Milestone meeting
Community Coalition celebrates 20 years

By Patrick G. Rheaume, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Saturday, June 10
WILLIAMSTOWN — The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition held its 20th annual meeting yesterday, recalling two decades of improving neighbors and promoting young people and their abilities.

Executive Director Al Bashevkin said the coalition has been defined by the activities of its members. "Our mission is in our hearts."

He said the coalition has organized outdoor movies, a neighborhood baseball team and the construction of playgrounds, and has always considered new ideas.

Two middle-school students once told the organization about the need for a coffeehouse and performance space for teenagers, he said. Although coalition members didn't know much about music promotion, they worked with other people and organizations to create Grooove, which schedules and promotes performances for teenagers.

Another student, Bashevkin said, was unhappy in school. Working with the coalition's writers workshop, the student developed his talent as a spoken-word artist and established a slam poetry gathering. Now the student travels throughout the United States with his poetry.

The coalition also wants to work on a plan for the economic future of Berkshire County that prepares residents for the new economy.

H. Mark Smith, program director for Youth Reach with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, said the coalition has been an important supporter of the area's performing and visual arts. "It's smart work," he said in his keynote speech. "It's not just people getting together and being well-meaning."

He remembered visiting here with a friend from North Carolina. His friend was amazed at the cultural destinations that have developed in recent years, such as Mass MoCA and downtown Adams, that have benefited from the work of coalition members.

Throughout the years, Smith said, the organization has recognized tough problems and collaborated to develop solutions.

Mayor John Barrett III pointed out that the coalition contributed substantially to the renewal and improved self-image of the city and helped restore residents' pride. He added that the coalition has always "made sure the people who needed help the most were going to get it."

Ariel Dunn and Ben Shiner, members of the Teen Writers Workshop, read poems during the event, which was held at the Williams Inn. In addition, the UNITY/Northern Berkshire Neighborhood Step Dancers performed.

Susan and Alex Daugherty received the Northern Berkshire Heroes Award — largely for their efforts with the Fresh Air Fund and with the annual Martin Luther King Day activities — from state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley and Judge Paul Perachi, justice of the Northern Berkshire Juvenile Court.