BFAIR Annual Meeting to Feature Self-Advocate With Down Syndrome

Print Story | Email Story

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Berkshire Family and Individual Resources will host its annual meeting on Friday, April 17, at the Williams Inn.  

The breakfast, set to begin at 7:30 a.m., will include the presentation of several awards for employee recognition, as well as the recognition of the community employer of the year.  Additionally, the chairman of the board will offer remarks on the organization’s continued success and growth through 2014.

The keynote address at the meeting will be offered by John Anton. Anton is a young man with down syndrome who is a self-advocate and a legislative specialist with the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress.  In 2013, he was able to live out a lifelong dream, advocating for disability policy at the highest level of government, when he interned for U.S. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington.  


Anton's address for the April event is titled “My Journey to Independence.” In addition to the keynote address at the breakfast, he will facilitate an additional breakout session from 10 a.m. to noon, also at the Williams Inn, that will focus on self-determination and legislative advocacy.  Service providers and community members are encouraged to attend.

Celebrating 20 years of serving people with disabilities throughout the Berkshires, BFAIR has worked diligently to offer positive and successful programming, while continuing to seek to cultivate donors. This past year’s programmatic successes accompanied a financially successful miniature golf tournament and annual campaign. The annual campaign was supported by friends, family members of individuals with disabilities, employees and the greater community to the sum of just over $17,000.

To attend the annual meeting and/or the breakout session, RSVP by April 10 to Carol Fox at 413-664-9382, ext. 40, or cfox@bfair.org.  A suggested donation of $10 may be made at the door.


Tags: BFAIR,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories