This coming Thursday, 6:30 at the Leverett Library members of the Friends of Leverett Pond will be giving a presentation describing all sorts of activities in and around the pond. We will be talking about the new dam, our weed Integrated Pest Management Plan, the new Boat Loan Program and some new ideas. Please plan to join us. There will be refreshments that may remind you, of all things, the Leverett Transfer Station!
Announcement to All Members of the Leverett Village Co-op
PLEASE COME TO AN IMPORTANT BOARD MEETING OPEN TO MEMBERS
TUESDAY OCTOBER 29TH FROM 7:30-9:30 PM (Place to be announced, probably the Leverett Town Hall)
Recently it has become clear that the Leverett Co-op is in a severe financial crisis, since we now owe nearly $200,000 to our vendors, our bank and for other services. This has meant that we have a serious cash flow crisis and cannot pay our vendors on time. A number of them will no longer deliver products to us without cash on delivery. Since we do not have the money to pay them in cash, we have had to negotiate with some for extended payment options and others are no longer delivering us products, which explains our reduced level of stock in the store. Loyal members have been helping out by purchasing pre-paid cards to help with our cash flow problem but we don’t have enough products on the shelves for them to buy! As a result, we simply do not have enough people shopping at the store or the restaurant to solve the problem without an extra infusion of capital. And unfortunately the bank and other lending groups that we have been working from to re-mortgage the store have recently turned us down in our requests for loans.
At the emergency Board meeting last Tuesday October 15, Board member Jono Neiger put forward the sketch of an interim plan to cut costs by various means, including volunteers to purchase stocks directly from BJs or Restaurant Depot or other alternatives. His plan also suggests a re-assessment of staff and professional consultant costs, increasing the use of volunteers, and expanding the Co-op Board. Other options unfortunately may include selling the building (our only asset) in order to keep the Coop in business as a renter, or going into bankruptcy and trying to re-organize the business after paying off some of our debts. Some of these options will be discussed further at this upcoming Board meeting.
Most of these choices are difficult ones and should include as many members as possible since this is a democratically-owned business! In a Co-op, member-owners should have regular input and the final say over such tough choices. At the upcoming meeting we will discussing new candidates who have applied to join the Board, will hear from the President of the Board about her recommended options, and will have a report from the accountant about the financial situation of the Co-op.
Please make your voices heard and try to come to this meeting!! Spread the word! We need your help and input in order to have this valuable community center and service survive.
From Ann Ferguson, chair, Membership Committee
Leverett Village Co-operative Board
PS Spread the word about the date and I will send another message confirming the place of the meeting, either at the Leverett Town Hall or at the Co-op store. You can contact me at: ferguson3638[at]gmail.com
If you would like to join the Youth Climate Strike this Friday in Leverett the Leverett Energy Committee and Climate Action Group of the Leverett Alliance is planning to to support our children at the following places this Friday. Town Hall, Cave Hill & Montague and Route 63 & Montague. We will gather at the three places with posters as the school buses go by from 7:30-9:00 am and at Town Hall 4-6. At the LES at 1:00 pm the students will march from the school to the library. This has been organized by the students, with permission from the staff, and we will be at the library to greet them. Please join us: there will be extra posters but your own posters are welcome.
Organizing Team Leverett
Author Talk Book Signing: Deb Habib Ricky Baruch "making Love While Farming"
At Leverett Library on Tuesday, July 9, 6:30pm-7:30pm
With Seeds of Solidarity's Ricky Baruch and Deb Habib. https://seedsofsolidarity.org/
Ricky and Deb run Seeds of Solidarity Farm and Education Center. They are part of the group that founded the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival.
Making Love While Farming is their new memoir, released in March by work-owned Levellers Press in Amherst, MA.
Join us for their talk!
Learn something new! At Leverett Library:
06/22: Cloud-based computing demystified: what it is, its limitations and benefits.
06/29: Android smartphone 101
Workshops run 1pm-2pm, including 40 minutes of presentation followed by Q&A.
These free workshops are introductory in nature, and assume no previous knowledge or familiarity with technology. Underwritten by OTELCO.
Instructor Jeoffrey Pooser is a recent transplant to Leverett from Wendell, where he served on the Selectboard for nine years, and continues his commitment to community involvement by offering several technology skills workshops through the Leverett Library this June.
His background is in the arts, and he has been professionally involved in the technology sector for 25 years, primarily as a Unix Systems Engineer, and currently works at Umass as an Information Risk and Compliance Analyst.
Happier Valley Comedy Show, Thursday 5/30, 7pm, Leverett Library
Happier Valley Comedy will present their short form improv show "The Fast & the Funniest" on Thursday, May 30, 7pm at Leverett Library! This show is free. Doors open 6:45pm. Expect content "rated" PG-13!
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Leverett Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Leverett Town Meeting April 27th 9:00 Please Vote! Article
Leverett Town Meeting April 27th 9:00 AM Please Vote!
I am writing to urge Leverett Citizens to partake in our 'little d' democracy this coming Saturday at the Town Meeting, Leverett Elementary School, 9AM
My environmental group CLEAN! (Citizens for Landfill Environmental Action Now!) has been working with the town for the past year to get an article on the Warrant to address the five homes in E. Leverett whose water has been contaminated by the chemical plume coming from the unlined landfill.
We believe it truly is time for the Town to take positive action and relieve the daily suffering, inconvenience, and property devaluation that the contamination has caused. There are some families who have been mandated by the Department of Environmental Protection to get bottled water for 10 years. Others have tried to sell due to illness but were unable to because of the water. We cannot access the nest egg we thought our homes would provide us.
We are urging people to vote YES to all 3 options on Article 16.
1) Appropriate funds to connect a water line to Amherst ($2 million plus; possible grant
money)
2) Fund a hydrogeologist study of local water sources ($150,000)
3) Appropriate $20,000 to hire an appraiser to assess fair market value and have the
town purchase homes as they come up for sale.
We are urging yes votes so that as the best possible solution presents itself, the town can then act. We need the numbers to get 2/3 majority votes. Every vote counts.
Please understand that the implications of hidden poisons in our water are far reaching and affect out daily lives and our future. The bottled water jugs weigh 40 lbs and handling them is getting too cumbersome for people as they age. As things deteriorate we are less or unable to access the equity in our homes that we have carefully built.
This is certainly not an exciting or fun expenditure such as broadband or funds for a library but we all need to realize that trash doesn't just disappear once it is thrown away.
Thank you and I hope to see you at Town Meeting!
Magical Shutesbury Holiday Shop returns for its 7th year!
December 7, 6-9 pm; December 8, 10-8:30; December 19 11-6
Shutesbury Athletic Club Function Room
282 Wendell Rd., Shutesbury, MA
his fabulously magical three-day event transforms the Shutesbury Athletic Club Function Room into a veritable wonderland of handcrafted gift-giving options! This year the shop features an affordable array of work from 40 local artisans, artists, crafters, authors and musicians. An amazing selection of options for all celebration!.
Now in its 7th year, the Shutesbury Holiday Shop is known for its incredible inventory of extraordinary and affordable handmade gifts. There will be beautiful jewelry, quilts, ornaments, food (fudge, jam, maple syrup, honey), soap, handmade bags, tie dyes, wind chimes, baskets, books by local authors, health and wellness products, music & storytelling CDs, woodcrafts, mushtache cups, fiber art (knit, crochet, woven, sewn, organic, plant-dyed), therapy pillows, photography, fine art cards & prints, tea, stuffed animals, and more to come! Something for everyone! The artisans, artists, authors, musicians, and cooks are all from Shutesbury or one of its bordering towns.
Opening night on Friday 12/7 features a Shop & Dine option with a dinner of Soups & Stews to benefit the Friends of the M.N. Spear Memorial Library.
From 4-6 pm on Saturday 12/8 there will be a book signing by local authors who work is included in the shop. See FB page and website (listed below) for details.
The Shutesbury Holiday Shop was founded in 2011 to provide a welcoming venue for talented local artists, artisans, crafters, authors and musicians of all ages to show and sell their work and to create a one-stop shopping experience for people who enjoy buying handmade for the holidays. Started by Melinda LeLacheur of Dragonfly Designs it is now run by a volunteer committee of local artisans who work hard to create a warm, wonderful gift shop for the community to enjoy.
Five College Early Music Program Painless Auditions
The Five College Early Music Program will be holding its patented Painless Auditions the first week of classes. These are open to students, faculty and members of the community. The relevant information follows. We would be grateful for any publicity you can provide.
The Five College Early Music Program welcomes students, faculty, and community members interested in auditioning to SING or PLAY in one or more ensembles, including the COLLEGIUM choir, BAROQUE ORCHESTRA (modern string players and adventurous pianists are encouraged to try this!) and chamber music, MEDIEVAL and RENAISSANCE ensembles and VOCES FEMINAE. The auditions are "painless" experiences, held at all the campuses. Performances sponsored by the program feature baroque and Renaissance music played on modern and period instruments and sung in historically-informed style. Consider beginning RECORDER, VIOLA DA GAMBA, LUTE or RENAISSANCE TROMBONE! We also offer instruction on period instruments (recorders, sackbut, viol, lute, etc.) for modern players, in beginning ensembles and lessons. Credit is available for ensembles and lessons for MHC, UMass and HC.
Tuesday, September 4:
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 3:00 – 4:30 PM: Room 170 Fine Arts Center, UMass
5:00 – 6:30 PM: Room 7 Music Center, Amherst College
Wednesday, September 5:
1:00 – 4:00 PM: Room 210 Pratt Hall, Mount Holyoke College
Thursday, September 6:
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Music Lounge, Hampshire College
Friday, September 7:
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Room 170 Fine Arts Center, UMass
4:00 – 5:30 PM, Room 103, Sage Hall, Smith College
Dear Village Cooperative Community and Membership,
The Board of Directors is currently planning an opportunity to meet with all of you. We hope to build a stronger collective future, together, with you, going forward. We will invite you to share, bring your ideas, and your energy to make the Village Cooperative a TRUE community resource!
February 24th 12:30-3 Leverett Library Community Room.
During the weekend of Oct. 27-29, a small group of concerned citizens in Leverett are welcoming 15 Kentuckians from Appalachian coal country into our homes — and we hope into our hearts.
Their two vans will arrive in the dark after a 15-hour journey. We think they are brave to come into our homes and community, and we will be there to welcome them. Their culture and politics vary vastly from ours — yet both groups are committed to discovering our common dreams and ways to realize them that serves all of us.
How did this weekend come about? When the Leverett Alliance formed out of the despair over the 2016 election, one subgroup, the Bridging Committee was determined “to bridge” with Americans whose histories and perceptions are different from our own. We found a remarkable partner in Appalshop, a nonprofit community and cultural organization in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Eighteen of us in Leverett and 15 in Kentucky have been planning ever since and have named our endeavor “Hands Across the Hills.”
We plan to enhance our understanding of each other in a series of structured dialogues, as well as share activities that include participatory theater, an art project on ancestry, music jams, meals, sightseeing in the Pioneer Valley, and home stays.
On Oct. 28, a full day of events is open to the public, including a morning community forum where our guests will first present their history, culture, and challenges, and then engage with the audience in small groups. In the evening, everyone is invited to a contra dance.
For details, see the Leverett town website at http://leverett.ma.us/
and click on “Hands Across the Hills.”
Next spring, our Leverett group will make a reciprocal visit to Whitesburg.
We began this effort hoping for camaraderie and connection for all 33 participants over the weekend, as well as increased awareness and learning for the public that participates on Oct. 28. Over the months, however, this project has unexpectedly grown in dimension. Now some of us ask if our coming together, our exploration, and our documentation of the project can be a model for dissemination and encouragement for others to try a similar experiment in their own communities.
For decades, I have worked with people in war-torn countries who afterward learn to interact effectively and rebuild their communal lives. If it can happen in those circumstances, I believe people-to-people programs here in our own fragmented country can do the same, using this model or one like it.
We understand the vast gaps in our lives and views. We do not expect to agree with our guests and we will not avoid the difficult topics, but we expect to listen and be listened to. We seek a way to find common purpose before we fracture even further, and that is what we hope our project will accomplish.
This bridging project offers an alternative to the despair and disempowerment we have been feeling — that we are helpless in the onslaught of history rolling over us. So often it seems like there is nothing we can do. But here is something we can do. The process and the growing connections feel right, healthy, and empowering. We now live in anticipation of their arrival, our dialogues and our shared three days of activities.
Transformation? Do I expect others may change? First of all, I’ve changed. For the first time in my life I’ve read a half dozen books about Appalachia and watched relevant videos. I’ve also had many conversations with my Kentucky counterpart Ben Fink and become sensitized to their issues and concerns. I am in deep transformation and I believe our Bridging Committee is too. This transformation gives me hope that we can move from demonization to humanization, first with our fellow citizens from Trump country, and later with others.
The Leverett Alliance welcomes your participation at the public events on Oct. 28. This is a great opportunity for you to share in a meaningful grassroots learning experience with some people from a different part of the country who are taking a risk for understanding and connection.
Paula Green, of Leverett, is founder of the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding in Amherst and professor emerita of the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. She has worked extensively in conflict transformation in Asia, Africa, the Mideast and Eastern Europe.
Friday, August 25, 2017 6:30 pm, The Center at Eagle Hill School, Hardwick, MA
Tickets: Dinner + Concert=$50 :: Concert Only=$30
To purchase: http://www.thecenterateaglehill.org/ or 413-477-6746
HARDWICK, MA—On Friday, August 25 at 6:30 pm, the Friends of the Mathieson School will present Give Them Music, a concert in memory of baritone Donald Lee Boothman, to benefit the Mathieson Music School (MMS) of Kolkata, India. International cellist and music educator Anup Kumar Biswas, founder and director of the Mathieson Music School, will lead a broad range of professional musicians through an eclectic program including Western classical music, Broadway show tunes, jazz, Indian classical and folk music, rock n’ roll and even a little country music.
The concert will commemorate baritone and long-time MMS supporter Donald Lee Boothman, who died of cancer on July 6, 2016. Boothman was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Following formal education at Princeton University and Oberlin College, he joined the United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants as soloist and announcer. A singer, teacher, and musical commentator, he performed opera, oratorio and concerts throughout the United States Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. He moved to Hardwick, Massachusetts in 1983 and married his wife Kaye in 1987. He met Biswas 17 years ago, when the cellist came to the U.S. to prepare for a concert at Carnegie Hall. The two began performing together, and for many years, Don and Kaye traveled to England and Wales annually to raise funds for MMS. He became a patron “uncle” to the school and its very special students.
Each August, Boothman would bring together talented musicians from Western Massachusetts to give fundraising concerts for MMS. Dr. Peter J. (PJ) McDonald, headmaster of Eagle Hill School (EHS), has long supported these fundraising efforts by sponsoring concerts on the school’s Hardwick campus. This year, Eagle Hill School is entering into a partnership with the Mathieson Music School, bringing together students from these two unique centers of learning, in a musical and cultural exchange that will offer unprecedented educational opportunities to both institutions. Eagle Hill School is sponsoring this concert as a first step in this exchange, reaching out to help MMS raise funds to build new classroom and dormitory buildings at its Kolkata campus.
The performance will feature Anup Kumar Biswas (cello) and his two children, Geetanjali (vocals, cello) and Satyajit (cello, mridangam), along with seven U.S. musicians who are donating their talents: Clifton “Jerry” Noble, Jr. (piano & guitar), Kara Noble (bass), Bob Sparkman (clarinet), Peter Shea (baritone), Jennifer Fijal (mezzo-soprano), Danny Brevik (baritone), and Ben Peterson (cello). They will present a diverse program including classic Broadway love songs such as Some Enchanted Evening and If I Loved You; traditional jazz standards like Honeysuckle Rose and Night and Day; original compositions including Biswas’s rock-and-raga inspired improvisation, Celebration; showstoppers by Sousa and Paganini and a country tribute to our Friends with Tractors.
Tickets are available through the box office of The Center at Eagle Hill School beginning on August 1, 2017. They can be purchased online at The Center’s website at http://www.thecenterateaglehill.org/ or by calling 413-477-6746. Tickets including the dinner must be purchased no later than Friday, August 18, 2017.
Long-awaited Breast Documentary Comes The Academy Music
Easthampton, MA (date): For the past four years, Easthampton resident and documentary filmmaker Meagan Murphy and her team have worked to create The Breast Archives, a groundbreaking documentary about women and their breasts. The film features nine women, most of whom were filmed with their breasts exposed. In a series of interviews, they explore, critique and celebrate the complex role of the breasts and their role in body image, health and social identity.
The screening will take place at The Academy of Music in Northampton, MA at 274 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060 on Sunday September 17th. Tickets are available at https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1521137. The film will begin at 5pm.
Private screenings of the film have been met with inspired and thoughtful dialogue. When the lights come up, audiences are moved to share how the internalization of media images, religion and cultural contexts have influenced their relationships with their bodies and one another. The enthusiastic testimony isn’t limited to breast-havers: men often rave that The Breast Archives has connected them more deeply with the experiences and feelings of their partners.
Murphy is hopeful that the local community will support the film and its aim of engaging all people in a liberating, compassionate and expanded relationship with breasts. The honesty and generosity of the nine women in the film empowers all women to resist and rise above the media’s demands that our womanhood be conformist and that our breasts be perfectly formed, exclusively sexual or solely nurturing.
As the project plans for its first public showing, Murphy is launching an ambitious IndieGoGo fundraising campaign on September 14th in order to raise funds to market the film internationally.
Every Thursday during July at Leverett Crafts and Arts from 2-5 PM, the Barnes Gallery becomes a pop-up fiber studio. children with Adults are welcomed to weave, spin and make rope. No money, but smiles and some know-how are exchanged.
Call me with questions, at 413 409-1609. Leonore
Exhibit at LCA: Crafted Cloth tells stories about cloth for every day use, and about the people who grow fibers, weave, make felt, surface-design and sew cloth. They follow their vocation in New England and distant lands, making yardage, garments, shoes, chair covers, blankets, rugs, accessories, even masks.
Conceived and curated by Leonore Alaniz, this exhibit traverses segments of global textile history and fiber-scapes. While indigenous
textile arts are endangered, re-generative practices implemented by members of the “fibershed” movement for example, steady this decline and foster the emergence of modern fiber economies. Members subscribe to permaculture practices, cooperative product development and dialogue with consumers. Cloth as metaphor teaches that the regard a society affords to artful cloth making, is a reflection of that society’s stability and potency.
Through July 31st 2017.
OPEN Thursday - Sunday from 1:00 - 6 PM and by appointment.
The POP-UP classroom is open Thursdays 2 - 5 PM for children and adults wanting to try their hands at spinning, weaving and rope making.
Hi Folks … Please come to my give-away this weekend. I’m downsizing my shop and have an array of shop items, material, and supplies to give away.
Location: 177 Cave Hill Rd in Leverett - on the corner of North Leverett Rd.
Time: 10 - 3 each day
There will also be a few larger shop tools for sale.
Donations will be gratefully accepted with all proceeds going to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, sustainable initiatives and organic farming organizations.
Hi Folks … For my birthday this year I’m hosting a giveaway on November 12 and 13th at my shop. I simply have too much stuff and I would be happy if you could make use of it. It should all probably get thrown away, but of course there is no “away”, so, you, my friends, are the closest thing I’ve got.
But ... if you are a homesteader, sculptor-of-found-objects, vintage hardware aficionado, or can use random piles of lumber, plywood, fasteners, paints, solvents, adhesives, painting supplies, and a variety of random shop supplies and gizmos, then this event is for you.
Everything offered is free except for a few power tools and a few select objects which I would like to sell.
On the other hand, contributions of any amount will be happily accepted, with proceeds being donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, sustainable initiatives, and organic farming organizations.
The shop is located at 177 Cave Hill Road, Leverett, Mass. Keep in mind that GPS takes you about a quarter mile up the hill beyond the actual address. !77 is actually on the corner of North Leverett Road and Cave Hill Road,. The Driveway is about a foot past the Mill River bridge on the right. My shop is the front section of the red barn.
Hope you can make it …
Ben
October 29th Come and see us for our member appreciation Day! We will have music and tastings and all sorts of fun stuff!
Members get a discount at the reg for qualifying items! See you there!
What better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon? Come down to the Unitarian Church in Amherst Centre for some Irish dancing. No previous experience necessary! A professional dance expert, Rebecca McGowan, will be there to help out!
2:00pm, Unitarian Universalist Church, Amherst Centre
Hi everyone! Tomorrow on the Wendell Town Common from 10-1pm:
Sugarbush Farm will have maple syrup and cookbooks.
Joyfarm will have organic, free-range fertile pastured eggs, fruit-infused
maple syrup and assorted plants.
Laughing Dog Farm will have collards, kale, chard, beet greens, lettuce,
beets, garlic, shallots, snow and snap peas, cut flowers + (lil' white
bunny holding) ...and more!
New Wendell Farm will have, in addition to CSA distribution, the following
extras to sell:
bunched greens, hukurei turnips, snow and snap peas, culinary sage bunches,
and head lettuce. *Head lettuce will be on sale this weekend, 2 for $4*!
Don't forget to eat your veggies this weekend, folks! The romaine is huge--
make some big, crunchy caesar salads to go along with your BBQ. Romaine
also gives the perfect crunch to fresh-grilled burgers.
In addition: Shelley Hines here, of Wellness Shines. This Saturday, July 2nd, I shall be offering Asian Bodywork (Shiatsu) and Energy Healing for the Body, Mind & Spirit. I'm available from 10am-1pm and shall be booking onsite, as well as ahead of time with a call from you, to me, at 508-631-6376. If anyone who has already experienced my healing work and feels inclined to share some feedback, that would be awesome.
Looking forward to our time together!
The Wendell Farmers Market (Saturday mornings, Wendell Common, 10-1:00) is a unique, weekly offering of high-quality, home-grown produce, plants, flowers, herbs, syrup and more, conceived in Wendell's inimitable spirit of diversity, generosity, creativity and mutual support. The vendors and practitioners of the Wendell Farmers Market aim to provide healthy, fresh and locally-grown sustenance (and services) to our friends and neighbors as well as other regional visitors to Wendell, especially those who value and are otherwise isolated from other good food sources. As well as fine produce, the Wendell Farmers Market often includes an on site healer/bodyworker, drummers and/or other minstrel musicians. Patrons include food lovers, friends, as well as local neighbors who come not only for the incredible, fresh, (largely organic!) produce, but as well to barter, kibbitz and talk gardening/food with the passionate farmer-teachers, onsite.
The Wendell Farmers Market welcomes other local growers, crafters, musicians and healers to participate, whether as "vendors", consumers, barterers or just to enjoy fellowship and a lovely view from the historic Wendell Common. Stop by and see us, Saturdays 10:00-1:00!
Sugarbush Farm features premium maple syrup crafted by Wendell farmer Bill Facey (who built a post-and-beam sugarhouse in Wendell. Laurel markets his syrup and can usually be seen on Saturdays at the Wendell Farmers Market as well as at the house at 47 Davis Road, off Mormon Hollow Road.
Laughing Dog Farm (of nearby Gill), run by Wendell "ex-pats" Divya Shinn and Dan Botkin, is a five acre, permaculture-inspired market farm, sanctuary and learning site, producing a wide variety of heirloom, seasonal and storage produce (plus herbs, flowers and garlic) to share with neighbors and friends... (CSA shares still available for summer.) 413-863-8696
Sarah Kohler of Joyfarm in New Salem and Caro Rozwell's new CSA will be there too!
Hi,
I’m a production potter in Leverett and I’m seeking a part-time apprentice.
For the right person, this is a great experience!
Flexible hours. Approximately 8-10 hours/week.
Preferably to work 2-3 days/week (not weekends) but hours are flexible.
You’ll receive free studio space, equipment to use, glazes and firings,
as well as 50% discount for pottery classes.
You will have the opportunity to learn about wheel-throwing,
hand-building, glazes, kilns, firing, and running and marketing your
own business.
Some of the work that you would be doing include: Making Glaze, Clay Preparation, Kiln preparation,
Kiln loading and unloading, Cleaning the studio, Packing and shipping the pottery,
Preparing for shows, Putting handles on pots and more.
If you are not interested but know someone who might be interested in
this, I'd really appreciate it if you could pass this email along to
them!!
CHARLIE KING - Saturday - September 19 - 7:30 pm
The Peace & Social Concerns Committee of Mount Toby Meeting presents Charlie King in concert on Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 pm. We are located at 194 Long Plain Rd. (Route 63), Leverett, MA.
Charlie King is a musical storyteller and political satirist. He has been at the heart of American folk music for half a century. He
sings and writes passionately about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. In addition to a full time career of concert touring, Charlie has sung in support of numerous groups working for peace, human rights, economic justice and environmental sustainability.
“With encouraging regularity, Charlie King emerges from his self-reflection to remind us of the happy resilience of the human spirit. His message songs vary between the funny and the frightening, but he pulls them off with unvarying taste, musical skill, and charm.” – Billboard
“One of the finest singers and songwriters of our time.” – Pete Seeger
What Does Mean Have Fracked Gas Pipeline The Neighborhood
Sunday, April 12, 4 to 5:30pm. What Does it Mean to Have a Fracked Gas Pipeline in the Neighborhood. A discussion led by Jim Cutler of MassPlan and an Ashfield landowner impacted by the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline. Leverett Town Hall, Leverett, MA
I want to remind you that our 6th annual 108 Days of Meditation is beginning this week. The opening ceremony is this evening. I hope you already knew of this from my previous announcements through various means such my meditation email list, the 108 Days Facebook page, the Green River Zen Center Newsletter, and so forth. But the it occurred to me that I had not sent out a notice on this list. So if you are hearing of this for the first time, I apologize for the short notice!
The 108 Days officially begins today -- Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, with an opening practice and ceremony at the Green River Zen Center, 7--9 pm, Dixon House, Leverett Congregational Church, Leverett, MA.
The official end is Apr. 24, with a closing ceremony, on Apr. 28.
If you are just hearing of this, and need a little more time to take the plunge, it would be fine to begin a few days later. For example, if you started this Sat. Jan. 10, the closing ceremony would be 108 days. So no problem starting any time this week.
Of course it is not mandatory to attend the ceremonies to take part. But if you can join us on tonight, that would be great. In any case, if you are planning to take part, please let me know so I can include your name. Here is a description with all the relevant information:
TURNING THE LIGHT AROUND:
108 DAYS OF MEDITATION
Jan. 6 – Apr. 24, 2015
Led by John Genyo Sprague
In his teachings on meditation, Dogen urges us to take the backward step, and turn the light around to shine within. This is a central teaching in Zen, the thread of which goes back to much earlier times in China and India.
So much of our attention and life energy is spent attending to the “external” world and to our many thoughts and ideas about it. Zen meditation offers an opportunity to turn the light of our energy and attention inward – to let go of our external fixations and illuminate and nourish our inner being. Consistent and long practice strengthens both our spiritual and physical energies, and provides a foundation for insight and awakened compassionate living.
Join the Green River Zen Center for our 6th annual 108 Days of Meditation – a commitment to meditate every day for 108 days, building our practice, nourishing our inner spirit, and supporting the realization of our own enlightened nature. The 108 Days begins with an opening practice and ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 7–9pm, at our zendo at the Dixon House of the Leverett (MA) Congregational Church. It officially ends on Friday, Apr. 24, with a closing ceremony at the zendo on Tuesday, Apr. 28.
Even if you cannot make the ceremonies, please join us in this practice, which is facilitated by John Genyo Sprague. Genyo has opened a Facebook page, 108 Days of Meditation, in which people can post to support each other. For more information please contact him at sunyajohn@gmail.com or 413-259-1304. Everyone is welcome to take part.
Guidelines:
The goal is primarily to strengthen our meditation practice, and build our concentration-power (samadhi, joriki).
The basic agreement is to meditate everyday for 108 days. The traditional practice is one hour per day. If you can do this, that’s great, but if that is not possible, commit to what you can do. The key is consistency, and to build one's practice.
You can break your daily meditation into two or more periods.
Walking meditation can be included.
A couple missed days are acceptable, although it is preferable to squeeze in at least some minutes of practice on those days.
If for some reason you are not able to succeed fully with these commitments, I encourage you to keep going nonetheless and do your best for the entire 108 says, since the main goal is to support one’s practice and build concentration. At the end we will honor everyone who has undertaken the journey.
Ongoing support is available. Consider joining us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/108Days
Contact: John Genyo Sprague,
413-259-1304, or sunyajohn@gmail.com.
Please join us on Friday December 19 at the Wendell Town Hall from for a Medieval Yule Celebration to benefit the Wendell Meetinghouse from 6pm to 9pm. The celebration will include a feast, caroling and music by traditional duo Lady Moon featuring Kellianna and harpist Jenna MacDonald.
The feast will feature simple hearty local foods including Diemand Turkey legs, Kathleen's venison stew, Eric Newman's Vegan stew and more. Dessert is potluck. After dinner join in on the caroling, featuring local pianist Adam Bergeron and enjoy the enchanting harp and vocal duo lady Moon performing seasonal, Traditional, and Celtic music to end the evening. Please feel free to wear your finery! Costumes, including medieval wear or any theme are welcome but not required.
Tickets are $15-$20 sliding scale at the door. Advanced tickets for $13-$20 sliding scale will soon be available at the Wendell Country Store & the Wendell Holiday Craft Fair. Concert only at 8pm $8-$10. $5 Kids under twelve/infants free.
Marianne Sundell for Friends of the Wendell Meetinghouse
- Mon, Jul 1, 2019, 3:54 P
