NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Martin Luther King Day Committee welcomes everyone to join them on Monday, Jan. 20, as the Northern Berkshire community celebrates the life, principles, and ideals of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by participating in a "Day of Service."
The day will include presentation of the annual Peacemaker Award to Adams Selectman James Bush.
The day begins at 8:30 a.m. at Venable Gym, located in the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Quad, with coffee and pastries. Participants will choose from more than 10 sites to provide service to the community, including: Louison House, Northern Berkshire Family YMCA, weatherization for homes, food collection sites, and projects onsite in the gym. There will be projects suitable for all ages and abilities.
Participants will return to the gym at 12:30 p.m. to share a free luncheon and community celebration, enjoy local entertainment and hear uplifting words in the spirit of Dr. King. The Peacemaker Award will be presented during the lunchtime celebration.
Bush is this year's recipient for using his time, determination and talents to influence and bring together the Northern Berkshire region, collaborating between communities and efforts. The committee says he demonstrates what it means to volunteer for the benefit of others in his community and understands and demonstrates the importance of social connections among all community residents.
This "A Day On, Not a Day Off" event is free and everyone in the community is encouraged to volunteer and celebrate the Northern Berkshire community.
Volunteers can register in advance at Berkshirenonprofits.com to ensure their preference for service project. Groups who want to volunteer together should register and signup with their choice of service project with the name of the group and names of all group members.
This event is made possible through a grant from the Massachusetts Service Alliance.
Those interested in participating in an on-site discussion about how borders can divide us are invited to prepare by attending a free curated tour of the exhibition "ERRE: Them and Us/Ellos y Nosotros" at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art on Sunday, Jan. 19. Participants should meet in the museum lobby at 11 a.m. to walk together to Building 6. The program will last about an hour.
For more information, contact Kathy Keeser at Kathykeeser@gmail.com or at 413-664-4006 or Liz Boland at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition at 413-663-7588.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
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