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Town Clerk Haley Meczywor swears in new Police Officer Natasha Antona on Wednesday. Antona interned at the police station and became a reserve officer in February.

Adams Appoints Two New Police Officers

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen have ratified the appointment of a full-time police officer and a new reserve officer.
 
Police Chief Richard Tarsa asked the board Wednesday to promote reserve Police Officer Natasha Antona to full time and bring on Dylan Vandoloski as a reserve.
 
"As Yogi Berra once said: it is déjà vu all over again," Tarsa said. "A few months ago I came before the board asking for this reserve officer appointment and I am very proud and happy to be before the board asking to take it to the next step."
 
The department has been struggling to fill its ranks over the past few years because of the limitations of using Civil Service, which requires using candidates from the state exam list. The town dissolved its adoption of the Civil Service law last year and, since then, Tarsa has been filling out the department.
 
Tarsa said Antona interned with the department while studying English at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and found herself very interested in criminal justice. Tarsa said she went on to study criminal justice and was appointed as a reserve officer in February.
 
"She has the praise of her colleagues and as well as mine and I think she has made tremendous progress to get us to this point this evening," he said. 
 
Selectman Joseph Nowak said he was happy to see the department continue to diversify.
 
"I am very happy we have another woman on the force," he said. "I think it is a complement to the force."
 
Tarsa said Antona will start July 1 and attend the full-time academy in October.
 
The board then ratified Vandoloski, who Tarsa said is currently a part-time officer in Cheshire.
 
"He is a mechanic, but he has a passion for law enforcement and he wants to come here to Adams," he said. "He is an advocate for community policing and wants to give back to the community ... I think he will be a great addition to the department and the community."
 
Interim Town Administrator Donna Cesan, who was part of the interview process for both officers, said it was encouraging to meet two young people excited to work in town. 
 
"One of the pleasures of being the interim town administrator is to meet young people that are starting their careers here," she said. "It is great to see how excited they are not only to work in Adams but to be part of the community."
 
Tarsa said in the coming months he plans to bring more reserve officers before the board. 
 
"I have talked about this before putting a reserve team together, so we can promote our department," he said. "Dylan is our latest addition and I am very happy to say that we have others waiting in the wings."
 
In other business, Selectwoman Christine Hoyt gave a report on a recent personnel subcommittee meeting that discussed the status of the town administrator search process.
 
"We did talk about looking at the possibility of hiring a consultant and getting some people here to look at this," Hoyt said.
 
Since the departure of Tony Mazzucco last year, the town has been going through a search process while Cesan filled in during the interim. Recently Hoyt announced that the search committee could not bring forward three qualified candidates for final interviews with the Selectmen.
 
One of the concerns was the salary level being offered and town meeting earlier this approved a higher range to attract more candidates.
 
The screening committee has been temporarily disbanded but the town looks to pick up the search effort again in the coming months.

Tags: Adams Police,   

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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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