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Adams' Russell Field Cannot Be Used This Spring

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — Even though the Russell Field renovation project is nearing completion, no one is likely to playing on it until next fall.
 
Steve Skrocki, with the Department of Public Works, told the Parks Commission on Monday that, according to the contractor charged with overhauling the playing fields, the field should not be used this spring and summer.
 
"We are really going to have to think about the usage of fields and the clustering," Chairwoman Cindy Bird said.
 
DPW Director Robert Tober said the contractor has suggested that it not be played on until the fall so the grass has time to settle.
 
Also, there are still questions surrounding the new infield material, and Tober said they will not have a sense of how it will hold up until the late spring.
 
"The final call on that is still due," he said. "We will get a better idea of how the field looks in the late spring."
 
Bird noted this essentially locks softball out of the field and only football will be able to utilize it.
 
Skrocki said if it were up to him, football would not use the field at all.
 
"I don't want them practicing football, and I want to open up a dialogue about that," he said. "For the money we put into that field, football will kill it." 
 
Commissioner Scott Cernik said although he was open to exploring different options, he was under the impression that the field was designed with multi-use in mind.
 
Commissioner James Fassell felt the field should be open to all sports and suggested fencing off a portion for football practice. 
 
Fassell felt the football leagues should be invited to be part of the conversation before any decision is made. 
 
Bird said she would place the item on the agenda for the next meeting. She said she wanted to have the discussion sooner than later with spring field-use requests right around the corner.
 
If they decided against using the field, she said, the commission has to find new options for youth football.
 
This also goes for softball. Bird said the Lassie League will have to find a new facility.
 
She said the high school campus may be an option with interscholastic sports likely to be canceled because of the pandemic.
 
Tober added that this has to be kept in mind for all future facility-use requests. He said if public health data is not favorable, there may not be a spring sports season and that softball could very well be played in the fall.
 
"The backdrop to all this is that we don't know where we are going to be with this pandemic," he said. "... I think it is important that we get all of our ducks in a row." 
 
In other business, the commission discussed the project in general. Tober said the exercise equipment has been partially installed and work continues on the pickleball courts.
 
"There is a bit more to do," he said. 
 
The commission discussed a new scoreboard on the field and Skrocki suggested that the town purchase a new one.
 
"We can't get a new controller because of its age. The company is out of business," he said. "I think the only option is to buy a new one."
 
He said the current board is more than 15 years old, and a new board would run around $4,000.
 
He said they also want to prepare the field for new LED lighting. He said this is also likely to cost around $4,000. He felt lighting was a higher priority than a new score board.
 
"The field should have lights," Skrocki said. "It has always had lights."

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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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