Williamstown will see many visitors in July and August

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WILLIAMSTOWN - Williamstown’s gorgeous setting, its many cultural attractions, and Williams College’s educational resources and facilities combine to make Williamstown a desirable location for summer events and conferences. According to the conference office at Williams, this summer will draw 7,500 participants to 31 cultural, educational, and athletic programs on campus. The Williamstown Theatre Festival celebrates its 50th year anniversary this summer. The festival runs from June 16 to August 23 and is expected to attract nearly 40,000 people over the 10-week period. The productions employ more than 500 actors, apprentices, and crew. The Berkshire Opera Company will bring two performances of Rigoletto to Chapin Hall on July 2 and July 4 with an estimated attendance of 500 people. This will be the Massachusetts Teacher’s Association’s 31st year of holding a conference at Williams College. Between August 9 - 12 nearly 800 teachers will attend courses on many subjects, including negotiations and professional development. Philip Smith, dean of admission, emeritus, will again offer a faculty development conference for high school educators July 12 - 17. It will include teachers from Roosevelt High School in New York City and Mt. Greylock Regional High School in a professional development certification program. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education will hold an independent schools’ seminar on campus, July 24 - 29. Several sports camps and clinics will be in attendance over the summer months. Nike Golf and Tennis camps will bring over 1,000 boys and girls ages 7-18. William’s head Tennis coach, Dave Johnson will direct the camp as Nike celebrates its 30th year at Williams. Other sports clinics will include Nike Volleyball camp, Berkshire Boy’s Basketball camp (July 5 -16), Berkshire Girls’ Basketball Camp, Soccer Academy at Williams, Berkshire County Instructional Football, and Squash and beyond (June 28- August 13). In addition to the sport camps Chaffee-Hart Memorial Tennis Tournament. This tournament brings over 100 tennis players who compete for points towards the New England Championships. Excel at Williams College is a four-week (June 27 – July 23) enrichment program run by Putney Student Travel, offering 150 high school students a range of subjects, including criminal justice, languages, history, photography, journalism and painting. Overland Adventure Travel, a student travel program coordinated by Liz and Tom Costley (Class of '81 and '82) will hold its American Community Service program in the Williamstown area from June 20 to June 25. Approximately 150 students will work with young student readers and volunteer in shelters and soup kitchens. The arts programming includes a summer school hosted by the Clark Art Institute (July 12 - 18). Under the direction of Michael Cassin the museum will host about 25 volunteer museum guides for seminars and training. The group Children’s Literature New England will bring its annual retreat to Williams College. Many notable children’s book writers will be on hand to deliver lectures on writing. New England School of Banking, founded at Williams in 1957 is an undergraduate program of commercial or trust courses is open to 160 junior and middle management bankers. Participants spend one week at Williams for two consecutive summers and solve assigned case problems during the intervening year. Marjorie Wylde is director of conferences at Williams.
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North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
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