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Selectman candidate Donald Sommer hopes to right the select board with past experience.

Sommer Wants to Bring Experience to Adams Selectmen

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — Selectman candidate Donald Sommer hopes to right the select board with past experience. 
 
"I have a great deal of experience, and I think that is very important  but successful experience should be mandated," Sommer said. "I think my background shows that I have successful experience in every board or commission that I have been on." 
 
He is one of three candidates vying for two three-year seats in the Board of Selectmen in the Monday, May 3, election; the other two are incumbent John Duval and newcomer Howard Rosenberg.
 
Sommer served as a selectman from 2007 to 2010 and before that was a member of the School Committee and the Redevelopment Authority. He ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2019.
 
A business owner, he is involved with the Haflinger Haus Restaurant and Inn, the Greylock Apartments, and the Sommer Center for Music and Art 
 
Sommer said he decided to run again because he does not think the current board has delivered. 
 
"I don't think the board has moved fast or efficiently enough to get the town back economically and to be a pleasant place to live," he said. "Downtown has been stagnant for years and we haven't seen any movement."
 
Specifically, he felt the board members needed to show up to meetings more prepared.
 
"I think the board, especially some members, simply come to the meetings and say yes or no and then go home and forget about it," Sommer said. "I have never done that. When I was on the board I would show up with 15 to 20 questions. The board needs to be more active."
 
The tax rate is top in Sommer's concerns and he said the town needs to do a better job of attracting new business to grow the tax base. 
 
He suggested hiring a single employee who would work as a liaison between the town and potential businesses.
 
"We need a person whose sole purpose is to bring business to Adams," he said. "Someone with the contacts who can go around selling the town ... we need to show that Adams is an open community."
 
Sommer said he was concerned people in town were not as informed as they should be. He added that he thought the Board of Selectmen needed to be more transparent. He said if elected, his positions will be clear.
 
"You need people who have the qualifications and who are willing to do the work. I think I have that," he said. "I am pretty outspoken, and I think that some people may not like that but at least they know where I stand and they will know what is happening on the board."

 


Tags: election 2021,   town elections,   


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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.
 
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