The summer concert season has arrived, and how fortunate are we music lovers to be living right here, in the Berkshires or Southern Vermont, at what can only be described as "music and cultural central." It's clear that this will be an especially exciting and brilliant festival season.

Here are my recommended picks of the week for the upcoming concerts and related events to be experienced in venues at three of our most noteworthy regional music festivals.

One of the most anticipated events of Tanglewood's 2019 music season - the official opening weekend of the Linde Center for Music and Learning and Tanglewood Learning Institute programs - will take place June

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Alan Freed. Queen. Earth, Wind & Fire. Southside Johnny. These are among the treats awaiting Berkshire pop and dance enthusiasts in the week before July 4.

Older folks surely remember the pioneering DJ Alan Freed, who practically invented rock 'n' roll radio (for white listeners) back in the day. The music was considered dangerous in the beginning and Freed was a pied piper leading teenagers astray. Now, at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, the Berkshire Theatre Group and Caiola Productions presents a new musical, "Rock and Roll Man: The Alan Freed Story," starting Thursday June 27. The show runs through July 21.

Even those who don't

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ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School has announced the students who made honor roll for the fourth quarter of the 2018-19 school year.

Students who earned 80 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "Honors." Students who earned 90 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "High Honors."

Academic courses at BArT are aligned with the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks for the appropriate grade level and include all standards deemed necessary for a complete, college-preparatory, middle and high school education.

High Honors: Persephone Clark, Tucker Danylin,

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The kids might be out of school, but there are still plenty of opportunities to keep them learning and engaged throughout the summer.

Around Berkshire County, most libraries are participating in the summer reading program "A Universe of Energy." Following are some of the libraries' plans; be sure to check with your town's library, as well:

Adams Free Library is Hosting Danna Banana on Tuesday, June 25, at 5 p.m. to kick off its Summer Reading Program, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.  Danna Banana brings his usual wit and wackiness to all things space-related in this year’s summer theme “A Universe of

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Gentlemen: When did you last have a medical check-up?

If you are like a lot of men, you may be skipping this health care ritual of getting "checked out." And if you are a man under 40, you might be missing the opportunity to improve and maintain your health and prevent disease later in life.

As a family practice physician for 33 years, I enjoy treating all the members of a family, of all ages. But I routinely don't see the husbands, dads or male partners unless a health problem arises. Younger men, in my experience, are infrequent visitors to the medical office, and, in general, men are less connected to their health and wellness than women. I sometimes hear my male

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. —  Berkshire Medical Center is a recipient of the Healthgrades 2019 Patient Safety Excellence Award. 

This is the third straight year BMC has been recognized with this honor, which places the medical center among the top 5 percent of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals.

During the study period (2015 to 2017), Healthgrades 2019 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in safety provided for patients in the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes (risk-adjusted

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Happy summer, Berkshireites.

Yes, even though the thermometer says 63 in the middle of the day, the calendar says it's now summer, so break out the tank tops and flip flops. What? You've had them out already? And then put them away? Then brought them back out again?

We've been getting whiplash with this last-spring weather for sure.

But let's get through a cool and dark Friday, and a better weekend awaits. The sun is supposed to shine all day Saturday and Sunday, with a temperatures in the 70s - maybe hitting 80 on Sunday, according to AccuWeather.

While that's not super summer weather, it's good enough to get out and do some yard work or go swimming at one of

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Greylock Insurance Agency's Insurance Processing and Systems Manager Rebecca Kelly has earned the designation of CISR Elite after successfully completing extensive examinations in all areas of insurance risks and exposures.

"This certification demonstrates Kelly’s professional dedication and commitment to excellence," said Vice President Lori Goodell. "Our clients know they can count on her and our other agents for thorough, thoughtful and exemplary service."

The Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) Program, available to insurance professionals around the world, is distinguished from other programs of its kind by an

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Christopher Peltier has been named clinical director of the Berkshire County Arc, a new position that oversees the behavioral and nursing staff for BCArc programs that serve more than 1,000 individuals throughout the Berkshire and Hampden counties.

Most recently he worked for 10 years at the Amherst Public Schools as a behavior analyst and autism specialist. He grew up in Williamstown, Mass., and attended Mt. Greylock Regional High School.

"Our priority is making sure the people we serve have meaningful and happy lives," said Kenneth Singer, president and CEO of BCArc. "Chris has the experience, expertise, and the passion we look for in our

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LEE, Mass. — Dr. Jeremy Stoepker, family medicine physician, has relocated from New York City to join the primary care team at CHP Lee Family Practice.

Stoepker has a special interest in LGBTQ health, alternative/complementary medicine approaches, and holistic attention to caring for individuals and families.

Most recently, Stoepker was a teaching/attending physician at the Center for Family and Community Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center; he also worked as a private practitioner at Westside Family Medicine in New York City.

Stoepker's past positions include assistant attending hospitalist at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Community Legal Aid staff attorney Dana Doyle was elected as the next president of the Berkshire County Bar Association at the association's annual meeting, held on May 15. Doyle’s two-year term will begin on Sept. 1.

Doyle, a Pittsfield resident, is a certified mediator, certified conciliator, collaborative law attorney, parenting coordinator, and guardian ad litem investigator, and has been a member of the Massachusetts Bar since 1998. Prior to joining the family law unit at Community Legal Aid in 2017, she spent 15 years in private practice as a solo practitioner and an associate at several law firms in Berkshire County.

Attorney Doyle began her law

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