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Daily DigestYuck!
 There's a winter storm warning in effect until 7 a.m. on Thursday with 2 to 4 inches of snow expected. Be prepared for a messy morning commute as freezing rain and sleet move through the region. The morning commute will be slippery — drive careful!
Some New York schools, including Hoosick Falls Central School and St. Mary's Academy in Hoosick Falls have already canceled classes.
All North County schools are closed; Pittsfield, Lanesborough, Berkshire Hills, Southern Berkshire and Central Berkshire school districts are closed. |
Duff'em If You've Got'em
 North Adams Regional Hospital went smoke-free Monday — so did all its sister sites, from Sweet Brook to Northern Berkshire Family Practice to the Women's Exchange. No ashtrays, no smoking: No butts about it. |
Wanted: Eagle Eyes
MassWildlife's annual eagle count runs Dec. 31 to Jan. 14. Anyone sighting one of the regal birds in Massachusetts is asked to participate.
Send date, time, location and town of eagle sightings, number of birds, whether juvenile or adult and observer's contact information to Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us. |
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Like to Write?
 iBerkshires accepts submissions about local events, news and opinion pieces. There are openings for freelance work, too, for qualified candidates. E-mail tdaniels@iberkshires.com to find out more. |
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Other StuffMars Rovers Mark 5 Years
 Spirit and Opportunity have been trekking the red planet for half a decade. Spirit hit the 5-year mark on Sunday; Opportunity will on Jan. 24. |
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MCAS High-Achievers Earn State ScholarshipsBy Jen Thomas - December 11, 2007
 | | Some of the local winners of the Adams Scholarships. |
NORTH ADAMS – High school seniors and friends Andrew Wilk and Ethan Cohane-Mann, both 17, aren't sure where they are going to college next year but they do know that their path just got a little less rocky.
At a ceremony on Monday night to honor Berkshire County high school students who have performed exceptionally on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests, Cohane-Mann and Wilk were both recipients of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, which provides high-performing students with tuition waivers to state colleges.
For the boys, both Charles H. McCann Technical School students, the state scholarships are useful stepping stones to higher education – even if it's not to a state school.
"I definitely think the Adams Scholarship is going to help me, especially in applying to college. It's a great thing to put on an application or a resume," said Cohane-Mann in Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Murdock Hall.
According to Northern Berkshire Regional Vocational School District Superintendent and keynote speaker James Brosnan, the 328 Berkshire County Adams Scholars are already poised for bright futures.
"Already, at 17 and 18 years old, you have the maturity to go forward and excel," Brosnan said to the several dozen students and their families in attendance, adding that the Adams Scholarship winners had displayed integrity, responsibility, good judgment leadership, tact and diplomacy in their high school careers.
"You've didn't take the easy way; you took the correct way and you've paved the way for a successful future," he said.
High students are awarded the Adams Scholarship by ranking in the top 25 percent in their school district on the 10th grade MCAS test, receiving an advanced score in either math or language arts and a proficient or advanced score in the other category.
The program encourages students to attend state institutions and provides tuition waivers to the commonwealth's six colleges, including MCLA, 15 community colleges and the University of Massachusetts. The scholarships cover tuition for up to eight semesters, or four years. They don't cover fees, which can total two-thirds or more of college costs, or board.
Larissa Huda, an MCLA junior biology major and an Adams Scholar, spoke at the Monday ceremony, urging other students to follow her lead.
"You should feel encouraged to go to a state school. There are the same or more opportunities as private schools and, I'm sure it's not surprise, but it's cheaper," said Huda, a Pittsfield High School graduate.
"And it's right here in Massachusetts and I don't think there's anything better than staying in Massachusetts," she added.
MCLA President and alumna Mary K. Grant explained what influenced her to attend a state college.
"State college was the best fit for me. MCLA helped open doors to opportunity, it opened doors to curiosity and now, I have the privilege be the president," Grant said. "This is an institution where the students are gifted and talented and the staff is deeply devoted to the success of our students. This college transformed my life and continues to transform my life."
According to Grant, 54 of the college's incoming freshmen came from Berkshire County this year. As a four-year higher education institution right here in the county, Brosnan hoped more local students would consider staying in the community.
"You need to understand that it was your parents and your grandparents, your boyfriends and your girlfriends, your brothers and your sisters – a family – who helped you excel. MCLA, too, is a family. It's part of the Northern Berkshires and we're so proud of what they do here," he said. "Take this opportunity and look at schools in the commonwealth. You've been given one ticket to get in the door. Use it wisely."
Though Wilk isn't looking at any state colleges for next year, he said he's proud of what he and his other McCann Tech graduating seniors have accomplished.
"Scholarships like this are great for kids who want to go on in school. It used to be that McCann students went onto the work force because they were skilled in trades but now, it's also true that the work force is changing and higher degrees are needed in certain fields. Scholarships are a good way to help us get that training," said Wilk, who studies machine technology and hopes to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
For Cohane-Mann, whose mother is a professor in the English/communications department at MCLA, state college would be the logical choice but he said he wanted to see what else was out there.
"I've had a chance to see what life is like in the real world [through McCann's co-operative education program] and I'm just looking at all my options," he said. |
| It is always refreshing to read about the accomplishments of our youth. Their parents must be deservedly proud of them. | | from: Juliette | on: 12-12-2007 |
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