N E WS OF NOTE
HANGING MOUNTAIN NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Long coveted by climbers, Hanging Mountain, in Sandisfield, was owned privately until the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition purchased it in late 2019. The mountain officially opened to the public in October for climbing, hiking and birding. Located just off Route 8 along the Farmington River, 3 miles from the Connecticut border, the 14-acre site has as its centerpiece a striking, 1,000-foot-long series of southeast-facing cliffs — 10 distinct crags in total — ranging in height from about 60 feet to 240 feet. A CHANGING OF THE GUARD Over the past six months, change has come to many Berkshire institutions. In October, Kristy Edmunds stepped into the role of director at the Mass MoCA. Edmunds, who most recently served as the executive and artistic director of UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, succeeded Joseph Thompson, Mass MoCA’s founding director, who retired after a 32-year run in the top spot. Julianne Boyd, artistic and co-founding director of Barrington Stage Company, is retiring this year. Boyd, who is ending a 26year run, announced her plans in November. A search for her successor is underway.
NYC-TO-PITTSFIELD PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE COULD START THIS SUMMER A proposed pilot of the Berkshire Flyer, a four-hour passenger rail service between New York City and Pittsfield, could happen this summer, although the parties involved — CSX Corp., Amtrak and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation — still need to reach a formal agreement. The Berkshire Flyer, which would be operated by Amtrak, needs to use the Albany, N.Y.-to-Pittsfield stretch of CSX’s Albany-to-Worcester line.
The Williamstown Theatre Festival also has seen a change at the top. Jenny Gersten, who helmed the festival from 2011 to 2014, once again is stepping into the role of artistic director on an interim basis. Gersten replaces Mandy Greenfield, who served as artistic director from 2014 to 2021.
SPRING 2022 I Berkshire Landscapes 13
