North Adams Schools Open for Business

By Tammy DanielsPrint Story | Email Story
Ashanti Sampson starts school.
NORTH ADAMS - Hundreds of children headed back to city schools on Wednesday - and quite a few parents tagged along. Echoing the more ambitious First Day programs in nearby Bennington, Vt., several schools opened their doors in the morning to encourage parents to join their children in getting acquainted with classrooms and teachers. "We're thrilled with the turnout we had," said Principal Shelley Fachini at Sullivan School. "We expected good turnout in the lower grades but we got a lot of parents in the upper grades who are here, too." The numbers could be seen in the line of cars down Kemp Avenue and in the crowded cafeteria, where children waited for their names to called. Classes gathered together and were led off by their new teachers. "We're going to get to know each other today," Linda O'Connell told her new kindergarten class. Once the children had their coats and backpacks stowed away in their lockers, they sat down with new friends to eat doughnuts and drink apple juice. "She was very nervous," said Kim Butler of daughter McKenzie after leaving her to O'Connell's care. "But I think I'm more excited than she is." In the classroom next door, Ashanti Sampson and Pacey Heller played with small colorful shapes while their mothers, Patricia Heller and Michelle Sampson, chatted about the joys and tribulations of raising children. "This is my good one," joked Heller bouncing Pacey's baby sister Gabriella. "She's always happy and smiling." Brayton Elementary held a similar morning program; Greylock Elementary held an ice cream sundae social last week and Conte Middle School an open house with activities on Tuesday night. Drury High School students were returning to a building being set up for wireless Internet access and a new program designed to encourage the pursuit of higher education. The Massachusetts Campus Compact College Access Corps, funded by a $1 million grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, selected Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts as a host site for a full-time college adviser and liaison who will work with MCLA's partner school - Drury High. "Hopefully, it will make college realizable for more students," said Drury Principal Amy Meehan last week. The district schools are also implementing the software program PowerSchool, which will allow real-time communications between the district schools as well as manage information for schools and parents. For the kids at Sullivan on Tuesday, it was all about getting used to new teachers, classrooms and schedules. "There was a good turnout all over the place, the buildings look good, the weather's beautiful, there are smiles on everyone," said School Superintendent James E. Montepare, checking in at Sullivan. "Everybody's happy to be here." Fachini was pleased as she surveyed a long hallway of classrooms filled with youngsters and parents. "Schools have changed over the years. It has to be a community partnership." Tiffany DiGennaro didn't need an invitation for the first day of school. She's always escorted daughters Shyloe and MacKenzie Gray on opening day to help ease the transition from home to school. Shyloe was in a first-grade classroom, and she had just bid goodbye to MacKenzie in the fourth-grade wing. With her was the girls' dad, Brent Butler, and his sister Kim Butler - all making sure all their children were settled in. "We're a very close family," said DiGennaro. MacKenzie poked her head out to call "I love you, Mom." "I love you, too," her mother responded. "Now get in the classroom." Tammy Daniels can be reached at tdaniels@iberkshires.com
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Clarksburg Applies for Home Rehab Program, Continues Budget Talks

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town is applying with New Ashford for $1.1 million that would allow for 14 homes to be rehabilitated. 
 
Brett Roberts, a senior planner with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, updated the Select Board on Monday about the application for the federal Community Development Block Grant. 
 
"The home rehab program has been going on in Berkshire County for around 15 years," he said. "We do all sorts of housing rehab trying to bring homes up to code. And so we do new roofs, new septic, new wells, lots of new windows, basically anything that a homeowner might need to bring their home up to code."
 
He estimated that there would be about $70,000 available per home to cover 10 homes in Clarksburg and four in New Ashford.
 
The loans would mean a 15-year lien on the property, which would depreciate each year until it falls off. Anyone selling the property before the 15-year term would have to repay the balance at that time. 
 
"This is a really important way to keep low- to moderate-income households in their homes and to stay in community that they love," he said.
 
The board also reviewed budget issues with the Finance Committee. The town budget draft is just under $1.9 million, up about 2.3-2.4 percent. 
 
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