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McCann Graduates 25 From Postsecondary Courses

Twenty-five graduates received diplomas and certificates from McCann's postsecondary program on Thursday night. See more photos here.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — McCann Technical School graduated 25 students from its postsecondary programs during a ceremony Thursday night.

Superintendent James Bronson welcomed family and friends to the ceremony and congratulated the students and their families.

"You adapted to the changes and persevered in your studies, and you need to be congratulated tonight," Bronson said. "The other group to congratulate is your family and friends; this is a team effort, and you did it with your family, you did it with your friends, and you did it with your classmates so to all of you a heartfelt congratulations."

School Committee Chairman Thomas Mahar addressed the graduates and expressed how excited he was that the graduates will be entering the work field.

"This is an exciting night in so many ways … the graduates worked extremely hard all year to achieve this goal," Mahar said. "We as a community are very fortunate and excited to see what you all have worked toward. … Congratulations and good luck to the class of 2014."

Graduate Shelby Bator studied cosmetology and looks forward to working in a hair studio. She said she enjoyed her experience at McCann.

"It was great, and I loved it," Bator said. "I liked learning all the stuff I learned and being able to get to know my teachers and all of my classmates."

Various scholarships were given to students who excelled in their fields:

• Samantha Bruchbacher received the Adams Mountain Club Scholarship. The award goes to a student from Adams or Cheshire who has shown excellence in their field.

• Jessenya Rodriguez received the Sharon Ferguson Memorial Scholarship for her excellence in dental assisting.

• Stephanie Brazeau was the recipient of the Northern Berkshire & Professional Women’s Margaret E. Lanoue Memorial Scholarship for her excellence in Dental Assisting.

• Katie Stegner was awarded the Jamie Sacchetti Drennan Memorial Scholarship for her excellence in surgical technology.

Graduates who received awards at the SkillsUSA completion were also recognized during the ceremony.

• Megan Thompson received a gold medal in dental assisting and Samantha Bruchbacher, a gold medal in medical assisting

• Caitlyn Elder was awarded a silver medal in dental assisting and Christine Croce, a silver medal in medical assisting.

• Emily Girard received a bronze medal in medical assisting.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

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.