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Sgt. James Burdick looks through a box of valentines from the children at Colegrove Park Elementary School.
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Colegrove Park Classes Write Valentines for First-Responders

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Colegrove Park Elementary School children spent part of last week creating some big, colorful Valentine's Day cards.

Not for their families or classmates but to show their appreciation for the city's first-responders.

On Tuesday morning, three student representatives — Tyler Haskins, Nick Sacco and Stephen Cornell — and retired teacher Anna Saldo Burke delivered boxes of valentines to the police, firefighters and ambulance service.

"It's to thank the North Adams Police, and the firefighters and EMTs for their service to the city," said Nick, as the group waited for Sgt. James Burdick to accept the box of cards for a photograph.

"They've put some very nice drawings inside and we really appreciate that they have respect for the job we do," Burdick said in thanking the children. "It's a tough job to do and we appreciate they took time out of their day to make these for us."

The three boys, all sixth-graders at Colegrove, also delivered boxes to the Fire Station, where they received some firefighting swag like pencils, and to the North Adams Ambulance Service, where they scored some "poop" emoji goodies.



Saldo Burke called the boys her three Musketeers, whom she had had in her third-grade class at the former Sullivan School. They'd been involved in some of her other community projects, which have included the Hearts for Heroes cards to servicemen and women, Christmas decorations for the Soldiers Home in Holyoke and the annual Memorial Day event at the school.

"[Grades 6/7 teacher] Wendy Nelson said they were always looking at ways to involve them in the community and to show empathy, especially at this developing age level," said Saldo Burke. "And this is sort of something I've done for years ... I asked them if they were interested because I've done the Hearts for Heroes project for troops and they said absolutely and we made it happen."

She and the boys said the other grades were excited last week in creating the valentines, making sure there was one for every member of the two departments and the ambulance service. Students in fifth-grade did some 50 valentines for the ambulance; sixth-graders made cards for the Fire Department and seventh grade made the ones for the Police Department.

Saldo Burke wrote a personal letter each to Fire Director Stephen Meranti, Police Director Michael Cozzaglio and ambulance General Manager John Meaney Jr. explaining the project and thanking them.

The cards said it all: "Thank you for protecting our city/thank you for keeping us safe."


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Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town will see a three-way race for a seat on the Select Board in May. 
 
Colton Andrews, Seth Alexander and Bryana Malloy returned papers by Wednesday's deadline to run for the three-year term vacated by Jeffrey Levanos. 
 
Andrews ran unsuccessfully for School Committee and is former chairman of the North Adams Housing Authority, on which he was a union representative. He is also president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council.
 
Malloy and Alexander are both newcomers to campaigning. Malloy is manager of industrial relations for the Berkshire Workforce Board and Alexander is a resident of Gates Avenue. 
 
Alexander also returned papers for several other offices, including School Committee, moderator, library trustee and the five-year seat on the Planning Board. He took out papers for War Memorial trustee and tree warden but did not return them and withdrew a run for Board of Health. 
 
He will face off in the three-year School Committee seat against incumbent Cynthia Brule, who is running for her third term, and fellow newcomer Bonnie Cunningham for library trustee. 
 
Incumbent Ronald Boucher took out papers for a one-year term as moderator but did not return them. He was appointed by affirmation in 2021 when no won ran and accepted the post again last year as a write-in.
 
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