet may be made to OLLI philosopher, one must first determine either online at BerkshireOLLI.org or by mailing a check to OLLI at the question that the philosopher BCC, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, Mass. 01201. A memorial service for is trying to solve. Then it becomes Norman Avnet will be held Sunday, March 26, at 11am at Temple Anshe possible to follow the thread of their Amunim, 26 Broad Street, Pittsfield, Mass. — Megan Whilden argument. Bill’s ability to respond to thorny questions comes from his wide reading interests, which include Olli Receives Award From Pittsfield politics, history, poetry, philosophy Community Television and fiction. In addition to accumulating and OLLI was honored to received the Member of the Year Award this winter reading books, Bill enjoys cinema, from Pittsfield Community Television for providing many years of videotaped especially classic movies on TCM. courses to be shared with all on Pittsfield Community TV, as well as our new He and his wife, Joy, who live in interview show, Hello OLLI! Accepting the award for OLLI were longtime A/V Pittsfield, have three children and chair and OLLI board member Joe Gerard and OLLI’s Executive Director Megan four grandchildren. — Linda Halpern Whilden. Joe and OLLI volunteer Bob DesRosiers have taped over a dozen courses over the years that have then been replayed on PCTV for all to enjoy. Both the OLLI courses and the Hello OLLI interview show Pictured at left: OLLI executive director can be viewed on demand Megan Whilden, OLLI A/V chair Joe at www.pittsfieldtv.org. Gerard, and Pittsfield Community It’s another way OLLI gives Television education TV coordinator at back to the Berkshires the awards ceremony. community.

7 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PITTSFIELD, MA PERMIT NO. 50

1350 West Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.236.2190

Mentoring Luncheon Left: BCC mentee Lauren OLLI mentors and mentees met at BCC Scapin with her OLLI mentor in December for an informal luncheon. Bob Youdelman It seems a good time was had by all.

Below: BCC mentor liaison Kari Below: OLLI Mentoring Committee Dupuis with BCC mentee Judy co-chair Claudia Shuster and OLLI McNutt Director Megan Whilden