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Adams May Make Improvements to Renfrew Field

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Parks Commission will pursue a soil test in hopes of improving the infield at Renfrew Field.
 
The board received a $400 donation Monday from the Berkshire Adult Baseball League that recently used the field.
 
"Donations like this do help out and give us the ability to buy little things here and there that the parks need without going to the DPW for specific funding," Chairman Scott Cernik said. "Donations like this are massive."  
 
Commissioner James Fassell suggested putting the money right back into the field and improve drainage issues.
 
"I want to put this right back into Renfrew ... let's put this right back into the field they use," he said. "We should do it now and I don't want to continue to sit on the money."
 
Counting past donations, the commission has nearly $1,000, Fassell said, he wants to use it for a soil test on the infield.
 
The testing would determine the material that's on the infield now. The condition of the fields had come up at meetings last year.
 
He suggested starting the process immediately because he did not want to delay the project any longer.
 
"Let's get this going and do it right now ... I just worry about the time table because if we continue this way it will be 2020," he said. "We may find out by then the league is gone and we will be fixing a field that does not need to be fixed. I think we need to respond sooner."
 
Fassell motioned to start the project immediately and although he was able to gain the support of Commissioner Jason Sniezek, Commissioners Todd Shafer and Cernik asked to wait a month before allocating any money.
 
Shafer said he wanted more information before voting, especially if the testing can get done for free.
 
"I think we all agree that we want to get the soil tested but what particulars are we voting on here?" he said. "If we just vote on the doing a soil test then it just kind of floats in the wind. We need to take some steps first." 
 
The commission agreed to wait a month and contact the Department of Public Works director and figure out what options the commission has and how much it will cost. The town's fiscal 2018 budget had included a capital line item for $13,000 for equipment and soil testing for Renfrew Field.

Tags: parks commission,   sports fields,   

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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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