Adams Police Foresees Full Staffing, Adds North Adams Officer

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Police Chief Richard Tarsa informed the board that the police force should be fully staffed by next month.

ADAMS, Mass. – The Police Department may have a full staff by next month.

Police Chief Richard Tarsa asked the Selectmen on Wednesday night to allow the transfer of North Adams Police Officer Gregory Onorato.

Tarsa said Onorato has been a full-time officer in North Adams for almost five years and took interest in an open position left by a resignation because he has moved to Adams with his wife.

Tarsa said Onorato is known for his involvement in the North Adams community and will be a good addition to the Adams Police Department.

"Officer Onorato is very community orientated, and he does a lot of activities with youth organizations currently in North Adams," Tarsa said.

Onorato was honored at a City Council meeting last year for his courage and poise in dealing with a fight outside a local bar and the mob that gathered.

Tarsa added he will also save the town nearly $20,000 since he has already gone through the academy.

In the past year, many officers had to work overtime to fill in the void left by a partially staffed department, he said.

"For the past year the department has been down, at one point or the other, four officers," Tarsa said. "Just the resignation alone created such a void that I had to shuffle manpower around to other shifts in order to accommodate part of it."

Tarsa said with the resignation, two officers are still in the academy and three were injured in the line of duty this year.

After picking up Onorato and the two officers who will graduate from the academy, the department will be at full staff by next month.

Tarsa said much of this staffing problem comes from Civil Service requirements from the state such as residency.

"It is very frustrating to have your hands tied by an organization that operates at the other end of the state that does not know what our needs are or abilities are far as staffing goes," he said.

Tarsa said he had to turn down 11 potential officers this year because of Civil Service and residency requirements.

The board ratified Onorato pending a physical and clearing all Civil Service requirements. He is scheduled to start Jan. 12.

In other business, the board also approved no-parking signs on the north and south side of Thompson Street.

Tarsa said there used to be signs there and asked that the town write it into the traffic regulations.

"It's a small little hill. It's not very big at all," Tarsa said. "It is at the right angle where cars coming in opposite directions have to come into the opposite lane and if you can't see what is coming over the crest of the hill you, are going to have ahead on."

Tarsa said the idea was brought to the Traffic Commission with a petition with signatures form 98 percent of the area's residents.

Chairman Arthur "Skip" Harrington also responded to the Adams Free Library's revoking of its service/animal policy because of public outcry.

He said town counsel is now working on a policy for all town-owned properties that is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.

"We are on top of it now," Harrington said. "We did not know anything about that policy that was put in over there until it was in the news."


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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."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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