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The study area is bounded by Summer Street, Center Street, Park Street, and Hoosac Street.

Public Input Session Set For Adams Local Rapid Recovery Plan

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ADAMS, Mass. — Adams residents and business owners are invited to share their thoughts on potential projects designed to help the Adams economy recover from the pandemic while building a foundation for future growth.
 
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC)  scheduled a Public Input Session to discuss the Local Rapid Recovery Plan (LRRP) to be held July 15  in the Select Board Meeting Room at 7:00 PM in the Adams Town Hall.
 
"All the civic groups are excited and looking forward to working together on these projects," Stephen Stenson, a member of the group spearheading the project said. "We always wanted as many of the community to get involved to re-build the community spirit after the effects of the pandemic."
 
In March, Downtown Adams received the LRRP grant from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development to create an implementation plan to stabilize and revitalize the downtown area.
 
The study area is bounded by Summer Street, Center Street, Park Street, and Hoosac Street.
 
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will utilize the $60,000 grant to develop a report identifying several projects that can respond to the effects of COVID-19 on the local community and business.
 
Downtown Adams has partnered with ProAdams and the town to develop a list of fourteen recommended projects
 
The purpose of this meeting, which BRPC will facilitate, is to seek additional input on projects that are being considered.
 
From an initial list of over 60 projects, BRPC will present at the public meeting, the list of 14 recommended projects to be considered in this final phase. The selected projects will be developed in greater detail over the next two months. 
 
"We encourage the residents of Adams and businesses to become involved in the selection process," the group stated in a press release. "Our goal is to bring the community together, share ideas, and work together to recover from the effects of the pandemic in the past year."
 
A final presentation will be made at the end of August with the recommendations to be implemented in the latter part of 2021 and early 2022.
 
This is the second public meeting for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) LRRP grant program awarded to Adams in March of this year. 
 

Tags: downtown,   public forum,   

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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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