NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Colegrove Park Elementary School pupils were released early on Thursday after the report of gas smell in the kitchen turned up a different problem in the hot water system.
The school was evacuated for a gas smell then dismissed for a hot water problem.
Fire Chief Stephen Meranti said the report of the smell came in before school started so students were gathered on arrival and evacuated to the nearby First Baptist Church.
"The alarm came in before the kids were at school so I believe the kids never entered the building," Meranti said. "They assembled the kids outside and we redirected them to their normal evacuation site.
"We called in Berkshire Gas to try to locate the issue -- that it was definitely that appliance -- and in looking for that problem, that issue, they found another issue with the gas hot water heater. So the reason why it's taking so long to them get back here, we wanted to make sure that they had hot water before."
The report came in at 8:14 and the school was deemed safe by about 9:40 a.m. but when it appeared the hot water heater couldn't be fixed immediately, school officials decided to call it a half-day and send the children home.
All of the children were escorted back to the school for an assembly and to wait for dismissal at 11:30.
The prekindergarten class was shuttled to and from the church. When they were sent out to board the bus from the church, they were greeted by local officers and state police troopers who high-fived them.
The older classes trooped up the hill where Principal Amy Meehan waited to tell them they were doing a good job.
The last time the school was fully evacuated was in 2008 when student at what was then Conte Middle School spilled mercury to get a day off. The building was closed three days to be decontaminated.
Thursday's evacuation response included Police Chief Michael Cozzaglio and North Adams police officers, personnel from Northern Berkshire EMS, the Fire Department, school safety personnel, and state police troopers.
North Church Street was closed twice to allow the children to cross.
"It's a nice day. It was good practice," said Meranti. "Everything went well."
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Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
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