Becket Athenaeum Newsletter
March 2009
"…for almost all people throughout history (and for most people still today) 'the economy' is just a fancy way of saying 'What's for dinner?' and "Am I having any?'"
--Bill McKibben
This month our theme is Economics. Believe it or not, we are excited about this theme! While the economy is certainly a cause for worry and stress to many of us, perhaps this will also be a time to rethink, to strengthen communities, and to create a better future for ourselves and coming generations.
For our display this month, we have some books to ponder and some books for practical ways of economizing. For food for thought, try Deep Economy by Bill McKibben, which explores why more is not always better, and how communities can create sustainability. This book is fascinating, yet not a laborious read. Or The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder exploring whether accumulating vast wealth and living a life of integrity really can go hand in hand.
If you want ideas for what you can do right now to save some pennies, have a look at America's Cheapest Family by Steve and Annette Economides, or Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills.
Looking for new ways to earn money? We have the 2009 editions of Writer's Market, Photographer's Market, and Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market.
If your worried about your investments, we have Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan:Keeping Your Money Safe and Sound in book and audio form.
If your concerned with saving money and going green, we have several interesting books on the topic if creating a green economy and on how to go green without going broke. It's always worthwhile to learn from the past. Check out the newly released Soul of a People:The WPA Writer's Project Uncovers Depression America.
If you need a break from thinking about the economy, we have current best sellers, including Heart and Soul by Maeve Benchy, Run for Your Life by James Patterson, and The Yankee Years by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci. We also have new DVDs and audios, and will be adding to our video game collection this month.
--John J. Sweeney
BECKET-WASHINGTON ECONOMIC SUMMIT
We hope everyone received an invitation to our economic summit. We are excited to share ideas that will help our community in the short term and down the road. Some of the ideas we plan to discuss are simple matters, for example creating a small community fund to help folks with one-time unexpected expenses such as minor car repairs; setting up an exchange system similar to Freecycle but more personable; or organizing a local barter network Other ideas are on a large scale and have potential to create prolonged stability for our towns, such as creating a sustainable Town Farm; organizing an artist's collective; or spring-boarding off of the Athenaeum's Media Apprenticeship Program.
Light refreshments will be served so come with an open mind and an appetite!
"A creative economy is the fuel of magnificence"
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
A WORD ABOUT MILDEW
Many of you have seen the wonderful progress of our "circuit riders" who have been weeding the Adult and Children's non-fiction sections. Some of you have also expressed concern that many of the books we have weeded are going to the transfer station. This is as painful for us as it is for anyone, but the books going to the transfer station all suffer from serious mildew. Mildew is very contagious and spreads through book collections quickly. It is also very unhealthy to breathe. While we are proud to have passed along hundreds of books to worthy causes, including the Prison Book Project, the effort to rebuild New Orleans public library system, and local family shelters, it would be irresponsible for us to donate mildewed books to such causes. Likewise it would be unfriendly of us to place such books in our annual book sale, as we do not wish for our discarded books to infect the book collections of unwitting patrons. Once the weeding is completed, we will be cleaning the shelves thoroughly in an attempt to stem the spread of mildew.
"Economics is a subject that does not greatly respect one's wishes"
--Nikita Krushchev
NEW MUSEUM PASSES
This year we have two new museum passes. The first is Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Museum in Lenox. Ventfort Hall is a beautiful Elizabethan-style mansion built in 1893, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are open year 'round and offer lectures, films, and tea-on-the-porch in the summer.
We are also excited to offer a pass to the Springfield Museums, also known as the Quadrangle Museums. Our pass covers admission to all four world-class museums, which are within walking distance of each other, and include the Michele & Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Art, the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Springfield Science Museum, and the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. The Springfield Museums is also home of the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. This pass provides a wonderful opportunity for a rich and varied day-trip for families and individuals. Pack a lunch, picnic with The Cat in the Hat, commune with live fish and frogs, explore the art of Currier and Ives, learn about experimental automobiles made in western Massachusetts, and behold Samurai swords all in a square block!
"An economist is a man who states the obvious in terms of the incomprehensible"
--Alfred A. Knopf
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
EVERY SATURDAY, 11:00 READING TIME WITH PURR
Join Purr in our cozy corner for stories and laughter, every Saturday! Children of all ages welcome. We ask that parents remain in the library during storytime for children under the age of 2.
Thursday, March 12th, 7:00 ECONOMIC SUMMIT
Share, Hear, Plan, Eat!
Tuesday, March 17th HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY
3:00 NON-FICTION BOOKCLUB
7:00 POETRY WRITER'S GROUP
All styles are welcome! Share poems in a productive, inspiring environment. (This is an adult event.)
Thursday, March 26th, 3:00 MOVIE NIGHT
We will be showing "Bolt" with the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus. This movie is rated PG.
Tuesday, March 31st, 6:00 READER LEADER EVENT
All Reader Leaders with 100 points or more are invited for a Mythological Feast. Dress as your favorite mythological god/dess, person, or beast! Come with an appetite!
"If all the economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion."
--George Bernard Shaw
WEB SITES OF INTEREST
www.ecoeco.org Eco Eco…sounds like Zydeco, but this is the website for the International Society for Ecological Economics.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/ USDA low-interest loans and grants for rural homeownership, including loans and grants for home repair.
"If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians."
--Warren Buffett
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
Help our small community thrive! Following are local services and businesses based in Becket and Washington. If you would like your business or service listed at the end of our newsletter, send us an e-mail!
Becket Country Store and Café
623-5500
Bird's Eye View Antiques
Specializing in iron gates, lighting, and country antiques.
Open May through October.
623-2029
Blanche Lennington
Cyber secretarial services; co-creative gardening consultation; energy balancing with flower essences.
22 Dragon Way, Becket
623-5438
Blue Moon Chimney Service
Chimney sweeping, relining, stove installations, caps, masonry repair.
"Sweeping since '77!"
Douglas Reveley
623-0900
Bucksteep Manor
Inn and Conference Center
623-5535
Bulzden Private Show Kennel
Leslea Stanton 623-8998
Canterbury Farm
Recreation, Lodging and Landscaping
623-0100
Cesco Plumbing
623-5323
Derrick Rodgers Horticulture Fruit Tree and Ornamental Pruning
Specializing in fine pruning of trees and shrubs, orchard restoration.
413-441-5366
Dream Away Lodge
623-8725
Hartwood School
Homebuilding, Woodworking & Timber Framing Workshops.
623-6677
Kushi Institute
Macrobiotic Foods, and Programs, Workshops and Conferences.
623-5741
Paintings Restored and Repaired
M.P. Richard 623-0174
Pat Parkins
Garden of the Goddess
Organic fine gardening, design, installation and maintenance of ornamental gardens, vegetable gardens, espaliered fruit trees, herb gardens, water gardens and small or large fruit orchards.
173 Bancroft Road
Tina Sweet Massage Therapy
Swedish, Hot Stone, and Deep Tissue Massage
CranioSacral Therapy
60 or 90-minute sessions available by appointment
623-6133
Tom's Everything Service
Masonry and Brick Work, Appliance and Furniture Removal, Deck Building, Light Carpentry, Junk Removal, Landscaping, House Cleaning, Painting, Roof Repair, Taxi Service, Tree Work, Window Washing and Replacement, Yard Work.
413-623-8728
Top Hat Services
John Lennington, Sr. Courteous, conscientious care for your trees and home.
22 Dragon Way, Becket
413-634-5438
Wilson's Lawn Care
Also junk removal and clean-up jobs.
Mike 623-8728
The Becket Athenaeum encourages hiring/buying locally, but does not endorse specific businesses or tradespeople, and does not verify the quality or validity of businesses or services listed.
"The gap in our economy is between what we have and what we think we ought to have—and that is a moral problem, not an economic one."
--Paul Heyne
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