NBCC's UNITY Program Announces 2014-15 Teen Programs

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The UNITY Program of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition is pleased to announce their 2014-15 youth development programs.

UNITY’s popular and long-running Youth Leadership Program and Teen Writing Workshop will again be offered and facilitated by new staff, MCLA alumni Jessica Sweeney, and more recent MCLA graduate Adam Tobin. UNITY staff will be at high school lunches to meet students and share program information according to the following schedule: Mount Greylock, Sept. 23; McCann, Sept. 25; Drury, Sept. 26; and BArT, Sept. 30.

The Youth Leadership Program engages teenagers in developing leadership skills through creative, youth-led community service projects. Activities that address communication skills, diversity, decision-making, and teambuilding are also central to the program. Participants can expect to make new friends in a fun, supportive environment. The group meets Tuesdays from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m., beginning Oct. 14.

Teen Writing Workshop brings together young writers of all levels and genres to develop their creative work with the guidance of two professional writers. In addition to participating in weekly writing sessions, students have the opportunity to publish in UNITY’s student journal and share their work in public readings. TWW meets on Tuesdays from 4:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., beginning Oct. 21 and running through the end of March.


UNITY will once again co-coordinate the spring 411 in the 413 Youth Conference for Berkshire County teens, along with the Pittsfield Prevention Partnership and Railroad Street Youth Project.

UNITY will be working with MCLA interns and the MCLA Outdoors Club to offer monthly hikes for teenagers and college students. Additionally, the new UNITY staff hopes to connect teenagers to trainings, events and workshops in the Berkshire County art community.  If your business or facility has opportunities for teenagers to build their skills in the outdoors or the arts, please contact nbCC.

All UNITY programs are free and open to young people ages 14-19 who attend school or live in northern Berkshire County. They are held at the nbCC Conference Room at 61 Main St., North Adams, unless otherwise indicated. Transportation is available upon request. For more information, contact Adam Tobin or Jessica Sweeney, UNITY Program Associates at 413-663-7588 or Atobin@nbccoalition.org, Jsweeney@nbccoalition.org or visit nbccoalition.org/programs.

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Pittsfield Subcommittee Supports Election Pay, Veterans Parking, Wetland Ordinances

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee on Monday unanimously supported a pay raise for election workers, free downtown parking for veterans, and safeguards to better protect wetlands.

Workers will have a $5 bump in hourly pay for municipal, state and federal elections, rising from $10 an hour to $15 for inspectors, $11 to $16 for clerks, and $12 to $17 for wardens.

"This has not been increased in well over a decade," City Clerk Michele Benjamin told the subcommittee, saying the rate has been the same throughout the past 14 years she has been in the office.

She originally proposed raises to $13, $14 and $15 per hour, respectively, but after researching other communities, landed on the numbers that she believes the workers "wholeheartedly deserve."

Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso agreed.

"I see over decades some of the same people and obviously they're not doing it for the money," she said. "So I appreciate you looking at this and saying this is important even though I still think it's a low wage but at least it's making some adjustments."

The city has 14 wardens, 14 clerks, and 56 inspectors. This will add about $3,500 to the departmental budget for the local election and about $5,900 for state elections because they start an hour earlier and sometimes take more time because of absentee ballots.

Workers are estimated to work 13 hours for local elections and 14 hours for state and federal elections.

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