Becket Police K-9 Mourned

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BECKET, Mass. — The police force's K-9 Kain died Sept. 14 after six years of service to the town. 
 
The Police Department, in a Facebook post, said Kain had "proudly and enthusiastically served as a member of the Becket Police Department since August of 2018."
 
Born in Hungary on Aug. 28, 2017, Kain was a dual-purpose police canine. He was certified by the North American Police Work Dog Association, a nationally recognized certification that he successfully renewed annually at a weeklong training conference. He also was certified as a narcotics detection and patrol utility canine. 
 
This training and certification gave K-9 Kain the ability to locate missing parties, and individuals who fled from police after committing crimes. Additionally, he was trained to detect illicit narcotics in vehicles, buildings, and luggage.  
 
Police said Kain had been an enormous asset to the town and to Berkshire County as a whole. He had been deployed in more than 10 communities assisting with the locating of suspects and of missing persons, individuals struggling with mental health, building searches, and narcotics detection in vehicles, buildings, and schools. In addition, Kain had participated in numerous canine demonstrations at schools, DARE programs and various community events. 
 
"He truly was an integral member of our community and will be deeply missed. K-9 Kain's partner, Sgt. [Michael] Hunt, and the Becket Police Department wish to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to our community for its unparalleled support through this difficult time," stated the post. 
 
Police Chief Kristopher McDonough says the "overwhelming support" from the community has prompted the department to establish a donation account to ensure the K-9 unit's future. 
 
"Over the last week, several community members have reached out offering to make financial contributions in memory of K-9 Kain," said McDonough in a statement. "The Becket Police Department as a whole cannot express enough how sincerely thankful we are to have such support from our community, colleagues, and extended family."
 
He said all funds will be only for expenses such as "purchasing, outfitting, caring for, and the training of a dedicated Police K-9."
 
Checks can be mailed or dropped off to the Becket Police Department, 557 Main Street, Becket MA 01223. Checks payable to: Kain's Legacy K-9 Fund C/O Becket Police Department.

 


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King and Confidantes Debate Hope and Change in 'American Five'

By Alan PetrucelliSpecial to iBerkshires
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Fiction and fact meld in the regional premiere of "The American Five," now playing at the Larry Vaber Stage of the Unicorn Theatre. 
 
The play takes a fictionalized look at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his four closest confidants in the months leading up to the famed March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. The quintet, through differing opinions, animated arguments, constant threats of violence and a late-night meal featuring challah bread and wine, become a family as they prepare for the history-making march that galvanized the Civil Rights movement.
 
Most of us know the King saga. It's the second act in which playwright Chess Jakobs' genius shines. Prejudice runs rampant here: Is Stanley Levison, a Jewish lawyer from New York who shows up in Montgomery to join the fight for racial equality and "to repair the world," viewed as white? Jewish? Both? And march strategist and organizer Bayard Rustin experiences his own fight for civil rights because of his homosexuality. Here, Jakob explores prejudice on different levels.
 
The cast is top-notch with many emotional highs. As King, Rashun Carter (who would look more like his character if he had a full moustache) and Sydney Elisabeth (as Coretta Scott King) are at their best during a scene that bounces between humor and poignancy. 
 
She questions her husband about his meeting with President John F. Kennedy; he is angry and refuses to discuss it. "There is no 'you' out there, without a 'me,' in here," she says, leading King to agree that because of her self-worth and unwavering devotion to him, she is "Coretta Scott Queen."
 
As Clarence Jones, King's personal counsel, Brett Diggs has assurance and dignity; Harry Smith's portrayal of lawyer Stanley Levison, is nothing short of extraordinary. Destan Owens' performance as gay Bayard Rustin is the play's most outstanding performance as he defends his relations with men: "You don't get to judge me!" he tells King. "I'm just trying to find love."
 
"The American Five" is tightly directed by Gerry McIntyre; the historic period projections and footage/designed by Alex Hill remind people that there are dreams, such as hope and change, that are still being fought.
 
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