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The solid waste district will not be able to apply for a districtwide grant.

Waste District Scales Down District Survey

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The regional solid waste district won't be able to do an in-depth survey of its needs but the state coordinator will be able to help member towns with specific issues. 
 
Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District Program Coordinator Linda Cernik told the district representatives last week that although they have to scale down their district survey, Veronique Blanchard, municipal assistance coordinator for the state Department of Environmental Protection, is still committed to making improvements for them.
 
"We can't apply for technical assistance grant for the entire district but Veronique said she is willing to work with anyone who needs some help," Cernik said. "If anyone needs anything special she is willing to work with you."
 
Blanchard had told the directors at their last meeting that the district could can apply for a grant to fund her time for a complete district survey in hopes of finding ways to increase funding through the Recycling Dividends Program.
 
Cernik said this grant is not available districtwide, however, Blanchard is willing to help communities with specific concerns.
 
She said her first charge will be to help improve the new Adams Transfer Station and address its brush removal practices.
 
The transfer station was burning brush against regulations and the Board of Health placed a cease-and-desist order on burning.
 
In other business, Cernik asked the district representatives if they would like to alter how they remove tires as a district because of increasing removal costs.
 
She said it is specifically a problem in Adams, where she suspects dealers are abusing the tire drop off.
 
"I am not getting the income, and do we want to have the district pay for it or discontinue it?" she said. "It is very expensive to get rid of tires ... business should not be using it either."
 
Adams representative Edward Driscoll said some transfer stations use a tire ticket system and it seems as though some people aren't abiding by the rules or have stockpiled tickets when they were cheaper.
 
"They may have a while ago bought a bunch of those stickers when we were charging a small amount and those stickers, and they are still one per tire," Driscoll said. "They did buy them but they outsmarted us."
 
Driscoll suggested that each town figure out how to handle tires and their removal.
 
"Williamstown and Adams have businesses that generate tires so we may want to handle it differently than say, Savoy who may just pick out an old tire in the middle of the woods," he said. "I think we need to tailor it to each community."
 
The district representatives agreed that this may be the best solution and will discuss it at a future meeting.

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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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