CHP Berkshires Expands Primary Care Team

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Michelle Bedard, FNP and Sharon Bigler, FNP
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — CHP Berkshires has expanded its primary care practice with new clinicians at practice locations in North Adams and Lee.
 
Michelle M. Bedard, Adult Acute Care Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, has joined the primary care team at CHP North Adams Family Medical, where she will care for patients 13 years and older. 
 
She earned her doctor of nursing degree from Elms College, concentrating on adult-gerontology acute care and earning certification in this specialty. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing at Southern New Hampshire University and earlier received her associate degree in nursing from Berkshire Community College (BCC).
 
She also received training as a licensed practical nurse at BCC, where she earned a Clinical Excellence Award in 2014. 
 
Bedard completed her advanced practice nursing rotations at Berkshire Medical Center in the ICU and as a hospitalist. As a registered nurse, she worked for eight years in the BMC emergency department, and previously she worked as a licensed practical nurse and as a certified nursing assistant. 
 
Bedard is a resident of Adams, where she lives with her two sons.
 
Sharon K. Bigler, a family nurse practitioner, has joined CHP Lee Family Practice, where she will care for patients of all ages.
 
She earned her doctorate of nursing practice at the University of Tulsa (OK), where she also received her bachelor of science in nursing. Prior to earning her DNP, Sharon was a critical care nurse, working for 15 years in medical-surgical, cardiovascular, burn, and neurotrauma intensive care units. Earlier, she worked for two years as a registered nurse case manager.
 
She and her husband reside in Pittsfield.
 

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Clarksburg OKs $5.1M Budget; Moves CPA Adoption Forward

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Newly elected Moderator Seth Alexander kept the meeting moving. 
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The annual town meeting sped through most of the warrant on Wednesday night, swiftly passing a total budget of $5.1 million for fiscal 2025 with no comments. 
 
Close to 70 voters at Clarksburg School also moved adoption of the state's Community Preservation Act to the November ballot after a lot of questions in trying to understand the scope of the act. 
 
The town operating budget is $1,767,759, down $113,995 largely because of debt falling off. Major increases include insurance, utilities and supplies; the addition of a full-time laborer in the Department of Public Works and an additional eight hours a week for the accountant.
 
The school budget is at $2,967,609, up $129,192 or 4 percent over this year. Clarksburg's assessment to the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District is $363,220.
 
Approved was delaying the swearing in of new officers until after town meeting; extending the one-year terms of moderator and tree warden to three years beginning with the 2025 election; switching the licensing of dogs beginning in January and enacting a bylaw ordering dog owners to pick up after their pets. This last was amended to include the words "and wheelchair-bound" after the exemption for owners who are blind. 
 
The town more recently established an Agricultural Committee and on Wednesday approved a right-to-farm bylaw to protect agriculture. 
 
Larry Beach of River Road asked why anyone would be against and what the downside would be. Select Board Chair Robert Norcross said neighbors of farmers can complain about smells and livestock like chickens. 
 
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