Good Morning Pittsfield Roundup – Jan. 22-25
A short week with the Martin Luther King holiday, friends Shawn Serre and Ashley Sulock pitched-in to host GMP on topics ranging from Governor Patrick’s proposed budget and tax changes, the mysterious life of frogs and salamanders (yes, they are still around in minus-10 degree weather), a half-marathon pitch, a firsthand account of Beyonce’s lip-synching, a dog show and a plea to not reduce vigilance to stop the spread of flu, norovirus, and the common cold.
I always love to hear the perspective of the Green-Rainbow Party’s Scott Laugenour, particularly as it relates to tax policy and budgeting. A fervent supporter of a progressive
income tax, hear his comments on Gov. Patrick’s proposal to increase income taxes by one percent (Massachusetts has a flat tax, not progressive) while decreasing the sales tax. The Pittsfield Rotary’s annual auction is on-tap. Rotarians Kelly Marion and Gail Molari helped get the word out on Tuesday’s show with Shawn Serre hosting.
Ashley Sulock hosted Wednesday, as I took time to oversee Day 2 of a photo shoot for a client of OneEighty Media. The UCP Telethon celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend. I will join Ashley, old friend Dave Winchester, Cheryl Adams, Telethon chair Dan Bosley, Pittsfield Community Television and many others to make this year’s fundraiser a another success. UCP
Executive Director Christine Singer appeared on GMP Wednesday to help spread the word. Kent Lemme and Shiobbean Archey of the Berkshire Running Center talked about what runners do when it’s 10 below zero and the upcoming Steel Rail Half-Marathon. Click here to see the entire show.
I was back Thursday to learn about the “Secret Lives of Frogs and Salamanders” with Berkshire Community College‘s legendary bio professor Tom Tyning. Did you know that frogs actually freeze in the winter while they stay under a few inches of leaves and other debris in the woods? They are literally frog-cicles that de-frost in the spring and then go about they’re way. In Washington, DC, the temperatures were much more amenable to outdoor activities for the inauguration. Allen Harris had the best seat there (of anyone I know) and came on the show to talk about the inauguration, meeting the vice president (a fun guy, no doubt) and rocking out to Stevie
Wonder at one of the inaugural balls. He also offered his perspective on the economy and what the new year may have in store (maybe I forgot to mention he owns the hugely successful financial advisor firm Berkshire Money Management).
The BCC Not Your Average Dog Show keeps growing every year and BCC’s Jeff Doscher and the Berkshire Humane Society’s John Perrault appeared Friday to offer the details. John also talked about the continuous perceived and real problem of pit bulls in our culture. Pit bulls get the short end of the stick on two sides: first, the perception that they are a mean, vicious breed leads bad actors to acquire them and reinforce that perception through training. Second, this perception (reinforced by the actions of those bad actors) makes good potential owners steer away from adopting them. John said that at any given time, 20 to 25 percent of dogs available for adoption at Berkshire Humane are, in fact, pit bulls. And they’re tough to adopt because of this Catch 22. The energetic and excellent health professional Jim Wilusz of Tri-Town Health also appeared on Friday. Being a health department professional means that you have your hand in just about everything – from communicable diseases, food safety, tobacco cessation, wellness, housing and more. While the flu epidemic has begun to slow down, Jim says it’s no time to stop the vigilance. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. All of that still applies.
President of OneEighty Media, Inc., John Krol serves as Director of Accounts and lead communications consultant for this full-service marketing, communications and advertising firm. John’s extensive experience in journalism, broadcasting, public relations, government relations, SEM, community outreach and marketing provides a unique perspective for businesses looking to re-energize and diversify their marketing efforts.
