Our BerkshireTimes Magazine, Aug-Sept 2016

(38)
Cover Art by Deborah Van Auten / www.vanauten.com
Fine Food & Drink Special / Visit us at www.OurBerkshireTimes.com
Local Events | Art & Culture | Food & Drink | Home & Garden | Vibrant Living
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Our BerkshireTimes
Aug-Sept 2016 vol 27
Our BerkshireTimes
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BerkshireTimes
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Kathy I. Regan
publisher@ourberkshiretimes.com
Kevin J. Regan
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_______________
EDITORIAL
Kathy I. Regan
editor@ourberkshiretimes.com
Rodelinde Albrecht
rodelinde@gmail.com
Contents
4
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_______________
COVER ILLUSTRATION
Sea Turtle
by Deborah Van Auten, Artist
www.vanauten.com
In Deborah Van
Autens paintings, old
world style merges
with contemporary
images in dreamlike
worlds rich with
symbolism. Her
award-winning work
is in many private
collections and has
been featured in prestigious publications
worldwide. She has exhibited throughout
the country, and is currently showing with
Arden Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts,
where she also resides. To view more of
her work, go to www.vanauten.com.
Email: deborah@vanauten.com.
art, culture & entertainment
20
DEBORAH VAN AUTEN

TAG SALE TALES
22
food & drink

ROASTED BEET & MANGO SALAD
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS
24
OPIOID ABUSE IN THE BERKSHIRES
PAIRING FOOD & WINE
15
16
gift guide
health & wellness

HEALTHY EYES
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS
ZUCCHINI ICE CREAM
education & workshops

THE THREE R'S OF RECOVERY
THE GREAT WATERMELON HEIST
10
animal talk
UNDERSTANDING RAW FEEDING
THE BUTLER SCULPTURE PARK
Copyeditor/Proofreader
Rodelinde Albrecht
_______________
DESIGN
Magazine Design/Layout
Kathy I. Regan
_______________
Aug - Sept 2016
A RAY OF HOPE
31
featured advertisers
THANK YOU!
home & garden
Like Us On
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This publication is printed with soy ink on environmentally
friendly Forest Stewardship Council certified paper.
Our BerkshireTimes magazine was first published in 2009 and is
enjoyed by community members and visitors alike. We distribute
bimonthly (six times per year) starting each February. Most of our
editorial content is contributed by our readers. We welcome your
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All content in Our BerkshireTimes is accepted in good faith. We do not necessarily
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reason. For printing errors of the publisher's responsibility, liability is limited to the cost of the
ad space in which it first appeared. Unless otherwise noted, we use a Creative Commons
License in place of a standard copyright.
Sea Turtle (24 x 36) by Deborah Van Auten, www.vanauten.com
The Butler Sculpture Park

LOCAL SCULPTOR OFFERS A WALK THROUGH HIS PARK / By Nina Anderson
ff the beaten path, through

a large iron gate and up a
gravel driveway to a hilltop in the
lush southern Berkshires, is the
Butler Sculpture Park. Located
on Shunpike Road in Sheffield,
Massachusetts, Robert and Susan
Butler have created a pristine walk
through their property laced with
contemporary metal sculpture.
Next to the parking area is
the Summer House Gallery, where
large sculptures fit comfortably
under the soaring sixteen-foot
high ceiling. Beginning your walk
outside, you will cross a garden
bridge and view your first sculpture,
set amid a pool of pebbles nested
in a tangled woods. You then cross an arched bridge and climb
a trail laced with mountain laurel. At the top you will be greeted
by an expansive upper meadow that forms a grassy courtyard
overlooking the rolling countryside. Interspersed in the trail
system are viewing benches where you can sit and take in the
mountaintop views that are framed by curvilinear artwork.
The Butler Sculpture Park also displays more than two dozen
of Roberts smaller pieces in a gallery area above his work studio. His
pieces of gleaming stainless steel evoke playful fantasies. Since 1991
the sculpture park has pleased visitors by giving them a memorable
experience of art in harmony with natural surroundings.
In 1985 the Butlers began creating the park which now
encompasses seven of their forty-one acres hugging the westfacing hilltop and offering a magnificent view of the Sheffield
valley. A well-equipped cavernous studio, where the sounds of
grinders and hammers reflect that there is a work in progress, is
bound to delight the visitor. Robert will explain how the welds are
polished until they disappear with the steel becoming so smooth
it reflects like a deep hologram in the sunlight.
Many Berkshire County residents, as well as homeowners
throughout New England and New York have purchased
sculptures that Robert and Susan have installed for them on
their properties. Some works are figurative, some abstract; some
are simple, others complex. To accent the various shapes bright
color is used while other pieces are burnished. The park is open
from May 20 to October 31 and the hours are 11-5. There is no
admission charge. The Butlers can be reached at (413) 229-8924
and their blog (www.butlersculpturepark.wordpress.com) allows
you to view photographs of some of the pieces.
~ Nina Anderson offers weekday, evening, and weekend charters on

her 21 cabin sailboat on beautiful Twin Lakes in Salisbury, CT. Contact
Nashalla Sailing at (888) 217-7233, www.nashallasailing.com.
Deborah Van Auten

OUR BERKSHIRETIMES MAGAZINES AUGUST - SEPTEMBER COVER ARTIST
he interpretive narrative
of Deborah Van Autens
striking images are meant to
transport, and to provide a
platform for reflection and
discovery.
Deborah says My work
delves into the intangible
aspect of the tangible. I think
of my paintings as dreamscapes,
or psychological environments.
The figure and symbolism are
used metaphorically, with a
penchant for the absurd, and
humor often counterbalances a more serene background, which
mirrors my personal point of view.
The Dutch masters and Italian Renaissance painters left
an indelible imprint on Van Auten as she explored the personal
context of self-expression in her art. A reverence for painters of
the past is evident in her work, where old-world style combines
4
Aug | Sept 2016
with contemporary images in dreamlike worlds rich with

symbolism. Deborah has spent her adult years in San Francisco,
London, Boston, and New York, where she studied at the Art
Students League and at the School of Visual Arts, and was
awarded a scholarship to the Salmagundi Club.
The award-winning work of Van Auten is in many private
collections, and has been exhibited nationally. She has been featured
in such books and publications as
Whos Who in Visual Arts: 42 Masters
of Realistic Imagery, Contemporary Art in
Focus: Modern Masters, Art in America,
American Art Collector, Art News, Studio
Visit, Southwest Art Magazine, and Our
BerkshireTimes Magazine, among others.
Van Auten is represented by Arden
Gallery in Boston. She paints full time
in her studio at Boston Center for the
Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. To see
more of Deborahs work, visit her
website at www.vanauten.com.
Nashalla Sailing
Charter with Captain Nina on

Twin Lakes, Salisbury CT
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Aug | Sept 2016
art, culture &
Tag Sale Tales

FOR MANY ENTHUSIASTS, SOCIAL INTERACTION IS AS
IMPORTANT AS THE EXCITEMENT OF THE HUNT
Article & Cartoon by Gary Leveille
very Friday and Saturday the colorful signs go up: Tag

Sale. Yard Sale. Garage Sale. Barn Sale. Estate Sale. As
early as 7 a.m. avid tag sale shoppers hop into their
vehicles in search of treasures. Armed with maps, classified
ad clippings, even online listings, bargain-seekers stalk
neighborhoods for everything from antiques to clothing.
This underground economy
of weekend dickering is
as much social interaction
as it is financial. And the
experience has evolved into
an art form with participants
from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds.
Modest-income families
attempt to acquire quality
clothing at bargain prices.
Hunter-gatherers search
for unique treasures to add
to their collection. Pickers
and dealers rush from sale
to sale, hoping to be first to
snag items they can sell at a
profit online, at flea markets,
antiques shows, or retail
shops.

Here in the southern Berkshires, there is an informal circuit of
friendly competitors who know each other, and individually map
out their plan of attack with varying degrees of detail. With a
bit of playful cajoling, several agreed to speak under the condition
of anonymity. Names have been changed.
Sally comes over from Columbia County, New York, most
weekends to search tag sales in Great Barrington and surrounding
towns. There are more sales in the Berkshires than where I
live, she explained. I try to find nice items that I can resell at a
reasonable profit.
Jake, from Egremont, disagrees. Many of the secondhomeowners around here are overpricing their stuff, he claimed.
They have unrealistic expectations. Its a damn tag sale, not
an antique shop! I have better luck searching for sales in rural
Columbia County. They are more realistic over there.
A dealer from Sheffield elaborated.Bargains can still be found,
he said. But there are a lot more folks looking. The economy is
6
Aug | Sept 2016
tough. People are looking for ways to make extra money. Sellers
sometimes think they can get retail prices because of TV shows
like Pawn Stars and American Pickers. Then, at the end of the day,
they wonder why so little has sold.
Several tag sale aficionados expressed frustration with sellers
who advertise No Early
Birds but then let the
more aggressive dealers in
early anyway. We try to
be respectful of peoples
wishes, and then everything
good is sold by the time we
arrive.
There are also those sellers
who advertise an opening
time of 9 a.m., for example,
and wont let anybody in
one minute early. It is
so frustrating, explained
Jerry, who has been going
to tag sales for 35 years. A
few years ago, I drove to
this sale in Van Deusenville
that was scheduled to start
at 9. We arrived at 8:52.
The pompous sellers were
sitting in their chairs with an obvious attitude like they were
holding court. They rudely insisted we keep off their property
until 9. Cars were whizzing by. It was dangerous. They were
foolish control freaks. Did they want to sell or not? We left. What
a waste of time and gas. I was told later that the sale wasnt worth
waiting for. Everything was overpriced.
At the other extreme, one picker joked about a friendly but
aggressive dealer who knocks on doors the day before a sale to
get a jump on the competition. He is charming, and is sometimes
successful. It never ceases to amaze me. I dont advocate doing
that, but 20-30 minutes early on the day of the sale is considered
the norm. It is a competitive world out there.
Jane, who has been buying and selling at tag sales since the 1970s,
offered an additional perspective. Setting up a good tag sale is a lot
of work. So, when I hold a sale, I am there to sell as much as I can,
as fast as I can. I dont mind people coming early. Im not going to
chase people away because it is too early. I do explain, however, that
I dont dicker at 7 a.m. when my sale is advertised to start at 9.
Many tag sale participants expressed a common frustration with

sellers who do not take down their signs when the sale is over. I
have wasted so much gas searching for a sale that took place two
weeks ago, said one tag sale devotee.
For some, the selling of used merchandise has become a full-time
business. Enter the estate sale manager. For a cut of the profits,
estate sale managers will come in, price the contents of your
home, and run the sale. Pickers claim that bargains can still be
found, but suggest that prices sometime lean more toward retail.
Estate sale is a term that is now being overused, according to
Hank, a picker from Lee. It used to be that an estate sale meant
access to a whole house-full of antiques and collectibles. That is
still often the case, but more and more people are using the term
for their tag sale, with the hopes of drawing in more people.
Shes totally focused. After she has determined that there are no
treasures to be had, she will be warm and chatty.
Sometimes competitive pickers go too far, explained a dealer
from Sheffield. A few years ago, someone was inserting fake
tag sale ads in the newspaper that sounded really good. The ads
directed folks to very rural areas in the middle of nowhere. It was
a ruse to get the other dealers away from the real tag sales. Many
of us could probably use a bit of psychiatric help, laughed one
tag sale enthusiast who acknowledged that it is best to simply
laugh at the craziness and enjoy the search. Follow the golden
rule, she added. Treat others the way you would want to be
treated yourself.
Flea markets are also a good place to find interesting, valuable

merchandise in one central location, but customers must be careful.
Inexperienced buyers are sometimes fooled by antique
reproductions at flea markets, claimed one dealer. The old
clich is true If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
For many tag sale enthusiasts, social interaction is as important as
the excitement of the hunt. We have made lifelong friendships,
explained Karen, a part-time dealer from Great Barrington. Its
a lot of fun free entertainment. I enjoy the idiosyncrasies of
both buyers and sellers. For example, one woman I know will
not acknowledge us when she is scanning the tables for treasures.
~ Local historian Gary Leveille is a writer, editor, educator, and photographer

who resides in the Southern Berkshires. He has written numerous books
including the popular Legendary Locals of the Southern Berkshires and Eye of
Shawenon, a history of the Egremont area.
YES, IVE MOVED!
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www.ateffinejeweler.com
Aug | Sept 2016
a
The Great
Watermelon Heist
By Allen Timmons
atermelons! Every time I see one it reminds me of my

childhood. Growing up in the deep south, watermelon
is right up there with grits and fried chicken. A true
southerner cant live without it! And they take their melons very
serious down there.
When I was growing up in the early 60s in northeast Alabama,
stealing a watermelon was a hanging offense, and if you were a kid,
birdshot across the backside was considered justice. You didnt
mess with peoples melons. Plain and simple!

So likewise, if you could steal a watermelon and get away with it,
you would be legendary among the other kids. You would even
be considered cooler than igniting a doo doo bomb or pulling a
dead snake across a neighbors porch with a fishing line. And so,
being the kid that I was, I set my eyes on one of the easiest melon
picking patches a watermelon thief could ever hope for: old man
Shockleys place.

Now old man Shockley had about a five-acre field with a big patch
of watermelons about 50 yards from the back edge of the woods
we kids played in. His house was on the far side another 200 yards
or so. We had a secret fort hidden in the woods made of bent
saplings and twigs woven into a domed igloo shape and covered
with leaves and forest debris. From the outside, it looked just like
part of the forest canopy, but on the inside there was enough room
for six or seven kids to spend the night or hide from someone. It
was really cool! You could see everything going on around you but
no one could see you. That fort saved my neck more than once
from an angry neighbor chasing me through those woods.
It was on a Friday night and sweltering hot. About a dozen of
us kids from the area were camping out in the woods, like we
did every Friday night throughout the summer, planning our raids
on the neighborhood and such adventures. Tonight was special,
though. It was the night I went from boyhood to manhood. It was
the moment that would determine my destiny. A natural course of
evolution was about to take place.

I never actually met old man Shockley. Only seen him from a
distance. And I kept my distance too because I was told he was not
one to reckon with. But that watermelon patch he had sure was
inviting with all those big ole melons just setting out there all shiny
and plump just screaming to be picked! We kids had been planning
Aug | Sept 2016
this for some time, waiting for the right moment (and courage).
I had given everyone a melon-thumping lesson just before, even
though we didnt have a real watermelon to practice with. But I
explained to them that its all in the thump. You take your index
finger and thump the melon on its side, and the sound it makes
tells you whats inside. The deeper the tone the riper the melon,
and the riper the sweeter!
Our first mistake that night was we didnt need a dozen
watermelons! We only needed one or two. Our second mistake
was we told too many kids. Loose lips sink ships! Our ship was
sunk before it set sail. Also, someone had strung up a clothesline
across the far side of that patch in just the area you would run if
you were about to be caught.
We waited until pretty late for his lights to go out as we all hid on
the edge of that field planning our destiny each of us picking out
which watermelon we wanted and our escape route, and giggling
about how good that melon was going to be. Me being the tallest
and fastest I was determined to be the first in and out of that field.
But there were a dozen kids in that patch and they went thumping
like crazy. It sounded like a drunk woodpecker with a dull pecker.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump! And then the occasional
I got one! or Uh oh! That ones no good! In other words, there
was a lot of racket going on in that melon patch!

And wouldnt you know it, as soon as I laid my hands on the
perfect melon, the back porch light came on. Old man Shockley
came running out a-yelling my name. TIMMONS! he shouted.
Then came that familiar sound of a pump-action shotgun followed
by a big KABOOM! Kids scattered like a mess of flies being
swatted on a dinner plate. Every direction and not a melon among
them! Man, I was high-stepping at full speed across that field with
a watermelon that was about a quarter my size held tight to my
chest, when all of a sudden, my neck found what my eyes failed to
see. That darn clothesline! My feet kept going but from my neck
up, I stopped dead in my tracks! I stretched out like one of those
Saturday morning cartoon charters. I came down flat on my back
and a half second later, that melon came bursting down on my
chest. It knocked the wind outa me so bad I couldnt even cry. I felt
like my head had just been separated from my body.

As I lay there looking up at God in heaven and closer to death
almost than I had ever been in my whole entire life, I could hear
that old man laughing so hard he was choking. I remember asking

God, How did he know it was me? Where did all my friends go?
Wheres my brother? Oh God, please dont let me die! I promise
I won't ever steal another melon again for as long as I live!

Somehow, by some miracle, I made it back to our secret fort that night.
When I arrived I was covered in watermelon juice mixed with seeds
and sweaty blood from my neck down. I was truly a sight to see! Only
Ricky, Dane, and my brother were there. Everyone else had run home
with soiled underwear scared half to death I had been shot and was
dead. The walk back had taken me long enough that my imagination
had gotten the best of me and I realized this was my shining moment.
My golden opportunity! And so, this is how the official story goes; I
wasnt leaving that patch without no melon, I told myself! So, as I was
a-lifting the biggest and most perfect melon Id ever laid eyes on, old
man Shockley blasted that thing right outa my arms. It exploded like
a bomb and blew me flat off my feet. Before I could get up and run,
he flung a rope over my neck and was a-dragging me towards that ole
oak tree in his backyard. He was going to hang me, he was! But I was
a-fighting like a wildcat for my dear life, twisting and turning, when
just in the nick of time I managed to wiggle myself loose. I jumped to
my feet and ran as fast as I could before he had a chance to shoot me
again. And here I am barely alive!

Until this moment, I had always imagined my old childhood buddies
setting around with their children and grandchildren, telling the
story about the bravest and most daring kid they ever knew. Oh
well, what can I say? Anyway, it feels good getting this weight off
of me after all these years. Sort of like a watermelon being lifted
off my chest! So now, every time you see a watermelon, you will
think of me. Happy thumping everyone!
~ Allen Timmons designs, builds, and
sells one-of-a-kind custom heirloomquality architectural sculptures including
birdhouses, doll houses, playhouses, tree
houses, and more. His business, Backyard
Heirlooms, is located at 525 South Main
Street in Sheffield, MA (across from the
Wainwright Inn) and is open on weekends
and by appointment. You can contact
Allen and his wife Nancy at (413) 5283095, atbackyardheirlooms@gmail.com,
and on Facebook. See ad on page 5.
Aug | Sept 2016
food & drink
roasted beet & mango salad

WITH DRIED APRICOTS, WALNUTS & GOAT CHEESE / From Guidos Kitchen
ich in vibrant color and antioxidant content, this salad (that serves 4) is not just delicious, but also beautiful and healthy. Dietitian
Rachel Alves from Guidos Kitchen (Guidos Fresh Marketplace in Pittsfield and Great Barrington), adapted this recipe from
www.chabad.org. For more delicious recipes visit www.guidosfreshmarketplace.com.
Ingredients
For the Beets
3 to 4 medium beets, washed and trimmed

1 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Dressing
cup apple cider vinegar
1 T maple syrup (or honey)

2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad
4 cups baby greens, such as arugula, spinach, or kale

cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2 large mangoes, peeled and sliced into -inch slices
10 dried apricots, diced
cup golden raisins
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (garnish)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
For the Beets
Place beets in a large piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and close foil to make a sealed
packet. Place on a small baking sheet and roast in oven for about
45-60 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove from oven and leave
in foil to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skin, halve,
and then slice into -inch slices.
For the Dressing
Place all ingredients in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake

vigorously until well blended. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside.
To Assemble Salad
Pittsfield & Great Barrington, MA

guidosfreshmarketplace.com #guidosfresh
10
Aug | Sept 2016
Place the greens on a platter or into a large bowl. Drizzle some

dressing over the greens. In a large bowl, toss the beets, mangoes,
walnuts, apricots, and raisins with more dressing until well coated.
Place the beets and the mango mixture on top of the greens and
then top with the goat cheese and fresh parsley.
food & drink
delicious, fresh cuisine
Korean
Garden
TRADITIONAL FAVORITES AND MORE
f you crave delicious fresh sushi in a relaxing, beautiful

atmosphere, make the Korean Garden in North Adams, MA,
your destination. Run by experienced restaurateurs, husband
and wife team Jenny and Young Pae, the Korean Garden offers
a high-quality, affordable dining experience. You will find many
traditional favorites such as kimchi, bulgogi, tempura, fried rice,
hot stone bi bim bab, and sushi and maki combos. Take advantage
of the $5 coupon in their ad at right for lunch or dinner.
Korean Japanese
Cuisine-Sushi
139 Ashland St., North Adams, MA
$5 OFFand
Spend $25 or more

get $5 off your purchase.
Not valid with other offers.
Expires 9/30/16
413-346-4097
Tues-Thurs 11am-9:30pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Closed on Mondays
Be sure to visit us on Facebook!
cozy & delicious

AN INVITING CAFE YOU WILL WANT TO VISIT AGAIN AND AGAIN
Espresso Scones Hand Pies Soup

31 main street, stockbridge, ma
413.298.7271 info@sweetsavourymain.com
www.sweetsavourymain.com
ocated conveniently on Main Street in Stockbridge,

Massachusetts, you will find Sweet and Savoury on Main,
a cozy, inviting cafe with big flavor. Look up the word delicious in
the dictionary and I bet you will find a picture of owner Livia
Landrys apple turnovers, scones, hand pies, soups, and other sweet
and savoury delights. And lets not forget her rich, aromatic coffee,
espresso, chai latte, and more. Quick, delicious, and healthy stop
in for take out or eat at their cute outside tables.
food & fun!

EVERY THURSDAY, MAY 19 TO OCTOBER 6, 2016
ome visit the West Stockbridge Farmers Market, held

every Thursday, rain or shine, between 3pm and 7pm on
Harris Street in West Stockbridge, MA (sometimes referred to as
Merritt Green, opposite the post office in the center of the town).
Make Thursdays a day to remember! You can look forward to
finding a nice variety of local produce and foods for sale, tasting
the culinary delights of local chefs, and enjoying music as well as
the chance of winning our weekly raffle.
country store
NORTH EGREMONT
COUNTRY STORE
NEWLY EXPANDED DELI - FOOD MENU!
Wholesome Homestyle Delicious

SoCo Ice Cream Local Free-Range Eggs
Milk Liquor Beer Wine Pastries
Lotto Post Office Fishing Bait
Photo by John Phelan
Mon-Thu: 6a-7p Fri-Sat: 6a-8p Sun: 6a-4p
Route 71, North Egremont, MA (Near Prospect Lake)
Call (413) 528-4796
CONVENIENT SHOPPING AND FRIENDLY SERVICE
he historic North Egremont Country Store located in the

bucolic town of North Egremont, MA, near Prospect Lake,
offers a convenient way to purchase many of the items you need to
entertain your holiday guests, including SoCo ice cream, Monterey
Chevre, liquor, beer, and wine (including organic), local pure honey
and maple syrup, staples like milk, and much more (even Lotto tickets
and fishing bait and accessories). They also make excellent sandwiches
and coffee, and serve delicious croissants, bagels, and donuts.
Aug | Sept 2016
11
food & drink
pairing food and wine

SPREADS FROM MARSEILLE TO ACCOMPANY
YOUR NEXT BOTTLE OF ROSE / By Rachel Portnoy
airing food and wine is something anyone can learn. My

professional advice: You just need to taste lots of wine
and eventually figure out what you like! That said, there
are some guidelines that can be helpful and when you hit a great
pairing something clicks: Your palate soars with pleasure and
you know youre on the right track. For sure, some wines are
more food-friendly than others, and we feel that many French
wines are largely produced to pair with food in beautiful and
transformative ways. We were surprised to realize when we started
our restaurant 11 years ago how many guests get a little afraid
of ordering French wines. The French tradition of marking the
label with the name of the village where the wine is from, rather
than the name of the grape, is intimidating never mind that
the names are often difficult to pronounce! Another thing that
surprised us was peoples hesitancy to order ros wines. Maybe
because theyre pink, maybe because they were perceived to be
entres
available
sweet, the impression that people seemed to have about ros was
that it was somehow lesser or amateurish to order it.
Dry ros wines, French or otherwise, are absolutely some of the
most food-friendly wines out there. And lots of people have been
catching on: Since we opened in 2005 our ros sales have steadily
increased and we are able to offer a great range of ross now.
Ros from Provence is a benchmark for elegant, dry, refreshing
wine and the flavors of Provence tomato, garlic, olive oil, olives,
herbs cry out for the herbal, floral, and fruity notes of a rich
Provenal ros. For your summer meals, be they outdoors or in,
lunch or dinner, these two quick and easy recipes for spreads
from Marseille are fantastic make-ahead accompaniments to your
next bottle of ros.
Tomatade
1 12-14 oz jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1 clove garlic
cup pine nuts, toasted
cup basil leaves
cup olive oil
Pinch cayenne or red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and place in the bowl of
a food processor with the garlic, pine nuts, and basil leaves. While
running the processor, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to make a nice
paste. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Pack
into jars and keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Black Olive Tapenade
D-e-e-licious!
Tues-Sat dinner only 150 Main St., Lee 413.243.6397 cheznousbistro.com
12
Aug | Sept 2016
1 cup black olives, rinsed

3 anchovies
1 clove garlic
1 T capers
cup flat parsley
cup olive oil
Pepper
Place the olives, anchovies, garlic, capers, and parsley in the bowl
of a food processor. Proceed exactly as for the tomatade recipe
above. Anchovies are traditional, but optional for a vegetarian
spread.
~ Rachel Portnoy, Chez Nous Bistro, www.cheznousbistro.com
food & drink
homey & satisfying
HOUSATONICS TAKE OUT, SIT DOWN COFFEE SHOP
f you are looking for a satisfying way to start your day, stop
at the Housie Market Caf in the heart of Housatonic, MA.
A delicious variety of all-day breakfast fare includes chocolate
croissants and assorted danish, hand pies, peanut butter and kimchi
sandwiches, eggs made to order, yogurt and BOLA granola, and
owner Amy Hagertys signature Diamond in the Rough muffin
pictured at right. See their website or stop in to choose one of
their thick deli-style sandwiches for lunch.
photo credit - ruralintellgence.com
226OPENING
Pleasant Street,
Housatonic, MA | 413-274-0261
SOON
Breakfast
andHousatonic,
Lunch |MA
Mon-Fri
7-6, Sat 8:30-5, Sun 8:30-4
226 Pleasant Street,
01236 | 413-274-0261
Breakfast and Lunch | Mon-Fri 6 - 6, Sat 8 - 6, Sun 9 - 4
See our full menu at www.housiemarketcafe.com
chocolate & more
custom gift baskets

and party favors
Life is better dipped in chocolate!

164 hinsdale road
dalton, ma 01226
413-329-5222
sweetoccasionsdalton.wordpress.com
LIFE REALLY IS BETTER DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE!
weet Occasions is a small locally owned gourmet chocolate

and ice cream shop located on Rt 8 in Dalton. Proprietor and
head chocolatier, Shelby Hiser, opened her store in June 2015 and
has been supplying her many customers with delicious chocolates,
Italian cookies, and from-scratch homemade pies ever since. Shelby
would love to help you with your wedding, family reunion, birthday,
anniversary, or special occasion. You can even have a birthday party
on site! Stop in, call, or email Shelby at shelbyhiser2@gmail.com.
restaurant, tavern & inn
Haflinger Haus
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED
rom Wiener Schnitzel, Hungarian Goulash, and Lobster Sptzle

to fresh seafood and steaks and pasta, Haflinger Haus brings
the best of Austrian and American cuisines to the Berkshires. Dine
in their beautiful fireplaced dining room, casual tavern, or outdoor
Biergarten where you can catch a glimpse of their vegetable and
herb garden. Make it a special treat and stay over in one of their
guest rooms located upstairs in this turn-of-the-century mansion.
Contact them to host your next special event or occasion.
Restaurant Tavern Inn
Austrian-American Cuisine
17 Commercial
Street, Adams, MA
Visit Our Award-Winning Restaurant
413-743-2221
Welcome
to the Haflinger Haus!
www.haflingerhaus.com
LOCATED AT 17 COMMERCIAL STREET, ADAMS, MA 01220
~ The Haflinger Haus Restaurant and Inn was

voted Best of the Berkshires two years in a row
~ From Wiener Schnitzel, Hungarian Goulash, and Lobster
Sptzle, to fresh seafood, steaks and pasta, we bring the best of
Austrian and American cuisines to the Berkshires
~ Dine in the beautiful fireplaced dining room, the casual tavern or
seasonal outdoor Biergarten where you can catch a glimpse of our
vegetable and herb garden
~ Make it a special treat and
stay over in one of our guest
rooms located upstairs in this
turn of the century mansion
local fresh produce
~ We also host special events

Like us on Facebook and
see our weekly specials
A COMMUNITY-OWNED BUSINESS
W
Fresh Local Flavors
320 Main Street WilliaMStoWn Ma

413-458-8060 WildoatS.coop
like us on Facebook
ild Oats Market in Williamstown, MA, features local,

organic produce as well as fresh local meat and sustainable
seafood. Our onsite deli offers tempting, healthy housemade salads,
soups, and sandwiches to go. You wont want to miss our onsite
bakery with fresh, from-scratch breads, pastries, and more. Wild
Oats Market is a member-owned co-op (find out about the many
benefits of joining at www.wildoats.coop) but anyone is welcome
to shop. Also inquire about catering services for your next party!
Aug | Sept 2016
13
food & drink
zucchini ice cream

DON'T THINK IT'S DELICIOUS? THINK AGAIN! / Recipe by Kerry Briggs
Instructions
Place the grated zucchini in a wire strainer and steam over

boiling water for 5 minutes to soften. Run cold water through
the strainer to cool the zucchini. Press the zucchini to remove as
much moisture as possible. Set aside.
last from the past! This recipe was a blue ribbon prize winner
in 2005 at the memorable, and very much missed, annual
West Stockbridge Zucchini Festival. So if you like zucchini and
have an ice cream maker, you must try this recipe! ~ Editor
Ingredients
2 cups zucchini, grated (remove seeds before grating)

2 large eggs
cups sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1 T Baldwins vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Crack the eggs into a medium-size bowl and whisk until light
and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the sugar until completely blended.
Pour in the cream and milk. Continue whisking to blend.
Remove about 1 cup of the cream and egg mixture and put
into a small bowl. Add the vanilla and cinnamon to the small
bowl and whisk until blended. Recombine the two cream bases
and stir until evenly mixed.
Turn the ice cream maker on, pour the cream base in, and allow
it to run for 20 minutes. Then add the shredded zucchini and
allow the ice cream maker to run for an additional 10 minutes or
until relatively thick. Remove the ice cream and immediately place
into a plastic container. The ice cream will not be completely
hardened at this point. Put it in the freezer overnight to serve the
next day or thereafter.
home delivery
YOU CAN COUNT ON THE FRESHEST VARIETY OF PRODUCE
erkshire Organics is a local, family-owned business created

to bring area residents and local farms together. Our market
offers fresh, local, organic, non-gmo produce, meat, farm-fresh
dairy, groceries, breads, baked goods, gluten-free foods, personal
care and cleaning products, and much more. During the colder
months, we continue to work with several local farms that offer
root crops or have greenhouses. We also receive certified organic
produce from many small family farms in the southeastern U.S.
Our goal is to obtain produce as close as possible, reducing the
distance from farm to table. Any tropical produce from outside the
country (bananas, mangoes, and so on) is Fair Trade certified.
Produce baskets are the core of Berkshire Organics service. We
offer baskets in several sizes (the contents are updated weekly)
to suit singles, couples, families, and businesses. You can count
on the freshest variety of fruits and vegetables in season. If
a produce basket is not for you, customers can also shop la
carte from our website by creating their own basket. Berkshire
Organics offers more than 5,000 local and organic grocery
items, and a variety of gift baskets. Customers can place orders
online or by phone. There is no contract to sign and you are free
to cancel service at any time.
14
Aug | Sept 2016
shop local gift guide
SHOP LOCAL
giftguide
SUMMER IN THE BERKSHIRES!

Forward, take flight!
STYLISH Fashion
Fall Collection 2016 / Face Haven
Let your style reach new heights in the coming year with the
Fashion Forward Collection by jane iredale! New Smooth Affair
for Eyes is a versatile cream-to-powder formula that can be
worn as an eye shadow or as a primer available in six versatile
buttery-smooth shades for $32. New retractable brow pencils are
available in three natural-looking colors. This long-wearing formula
is waterproof and stays put, and the easy-to-hold barrel allows
you perfect control to create precise hair-like strokes, $20. New
Puremoist lipstick Cindy is a beautiful classic red and a must have
for fall, $25. Visit Face Haven at 323 Main Street,
Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-4053
Book Houses / Berkshire United Way

SMART Berkshire
Berkshire Book Houses, created to give 12,000 children
access to the gift of books 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a
year, have been installed at 50 locations throughout the county. Based on the
concept of take-a-book, leave-a-book, families have the opportunity to pick up
or drop off books any time of the day or night, all year long, even when schools
and libraries are closed. The book houses, found in more than 20 towns either
on poles, attached to buildings, or in open spaces, have the capacity to hold
100 books. For more information and a list of locations for the children in your
life, please call the Berkshire United Way, or visit their website.
(413) 442-6948, www.berkshireunitedway.org
Chocolate / Chocolate Springs

SWEET Gourmet
Joshua Needleman, the proprietor of Chocolate
Springs, is a master at the art of chocolate. Treat everyone you care

about to decadent chocolate gift box assortments. In addition to classic
assortments and themed collections in your choice of dark, milk, and
white chocolate flavors, specialty chocolates include truffles, ganache,
vegan and gluten-free selections, and chocolate-covered cookies,
crackers, fruits, and nuts made fresh every day using only the finest
seasonal and organic ingredients whenever possible. And let's not forget
the award-winning hot chocolate! Chocolate Springs is a European-style
chocolate and dessert caf with decades of experience in crafting the
finest handmade bonbons. Visit Chocolate Springs Caf in person
at 55 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, MA, or order online.
(413) 637-9820, www.chocolatesprings.com
Aug | Sept 2016
15
home & garden
Sisters Used Furniture
COME AND VISIT US IN THE FUN AND FUNKY VILLAGE OF HOUSATONIC
Used Furniture was born. I have three sisters, two of whom live here
and help when they can, so that is how I decided on the name. Funny
thing is, mom has so many new friends and activities she is rarely in
the shop, and our small store idea has become a more than full-time
endeavor, working 60-plus hours a week finding great deals.
Q: What do you offer?
A: Our specialty is upholstered goods. We have sofas, chairs,

loveseats, all in excellent preowned condition. Most of the time
these pieces cost many thousands when new and are custom
designed. We also have dressers, dining tables, chairs, desks, side
tables, lamps, mirrors, affordable art, and much more. Having a
small shop and great prices keeps inventory moving quickly.
In fact our inventory moves so quickly, it sometimes proves
challenging to get new pieces in fast enough. I often tell my
customers, if you see it and you like it, buy it, because more than
likely it will be gone the next time you visit.
onveniently located on Route 183 in the artsy village of

Housatonic, MA (near Berkshire Pulse and the Brick
House Pub right before the center of town driving
north), you will find Sisters Used Furniture. Owned by Anastasia
Coulombe from Monterey, MA, Sisters Used Furniture offers an
ever-changing, eclectic mix of high quality, super clean, gently
used, affordable home furnishings. Combined with the stores
comfortable atmosphere and Anastasias friendly and helpful
service, you will want to visit again and again.
Q: What is your philosophy?

A: Buy inexpensively and sell inexpensively. Be honest and fair.
To us it isnt about making top dollar, but passing the savings
along to our community. We travel far and wide to find these
bargains, crossing many state lines, so you dont have to.
Q: Anastasia, would you please tell us more about what

you do at Sisters Used Furniture?
A: Our store buys and sells quality used furniture for every budget.
We also deliver locally for a very small fee. All of our furniture
on the showroom floor has been cleaned and inspected for
imperfections. If something can be fixed, we do it. We also steam
clean upholstered furniture when possible with an unscented
hypoallergenic cleaner. Our shop is bright and clean and a safe
environment to shop. We are also personal shoppers if you are
looking for something particular.
Q: How did you get started?
A: I moved here eight years ago and slowly started to convince

my family to move to this area. Mom was last to come, and I was
nervous about how she would adjust to her new home after spending
70-some years in New York State. She ran a very successful used
furniture store in her hometown, and I thought maybe if we started
a similar shop here for her to work in, it would help integrate her into
the community. We wanted to keep it small, thinking she could assist
me in running the shop a few hours a week. We also targeted a real
need for an affordable home furnishing store in this area. So, Sisters
16
Aug | Sept 2016
Q: How can our readers find you?

A: We are located at 402 Park Street (Route 183) in Housatonic,
Massachusetts. We are always posting new items on our
Facebook page, www.facebook.com/sistersusedfurniture. The
store is open seasonally from May of each year until November.
Come and visit us and the fun and funky village of Housatonic.
Never crowded or pretentious and always plenty of parking.
www.sistersusedfurniture.com. See ad on page 19.
All the Fun Summer Stuff

Your Gazebos
Yard Could
For!
Benches Ask
Picnic Tables
ShedsFun
Swings
Childrens Gym
Sets
All the
Summer
Stuff
Gazebos Benches Picnic Tables
Sheds Ask
Swings
Childrens Gym Sets
Your Yard Could
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Gazebos Benches
Gazebos
Picnic
Tables
Sheds
Childrens
Gym Sets
Picnic Tables
Childrens
Visit us
Gym Sets
Gazebos
Swings
Sheds
Benches
Sheds
Picnic
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Gazebos
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Chicken
Coops MA
Route 8 Cheshire,
Benches
(413)
One &
Two743-9964
Bay Sheds
home & garden
Dress
Up Your Windows
Window Treatments
Hunter Douglas Graber Norman Shutters

Upholstery, Draperies, Fabric & Wallpaper
Toll Free
(866)
One
& Two
Bay411-7433
Garages
www.berkshiresheds.com
8 Cheshire, MA
on Route 8 Route
in Cheshire,
MA
(413) 743-9964
(413) 743-9964 TollToll
Free
(866)
411-7433
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411-7433
THE SMART SOLUTION

FOR DOING LAUNDRY
Route 8 Cheshire, MA
(413) 743-9964
Toll Free 1-866-411-7433 (shed)
Route
8 Cheshire,
MA
No
Need
for Detergent
or Hot Water
(413) 743-9964
Clothes
Softer Warranty
TollMakes
Free 1-866-411-7433
(shed)
Clean Without Bleach Earth Friendly
Whiter Whites Brighter Colors
Made in the USA No Maintenance
Better for Sensitive Skin
383 North Street, Pittsfield, MA www.aerusonline.com

(413) 442-1544 | (413) 743-0985 | (802) 442-9560
Window Treatments
Hunter Douglas Graber Comfortex Norman Shutter

For all Your Decorating Needs
Upholstery, Draperies, Fabric & Wallpaper
BerkshireFabric
Fabric
& Wallpaper
Berkshire
& Wallpaper
274
Wahconah
Pittsfield,
274
Wahconah
St.,St.,
Pittsfield,
MA MA
(413) 442-4420
413-442-4420
Open
daily
10-5:30,
Sat closed
10-4, closed
Open
daily
10-5:30,
Sat 10-4,
Sunday Sun
www.berkshirefabricwallpaper.com
Emergency Water & Fire Remediation

ServiceMASTER of the Berkshires
ServiceMASTER of Columbia County, NY
413-445-5678
800-707-1441
Licensed
Bonded
Insured
800-707-1441
24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK
EMERGENCY ON CALL SERVICE

Emergency Water Damage Remediation
Locally Owned
Emergency Fire, Soot and Smoke Remediation and Operated.
House Wide and Post Construction Cleaning Floor Maintenance
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Animal Debris and Odor Clean Up
Mold and Odor Remediation Sewer and Septic Clean Up
We Will Use Green Cleaning Products Upon Request
Certified & Trained Technicians With More Than 15 Years Experience.
3 Westview Road, Pittsfield, MA
www.ServiceMasteroftheBerkshires.com
Aug | Sept 2016
17
home & garden
Splendor in the Grass
FINDING GRACE IN HUMBLE PLACES / By Rodelinde Albrecht
ntil I looked up the definition of the word, I thought the

saying a weed is a plant that grows where you dont want it was
just a bit of folksy humor. But in fact a weed is only a
weed if you decide to call it a weed.
Admittedly some so-called weeds make you wonder what Mother
Nature was thinking when she invented them. They seem to have
no earthly use except to annoy and frustrate the gardener. At the
very least, they crowd out and overshadow the plants we want;
some of them such as bindweed and bittersweet even throttle
them. Setting those garden thugs aside, though, one persons
weed may be another persons wildflower.
Personally, I admire weeds. For me they exemplify the life
force, surviving and even thriving under the most inhospitable
conditions of climate, soil, and terrain. How can we not applaud
the tenacity of a leaf thrusting up through a crack in a concrete
walkway, spreading out, perhaps even offering a colorful flower
or two? How can we not be moved by a blaze of buttercups or by
the heavenly blue smoke of chicory along the highways edge?
When I weed my garden (perhaps paradoxically, I thoroughly
enjoy weeding!), I often find myself apologizing to those intrepid
plants. Not, of course, when Im muttering curses under my
breath as I pull, pull, pull on a particularly tenacious taproot or
pursue the seemingly endless roots of crabgrass to their tips
beneath the soil.
I love to wander through my yard admiring all my wildlings,
from the majestic spikes of the woolly-leafed mullein to the
prostrate webs of the purslane with its small green leaves and
juicy reddish stems.
Although I like to think I know every weed in my yard by name, I
dont. At one corner of our garage, I recently discovered a sweet
little plant I dont know what its called whose ruffled and
scalloped leaves and minute white flowers are low enough to the
ground to have escaped the mowers blade.
At another corner weve safeguarded a stately stand of milkweed.
By the end of June, it produces bundles of blossom with a
fragrance to delight the human nose and attract the industrious
honeybee. Later in the summer the asymmetrical pods develop,
bursting open in the fall, their silver-gilt interiors spilling over with
clouds of white down. I loved learning that American pioneers
used this silky, waterproof fluff to fill mattresses and pillows.
Way back by the apple tree theres a clump of wild ginseng whose
bridal-white flowerheads turn to clusters of big bright crimson
beads in the autumn. The meadow beyond the lawn offers an
abundance of wild fennel, Queen Annes lace, meadowsweet, St.
Johns wort, and a variety of grasses. The entrance to the teardropshaped path that leads to the compost heap hosts a small, brave
patch of white yarrow. The lawn itself is as far from Astroturf
as you can get, with its motley expanses of clover in white and
pink and yellow, golden buttercups, purple violets and ground ivy,
broad-leafed plantain, the tiny white stars of chickweed, and of
course dandelion.
Ah, the lowly, lovely dandelion! Why is it in such disfavor? Small
home & garden
Sisters Used Furniture

Small Shop, Big Savings!
Find up to date inventory
on our Facebook page.
Always Buying! (413) 274-9900

Summer Hours: Thurs-Sat 11-5, Sun 12-4
children recognize its grace, presenting their mother with a

ragged dandelion bouquet clutched in a fond sticky fist or
weaving a lopsided dandelion wreath for their brother. Do
you remember how to do that, slitting a buttonhole in one
short stem with a fingernail and buttoning the next blossom
into it? And remember blowing on the puffy seedhead and
watching the minute parachutes drift off in the breeze? Many
grownups have lost their appreciation for this cheerful plant,
fanatically exterminating it from their lawns. A pity because
not only is it sweet to look at, but its every part can be used
for food or for medicine.
Largely unregarded and frequently maligned, weeds persevere.

Is there a lesson here for us mortals?
~ Rodelinde Albrecht lives in a sweet old
Yellow House in Lee, MA, where among
other things she directs Concerned
Singles. In the words of one now happily
matched former member, this progressive
introduction service makes it possible for
those of us with deeply held values to locate
the germs of wheat amongst all of the chaff.
(413) 243-4350. www.concernedsingles.com.
See Concerned Singless ad on page 5.
www.sistersusedfurniture.com
Open
7
Days
In Business Since 1881
Tent open at Crane Ave location.
Hanging Baskets
AUGUST- Our roadside tent in Pittsfield is open!
Planters
Specializing in native produce and berries.
Annuals
SEPTEMBER - Pick your ownCemetery
apples inBoxes
Adams.
Farm stand open for native
produce and
fruit.
Geraniums
Perennials
In-season
& vegetables,
BOTH LOCATIONS
OPENfruits
7 DAYS
A WEEK 9-5
garden accessories & more!
500 OFF
PURCHASE OF
$25 OR MORE
With Yankee Clipper Coupon Only. Expires 9/23/0

736 Crane Ave, Pittsfield
(413) 443-7180
Locally
owned
736 Crane Ave., Pittsfield 413-443-7180
736 Crane Ave., Pittsfield 413-443-7180
business since 1881!
West Road,
West Road, Adams 413-743-3896
Under the Gazebo on Frank Consolati Way, Lee
Adams (413)
743-3896
West Road,
Adams 413-743-3896
Under the Gazebo on Frank Consolati Way, Lee

Open Fridays Only from 10am - 3pm
Open Fridays Only from 10am - 3pm
Berkshire Photovoltaic
Services, BPVS
46 Howland Avenue, Adams, MA 01220

www.bpvs.com
413-743-0152
Berkshire
Photovoltaic
Services, BPVS
Solar Energy Industries Association.
46 Howland
Avenue,
01220
Association,
Solar Energy
Business Adams,
AssociationMA
New
England,
MA LIC
#s HIC131996,
CSL of
73150
Member:
American
Solar Energy Society,
Northeast Sustainable Energy
Tel.
413-743-0152
www.bpvs.com
MA LIC #'s HIC131996, CSL 73150
Perhaps its because they are so abundant that we think weeds

and wildflowers have no merit. We might value them more if
florists charged lots of money for exquisite bouquets fashioned
from these prosaic volunteers!
402 Park Street, Rte 183

Housatonic, MA 01236
efficient and reliable.
electric
systems
userdesigns,
friendly,
SBPVS
incesolar
1985,
recognized
for are
careful
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componentsand
andhigh
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qualityworkmanship,
workmanship,
proven
Sincesolar1985,
recognized
for
careful
designs,
BPVS
electric
systems
are
user friendly,
rr
MA LIC #'s HIC131996, CSL 73150
413-743-0152
www.bpvs.com
Member:Tel.
American
Solar Energy Society,
Northeast Sustainable Energy
Association,
Solar Energy Avenue,
Business Association
New01220
England,
46 Howland
Adams,ofMA
Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, BPVS
Berkshire Photovoltaic Services, BPVS

46 Howland Avenue, Adams, MA 01220
Tel. 413-743-0152 www.bpvs.com
Native Habitat Restoration
MA LIC #'s HIC131996, CSL 73150
restoring balance to nature
Since 1985, recognized for careful designs,
Woodlands
proven componentsWetlands
and high quality
workmanship,
BPVS solar electric systems are user
Meadows friendly,
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rr
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Member: American Solar Energy Society, Northeast Sustainable
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Association, Solar Energy Business Association of New England,
(413) 358-7400
www.nativehabitatrestoration.com
Licensed in MA CT NY VT
Aug | Sept 2016
19
animal talk
Understanding Raw Feeding

CELEBRATING THE CHANGING LOOK OF RAW FEEDING
By Kristina Dow
number of years ago, a gentleman came into my store to

inquire about putting his dog on a raw food diet. After we
chatted a bit, he eagerly accepted a sample of a frozen raw
food that fit his limited budget. As he departed, he promised to let me
know how his dog did with the sample but, sadly, the gentleman didnt
ring back nor did he return, and I assumed that hed probably decided
against raw feeding. However, a couple of years later, the gentleman
reappeared at my store asking for advice regarding a dry food (kibble)
for his dog, and apologetically reported that he had been feeding a
raw food diet from the manufacturer Id suggested, but had been
getting his food from a retailer closer to his work place and whose
prices were marginally lower. He was, however, no longer raw feeding.
By his report, raw feeding had given his dog pancreatitis.
My first thought was that the retailer must have sold the gentleman
spoiled product, but then he elaborated on the particular product
that hed been feeding for the past several months. It was a raw diet
product that, unbeknownst to him (and apparently to the retailer),
was intended only for intermittent use with very high energy dogs,
namely hard-working dogs at peak of performance and sporting dogs
at peak of competition, whose high caloric needs demanded a diet
exceptionally high in fat. It was an entirely inappropriate diet for the
gentlemans couch potato. The diet should never have been sold to
him. Any reseller of that product should have known better. Any
reseller of that product had an obligation to know better . . .
It wasnt very long ago that raw feeders were just a clique of
crazy dog and cat people who drove to their local meat packer,
loaded up their vehicles with bulk boxes of frozen body parts and
ground meat mixes, and then trekked home to unload the frozen
feast into big chest freezers in their basements, garages, and kennels.
It was hard work with a tremendous learning curve, but we taught
each other what we needed to know about fashioning a complete
and proper raw food diet, and the results as seen in the health and
vitality of our pets were well worth the effort. We were proud
to be raw-feeding revolutionaries, born-again raw feeders, raw
feeders and raw believers, feeding our pets as Nature intended.
And as I set about opening and operating a retail pet supply
store in my retirement, my commitment was to bring that rawfeeding revolution and all of its wonderful health benefits to
the pets of mainstream pet owners.
Back in 2008, I wanted to bring Mother Natures prescription
20
Aug | Sept 2016
animal talk
Pet Partners
of the Tri-State Berkshires
for health and vitality into the light, to educate pet owners and
push back against the devolution of commercial pet foods,
especially those touted as prescription diets. And yet, as I
began to see raw food diets gaining acceptance and witnessed
the creep of bulk boxes of frozen body parts and ground meat
mixes into the freezers of inexperienced resellers who knew
nothing about how to advise customers regarding their use and
results, I found cause for concern. The revolution did not need,
nor could it afford, inexperienced resellers.
But now, just a few years later, raw food diets have become a widely
accepted feeding option within the pet food industry, and brightly
lit glass-front freezers filled with colorful little bags containing
complete and balanced, easy-to-feed raw food diets are found
in almost every pet food store. Most of those highly processed
prefab raw food diets bear little resemblance to the wholly natural
diets that born-again raw feeders continue to feed, but, while
raw-feeding purists may sniff in disdain, I applaud the arrival of
those prefab raw food diets. Those pretty little bags give resellers
looking to cash in on the raw-feeding movement something
safe with which to work. They require no real knowledge or
understanding of raw feeding, and so put resellers at little risk of
their doing harm. Even a highly processed version of the natural
diet Mother Nature intended can be of enormous benefit to our
pets. I celebrate the growing acceptance and appreciation of raw
feeding, despite its changing look.
That being said, I leave you with one caveat: Beware the butchers
who are attempting to recycle their fatty scraps as dog food, and
beware of any raw diet product that does not provide proper
ingredient and guaranteed analysis information. Keeping an
eye on your pets blood work for proper calcium:phosphorus
ratios and proper pancreatic, liver, and kidney function is an
absolute must if you are using any raw
diet products that are not AAFCO
certified and labeled as being complete
and balanced.
~ Kristina Tina Dow is sole proprietor of
BensDotters Pet, a retail pet supply store in
Great Barrington that specializes in raw food
diets, including those designed as Nature
intended. www.bensdotters.com
Provides
Food for needy dogs and cats
Reduced rate spay/neuter
Assistance with basic veterinary care costs
Call Faith 518-781-0362
Call 413.229.8579
or 518.781.0362
or visit www.petpartnersberkshires.org
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MA01202
01202
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find us on
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www.BerkshireAnimalDREAMS.org
CARING FOR PETS SINCE 1957

Your trusted source
for quality foods
and supplies.
Your trusted resource
for raw-feeding
information
and advice.
BENSDOTTERS PET 413-528-4940

940 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA 01230
Convenient Location with Ample Parking

on Route 7 less than a minute south of Guidos
Mon-Fri 10a-6p
Sat-Sun 10a-4p
www.bensdotters.com
Aug | Sept 2016
21
Now or
ng f
i
l
l
o
r
En
17
0
2
6
201
ion
s
s
i
m
Ad
expl ore
Engaged learning for children
ages 15 months through 8th grade
Call or visit online to schedule a tour.
413.637.3662 BerkshireMontessori.org
The Three Rs of Recovery:

A Positive Discipline Approach to Mistakes
By K. Meagan Ledendecker
t was the throwaway apology that really started to get under

my skin. My four-year-old had picked up the habit of tossing
out Im sorry like a used tissue. Completely overused, the
expression began to feel devoid of worth. Hed speak the words,
but I got the sense that he didnt actually feel a sense of remorse or
regret, must less a desire to make amends.
Ive never been one for insisting that children apologize, especially
right at the tail end of a heated moment. For goodness sakes, when
I am tired or hungry or stressed and make a snarky comment, Im
not usually feeling particularly sorry more like ticked off and
cranky. Later, after Ive had time to take some deep breaths, or
perhaps tend to my low blood sugar, I feel a deep sense of regret
and desire to make things right.
Because our children tend to replicate what they see in us, I decided
to first make sure I wasnt just using sorry as an easy way out.
And to really model a different approach, I took some time to
reorient myself with the Three Rs of Recovery from Positive
Discipline.
When we make mistakes, we have an opportunity to make amends
and even learn from the experience. In Jane Nelsons Positive
Discipline work, the Three Rs of Recovery offer steps to follow
after calming down. The first R stands for recognize, and with this
we verbally acknowledge our mistake and take responsibility for
our actions. To really do this effectively, we must also be sure to
keep any hint of blame out of the picture.
So if Ive snapped at my children and later have cooled off, then I
might say something like, I feel really bad about when I snapped
at you. You dont deserve to be treated that way. Notice that I
didnt weave in any know-it-all finger wagging about things they
had done to push my buttons. Rather than blaming them, I took

responsibility for the choice I made in the moment.
Next I can reconcile by apologizing. This can be as simple as
just saying, Im sorry. Ive found that when Ive really taken
responsibility, the reconciliation comes from a genuine and heartfelt
place. And children are so forgiving and understanding. Perhaps we
could learn a few things from them in this regard.
Finally, the third R is for when we resolve the problem. At this
point, we work together to find a respectful solution. Often after
really taking responsibility and reconciling, everyone is feeling open
and willing to collaborate. If the time isnt right for a brainstorming
session, its important to set and stick to a later date for problem
solving. When given the opportunity to share ideas in a safe,
respectful forum, children often can help come up with incredibly
creative solutions.
As I put the Three Rs of Recovery into practice, I found that
my four-year-old (and my other children, too) were able to be more
mindful after their less-than-ideal moments. Our mistakes began to
become less about what we had done wrong and more about the
kind of people we wanted to be.
~ K. Meagan Ledendecker is the Director of
Education at The Montessori School of the
Berkshires. Meagan cofounded the school
ten years ago with her husband, Todd Covert.
Having grown up in a Montessori environment,
Meagan internalized at a young age that mistakes
are opportunities to learn. She has also found
that parenting offers plenty of opportunities for
learning! www.berkshiremontessori.org.
Aug | Sept 2016
23
new from flying deer

CONNECTION. CHALLENGE. TRANSFORMATION.
eawaken to nature, community, and your deepest self in this

unique three-season program at Flying Deer, guided by expert
naturalist mentors. Learn about wild edible plants, the language of
birds, animal tracking, lighting fire with friction, shelter building,
hide tanning, basketry, and permaculture design. Participants meet
one weekend per month (including overnight), from September
2016 to May 2017, in New Lebanon, NY. All experience levels
welcome. www.flyingdeernaturecenter.org, (518) 794-6687
Hope Fitzgerald
Wave Energy Center

*Intuitive Life Coach
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413-528-2260
Hope Fitzgerald is an amazing, authentic and very powerful

spirit - having a session with her is truly life changing!
www.we-infinity.com
infinity wave workshop

EXPERIENCE A PROFOUND SHIFT
o you feel the urge to emerge into the next, best version of
yourself? Consider this Infinity Wave Workshop on 10/7-10/9
if you want to experience a profound shift in your perception of life
and your role in it. Buoyed on the loving energetic of the Infinity
Wave, we will dive into the depths of your personal evolution while
in the presence of others like you. If youre ready to plunge deeper
in order to thrive now, this workshop will provide a calm yet swift
support on your spiritual trajectory. www.we-infinity.com
health & wellness
center for peace through culture

Peace from the inside out.
Programs for everyone.
gol dm an / tripp
osteopathic healthcare
As osteopathic physicians, we use our comprehensive knowledge of
anatomy and physiology to promote health and healing. We work gently
with our hands to help your body restore optimal function based on
optimal structure to help solve musculoskeletal problems
and health issues of all kinds.
As fully licensed physicians, we have all of the full and current medical
pharmacopeia, nutritional science and medical training at our disposal.
Your individual treatment may include a wide range of approaches,
but is always founded on our gentle hands-on work.
Andrew M. Goldman, DO, Osteopathic Physician
Kim E. Tripp, DO, PhD, Osteopathic Physician
www.goldmantripp.net
Great Barrington, ma 413-528-3334 | Sharon, ct 860-364-5990
24
Aug | Sept 2016
www.centerforpeacethroughculture.org
413-274-7002
DR .
Dr.
J a y
W i s e ,
D D S
Casey Jones, DMD
33 Park street, suite 6, lee, ma 01238

( 4 1 3 ) 2 4 3 - 1 2 2 2 D r j ay w i s e d d s .c o m
T h i s i s wh e r e h e alt h , b e au t y
a n d we l l b e i n g b eg i n .
T hat s O Ur B u s i n es s .
health & wellness
Healthy Eyes
IMPORTANT VISION AND EYE CARE TIPS / By Berkshire EyeCenter
etting a routine eye examination is an important

part of staying healthy. The American Academy of
Ophthalmology recommends that you get a baseline
eye examination at the age of 40. This is the time when early
signs of disease show as well as slight changes in your vision.
Having a comprehensive eye examination is as important as a
screening for diabetes or certain cancers. A baseline examination
can help identify signs of eye disease at an early stage and can
help with preserving vision. Having a comprehensive eye exam
is especially important if you have a family history of diabetes,
high blood pressure, or eye diseases such as glaucoma or macular
degeneration.
Get an eye exam once a year
Control your blood sugar
Maintain healthy blood pressure
Quit smoking
Exercise
Eat healthy and choose a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
We strongly believe that sun wear is crucial when it comes
to protecting your eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation
from the sun year round
All of the physicians at Berkshire Eye Center specialize in
comprehensive ophthalmology eye examinations. We offer complete
ophthalmology care, from comprehensive eye examinations
to contact lens examinations, and we have a full-service optical
dispensary that carries a wide selection of designer frames and
sunglasses as well as the most technologically advanced lenses.
We are committed to delivering the very best in eye care. Our team
of doctors, technicians, opticians, and support staff will work to
treat every patient with dignity and respect, provide dependable
and courteous service, communicate clearly and honestly, protect
patient confidentiality, and earn their trust.
409 Stockbridge Road (Route 7), Great Barrington, MA

Complete Ophthalmology Care
Comprehensive Eye Exams
GREAT BARRINGTON
409 Stockbridge Road
(413) 591-8452
PITTSFIELD
740 Williams Street
(413) 445-4564
Contact Lens Examinations

On Site Testing and
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VALATIE, NY
Full Service Optical Dispensary
2967 Route 9
Hannaford Plaza
Ste 402
(518) 758-9276
Wide Selection of Designer
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Technologically Advanced Lenses
Grand opening of new location

in Great Barrington, MA!
WE ACCEPT MOST
INSURANCE.
(413) 591-8452 www.berkshireeye.com

Aug | Sept 2016
25
health & wellness
Opioid Abuse
in the Berkshires
HOW DID WE GET HERE? / By Ralph Brill
am not a doctor, a medical scientist, or a medical reporter.

However, I am a Berkshire County community member who
is very concerned about the drug abuse problem present in
this area. Our county not only has the highest elevation in the
state (Mt. Greylock at 3,492 feet), but it has more people getting
high than the national average. In fact, the death rate from opioid
abuse in Massachusetts is more than twice the national average.
In the Berkshires it is number five in the nation. Not the fifteenth
or twenty-fifth, but fifth! How could drug abuse get so out of
hand in this mecca of museums and culture?
The Berkshires are located in the picturesque Taconic
Mountain Range about 150 miles from the unsafe Bronx
and about 3,000 miles from dangerous Tijuana, Mexico. But
curiously, at almost no time are residents more than a few miles
away from a drugstore and their endless supplies of opioids
under the cover of the many major drug company brand names.
Spread out over 946 square miles of scenic country landscape,
our 130,000 residents are able to purchase opioids legally within
minutes from their front doors. And for years hardly anyone has
really monitored this very dangerous situation.
Examples of prescription opioids are painkillers such
as morphine, methadone, buprenorphine, hydrocodone, and
oxycodone. Opioid drugs sold under brand names include
OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Percodan, Tylox, and
Demerol among others. Heroin is an illegal opioid.
A Brief Recent History

In 1950, oxycodone became widely available by prescription
when it was approved by the FDA as Percodan. Since the early
1960s, abuse of prescription opioids has been a continuing problem
in the U.S. In 1973 President Nixon noted that America has the
largest number of heroin addicts of any nation in the world.
In 1978, Vicodin (hydrocodone and acetaminophen), was
introduced to the U.S. by a German pharmaceutical company
26
Aug | Sept 2016
called Knoll, and in 1983 it became available as a generic

formulation. Still, in the early 1980s doctors, being aware of their
addictive properties, prescribed opioids sparingly, reserving them
for the most severe forms of pain, such as late stage cancer.
In 1984, physicians began exploring the use of prescription
narcotics/opioids to treat cases of pain that were not due to
terminal illness. By 1990, millions of prescriptions for opioids
were filled in the U.S. Opium or morphine pills were prescribed
for patients to manage severe pain. The easy access to these
pills brought most of the big international pharmaceutical
companies into the marketplace. Many thousands of nonmedical
use prescriptions of these painkillers began to generate billions
in revenues for big pharmaceutical companies. Connecticut
based Purdue Pharma was a small player in this world until they
rebranded oxycodone as OxyContin an almost safe addictionproof opioid painkiller. Purdue was able to accomplish this by
inventing the first time-release opioid painkiller pill. Purdue made
more than 30 billion dollars with their OxyContin. Did they
know that, without too much trouble, drug addicts were able to
bypass the time-release structure by crushing the pill and snorting
it or adding water to the powder and injecting it?
Typical OxyContin warning: swallow OxyContin extendedrelease tablets whole; do not chew, break, divide, crush, or dissolve
them. If you swallow broken, chewed, or crushed extended-release
tablets, you will receive the entire dose of OxyContin at once,
instead of slowly over 12 hours. This may cause serious problems,
including overdose and death.
Even though Purdue continued to promote OxyContin as safe,
they must have known that hundreds of thousands of new users
became addicts which indeed they did in the Berkshires and around
the country. Purdue continued to market their drugs aggressively.
Thousands more were hooked and died of overdoses. In 2007,
the feds finally fined Purdue more than 600 million in penalties for
health & wellness
defrauding and misleading the public. Yet all of the big pharma
companies continued to sell the benefits of their painkillers to
physicians around the world, generating more billions.
It is believed that Purdue and other pharmaceutical companies
offered (and may still offer) incentives to pain management centers
and physicians, including trips, money, cars, and more. Purdues
salespeople provided free coupons to physicians and left boxes of
samples in their offices. These incentives seemed to have been habit
forming to our healthcare providers. Why werent our local health
systems monitoring things, or were they somehow benefiting? It is
clear to me that we have not been good about monitoring the pain
management ecosystem in the Berkshires.
department of psychiatry, the added stress of poverty in the

Berkshires is another reason for our high rate of drug abuse.
There is low-self esteem among a large part of the population
with low-paying seasonal jobs.
In 2013, the U.S. Department of Health declared the
prescription opioid overdose deaths an epidemic. For some
strange reason, it took Governor Deval Patrick another year of
overdose deaths in Massachusetts before he declared a public
health emergency. We had/have substance abuse centers and
hospitals in the Berkshires. What happened? Why did they not
put out bright red flags in 2012 with a death rate from opioid
overdoses that is more than twice the national average?
By 2010, the number of opioid prescriptions across the

country had grown to 254 million. By 2015, that number matched
the population of the U.S.. More than 30 million Americans had
used pain relievers for nonmedical purposes. About 2 million
Americans suffer from opioid abuse and more than 500,000
suffer from heroin dependency or addiction.
A Few Thoughts Worthy of Consideration
A Sad Truth
In Massachusetts, in 2000, there were 338 unintentional opioidrelated deaths. By 2015, that number jumped to 1,526. The total
number of deaths from 2000 through 2015 is 10,743 (more than
the population of Williamstown). According to the MA Dept.
of Public Health there have been 200,000 nonfatal overdoses.
It is an epidemic in Massachusetts, and in the Berkshires alone
there have been at least 142 recorded opioid-related deaths. On
the positive side, in some parts of the U.S., there are reports
that local and state interventions are reducing the abuse and
diversion of prescription opioids, and this is having a positive
impact. Massachusetts laws and their prescription-drug abuse
intervention strategies are now in place. These laws are just weeks
old and we will see how things progress in the Berkshires!
It appears that there are two main populations in the
Berkshires who are addicted to opioids: the professional class
and the underemployed. The professional class typically receives
pain-killing opioids from their doctors after an injury or surgery.
Often doctors prescribe 100 pills when their patient only needs
10 pills. Often, well after the pain is managed, the patient takes
the extra pills because their brain remembers the good feelings.
Now, they are hooked and go back to their doctors for another
100-pill prescription! The underemployed, feeling useless and
depressed, typically get their first pills from friends, and over time
become hooked.
How Did We Get Here?

The National Institute of Drug Abuse includes the following as
causes for the drug abuse epidemic: large increase in prescriptions
written by doctors, aggressive pharma marketing, and increased
social acceptability of drug use. Much of todays opiate
epidemic stems from the aggressive shady marketing tactics
used by pharmaceutical companies over the past two decades.
In addition, according to Dr. Alex Sabo of Berkshire Medicals
Neighboring cities seem to have managed their opioid abuse

problems better than the Berkshires. Our doctors are highly
educated. So, why are the Berkshires suffering so?
All Massachusetts counties saw a rise in opioid abuse deaths in
2015 except one: Hampshire County. It is believed that the fact
that Northampton has a needle exchange program has made this
difference. Shouldnt the Berkshires learn from Northampton?
Healthcare is the biggest industry in the Berkshires. Tourism
is second. While we are winning awards as having some of the
top opioid abuse centers, very little has been done to stop the
addictions before they start. There are no incentives!
Massachusetts has some of the top medical schools and hospitals
in the country. Why is it that in 2016 our highly educated medical
professionals are still one of the main problems in our opioid
abuse ecosystem? Is it the education? Big pharma incentives? Too
little time spent with each patient?
Medical marijuana was approved in Massachusetts in 2012,
yet our Berkshire leaders have prevented a legal dispensary from
being established here. Those who are suffering from various
health problems and pain have to travel to Northampton. I dont
get it. Opioid use has been allowed to explode in the Berkshires,
but they are worried about the recreational use of marijuana in
the area? Two of the healthiest millennial growth states, Colorado
and Washington, have approved recreational marijuana without
any major problems. Further, the Castlight report points out that
the states with medical marijuana have about fifty percent fewer
opioid abusers than those states prohibiting medical marijuana.
~ Ralph Brill was professionally trained as an architect and urban planner with
studies in the U.S. and Denmark. Ralphs firm Brill, Kawakami & Wilbourne,
had offices in NY and CO and participated in several award-winning and
published projects including some of the first solar residential projects in the
1970s. Since then, Ralph has had his own real estate development firm, an
organic Scotch Highland cattle farm in Vermont, and investments in medical
device technologies and alternative energy projects. Ralph is also director of
Project Pangaea. In 2006, he opened the Brill Gallery in the Eclipse Mill in
North Adams, MA. www.brillgallery109.com.
Aug | Sept 2016
27
A Ray of Hope
FOR OPIOID ABUSE IN THE BERKSHIRES
By Dr. Susan Lord
ts in the news. Day after day we hear about the opioid

epidemic its national; its a crisis everyone agrees. And
it is becoming all too clear that a conventional medical
approach relying upon opioid medication falls very far short of
meaningfully helping people in chronic pain.
People Like You and Me

Leslie, in her 50s, had a routine surgery 10 years ago that went wrong.
A dozen surgeries later, she is in severe pain all of the time. She sits
in my office and starts to cry as she tells me the story. She apologizes,
saying she has learned not to cry in doctors offices because it makes
doctors uncomfortable. With a hand on the door handle, the doctor
will often say something like, Well, it couldnt be that bad all the time
perhaps you should talk to a psychiatrist. Theres really nothing I
can do for you. The tone is dismissive and hurtful. She has seen
more doctors than she can count on two hands. She takes opioid
medication every day. I cant really tell if its doing anything until I
try to go off it and then the pain becomes unbearable.
Jane is the single mother of two kids. She had a car accident
and got some physical therapy, but the low back pain and severe
headaches still plague her years later. She, too, is prescribed
opioids. She is on disability and cant make ends meet financially.
She worries all the time and doesnt know where to turn. With the
epidemic of opioid addiction facing our country and demands
that physicians stop handing out opioids like candy, her doctor is
cutting her back. She feels betrayed and abandoned because he
has nothing to offer her instead.
Martin was exposed to a chemical spill at work many years
ago. The chemicals severely damaged his nervous system. At 72,
he cant even sit while I talk to him. He says it feels like his whole
body is on fire. Hes up and down, in and out of that chair, every
few minutes, trying to escape, his body shaking. The company
where he was exposed never took financial responsibility for the
costs of his health care. He doesnt want to take opioids, so he
just suffers, all of the time. My wife is wonderful and my kids
text me about 50 times a day, he says with a gentle half smile.
The Greatest Sadness

As an integrative physician, I hear stories like these all too often.
The stories of suffering are heartbreaking, but the greatest
sadness is that I know there are ways to help with pain that
are not considered standard of care by conventional medicine
28
Aug | Sept 2016
and are therefore not recommended nor covered by insurance.

Many though certainly not all doctors either dont know about an
integrative approach to pain or dismiss it as ineffective, unsafe,
unproven, impractical, and too expensive. The fact is, there is good
data for a number of modalities. Though there are fewer studies
of programs integrating a variety of modalities, the results are very
promising. One successful program is in our own backyard.
A Ray of Hope
Volunteers in Medicine (VIM), a free clinic in Great Barrington, has
been a leader in treating chronic pain using an integrative approach
without resorting to opioids. Because of its innovative program
and excellent track record, Berkshire Health Systems chose VIM
as one of three sites offering an integrative, nonopioid approach
to pain management as part of a study. This pilot program offers
nutritional counseling, acupuncture, a gentle exercise class called
Integrative Movement Therapy, and Pain School or Mind-Body
Skills Groups to teach an approach to handling stress, which is
known to exacerbate pain. The preliminary results are encouraging
and even stunning in some cases. Marcia, who suffered from several
migraines a week, has not had one in three weeks.
Pain is complex and very personal. Mind, body, and spirit are
all affected by pain and in turn all these aspects of ourselves can
influence the level of pain. By addressing the needs of the whole
human being, we increase our chances of restoring balance and
reducing pain. This personalized and holistic approach to care
honors the delicate and subtle ways we respond to our environment
with equally subtle yet powerful treatments. Opioids as the sole
treatment take a hammer to these delicate systems, wreaking havoc
on every level when used for an extended period of time.
The science fundamental to an integrative approach to pain is
clear. Though the biochemistry and physiology of the human body
are infinitely complex, understanding the approach to optimizing
health or in this case to relieving pain is quite simple. Pain is
mediated through the nervous system, which is beautifully designed
to process everything going on around us and everything going on
inside us. The brain then decides whether we are in danger and need
to fight, flee, or freeze, or we are safe and can relax. That decision
leads either to a state of stress, which increases inflammation and
exacerbates pain, or to a state of relaxation, which mitigates pain.
Until relatively recently, we believed that we couldnt influence
this process, but now we know we can train our mind to weigh in
on these decisions. In other words, every thought, feeling, word,
health & wellness
and action moves us towards pain of some kind or toward

health even if were not aware of it. The treatments below
address the stressors (junk food, sedentary lifestyle, negative
self-talk, and so forth) and also teach us to recognize these
stressors when they occur, and address them in constructive
ways through learning how to relax and nourish ourselves.
An Optimal Treatment Plan

An optimal treatment plan is created when patient and doctor
work together as partners. Your doctor should take an extensive
and comprehensive history to understand your situation well.
Here are things to consider in creating a comprehensive plan:
JAN HEALEY, RN
Palliative Planning
Animal Communication
Mediumship
(646) 284-5992 janhealey2@gmail.com www.janhealey.com
1) Your relationship with your healthcare providers should

be warm, supportive, and helpful. A good honest, open, and
empathetic relationship is a placebo and will make you feel
better and actually reduce pain.
2) Personalize your plan - Everyone is different biochemically
with a unique personality, history, likes and dislikes, and readiness
and ability to change. Your plan should be realistic for you and it
can change as you improve. Start with acupuncture or massage
and when you feel better, you may be ready to look at your diet.
3) You are a powerful partner in carrying out the plan. The
more you participate, the better you will feel. Effective treatment
for pain is not a spectator sport. If you are overweight and you
have back pain, losing weight will be one of the most powerful
interventions for long-term alleviation of pain. If thats hard
(and it almost always is), learn about mindfulness practices that
have been shown effective in addressing emotional eating.
4) Optimize the good stuff - Make a list of the things that nurture
you in mind, body, and spirit, and put them on your calendar.
heilaa Hite
Intuitive Counselor
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help you determine the major stressors in your life and develop
strategies with you for resolving, minimizing, or learning to
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REPAIRS | CLEANING | ADJUSTMENTS
6) Join a support group - Groups enhance healing and well-being.
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A Sampling of Modalities to Choose From

Nutrition - Inflammation causes pain. Learn about and follow
an anti-inflammatory diet basically fresh fruits, vegetables,
healthy fats, and protein no processed foods and sugar. Its
best to work with a nutritionist/dietician who can evaluate you
for possible food sensitivities (such as dairy or grains) that cause
inflammation and who can develop a personalized diet for you.
One size does not fit all.
Movement - There are many ways to bring movement into
your day and this, too, should be personalized. The Integrative
Movement Therapy is an extremely gentle system of using
props to open and relax the body, restoring circulation and
range of motion, thereby reducing the pain of muscles in
Aug | Sept 2016
29
health & wellness
A Ray of Hope (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29)

FOR OPIOID ABUSE IN THE BERKSHIRES / By Dr. Susan Lord
spasm. Swimming or walking in a heated pool is a great start.

Yoga, tai chi, and qigong are also gentle ways to start moving the
body and can have profound results over time.
Try mind-body medicine to learn to deal with stress and live with
more joy. All of these modalities elicit the relaxation response and
increase self-awareness, resulting in more resilience and thoughtful
and positive responses to stressful situations. Examples include
meditation and mindfulness training, guided imagery and hypnosis,
diaphragmatic breathing, progressive relaxation, body scan, writing
and journaling, autogenics and biofeedback, and HeartMath.
Be in nature - Many people find time in nature a natural
destressor. Beauty and the ensuing appreciation and gratitude
relax the mind and body.
Do something creative that you love - Giving your full
attention to creating something beautiful (painting, writing,
sculpting, knitting, cooking, gardening) calms the mind and body
and brings meaning to life.
Join a group you enjoy - Ideally the facilitator will allow
for honest expression and release of emotions without too
much focus on the
negative (however
justified), which can
be counterproductive.
Herbs and natural
supplements that have
been skillfully selected
for your individual
bodys requirements
can support your
health without the
side effects of
medications.
Reduce chemical
toxins as much as
possible in your food,
your cleaning products,
and your environment.
If you cant pronounce
it, its best to stay away
from it. Consider
utilizing safe methods
to help detoxify and
relax the body, such as
using an infrared sauna.
Improve your
30
Aug | Sept 2016
musculoskeletal alignment with osteopathy or chiropractic

treatments. If muscles are in spasm, the bones of the skeleton will
not be aligned properly, causing pain and affecting the nerves that
regulate all your organ systems. Consider getting adjustments and
doing massage as well. This combination is more likely to have
lasting results than just one or the other. There are many kinds of
manipulation and massage find the right ones for you.
Bodywork - There are many kinds of massage, Trager therapy,
and so forth. See www.massagetherapy.com/glossary
Energy work such as reiki, polarity, craniosacral therapy
(essential after spine and head trauma), and others.
Psychotherapy - Many people in chronic physical pain carry
unresolved emotional trauma from the past. Dealing with these
issues with the help of a psychotherapist can have a profound
effect on physical pain.
Medical marijuana should be made available in the Berkshires.
Now that it has been proven safe and effective, chronic pain
patients should have reasonable access. Many in need cannot
tolerate the long drive to Northampton.
Excessive exposure to electromagnetic fields from all our
gadgets is detrimental. Do this experiment: Minimize contact
with screens, dont carry your phone on your body and use it on
speakerphone, use a landline whenever possible, and turn off your
WiFi when not in use (place cell and tablet in airplane mode).
Reassess your list of medications regularly - Many people
with chronic pain are taking so many drugs that its reasonable
to wonder if this chemical soup isnt causing symptoms and
discomfort. Using this integrative approach will improve overall
health so that many medications can be discontinued.
The good news is you dont have to do everything perfectly. Just
using a few carefully chosen modalities that work synergistically
can make all the difference. This highlights the importance of
finding someone well versed in integrative medicine to guide you in
developing a plan. Healing is always a journey with false starts and
unexpected help coming your way. For some people this approach
will resolve their pain; for others, it will help in a meaningful
way. For Leslie, Jane, and Martin we have to do better. We need
open minds and open hearts and insurance
companies need to open their checkbooks.
~ Susan B. Lord, MD, is the director of the Center for
Peace through Culture (see ad on page 24) that provided
the Mind Body Skills Group curriculum for the pain
study. Dr. Lord would love to hear from you. She can be
contacted at susan@drsusanlord.com.
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Cover Art by Deborah Van Auten / www.vanauten.com

Fine Food & Drink Special / Visit us at www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Aug-Sept 2016 vol 27

art, culture & entertainment

DEBORAH VAN AUTEN

food & drink

OPIOID ABUSE IN THE BERKSHIRES

PAIRING FOOD & WINE

health & wellness

education & workshops

THE GREAT WATERMELON HEIST

THE BUTLER SCULPTURE PARK

Aug - Sept 2016

home & garden

SISTERS USED FURNITURE

Sea Turtle (24 x 36) by Deborah Van Auten, www.vanauten.com

art, culture & entertainment

The Butler Sculpture Park

ff the beaten path, through

~ Nina Anderson offers weekday, evening, and weekend charters on

Deborah Van Auten

Aug | Sept 2016

with contemporary images in dreamlike worlds rich with

art, culture & entertainment

Charter with Captain Nina on

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Aug | Sept 2016

art, culture &

Tag Sale Tales

very Friday and Saturday the colorful signs go up: Tag

Aug | Sept 2016

art, culture & entertainment

Many tag sale participants expressed a common frustration with

Flea markets are also a good place to find interesting, valuable

~ Local historian Gary Leveille is a writer, editor, educator, and photographer

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Aug | Sept 2016

atermelons! Every time I see one it reminds me of my

Aug | Sept 2016

art, culture & entertainment

that old man laughing so hard he was choking. I remember asking

Aug | Sept 2016

food & drink

roasted beet & mango salad

3 to 4 medium beets, washed and trimmed

For the Dressing

cup apple cider vinegar

1 T maple syrup (or honey)

For the Salad

4 cups baby greens, such as arugula, spinach, or kale