About three dozen children and teens ranging in age from 5 to 19 participate in the Saturday morning league.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Gary Superneau Youth Bowling League is still going strong and has a new partnership that opens it up to more families.
League organizer Brent Lefebvre said because of the new financial partnership with MountainOne, the longtime youth bowling league will be able to teach more children how to bowl.
"The youth bowling league has been around for a very long time. I bowled in it when I was a youth and it was around before I came along," Lefebvre said. "This partnership will help us grow the sport of bowling by providing opportunities for children to bowl who normally would not be able to due to financial strain."
The league has been around for some time now and was renamed this year in memory of local bowling legend and champion of youth bowling Gary Superneau, who passed in 2016. Superneau and his father had managed and owned the bowling alley for many years.
The group meets up Saturday mornings at Greylock Bowl & Golf where U.S. Bowling Congress registered and certified coaches are available to guide the youngsters.
"The mission of our league is to provide a safe and fun environment for the youth of our community to learn the sport of bowling," he said. "Children in the league will learn sportsmanship, teamwork, perseverance, and many other important skills useful in everyday life."
Lefebvre said there are 35 kids currently in the league and ages range from 5 to 19. The league is split into a peewee division and a junior/senior division.
"This is where they learn the fundamentals of bowling, proper form and technique, and the general rules of bowling," he said. "As the kids move up in age and skill, they move to the junior/senior division."
Lefebvre said once in the upper division, they learn more advanced skills.
"This is where, with the help of our coaches, they will hone their skills and learn the more advanced techniques of bowling," he said. "Things like how to use a reactive ball, how to read the lanes and where to throw the ball depending on what the oil pattern is doing."
Lefebvre said there is a cost to the bowling program and now that the MountainOne financial services firm is offering financial aid to families, the cost of the program can be offset, and more children can learn how to bowl properly.
Bowling is different than other sports and the young bowlers are learning something they will be able to enjoy for the rest of their lives, he said.
"It's a lifelong sport. Similar to golf in the fact that it's something you can do at age 5 as well as age 70," he said. "It's not a high-impact sport so the wear and tear on your body is much less than that of football or basketball. Bowling requires hand-eye coordination, timing, balance and a large amount of focus."
Signups for the league were earlier this summer but anyone interested in participating can contact the league through its Facebook page here.
Disclosure: Greylock Bowl & Golf is owned by iBerkshires.com Publisher Osmin Alvarez.
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NAHA Board Accepts Director's Resignation, Unlocks Tenants Association Office
By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office.
The board held a special meeting Thursday to vote to accept Hohn's resignation and determined that there are currently no plans to replace her.
"We didn't make any final determinations in terms of the executive session so we will schedule another meeting at another time," Chairwoman Leigh Uqdah said after returning from more than an hour session. "Day-to-day operations will continue to be managed as normal by staff."
Per their bylaws, board member Marie Harpin will continue to handle finances, and Uqdah will manage contracts.
Hohn stepped down on Oct. 8 after 24 years leading the agency. Her resignation followed rising tension between her and the NAHA Tenants Association, culminating in the scheduling of a formal grievance hearing between both parties.
The boiling point was the locking of the association's office this summer. Tenants alleged the lockout was retaliation for posting a video on social media depicting improperly functioning door alarms. Hohn claimed the office was locked for tenant safety and to stop the spread of misinformation.
Tenants Association President Corey Fortin asked if Hohn's security access had been removed. Uqdah confirmed her credentials were revoked the day she resigned, meaning she can no longer monitor security cameras remotely.
Jennifer Barbeau, a former city councilor who was liaison to the Housing Authority, asked when the board met to discuss Hohn's severance package. Uqdah stated that Hohn did not have one.
The board also accepted the resignation of Commissioner Richard Lavigne, though they will vote officially on the matter at their next meeting.
The open portion of the meeting was brief, with nearly an hour and a half spent in executive session. Before entering executive session, the board opened the floor to tenants.
"The tenants requested an opportunity to talk to the board," said Uqdah. "It has been quite a while, but we have decided to honor that."
Fortin, who posted the original video to social media, was the first to speak. He was clear in his request: unlock the office door.
"Let's cut straight to the chase tonight. The former resigned Director Jennifer Hohn ordered the office locked," he alleged. "She is gone. The lockout is a direct violation, and the board has a duty to end that tonight."
He cited federal and state laws that mandate the tenants association be provided with office space, including computer and network access.
"We are here with a direct administrative demand. We demand that the board vote tonight to unlock the doors," he said. "Do not let a resigned director's illegal action remain the board's ongoing liability. Open our door tonight, and let us get back to work."
The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office. click for more
That was the list of grievances that current and former tenants of the North Adams Housing Authority's high rise laid before the City Council on Tuesday.
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