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The town of Adams has installed signs along the rail trail to warn users to clean up after their pets.

Signage, Public Awareness Means Less Dog Waste in Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health credits public pressure to keep the town's byways clean with a reduction in reports of annoying dog waste.
 
Board of Health member Bruce Shepley said with new signage on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and public awareness there seems to be fewer dog feces on the trail.
 
"I haven't heard any complaints and I haven't seen anything on social media," he said Wednesday. "The trail looks pristine."
 
During the winter thaw, a group of residents fed up with the amount of dog poop on the rail trail and throughout town attended a Board of Health meeting to complain. This sparked more agitation among residents and on social media causing the town to take some action.  
 
Selectman James Bush attended the meeting and said the town has installed signs on the trail encouraging people to clean up after their animals. He added that the new parking meter reader /animal control officer position will add a new level of enforcement.
 
Bush went on to say the town also plans to place trash barrels along the trail but with smaller openings that would allow people to throw away dog poop bags but not household garbage.
 
Shepley thought the public's interest in keeping the town clean was one of the main forces behind the improved conditions. 
 
"We are making progress and I know this will be an ongoing issue but with the awareness and the citizens that came forward this continues to be addressed favorably," he said. "We have a plan in place."
 
The board also met with Linda Cernik, program director of the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District to discuss brush collection at the transfer station.
 
"We have to clean up that mess we have there now," Bush said. 
 
Historically the town has collected brush at the transfer station however the pile has grown to a point where it will cost near $15,000 to hire someone to do the chipping.
 
"We haven't addressed it directly and we have to do it but everything has a price," Shepley said. "The bottom line is economics and many other towns have stopped accepting brush and if we can't afford it, we may have to stop."
 
The service has been free but the town has considered eliminating it because of the cost. The town suspects landscapers have been taking advantage of the service.
 
The board discussed possibly partnering with a private contractor to do the chipping. 
 
"If it is chipped and taken away it can be repurposed," Cernik said.
 
The board agreed to reach out to Town Administrator Jay Green to see if this is a possibility. 
 
In other business, the board agreed to strike some continuing items from its agendas and will no longer consider implementing a dumpster fee.
 
"I would like to table this indefinitely ... we are not doing anything to draw people into the community and I don't think imposing another fee would help," Shepley said. 
 
The concept came up when the board discussed updating the fee schedule. 
 
After some research, Shepley sound that although some communities have this permit fee, it is not widely practiced.
 
Over the past few months the board also discussed scrappers registering with the town much like trash haulers but it was found that this was not widely practiced either.  
 
"I think we should put this to rest because there are already mechanisms in place and I am not sure if we want to create a registry of those who scrap," Shepley said.
 
He said there are already regulations that put the notice on scrap yards. He said they have to record who unloads scrap and what they bring in.
 
He said if the town were to get involved somehow they would have to way to enforce any of this.

Tags: board of health,   dogs,   poop,   

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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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