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The casket of Officer Billy Evans is brought into St. Stanislaus Church.
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Officer William Evans Laid to Rest in Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — U.S. Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans was brought to his final resting place Thursday afternoon after the Northern Berkshire community paid their final respects.
 
Evans' funeral Mass was held at noon at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and officiated by Bishop William D. Byrne of the Springfield Diocese. Byrne had previously been pastor at St. Peter's Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
 
The funeral was private with family and friends, and a long list of public officials including Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, U.S. Rep. Richie Neal, state Sen. Adam Hinds, state Reps. John Barrett III and William "Smitty" Pignatelli, North Adams Mayor Thomas Bernard and City Councilors Lisa Blackmer and Jason Laforest and Adams officials.
 
A contingent from the Capitol Police were also in attendance along with local, state, and regional law enforcement, including Adams Police Chief Scott Kelley, North Adams Police Chief Jason Wood, and Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn.
 
The town of Adams closed off portions of Hoosac Street and Summer Street to accommodate the funeral. The town stressed that the day's proceedings were private, but did invite community members to gather on Park Stret to pay their respects as the motorcade made its way to Bellevue Cemetery to bury Evans. Evans' father, the late Howard Evans, is buried in Bellevue Cemetery. 
 
Bellevue Cemetery was locked down once the motorcade entered.
 
Evans, a member of the U.S. Capitol Police, was killed on Friday, April 2, when a driver slammed his car into a checkpoint he was guarding at the Capitol.
 
Evans was raised in North Adams and Clarksburg and was a graduate of Drury High School. He served with the U.S. Capitol Police since 2003 and was a member of the Capitol Division's First Responder's unit.
 
His mother, Janice Evans, still lives in Clarksburg. He also leaves his wife, Shannon, and two young children Logan and Abigail; his sister and brother-in-law, Julie and Andrew Kucyn, and a nephew, Timothy.
 
He lay in honor Tuesday in the Capitol Rotunda, where President Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Charles Schumer spoke.
 
His remains were returned Wednesday and escorted by dozens of police vehicles -- local and regional -- from Bradley International Airport in Connecticut to Adams. The procession was meet along the way with salutes and flags and greeted in North Adams by residents who tood along the streets with flags and signs.
 
As the hearse and escort turned down Main Street, the large crowd that had been waiting for more than an hour fell silent in respect. North Adams and Clarksburg fire trucks lined one side of the street with firefighters at attention, along with Northern Berkshire EMS.
 
The weather was drastically different on Thursday as a cold rain fell. Still, Park Street was lined with people holding flags as the procession made its way to Evans final resting place in Bellevue.

 

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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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