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McCann to Hold Virtual Open House for Prospective Students

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — McCann Technical School's eighth-grade Showcase for Success will be held virtually this year and potential students will be invited to the "premiere."
 
Principal Justin Kratz told the School Committee last Thursday that instead of inviting area eighth-graders to the school for the annual showcase and look at after-school programming, the school's recruitment efforts will be virtual.
 
"It is not our ideal situation. We would like to have students here," Kratz said. "But I think this will be a good night and a good event."
 
This decision to go virtual was made because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, eighth-graders are invited to the annual open house to tour the building, see demonstrations in the various shops and labs, and speak with the high school's students and teachers about the programs in the regional vocational school district.
 
Instead, Kratz said students will be shown short clips from each shop and different classrooms.
 
"We will send invitations that look like movie tickets saying come check out the premiere of our movie featuring all of our shop programs to give the kids an overview," he said.
 
Kratz said there will be a question-and-answer period after the showing scheduled for Feb. 24.
 
Before Kratz gave his report, the School Committee accepted a Student Opportunity Act Plan that outlined what the school planned to do with increased state Chapter 70 education funding.
 
"We kind of ran into a bit of a mix here," Superintendent James Brosnan said.
 
The state's Student Opportunity Act (SOA) was put forth to restructure education funding. Brosnan said the due date for school plans on the use of this funding has changed throughout the pandemic but is now due. McCann's plan will focus funds toward high-needs students and reducing class sizes. 
 
"I am sure we will get another chance when the numbers kind of roll out in fiscal year '22 to all go back to the drawing board," he said.
 
The current plan is a two-year plan. 
 
The School Committee also approved a memorandum of agreement with the teachers union. 
 
"Obviously we are in January and obviously our teachers started working under the guidelines that are here before you tonight," Kratz said. "They have not missed a beat since September, and this is the final agreement."
 
The School Committee voted to reject school choice, as it does every year. 

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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