Hilltown Families Weekly eNewsletter
Weekly Suggested Events
for the week of
Sept 21st-28th, 2012
Friday, Sept 21st
Saturday, Sept 22nd
Sunday, Sept 23rd
Monday, Sept 24th
Tuesday, Sept 25th
Wednesday, Sept 26th
Thursday, Sept 27th
Friday, Sept 28th  

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THIS WEEKS' HIGHLIGHTS
Recent Posts
Bulletin Board
History Highlights
Animal Studies
Natural History
Peace Studies
Family Volunteering
Hilltown Family Variety Show (Radio Show/Podcast)

COMMUNITY FEEDBACK 

"Hilltown Families is the site to go to for HEALTHY family fun - healthy for mind, body and spirit. " - Deborah Doulette (Whately, MA)

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HILLTOWN FAMILIES 

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List of Weekly Suggested Events
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Enhanced Publicity
Giveaways
Hilltown Family Variety Show
Listserv 

 

If you have any additional events, camps or classes to suggest, please feel encouraged to share on these free bulletin boards, or find out more about our enhanced publicity options.

HILLTOWN FAMILIES EVENT

On Saturday, Sept 15th, Hilltown Families partnered with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts for a field trip that combined both service-based and community-based learning (see slide-show). Our field trip involved a tour of The Food Bank in Hatfield, MA, led by The Food Bank's Education Coordinator, Molly Coon. Families got to see the facility up-close and learn how The Food Bank operates, who it serves and individuals can support their mission. The group played games to aid in the understanding of the concepts of hunger and could choose from two hands-on volunteer projects: sorting donations and preparations for The Food Bank's up
coming fundraiser, "Will Bike 4 Food."

Interested in joining Hilltown Families on future service-based and/or community-based learning field trips? Email us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com to be added to our list of interested families/groups.

HILLTOWN FAMILIES SPONSORED EVENTS

 

GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK

Magic School Bus 

Ramblin' Jack Elliot

Become a Contributing Writer
Ongoing Columns
HILLTOWN FAMILIES SPONSORS

 

Sponsor: Montessori School of Northampton 

RH Conwell School 

Academy at Charlemont 

Bement School 

Ashfield Community Preschool 

Chandler's Restaurant (South Deerfield, MA) 

Sponsor: The Farm Education Collaborative 

Sponsor: Four Winds School 

Hilltown Tree and Garden in Haydenville, MA 

Sponsor: Kathy Puckett, SLP 

Katywill Farm Community 

Lui Collins' Upside Up Music 

Bread Euphoria Cafe & Bakery in Haydenville, MA

Cup & Top in Florence, MA 

Blazing Star Herbal School in Ashfield, MA 

Daniel Lieberman Digital Consulting 

Earthwork Programs 

Enhanced Publicity
Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families supports development and enhancement of our local economy and community! Local businesses, individuals, schools and non-profits are invited to Sponsor and Advertise with Hilltown Families.  Let us help get the word out about your class, event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business or announcement. Deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout Western Massachusetts while supporting the work of Hilltown Families.  Email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com for more information, or click here.

HILLTOWN FAMILIES

eNEWSLETTER 

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27 Community Highlights: Historic Neighborhoods to Sawmills. Peace Studies to Family Volunteering.
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18th Century Neighborhood to 19th Century Sawmill. Geology to Industrial Revolution. Peace Studies to Volunteering...These are just a few of the learning highlights we're featuring this week! 

Have you ever made your own cornmeal, or dyed your own fabric using wildflowers?  Families can learn how to do all of these things and more (like pumpkin bowling!) at the North Amherst Harvest Festival this Sunday, Sept 23rd!

Scroll down to see our highlights, or select a day of the week to your left, and plan on getting out into your community and learn while you play!

RECENT POSTS

BULLETIN BOARD

North Amherst Community Farm & Simple Gifts Farm will celebrate the 7th annual North Amherst Harvest Festival on Sun., Sept 23rd from 12noon-5pm in North Amherst (1089 N. Pleasant St.). The festival will feature locally grown and prepared foods & a non-stop line up of entertainers, including, New Growth String Band, Rusty Belle, Jay Mankita & several others. Families can enjoy hula-hooping, kids crafts & activities, pumpkin bowling, cider pressing & even a chance to make smoothies using a kid-sized blender bike. Horse drawn wagon rides around the farm will tour crops & livestock for families to learn about the farm's integrated, bio-diverse land management system. This is a free rain or shine event. (>$ parking) nacfonline.org  

 

Is your child already a chicken lover or maybe your family is thinking about getting a few hens for the backyard? On Sunday, Sept 23 from 1-2:30pm, Crimson & Clover Farm (part of Northampton Community Farm) in Florence will host, "Who You Callin' Chicken?," a program for kids ages 6-12yo. Come meet a few egg laying ladies and learn the ins and outs of caring for hens. Participants can hold and feed chickens, share a story, ask questions, and of course, cook and eat an egg snack! Cost: $10-15 per child (sliding scale). Then on Sunday, Oct 7th the farm will hold a Fall Beekeeping for Families program from 11am-2:30pm. Cost: $25-35/family. Spaces are limited. For more info & to register online, visit thefarmeducationcollaborative.org.

 

Enjoy gardening with your child or want to start? Join the Sweet Roots Kids CSA this fall for kids (2-5yo) and their grown ups! This 4-week program runs Tuesday mornings, Sept 25-Oct 16, from 10-11:30am in Deerfield. Sweet Roots Gardens is a garden-based education program providing on site programs as well as off-site garden installation & education services for children & families. The Tuesday Kids CSA program celebrates the fall harvest. Participants can pick beans under the bean tunnel, paint pumpkins, snack on fresh veggies & get silly in the garden. Includes a weekly veggie snack share. Cost: $75 for 4-weeks or $20 per session. More info at www.facebook.com/SweetRootsGardens. To register contact Sara: saracoblyn@gmail.com. 413-230-4833

 

Pilates for Moms! Two new Pilates classes just for Moms with seasoned instructor Anneliese Mordhorst on Thursdays, September 27 - November 1st. $15 single class/$75 series. Postpartum Pilates - Strength, Stretch and Support at the Cooley Dickinson Center for Midwifery Care in Northampton, Thursdays at 10am. An all-levels mat class for renewing strength and vitality after pregnancy. BYOBaby at The Pilates Studio in Hadley, Thursdays at 12pm. A mat class for all-levels using Pilates props for strength, tone and stretch. All exercises are modified to accommodate for fussiness. Contact Anneliese for more information and to register: 413-296-4306/anneliese@slashmail.org. thepilatesstudioinhadley.com 

 

The Sharing Tree Consignment Sale: Offering high-quality, gently used items for babies and kids, including clothes, shoes, toys, books, baby equipment, and maternity wear. Thousands of items expected. Public sale: Saturday, September 29, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Half-Price Sale: Sunday, September 30, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield, 28 West Silver St., Westfield (behind Amelia Park Ice Arena). Now registering sellers and volunteers: sellers earn a percentage on the items they sell and shop early - before the sale opens to the public. Volunteers shop first - even before sellers! Find out more at www.sharingtreekids.com. For questions, email Karen at info@sharingtreekids.comor call 413-324-8733.

 

Click here to register The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst is offering a two-Saturday youth workshop in Oct in conjunction with their newest exhibit. "In The Art Studio: Inspired by Eric Carle" takes place on Oct 20 & 27 from 9:30-11:30am for youth ages 5-8. In this workshop children will study the new exhibition Beyond Books: The Independent Art of Eric Carle to take inspiration from his non-representational, 3D & collaborative art. Participants will paint colorful textures & patterns on a variety of surfaces such as paper, vinyl, & cardboard then sculpt them into window hangings, mobiles, name plates, & more. Advance registration required by Oct 15. Instructor: Meghan Burch. Cost: $50 (Members $40). Registration info at www.carlemuseum.org.

 

CALL FOR CRAFTERS: Hilltown Families is a proud sponsor of the Cummington Family Center's 3rd annual Handmade for Kids Holiday Fair. The fair is the center's annual fundraiser and an excellent opportunity for community members to find commercial-free handmade items, many supporting creative free play. This year's fair will be held on November 3rd at Berkshire Trail Elementary School in Cummington, MA. Registration is now open for crafters who make handmade, commercial-free items for kids of all ages. Spaces are also open for anyone interested in leading hour long gift-making workshops for children and/or adults. This is a great family-friendly event. If you are interested in learning more, email Stacey at cummingtonfamilycenter@yahoo.com.

 

ADVERTISE YOUR FALL CLASS: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.


LOCAL HISTORY
History comes alive in Central and South Berkshire County this weekend with numerous hikes and behind-the-scene tours.  On Saturday, Sept 22nd in Pittsfield, families can tour the historic Colonial Theatre and Barrington Stage Company, exploring their architecture and 100 year+ history. Other historical tours happening on Saturday include Jacob's Pillow in Becket, Captain Truman Wheeler Farmstead in Great Barrington, and the Gould Farm in Monterey.  Historical walks and hikes happening on Saturday include the historic former trolley line in Great Barrington, 18th century neighborhoods in West Stockbridge and historical burial grounds in Richmond.  Then on Sunday, Sept 23rd, historical tours will take place at Cookson State Forest in New Marlborough where families can visit a 19th century sawmill and shingle shop, Hilltop Orchard in Richmond to learn about heirloom apples and how a vineyard is operated, and the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum in Lenox.  Hikes taking place on Sunday include trails near the Arrowhead Museum in Pittsfield and an operating quarry in Becket. Some events require registration, and most are free. - Now the tough part... choosing which ones to go to!
ANIMAL STUDIES

There are three events for families that support an interest in animals.  In the early morning on Saturday, Sept 22nd at Canoe Meadows in Pittsfield, learn to spot and identify various species of birds while learning about their habitat.  Later in the morning in Shelburne Falls, the Arms Library will offer a class for kids on animal babies, and in the afternoon, join educator Rachel Roberts at Northfield Mountain!

NATURAL HISTORY
On Saturday morning, Sept 22nd in Great Barrington, celebrate the 25th anniversary of the RiverWalk with a walk-about, taking in the natural beauty and history.  In Greenfield at GCC, families with older students can learn about Franklin County geology with a tour that reveals the area's natural history through geological evidence.  Then on Sunday, Sept 23rd, join educator Dawn Marvin Wood for a program called "Let's Explore!" at Lake Wyola in Shutebury for a family hike looking for creatures, listening for birds and surveying the flora and fauna.
PEACE STUDIES

Saturday, Sept 22nd marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the historic document that eventually ended slavery.  Celebrate and learn about the history of the proclamation at the Unitarian Society in Northampton - there will be guest speakers, live music, and more.  Families can use the event to supplement their children's studies of American history, and use what kids learn to start a family dialogue about civil and human rights.    

In Berkshire County on Saturday, Sept 22nd, the Center for Peace Through Culture host a free day-long community family event celebrating International Day of Peace.  BYO picnic and blanket to The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington for meditation, peace education and song.  Three class for youth learning peace through the arts include: Peace Readings for Children, Peace through Music and Sound, and Peace through Art.

 

SUPPLEMENTAL TITLES:

VOLUNTEERING
There are a few ways families can volunteer to help out our animal friends this coming week. On Saturday, Sept 22nd, teens and their adult companion can help the Zoo in Forest Park (teaming up with Habitat for Humanity) put the finishing touches on new buildings and pens during Habitat Goes to the Zoo in Springfield. Also on Saturday, Sept 22nd is the Berkshire BioBlitz where families can participate as citizen scientists by searching for and identifying as many species as possible at Burbank Park in Pittsfield. In Easthampton on Friday, Sept 28th, kids can volunteer to make a cat toy for the Dakin animal shelter after school at the Emily Williston Memorial Library.

Another volunteer opportunity is with Help Yourself!, a group of volunteers who plant fruit trees and gardens in public and private spaces in Northampton, and inspire similar work in the Pioneer Valley and beyond. Ignored and abused places like vacant lots, bike paths, road medians, and lawns of businesses and households are planted with nutritious, and abundant fruit trees, edible vines, shrubs, hedges, flowers, and perennial and annual veggies. Current projects include Ward 3, Pulaski Park, and the Manhan Rail Trail Connector. Visit commongreen.weebly.com to learn about how your family can get involved.

SUPPLEMENTAL TITLES:

HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW: Guest DJ, Alex Mitnick   


 

Next week's episode is hosted by Aaron Nigel Smith.

Alex Mitnick Guest DJ's this weekend with a show is all about dreams... dreams we have at night when we're fast asleep and dreams we have during the day when we're wide awake! Dreams can tell us many things... what we love to do, what we're afraid of, what we're really feeling and what we hope for in the future. Learning to believe in our dreams is the first step in making our dreams come true... Listen carefully and join the journey as we learn all about dreams!  

 

Check out our archives to listen anytime, or tune in this weekend to hear our Summer Essential Episode. Families have several ways to tune in to the Hilltown Family Variety Show:

 

  • Streaming Audio: Surf on over to ValleyFreeRadio.org on Saturday (9-10am) & Sunday (7-8am) mornings and listen to us live via streaming audio.
  • On Your FM Dial: Tune in to WXOJ 103.3FM if you live near Northampton, MA.
  • Podcast: Listen to the most recent episodes of the Hilltown Family Variety Show anytime you wish! Click here to see our current select of episodes, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast too!   
  • Hilltown Families' Blog was voted as Best Local Blog in the Valley Advocate Best of the Valley Readers' Poll for the past two years in a row!  Thank you for your support!
    Hilltown Families is an online grassroots communication network serving thousands of families living in the four counties of Western MA.  Through an award winning web site, social networking, listserv, radio show/podcast, online bulletin boards, and collaborations with civic and nonprofit groups, Hilltown Families connects people and organizations in the widespread communities of Western MA. With your support, we help area residents to share ideas, organize activities, support their children's education and increase participation in community life.  We welcome your participation and feedback at anytime. 

    Warm regards,

    Sienna Wildfield
    Founder/Director, Hilltown Families
    swildfield@hilltownfamilies.org