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The Board of Health asked to be informed of updates regarding camping activities at Bowe Field.

Adams Board of Health Asks to Be Involved in Bowe Field Camping

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass — The Board of Health asked to be notified about activities held at Bowe Field.
 
The board met with Agricultural Fair organizers Charles Felix and Patricia Wojcik on Wednesday to discuss camping on the grounds and Felix said it would not be an issue to include the Board in their notice to other town departments. 
 
"We want to be on the same page with you guys with what we need to do and we like to send out a letter to the forest warden, the fire department, the police, and the ambulance service," Felix said. "We will add you guys so you know what is going on."
 
Vendors often camp on the grounds during the fair but the field also serves as a campground during the Solid Sound and Fresh Grass music festivals held at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
 
Felix said he already compiled a list of upcoming events at Bowe Field and would have informed the board in the past but was just never told by the town to do so.
 
Board of Health member David Rhoads said this has been an ongoing issue in town.
 
"This is a larger issue that we are dealing with quite often on the board of health," he said. "We are often the last to know and we are working on better communication with the town so everybody is informed."
 
In other business, the Board met with local trash haulers to continue a discussion on recently accepted new regulations.
 
One issue the haulers brought up was scrappers and permitting. Unlike the haulers, scrappers do not need to apply for a permit.
 
"I think we are on the same page here we just want to see everyone have to follow the same rules we do," Paul Laliberte of PJ's Appliance & Trash Removal said.
 
Rhoads said although he understood Laliberte’s concern he said it really does not fall under the board’s purview. 
 
"It is not a board of health issue," he said. "If it was a contaminated refrigerator with food in it then it would be but they do not run business they just run around and pick stuff up we can't regulate that." 
 
Laliberte said he thought there needed to be some kind of oversight and while he may properly discharge freon from a fridge and receive the proper permits before scrapping it, a scrapper might just toss it somewhere in town. 
 
"That is why we pay the scrap yard for that sticker," he said. "The guy that doesn't can pick it up and throw it up on East Hoosac St. and charge the person."
 
The board said it would contact the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District for guidance and asked that if there is an instance of anyone polluting or taking scrap that does not belong to them that it is reported.  
 
"If there is an ongoing issue where someone is cutting into your business that should not be," board member Bruce Shepley said. "We should hear about that."
 
Laliberte also had a recommendation for the town and suggested that they require residents to pay for a permit when renting a dumpster.
 
"That’s what they do in a lot of other communities," he said. "It could be an income for the town."
 
He added that often times the dumpster supplier takes on this fee and it helps dictate how long a dumpster can be left on the premise.
 
Rhoads said he never heard of a dumpster permit but would look into it.

Tags: Aggie Fair,   camping,   Solid Sound,   

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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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