image description
The solid waste district commission discusses North Adams and Dalton possibly joining the district at Thursday's meeting.

Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Mulls Possible Expansion

By Jeff SnoonianiBerkshires Correspondent
Print Story | Email Story
ADAMS, Mass. — The solid waste district is hoping for a decision from North Adams, and possibly Dalton, before considering service contracts.
 
The Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management Commission on Thursday discussed the bid process for servicing the district and, with the possibility of North Adams coming on board, Program Coordinator Linda Cernik wants to ensure they use every resource available.
 
"This is a very, very important bid coming up. There can't be any mistakes, any hiccups, nothing. With the possibility of North Adams joining the district, and maybe Dalton, we have to get this right," Cernik said. "We met with Williams College and the four students doing the study (about North Adams joining the district) and they are going to present to the City Council in December."
 
The possible inclusion of North Adams and Dalton would be especially convenient this year as both municipalities' solid waste contracts expire on June 30, the same date as the district's.
 
Although the move is viewed as positive on most fronts, Windsor Selectman and Commissioner Doug Mcnally would like timely decisions from both communities so the solid waste district can move ahead with the bid process.
 
"They are realizing that if they joined us and we all put out one bid we would all probably do better financially. They also understand, we made it very clear to them, don't come to us a month after we've started the budget and say, 'OK,'" he said. "The people in both towns clearly understood that if they didn't give us a lead time to do the whole budgetary process (with two new members), we couldn't do it."
 
The commission's accountant Terry Haig agreed that it was in the best interest of both North Adams and Dalton to decide quickly.
 
"Budget-wise it's very difficult if they join us midstream. We have to budget accordingly for the services that the districts are going to provide," she said. "There's a lot that goes into that and we need as much time as possible. [If they decide late] it could be an accounting nightmare. It's not something you can prorate. It would be nice if we could even get the bids early."
 
Cernik brought in Municipal Assistance Coordinator Veronique Blanchard from the state Department of Environmental Protection to explain how the process has become more complicated.
 
"One of the things we're trying to encourage all municipalities across the state to do is to contract with a consultant to help (put out the request for proposal). It's gotten very complicated," Blanchard said. "If the company you contract with decides to dock you for a certain amount of contamination (unrecyclable materials), you want to know what the process is for having a waste audit, make sure you have a representative there. You want to know the logistics so that you're protected. 
 
"It's a different world right now for recycling and you want to make sure you have this information spelled out ahead of time."
 
After hearing from Blanchard, the commission voted to let Cernik investigate hiring a consultant to help put the request for proposals together.
 
Cernik announced the district received a total of $35,500 among its member towns as part of the commonwealth's Recycling Dividend Program grant program. The program provides money to qualifying municipalities that have implemented specific waste reduction, reuse, and recycling programs.
 
"The district as a whole got an increase. Eight towns got money, including two new ones, Florida and Hancock," she said. "I'm really proud of everybody. It's not only the towns and officials. It's the transfer station attendants, all of the board, and me nagging everyone to do this and do that. We really did a great job this year."
 
RDP money can be used for anything from buying new recycling equipment, procurement of environmentally preferable cleaning supplies, improvements to infrastructure, or even printing promotional materials to encourage waste reduction.
 
Cernik will be undertaking transfer station inspections along with MassDEP soon. Inspections are required every year and are carried out by a third party. She doesn't foresee many issues.
 
"The inspections went really well last year," she said. "We only had minor issues. Make your stations as tidy as possible and we shouldn't have any issues."
 
Cernik will be conducting a waste audit at Hoosac Valley Middle School. The audit basically measures how efficient an entity is in its recycling efforts. She will be including the school's (science, tech, engineering and math) class on her tour. The Leo Club and the Honor Society will be performing waste audits at Youth Center Inc. in Cheshire and Hoosac Valley Elementary as part of a mentoring program.
 
She hopes to attend the MassDEP 2020-2030 Master Plan public comment session in Springfield. Every 10 years, the DEP reassesses its goals for waste management and compiles a new master plan to present to municipalities. Cernik said the district is ahead of the game.
 
"I recommend you take a look at it. It's a lot of things we're already in line with doing. It's constantly a work in progress," she said. "You can't make changes overnight but I think we've done a lot in the last few years."
 
The next meeting of the waste district commission will be on Nov. 14 at the Adams Visitors Center.      
 
 

Tags: NBSWD,   waste district,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

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.
 
View Full Story

More Adams Stories