Drury Students to Present Comedy to Grade-Schoolers

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — On Feb. 15, the K-5 students in the North Adams School district will be entertained by Drury High School's comedy troupe for an interactive assembly program titled "Stand-up for Comedy."

Thanks to the initial support of Superintendent Dr. Barbara Malkas and Principal Tim Callahan, this comedy initiative will host its inaugural journey within the North Adams School community.

This C.A.S.T. (comedic arts service troupe) is an outgrowth of Drury Stage Company, the theater program that its director, Kate Caton, has spearheaded since 2013. This groundbreaking ensemble is designed for a two- fold purpose: first, a reach out to our elementary school population, utilizing theater arts as both an educational tool for growth, and second, as a service troupe for the wider community.

"Humor builds a learning relationship through the joyful blending of both the mind and the heart. Humor is known to reduce stress and tension in the classroom, improves retention of information, and promotes creative understanding," Caton said.  

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.