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MCLA's Sam Gomez 5K Continues as Virtual Event

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MCLA’s Student Government Association will host the first-ever Virtual Sam Gomez Road Race from 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 30 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 3.
 
The race will begin in conjunction with MCLA's virtual Take Back the Night event on April 30 to stand against sexual assault, harassment, and domestic violence and to continue to support the Elizabeth Freeman Center.
 
Participants are not required to register. Simply run or walk a 5K of your choice the weekend of May 1 and submit a photo of yourself on the run to sga@mcla.edu to receive an e-certificate to commemorate your race. You can also post your photo on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #virtualsamgomez. Additional donations to the Elizabeth Freeman Center will also be encouraged through SGA’s donation page.
 
More information is available at mcla.edu/samgomez.
 
The Sam Gomez Road Race is one of the oldest races in Berkshire County and has been a successful North Adams tradition for 41 years, thanks to the generosity of our loyal sponsors and the support of the local running community.
 
The organizations sponsoring this year’s race are:
 
♦ Gold: Donovan O'Connor & Dodig, LLP
♦ Silver: Adams Community Bank; Bright Ideas Brewing; rk Miles; Sawyer, LLC
♦ Bronze: Beck’s Printing Company, Inc.; Countryside Landscape Services; Gajda, Arnold & McConnell PC; Liberty Mutual; LOK, Inc. D/B/A Angelina's Sub Shop; Mount Williams Greenhouses Inc.; Peter Jones Trophies; Souliere & Zepka Construction, Inc.; Wild Oats Market
♦ Other Sponsors: H.A. George & Sons Fuel Corp
 
Sam Gomez was a professor at MCLA (then North Adams State College) and founded the school’s cross country team. He believed in the importance of the relationship between the local community and MCLA.
 
In honor of Gomez and his legacy of giving back to the Berkshire community, each year SGA selects a Berkshire County charity to receive the proceeds from the race bearing Gomez’ name. With the help of local sponsors, SGA has raised more than $27,000 for Berkshire-based organizations over the last 16 years.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

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. 
 
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