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The Selectmen voice support for Cumberland Farms plans for a convenience store on Commercial Street, hoping a compromise can be reached with the neighbors.

Adams Selectmen Want to Find Compromise With Cumberland Farms

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen say they will continue to support the proposed Cumberland Farms and hope a compromise can be found.
 
At the end of Wednesday night's meeting, Chairman John Duval said the board supports the Commercial Street development because it will represent new growth.
 
"When they came to this board we, as a board, supported it. The town of Adams needs growth and growth comes in several different ways," he said. "This impacts our taxes and we will continue to support this and meet with them. We will find a resolution."
 
Cumberland Farms withdrew its application last week with the Zoning Board of Appeals to build a convenience store/gas station at 95 Commercial St. The company had planned to demolish Al's Service Center at 95 Commercial St. and two other structures that currently sit on the property. 
 
The project met steadfast and vocal opposition from abutters who voiced their concerns over a series of public hearings that ultimately ended with Cumberland Farms withdrawing its application. Company representatives say they will schedule a community meeting to try to work out a solution with the neighborhood.
 
Cumberland Farms has a smaller convenience store farther north on Commercial Street that was built in the 1980s. There are a number of commercial activities on the street, which is Route 8, including two restaurants, a redemption center, liquor store, pub and Aladco. The side streets, however, are heavily residential. 
 
Duval said he understood the concerns but felt a community meeting could yield a compromise of some kind.
 
"I do not dismiss the neighborhood’s concerns and I am sure we would all have the same concerns we just need to work together and try to figure this out," he said. "This is important for this community to grow."
 
Duval reminisced about past projects such as the roundabout and the Berkshire Scenic Railway that at first were met with opposition but eventually have become generally accepted as good things for the community
 
Interim Town Administrator Donna Cesan said the Commercial Street corridor is a focus area and that the town needs to determine what kind of commercial activity it wants to allow.
 
"I am not talking about making it the Route 8 to the north because it is a very neighborhood focused area, but we should still be able to accommodate businesses that have the right character and are the right scale," she said. "Our zoning does not support that now and I think this is something we need to pursue."
 
Duval added that next week there will be a public meeting with the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District Superintendent John Vosburgh and the School Committee to go over the district's statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority statement of Interest. 
 
"I urge residents to attend this meeting and express in the positive or in the negative their views," he said. 
 
The district regularly makes these submissions and the application includes both renovating Hoosac Valley Elementary School and building a new elementary school on the Hoosac Valley High School campus.
 
Duval did ask that residents stay informed and noted a new building may not necessarily reverse enrollment decline in the district.
 
"When we went through the process we built a brand-new school with the best technology and everything was new and the students still all left so when you see that … in the future just remember that was the same stance we made when we did the Hoosac Valley renovation project," he said. "So please educate yourselves and I will be listening to the parents and the townspeople to hear which way the community wants to go."
 
In other business, Cesan said the town is awaiting word from its architect before awarding a bid for the Town Hall roof repair project.
 
Silktown Roofing came in as the high bidder with a base bid of $209,000. Titan Roofing came in as the low bidder with a base bid of $163,000.
 
Cesan recommended going with Titan.
 
"We have worked with them in the past. They did the Memorial Building roof," she said. "We will send a notice out to the contractor and try to get that underway very quickly because winter is coming."
 
Cesan said the town should be able to afford an alternate bid of $47,000 to fix the clock tower. 

Tags: ACRSD,   cumberland farms,   

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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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