Simple Gifts Fund for Berkshire Youth

             Bill Crofut (1935 - 1999)

The Simple Gifts Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is offering grants of between $200-$800 for young residents (ages 13 to 21) of the Berkshire region who are interested in participating in summer enrichment programs for cultural and creative endeavors. Requests might be for funds to do an internship with a theater company, learn a new language or experiment in a new art form; essentially, to make it possible for you to participate in a program that will have significance in your life. Application deadline is March 15! To learn more and/or apply, contact Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation at info@berkshiretaconic.org or 413.229.0370

Bill Crofut, an accomplished international folk singer, had a deep understanding and empathy for the dreams and aspirations of young people. He wanted to do something that could help them achieve their goals and knew that even small amounts of money could help. In the last months of his life he made an extraordinary CD, “Dancing on a Moonbeam,” to raise money for the Simple Gifts Fund. He loved to foster small steps to further great passions.

Show Me the Green!

Windsor's initial Green Community grant was officially awarded this week at a celebration in Stockbridge honoring western Massachusetts towns that became Green Communities in the past year. Windsor's Select Board Chair, Tim Crane (center), and Green Committee members, Stu Besnoff and Bob Meyers (second and third from right, respectively), are shown accepting the mega-check from Department of Energy Resources Commissioner, Judith Judson (far left), and Green Communities Director, Daniel Knapik (far right). Our honorable and happy-looking State Senator, Ben Downing (second from left) shares a hold on the prize. Adams, Stockbridge and Monterey also received grants. Way to go Windsor!

"Russian Princes" in Windsor?

Serge MDivani with actress Pola Negri. Copyright "Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10764, Pola Negri mit Ehemann" 

While I was doing some research for the February issue of Flashbacks, I came across some intriguing lines in "Progress", referring to frequent visits to Windsor by young Russian Princes:

"At one time, when Z. Marshall Crane owned only his hunting lodge in Windsor, he brought the MDivani brothers up with him. They were Russian Princes, sons of Russian Czar, and Mr. Z. Marshall Crane had gotten them out of their country during World War I. There was Serge, the dark-haired one, and David, the red haired boy and their brother, Alexis. I don't seem to remember Alexis, but I remember the other two very well, as they came to our house many times...these boys all married movie stars and socialites...Prince Serge MDivani was married to Louise Astor Van Alen at the time he was thrown from his horse while playing polo and was killed; Alexis was killed in Spain in an auto accident, and I can't remember what happened to David."

With its homely air of truthful reminiscence surrounded by a bouquet of red flags -- such as the historical non-existence of any Czar M'Divani -- this called for further research. Ten minutes with Google and I had a few answers.

The MDivani brothers were in fact notorious fortune hunters. But they were not Russian, and while they were happy to be referred to as princes, this was a stretch. They were the children of a Georgian General, Zakhari MDivani. Z. Marshall Crane was a frequent visitor at the MDivani's mansion on the Black Sea between 1917 and 1920. The family fled to Paris after the Soviet invasion of Georgia in 1921.

Z. Marshall Crane did bring at least two of the five MDivani children to the U.S. He sent sons Serge and David to Phillips Academy in Andover. Serge, is listed as a 1924 graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover (referred to on the school website as "Prince" Serge Mdivani).

It was probably about this time that the brothers were visiting Windsor and making such an impression. They must have seemed romantic and sophisticated young men from a vanished world. Who knows what kind of impression Windsor made on them?

The boys returned to Paris after a few years, and then came back to the states once again, winding up, inevitably, in Hollywood. While they may have had claim to the title of "Count" in Georgia, a translation error in their social favor turned them into instant princes, and they did not object. They went on to become famous as "The Marrying MDivanis" -- for good reason. Eldest brother Serge (1903-1936) married actress Pola Negri in 1927. When she lost her fortune in the 1929 stock market crash, he abandoned her in favor of opera singer Mary McCormic, who divorced him. In 1936, he married the former Louise Astor Van Alen (yes, those Astors), who had previously been married to the middle brother, Alexis. Serge died that year after a polo accident.

Alexis (1905-1935) had married Louise in 1931. He divorced her to marry Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, one of the world's richest women. He died in a crash in Spain, while driving a Rolls Royce at high speeds. He was rushing to take a beautiful Baronness, the 23-year-old Maud Thyssen, to catch a train to Paris. The Baronness was seriously injured but recovered, and attributed her survival to a relic -- a dried sardine guaranteed to prevent its holder from violent death -- she claimed had once belonged to Rasputin.

David (1907-1984) married actress Mae Murray. They had a son together. He spent all her money, she divorced him in 1933, and the ensuing custody battle left her completely destitute. He married Sinclair Oil heiress Virginia Sinclair in 1944. 

So, there it is...more truth than fiction in this fragmentary memory from Windsor's past. -- Susan Phillips

Simpler Times, Simpler Lines

While we wait for the Wired West imbroglio to be resolved, let's look back at the Beechmont Telephone Company. Established in the early 1900s, this was an entirely local effort - Ma Bell was not involved. The single line started at the East Windsor home of Charles H. Ball, and ended in the Peru home of William R. Pierce, by way of Oscar Jacob's house. Other local families joined in over time, as did the East Windsor general store (pictured).

The service was very simple. No central office, no charge for calls. Just one wire, generally strung from tree to tree. Homes on the wire installed their own wall-mounted phone boxes with dry cell batteries and hand-cranked generators for signals. Each signal was heard in every connected location, and anyone could listen in to others' conversations if so moved. In other words, not quite soup-cans-and-string, but a member of the same family.

Pros: Unlimited free calls. Great for gossip. Cons: No long distance. No Google. No Skype....well, the list of cons is pretty extensive, so I'll leave it at that. Bring on the broadband! --- Susan Phillips

Introducing Windsor's Board of Health

Here's our recently appointed Board of Health—Chairman Dr. Joe Pfeifer and co-clerks Sue Jacobs and Jean Wagner—already hard at work on behalf of this community. Windsor's Health Agent, Skip Hugabone, is helping to bring them up to speed on the various health-related issues in town. The board meets on Tuesdays at 6 PM in the Town Offices. Their meeting schedule is posted outside the Town Clerk's office. Thank you Joe, Sue and Jean for filling these important roles!

We're a Green Community!

Thanks to the diligence and hard work of Windsor’s Green Committee, our town has just been designated a Green Community! Now we can use our recently awarded $12,500 Municipal Energy Technical Assistance grant to hire a consultant who will conduct an in-depth energy audit designed to identify sources of heat loss and energy inefficiencies in municipal buildings. As an active Green Community, Windsor is positioned to receive substantial grants towards addressing such issues. We’re among one-hundred-fifty-five Massachusetts communities committed to finding clean energy solutions that reduce long-term energy costs and strengthen our local economies. THANK YOU Green Committee members Stu Besnof, Jan Bradley, Marnie Meyers and Bob Meyers for your incredible devotion and effort!

Singing in These Hills!

This past Sunday, thanks to Rev. Alex and Patti Hackett-Hunter, our hills were alive with the sound of the Blafield Children's Chorus singing international holiday tunes to a standing-room-only Windsor Congregational Church! Bells were a-ringing and folks were singing along. Along with the festivities, a gorgeous handmade table donated by Scott Brockway was raffled-off, raising well over $600 for Windsor's Volunteer Fire Department. Thank you, Scott! And thank you, Patti and Alex, for all you do to bring this community together!

Giving Thanks

Friends of Windsor's mailbox has been overflowing with your gratitude! And we'd like to extend our gratitude in return: THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to contribute. Your donations allow us to publish Windsor Now & Then every month, keep this website up, produce the town phone directory, and pursue the exciting new directions we're taking on behalf of our community. Your support is not only crucial to the work we do, it validates why we do it. Together we're helping Windsor realize how great a community it can be.

Notchview in November

The trails are all cleaned up, relatively dry, and great for walking at this time of year. Enjoy the fresh air, natural beauty, and consider taking a break at one of the memorial benches. This one, dedicated to the memory of Windsor resident Helen Monico, is on Whitestone Trail, east of Miner Trail. An excellent skier and avid hiker, Helen enjoyed Notchview's trails well into her 80's.

Windsor residents and Trustees members: free. Non-members: $2. Maps are available in the Visitor's Center.

Historical Site Map is Live!

We've made a good start on our interactive online map, but it is still a work in progress. Each of the 24 new historical site markers can be found, with a numbered tag and a label. Click on the tags (green for cemeteries, blue for schools, and red for everything else) to learn the approximate dates that the relevant entity was founded and how long it was active. For many, you'll also find a photograph from the collection of the Windsor Historical Commission -- like this one of the handsome A.O.U.W. Hall, #18 on the map. Take a look, click around, and if you have information or photographs relating to any of the sites that you would be willing to share, please let us know. Any ideas for improvement are welcome!

Windsor Trick or Treat!

Calling all ghouls, goblins, fairies, and other spooky characters! This Saturday, October 31 from 4-6 pm, when you're out haunting the town, be sure to stop at Friendly Fred's, Sangar's Store, Windsor Congregational Church, and at the Town Offices, where each room will have different treats and surprises: the Library, Senior Room, Town Clerk's Office, Select Board's Office, and the Police Department. Have fun, be visible and stay safe!

Meet Sam!

Here’s our Fire Department’s newest member, a strapping 130 pounds of rivets and fire hose. The creation of Lieutenant/Training Officer Blake Edwards, Sam’s joint movements closely represent that of a real person, which means more realistic training scenarios for search & rescue, firefighter rescue, and vehicle extrication. Sam was used for the first time this week as an injured hunter in the woods off Savoy Hollow Road. Seven firefighters responded, extricating him using Windsor’s rescue ATV, GPS's and other equipment. “Sam will be put to good use,” says Chief Scott Eastwood. Kudos to Blake for his ingenuity, and to the whole crew for their remarkable dedication!

WVFD Search & Rescue Training

Our fire crew has been conducting regular Structure Fire Search & Rescue Trainings at a house in Savoy that's being used for that purpose prior to being razed. Utilizing new equipment and techniques, they practice locating and rescuing victims or downed firefighters, as well as self-rescue methods such as wall breaching (bottom right photo).

"A real structure allows for far more realistic training scenarios than are usually possible and provides a great learning environment," says Blake Edwards. "We would like to thank the Savoy Fire Department for sharing this great resource." And WE would like to thank the Windsor Volunteer Fire Department for all of their hard work, sacrifice, and devotion.

Super Moon Eclipse Over Windsor!

These photos of last night’s rare lunar event were taken right here in town, where our dark skies make for ideal viewing. A super moon is when a new or full moon occurs while at its closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit, making it appear considerably larger and brighter than other full moons. What made this one so rare is that it coincided with a lunar eclipse. The last time this happened was in 1982. It won’t happen again until 2033.

The first shot was taken just after the eclipse began. The second one was taken a couple of hours later near the full eclipse, where the moon is in the shadow of the Earth. Light scattering off Earth’s atmosphere causes a coppery-red appearance, which is why this is sometimes called a blood moon.

Kudos to Tim Crane for capturing these images from the front porch!

Give Us Your Best Shot!

Fall is Windsor's moment. Apple trees bowing down under the weight of their fruit, marsh-side maples reflected in a beaver pond...even the tree fungus is gorgeous. 

Friends of Windsor invites you to get out there, capture the autumn glory with your camera or smart phone, and send us your favorites. Then we will create an online gallery of Windsor's fall beauty here on the website.

When we're deep in contemplation of the many shades of snow white and sky gray, a good shot of maple foliage is going to work wonders.

Email images in jpeg format to fowindsor@gmail.com.