Documentary screening explores climate crisis
GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Public Library and The LAVA Center will present “Rising River’s Edge: The Climate Crisis in Franklin County” on Monday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Community Meeting Room.
“Rising River’s Edge” is a short documentary looking at the impacts of the climate crisis on the food systems of Franklin County, one of the poorest and most rural counties in Massachusetts, as well as how these food systems and the people behind them are coping with unpredictable weather.
The program will be presented by Clara Witty, co-coordinator at The LAVA Center; Matthew Barlow, humanities co-coordinator at The LAVA Center; filmmaker Hugh Finnerty; and Rebecca Rideout, owner of Told Video.
This project was funded with grants provided by the Greenfield and Massachusetts Cultural Councils, Greening Greenfield, The LAVA Center and Mass Humanities.
Sept. 5 program focusing on Lizzie Borden
GREENFIELD — The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. will host a program with Dennis Binette, called “In Search of Lizzie Borden,” on Friday, Sept. 5, at 6 p.m.
Binette will provide a look beyond the 1892 axe murders of Borden’s father and stepmother, and the subsequent trial, to examine Borden’s life in the context of her home and society. Binette, along with Michael Martins, wrote “Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River.” The authors had unprecedented access to newly discovered, previously unpublished materials.
A native of Fall River, Binette has been associated with the Fall River Historical Society for 32 years, having held the position of assistant curator until his retirement in 2020. He is a noted authority on the Borden case and has appeared in several television documentaries on the subject.
In 1994, Binette edited, with Martins, “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts vs. Lizzie A. Borden: The Knowlton Papers 1892–1893.” The book consists of the personal files of Hosea Morrill Knowlton, prosecuting attorney in the case against Borden.
“Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River” provides a look at Borden against the backdrop of Fall River during her lifetime. The book was the recipient of a Kirkus Starred Review and was listed among Kirkus Reviews Best of 2012.
