MCLA To Add Two New Majors In Fall 2008

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NORTH ADAMS – Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has announced that the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education on Wednesday unanimously approved two new Bachelor of Arts degree programs in art and in political science and public policy.

According to MCLA Art Professor Gregory Scheckler, the new art major differs from art programs at other state colleges not only because advanced students can design their own pathway through the program, but because of the regional arts scene, which includes Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) and the Clark.

“We started building on this kind of program in the fall of 2000, incrementally increasing our arts courses and offerings until we could support an arts management degree, MCLA Gallery 51 and now the new art degree,” Scheckler said. “The combinations are very exciting because as students learn to master their craft in the art major, they can also learn the best of business savvy in the arts management program by double-majoring or minoring. The art major is an important building block towards the college’s larger goals of creating new programs with unique emphases and possibilities that link with the Berkshires.”

Scheckler said the program will facilitate students to enter careers as creative innovators. Courses will include those in a wide array of media such as drawing, painting, graphic design, photography, film, broadcast communications, computer graphics and costume design.

Robert Bence, MCLA political science professor, said the political science and public policy major will combine liberal arts skills with vocational experience, as well as interaction within the field of public policy. He said the Berkshires offer many advantages for students of politics and public policies. This includes the revitalization of North Adams and similar public/private collaborations in other parts of Berkshire County which serve as laboratories for students.

Bence expects students in this program will network with officials in government agencies, those in the private sector who create and implement policy, as well as with court officials and elected leaders involved in policy creation and evaluation.

“In this program, students will have a chance to apply their classroom knowledge and skills through internships and real-life applications,” Bence said. “We’ve been looking at a political science major for a long time, but we decided we wanted to provide a unique offering and one that provides a vocational focus. We also believe that adding public policy to political science gives it a unique academic focus.”

MCLA consistently sends interns to Washington, D.C. through the Washington Center and also can provide students with internships in the Canadian House of Commons and overseas study in a variety of nations. For the past several years, MCLA has sent teams of students to the North American Model U.N. in Toronto.

Courses will include those in United States government and public policy, international relations, American history, modern civilization, politics and news media, constitutional law, public administration, macro economics, and social science research.

For more information, go to www.mcla.edu.
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.

Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.

The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.

Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is  appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.

Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.

Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.

Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.

The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.

The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.

Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.

Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years. 

He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.

Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.

Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve  a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.

Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.

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