Journey through the Solar System and beyond in the North Adams Museum of History and Science Black Light Gallery. Robert Campanile, commander of our starship — Oculus — will take you on a tour of each planet, the moons, and down into a black hole using the unique and inspiring Black Light Gallery atmosphere. The mysteries of our awesome universe will unfold to ponder and the glowing stars and space music will entertain your brain cells.
This event will be held Saturdays, Sept. 15, 22, and 29 at 3 p.m. Reservations are required. Space is limited. The suggested donation is $1 per person. The program is for adults and children over 10 years old. Call 664-4700 for information/reservations.
The North Adams Museum of History and Science is located in Western Gateway Heritage State Park, Building 5A.
The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce has announced that Acting Gov. Jane Swift will be Grand Marshal of the Fall Foliage Festival Parade.
In celebration of its 46th annual Fall Foliage Festival Parade theme, “2001: Changing Spaces — Changing Faces†the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce’s FFF Committee has selected Swift as grand marshal for this year’s parade. The parade steps off from the Wal-Mart parking lot Sept. 30 at 1 p.m.
The chamber states that the grand marshal personifies the positive changes happening in Berkshire County. In describing the selection, Mary Ann Caproni, parade director, said, “We believe the parade theme and grand marshal selection reflect just a portion of the ‘changing faces’ taking place in Northern Berkshire, and throughout the state.â€
Swift, 36, is a North Adams native and a graduate of city schools. Her career as an elected official began in 1991, when she was the youngest woman ever elected to the Massachusetts State Senate.
If any individuals or businesses wish to make a contribution to this important event, please send them to the north offices of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, FFF Parade Fund, 57 Main St., North Adams MA 01247. As of Sept. 7, some $18,455 had been raised toward the $50,000 festival goal. For more information and festival updates, call the chamber at 663-3735 or visit the web site at www.nberkshirechamber.com.
The public is invited to attend a program, “For the Love of Birds,†about attracting birds to your backyard, by Jean Chaston.
Sponsored by the North Adams Garden Club, it will take place Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at the American Legion. Tickets are $3 each and available from Garden Club members, or at the door.
Birdhouses and bird feeders will be available for purchase, and refreshments will be served after the program.
Proceeds from this presentation will benefit Route 2 Wayside Park, as well as city-wide beautification projects by the Garden Club.
A Fall Craft Fair will be held Saturday, Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parish hall at Notre Dame du Sacre Coeur in North Adams. Rental space is available at a cost of $15/table for members of the community to sell their own wares or crafts. Proceeds will help defray the cost of utilities for Notre Dame. Limited space is available and rental space will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call Dennis Zepka at 663-9075.
A Doll’s Tea Party will be held at the North Adams Public Library on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 3:30 p.m. for children grades K and up. This party is in celebration of the “Sew Me A Story†doll exhibit on display in the children’s department for the month of September.
Children should bring a favorite doll as their guest and come prepared to enjoy a doll-marking craft, stories, and ‘tea.’ Children may come dressed as themselves or better yet as a character from a story book.
Advance registration is required as space is limited, 662-3133.
“Sew Me A Story†is a unique doll exhibit created by the skilled doll makers of the Textile Tarts Doll Club. Members of the Textile Tarts have sewn about 20 dolls using the characters from such children’s classics as The Snowy Day by Ezra J. Keats, Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey, and The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
The goal of the club is to promote literacy through their art by exciting and inspiring young readers. What better way than to have some favorite book characters spring right off the pages and into the library?
The Textile Tarts decided on their literacy-themed project after hearing about the national “Sew Me A Story†exhibit. These dolls have been touring libraries in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for the past two years. They are brought to North Adams courtesy of club member Althea Church, who grew up in the area and considered the North Adams Public Library her home library.
A Contra Dance will be held Friday, Sept. 21 at St. John’s Church, Summer Street, North Adams. Music will be by The Flying Garbanzos, with caller Ethan Plunkett. Beginners’ instruction will be held at 7 p.m. The dance will begin at 7:30 p.m. and continue until 10:30 p.m. They will walk you through all the dances. Admission will be $5. For more info, call Tony at 663-9288, or e-mail antpisano@hotmail.com.
The “Fires of Pentecost†revival meetings featuring Assemblies of God evangelist, the Rev. Bob Fisher, will be taking place at Bethel Pentecostal Church at 55 Harding Ave. in North Adams from Sunday, Sept. 16, through Wednesday, Sept. 19. Sunday services will begin at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., while midweek services will begin at 7 p.m.
Fisher, from Cherry Hill, N.J., brings more than 30 years experience working full time with children, youth, and adults. He has served as the pastor of two churches, camp director, sectional presbyter and district youth and Christian education coordinator.
Along with the speaker, each service will include solo vocal performances by Deborah Devlin, Arlene Superneau, John Keohane, Brian Superneau, Norman Bombardier, the Rev. Dennis C. Castella, and the Bethel youth group.
The meetings are free and open to all people. The church is is handicapped accessible. For directions or additional information, call the church office at 663-8998.
The North Adams Council on Aging will be starting up its monthly women’s issues breakfast group to discuss issues involving and concerning women. The breakfasts will be held the last Monday of each month. The September session will be Monday, Sept. 24, at 9:30 a.m.
The speaker for the breakfast will be Dr. Stuart M. Duboff from Advanced Eyecare. He will speak on “The Aging Eye.†There will be time for questions and answers after the presentation and a time to discuss future speakers and interests of the participants. Light breakfast foods will be served, so advance registration is required. Call the North Adams Council on Aging office at 662-3125 to reserve a seat.
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McCann OKs FY27 Budget, Assistant Principal Post
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The McCann School Committee on Thursday approved a level-service "vanilla" budget for fiscal 2027.
The total spending plan for the Northern Berkshire Regional Vocational District is $13,218,090, up $564,753 or 3.69 percent over this year. The budget includes a second assistant principal, a special education teacher and interest on the building repair project.
"We frequently refer to our budget as a vanilla budget, and it sort of is this year, with some exceptions," said Finance Committee Chair Daniel Maloney. "The capital part of it is something different than the operating budget, but there will be an impact from that as well. But again, trying to be sensitive to what our communities can afford."
Maloney and Superintendent of Schools James Brosnan stressed the need for an assistant principal, noting how lean the administrative staff was but how much the work has increased.
"I've only got three people from my left that are responsible for this entire school," Brosnan told the School Committee. "There is no school in Massachusetts that only has a principal, assistant principal, director of students. Nothing, zero."
Maloney said it was a matter of "right-sizing" the organization that is running two schools. He pointed to the update from Prinicipal Justin Kratz that covered sports, enrollment, Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System testing, teacher retention and recruitment, student services, reporting to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the state's ongoing debate over graduation requirements.
"You just see by the presentation tonight, by Justin, how much work goes into these things," Maloney said. "And even with our teaching staff, I often wonder how they have time to do their jobs when they've got all this data and all these things put together to feed the state, keep them happy. ...
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Commission welcomed bread-baking appliance designers Brod & Taylor to the campus on Monday. click for more
He explained his plans to the License Commission on Tuesday as he applied for an all-alcohol license for Zio Roberto Ristorante and Taverna, which is expected to open in late May.
click for more
Qwanell Bradley scored 33 points, and Adan Wicks added 29 as the Hoosac Valley boys basketball team won a Division 5 State Championship on Sunday. click for more
Thirty portraits are on display at Hotel Downstreet, part of an initiative to use the arts and storytelling to humanize substance abuse disorder. click for more
