Monday, October 5, 2026

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

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EYES TO THE SKY: Planet Venus, the Evening Star, closest, brightest mid-February

At peak magnitude, seek out the goddess of love planet in a clear blue sky in the west-southwest during daylight hours, being extremely careful to keep eyes diverted from the sun.

EYES TO THE SKY: Pegasus, Venus last days, Autumn Equinox, Full Harvest Moon

The Great Square may be visible in less-than-ideal stargazing conditions, whereas the whole of the flying horse, which includes dim stars, requires unpolluted, dark skies.

EYES TO THE SKY: My address: Planet Earth, Orion spur, the Perseus arm of the Milky Way Galaxy

We’ve learned the address of our home in the universe: Planet Earth, Orion spur, the Perseus arm of the Milky Way Galaxy.

BHRSD adopts career, vocational technical education initiatives

There was not the population for a dedicated vocational school and, over time, the number of programs offered dwindled. Now individual fields will not be stressed so much as the habits of mind and preparation to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.

EYES TO THE SKY: Summer’s evening sky, morning’s winter sky

Be radical: Awaken in time to see the brightest star in Earth’s sky, Sirius, appear after a long absence.

‘The Buzz,’ a new show for schools to promote events, debuts next month

Community Television for the Southern Berkshires will produce the show initially, with the goal of having entirely student-run programs in the near future. The hope is to air at least one show per month.

EYES TO THE SKY: Peak meteors, no moonlight!

Perseid meteors are more intense after midnight and especially as Perseus climbs highest before dawn.

EYES TO THE SKY: Mars peaks this week: Seek out Mars, now brighter than Jupiter

View Mars from nightfall to first light. It is particularly lovely as it sinks into the hills to the southwest.

EYES TO THE SKY: Navigating a summer night

Tonight, the 9th, Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion, is in conjunction with Venus.

Members of Monument Mountain’s first class gather for 50th reunion

Despite the schools’ regionalization at the start of the 1967-68 academic year, Monument Mountain Regional High School was not ready to be occupied. As a result, juniors and seniors were assigned to one of the two high schools—Searles in Great Barrington or Williams in Stockbridge—depending on which courses they had signed up for.

EYES TO THE SKY: Five planets, summer solstice, fireflies flashing

At the first sight of the clearing, I was wonderstruck by an aerial display of countless blinking golden lights and dipping, curving, white gold lines streaking all over the meadow from the ground up to the treetops.

Egremont’s ‘flying school’ to land next week, open its doors to students in August

"We're moving forward and expect to be ready for children well before the school year, if not sooner." -- Bruce Turner, chair, Egremont Board of Selectmen

Monument graduate Liam Forland’s ‘Let’s Talk About It!’ — Facing up to racism

“The impact that [Liam] has had on the kids is truly remarkable. They have grown tremendously as young men and learned so much about themselves and the world around them." -- Monument Valley Regional Middle School educator Kim Cormier

Great Barrington Rotary reaches million-dollar mark in student scholarships

Supporting student scholarships is one of the major community activities of the Great Barrington Rotary Club.

MVRMS 8th graders just say YES to community service

“It’s really an opportunity for us to connect to our community in a way that feels purposeful and meaningful.” --- Monument Valley Regional Middle School math teacher Fred Erickson of Year End Studies -- YES for short

EYES TO THE SKY: New Mexico Tech astronomers, Magdalena Ridge Observatory, Near Earth Objects

To the eyes of astronomical researchers and faculty at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, New Mexico, there’s a world of Near-Earth Objects — and occasional Interstellar Objects — between Earth and space.

New scholarships awarded for first generation college-goers at MMRHS

Recipients will be called the Chang-Chavkin Scholars after Arnie Chavkin and Laura Chang, founders and funders of the program and part-time residents of New Marlborough.Students selected will receive a total of $60,000, $15,000 per year for all four years of college.