Participants from all over Massachusetts convened November 2nd at Becket Town Hall, the westernmost site selected thus far for the event. Dave Johnson, BCC Chair, welcomed members and guests, and introduced James Lowenthal, President of the Massachusetts
Becket Cultural Council Awards $5,500 to Local Groups
our local Select Board, and the Finance Committee for approving the funds for these grants at this year’s Annual Town Meeting. To learn
Steven Rosenthal “SHINEs” Through the Complexities of Medicare for Seniors
time Becket resident and volunteer Steven Rosenthal is ready to help local seniors navigate the Medicare maze, particularly the confusing complexity of annual benefit changes. A state program managed through Elder Services, Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone (SHINE) provides free health
Becket Washington Community Partnership (BWCP) News—December 2024 / January 2025
Becket Arts Center—Celebrating 2024 & Looking Ahead to 2025 Thank you for a tremendous 2024; we could not have done it without you. If you would like to make a year-end donation to further support the BAC, we would greatly appreciate it. Just visit BecketArtsCenter.org/donate. In December we get into the holiday spirit with a
The Reality of Maintaining Our Roads
and the latest developments illustrate just how challenging it is to find funding to maintain our roads. The town Administrator Kathe Warden received notice on October 18th from State officials that two grant applications Becket had submitted for local road
Letter from the Editors
It has been three years since a group of us came together to brainstorm the possibility of starting a local paper aimed at fostering community amid the growing divisions on the national stage. We are thrilled with the positive response the paper has received and are deeply grateful to our neighbors for their emotional and
Fall Family Fun Festival
with the assistance of more than a dozen volunteers, facilitated the first Fall Family Fun Festival. Admission was free, thanks to the generous donations of sponsors as well as individual residents. The festival had more than 20 vendors selling their gently
New Reading Program: Wit and Wisdom Literacy Program at the Becket Washington Elementary School
teachers chose the Wit and Wisdom Literacy Program. Michael Henault, Assistant Superintendent for the Central Berkshire Regional School District, which includes the Becket Washington Elementary School, says that the program focuses on knowledge building. Wit and Wisdom is
The Giving Tree
a skeletal old tree that stood guard over the misty hills and deep forests of Becket inspired artist Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) to make a sketch. He later transformed that sketch into a robust painting of twisting sculptural forms, typical of his Regionalist style. He titled it The Old
What’s Happening with Real Estate in Becket?
real estate agent Thom Garvey would see Berkshire County’s annual housing inventory consistently hover around 250 to 300 homes for sale. But when COVID hit, many city people decided life in the country would be a great idea, and country people were happy to accommodate them. Consequently,