Dr. William Kober earns family physician honor

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Dr. William H. Kober, MD
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - William H. Kober, MD, FAAFP, of Williamstown has achieved the Degree of Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the national medical association representing nearly 94,600 family physicians, residents, and medical students. The degree was conferred on more than 240 family physicians during a convocation on Saturday, Oct. 17, in conjunction with the AAFP’s annual meeting in Boston.

Dr. Kober, a board-certified Family Practice physician, is medical director of Northern Berkshire Family Medicine at 820 State Road in North Adams, part of Northern Berkshire Healthcare Physicians Group. He has practiced in North Berkshire since 1994 when Northern Berkshire Family Practice was established. He earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and served his internship and residency at University of Connecticut Affiliated Hospitals at St. Francis Medical Center in Hartford, CT.

Criteria for receiving the AAFP Degree of Fellow consist of a minimum of six years of membership in the organization, extensive continuing medical education, participation in public service programs outside medical practice, conducting original research, and serving as a teacher in family medicine. Dr. Kober has been a community faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine at UMass Medical School since 1995.

Established in 1971, the AAFP Degree of Fellow recognizes family physicians who have distinguished themselves through service to family medicine and ongoing professional development.  This year’s fellowship class brings the total number of AAFP Fellows to more than 29,000 nationwide. AAFP Fellowship entitles the physician to use the honorary designation, “Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians,” or “FAAFP.”

The AAFP was the first national medical specialty organization to require its members to complete a minimum of 150 hours of accredited continuing medical education every three years.
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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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