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The program brings girls together for mountain biking rides through the Pittsfield State Forest.

Little Bellas Mentors Young Girls Through Mountain Biking

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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The program was so well liked in the first year that nearly all of the girls returned.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There is nothing else Mary Parkman would want to do instead of going mountain biking with her friends.
 
It gives her confidence, camaraderie, and is a lot of fun. Now she is passing on what has been such a big part of her life to young girls. Parkman runs Little Bellas summer camp. The weeklong program connects young girls with mentors, and together they mountain bike. 
 
"It has been a big part of my life and my friendships. And we're passing it on to the girls," Parkman said.
 
The program started last year as a local chapter of the national Little Bellas organization. The goal is not to just show the girls how to ride, though it does do that, but also builds confidence in themselves and friendships with other girls interested in the male-dominated sport. 
 
The program promotes teamwork, goal-setting, and healthy living, all through mountain biking.
 
"The main goal is to have fun. But also build confidence," Parkman said.
 
She added that going into the camp, most of the girls don't know each other and throughout the week are able to form a bond with others. The girl's age from 8 to 11 and are spending a half day this week learning the basics like the names of the various bike parts to how to shift, to group rides through the Pittsfield State Forest. Parkman said the skill levels range too — not all are beginners.
 
Only in its second year, the local Little Bellas program has been creating a buzz. In its inaugural year, eight girls enrolled in the camp and nearly all of them returned for this year. Now the class is up 16, and Parkman said many of those girls are already talking about coming back next year.
 
"We have almost all of the girls from last year back and we added nine more," said Mary Parkman, who formed the chapter last year. "I think it speaks to how much fun the program is."
 
The original Little Bellas started in Jericho, Vt., in 2007. Lea and Sabra Davison had both gotten into biking and began entering national series. But when they looked down the starting lines, they noticed there were few women in the sport. 
 
At Middlebury (Vt.) College, the two teamed up with Angela Irvine to start what is known as the Little Bellas program. For 12 Sundays through the summer of 2007, mentors ran sessions teaching the sport to young women. The first year wasn't well attended, but once word had gotten out, more than 40 girls signed up the following year.
 
Since then the program has been expanding and charters have been starting up in various places throughout the country. The girls spend the week together with mentors building their skills, biking the local trail networks and participating in games.
 

Little Bellas will next be offering two free sessions at Springside Park.
Parkman had heard about the program after seeing a feature video about it.
 
"I just thought it was the coolest thing to see the young girls on bikes," Parkman said.
 
She began talking to a friend who was working for the national program about starting a local chapter. The criteria for having a charter here was interested girls, mentors, and a good trail network. The Berkshires checked all of the boxes.
 
"We have all of that here in the Berkshires," Parkman said. 
 
They began recruiting mentors and girls for it. And then they scouted for trails throughout the county — settling on the one at the Pittsfield State Forest to be the location. Parkman and her team, Marta Kirsis, Alison McGee, Sue Sacco, and Alexa Wilson teach the girls every morning during the week. 
 
Local business, Berkshire Bike and Board and Plaine's Ski Bike Snowboard, both joined in to support the effort.
 
And there is more to come. Parkman said the program is looking to expand. On Aug. 27 and on Oct. 1, both Sundays, the group will be providing free "give it a whirl" sessions at Springside Park. They hope they'll find more girls interested, some who may be unsure about it right now.
 
The organization is also considering adding a second program which would be one day a week for eight weeks. 
 
"We are looking to expand the program offerings so it is available for more girls," Parkman said.

Tags: biking,   youth programs,   

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North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
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