Looking forward to a promising year

January 2012 We're proud to bring you a feature story this month on the culture of contra dancing, which can be found at events in Amherst, Greenfield and Northampton. Pictured on the cover are Don Herold and dance partner "Kitty." These pictures taken by PRIME photographer George Skovera are beautiful depictions of the friendly, welcoming contra dance scene. In Greenfield, dubbed the epicenter of contra dance by many, fiddler David Kaynor helped revitalize the local Grange in recent years. Woodwind player David Cantieni of the band Wild Asparagus is now Master of the Grange in Greenfield. We're told that both men were "instrumental" in rebuilding both the Greenfield edifice and the group's popularity through the dance. With colorful names like "Coincidance," "Fiddle Hill," and the "Flying Garbanzos," local musicians are also part of the action when it comes to contra dance. It's January once again, and another change of the calendar naturally provides us the opportunity to look back at our top stories from 2011. Here at PRIME, we were proud to have brought you feature articles about a some remarkable characters this past year, including interviews with former Red Sox pitcher and free spirit Bill "Spaceman" Lee and edgy comedian Lewis Black. In 2011, our on-the-scene photos of the June tornadoes that devastated parts of Western Mass. were also a unique challenge. Hopefully, these images brought readers closer to the tragic events in a respectful way. PRIME's breast cancer awareness article in October was another subject dear to many hearts. We're proud to have raised funds for both the Mercy Breast Care Center and Rays of Hope, by donating a portion of ad sales from our October edition. Thanks go out to Terry O'Donnell, sales consultant, for spearheading that effort. PRIME's profile of the Kittredge clan from Kringle Candles in November shed some light on an interesting industry and the passing of a family torch. Our annual Berkshires preview in the summer, and Holiday Happenings feature in December pointed the way to countless seasonal events, including concerts, museum exhibits, holiday festivals and so much more. Finally, there's a small contingent of people who seem to believe that our world will end in 2012, based on the ending of an ancient calendar. This will supposedly be a cataclysmic event marked by the return in Mayan culture of one of their gods. I guess if you're Mayan, this poses some concern. However, its probably best to try and stay calm until further notice. However, if a giant, winged beast with the body of a feathered snake does in fact emerge from the clouds in December to devour the Earth, then we sincerely apologize. Happy New Year, Mike Briotta PRIME Editor mikeb@thereminder.com