Adams Tourism Director to Promote Events, Nightlife

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Samantha Talora is the town's first tourism director.

ADAMS, Mass. — The town's first tourism development director looks forward to helping the area she grew up in.

Cheshire native Samantha Talora was hired last month and looks to use her background in hospitality to help promote events in Adams.

Talora was a manager at Canyon Ranch and Cranwell resorts and has a total of eight years' experience in tourism marketing and event planning, including operating her own business, Samantha Talora Events. During the past year, she has worked as an administrative assistant in the Adams Police Department.

Talora sees her new position as a mixture of her past experiences.

"It was just a nice way to blend my background in hospitality and events with my new appreciation for working with the town, which has just been wonderful," Talora said. "It's a nice and easy transition."

Talora explained that her main duty is to work with different committees and community members and help promote their events. She would like to work as a resource for businesses.

"I want to be that central hub that makes it easier for people to get their information out there," she said.

Talora's position is new to the town of Adams. She said that with all the new things happening, such as the farmers market, Thunderfest and Ramblefest, the town needed someone to help market these events.

"I think that they saw that there are enough things that are popping up and happening, and that there is a hunger for that," she said. "There are lots of things that can be done here so I think it just made sense for them to create a position for it."

Taloro said she would like to take advantage of Adams' developing activities and sees it as new territory for the town.

"We are talking about this emergence of activity, which is great," she said. "The fact that it is new just means that it is uncharted territory, and I think there is a need because everyone has so many great ideas."

Taloro said she has an open-door policy and urges people to communicate with her if they have ideas for the town.

With a love for the arts, she would like to help promote performances and strengthen Adams' night life.

"I'd like to see us expand upon the arts," Talora said. "I have an appreciation for the arts."

She is excited to use her "honed skills" on the area she loves.

"For me it is exciting to be back in the area where I grew up where things were maybe a little sleepy 10 to 15 years ago and start to see it start to wake up," she said. "Just the revitalization of that is just so special and important to me."


Tags: marketing,   tourism,   

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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."
 
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