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Adams, Cheshire and North Adams are responding to a fully involved structure fire in Adams.
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Several Fire Companies Battling Structure Fire in Adams

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — Several fire companies are battling a fully involved structure fire in the town of Adams. 
 
The call was reported shortly after 4:30 p.m. for 14 Hastings Ave., a single-family, two-story home located near Renfrew Field. Cheshire and North Adams fire departments were responding for mutual aid; Savoy Fire Department was called in to cover the fire station. 
 
At least one person was in the house at the time. Dispatch called for emergency medical technicians to assist an individual who was now outside the house but suffering from smoke inhalation. 
 
Police Chief K. Scott Kelley, who as at the scene, said the lone occupant at the time was able to get out of the building. She was taken by ambulance to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.
 
Flames could be seen pouring out of the both first and second story of the structure and black smoke was spilling from the roof. The home has a large yard is not close to any other structures.
 
Electrical power and gas was cut to the entire block.
 
Police Officer Joshua Baker was the first on the scene and made sure all the occupants were out but Kelley believed the family may have lost some house cats.
 
He confirmed that one woman was taken to the hospital, saying she seemed to be having a panic attack. He wasn't sure if it was related to smoke inhalation.
 
"They took her to the hospital to make sure everything was OK," he said. "We had one dog we got out. I ran around the back and tried to get the other animals but we were pushed back by the flames."
 
Kelley said he had just been to the scene and hadn't seen anymore occupants show up.
 
"It's just devastating," he said.
 
Fire Chief John Pansecchi was still working the blaze and not yet able to speak to possible causes. 
 
The fire had been somewhat contained but as the evening darkened, the flames could easily be seen from various points around the area. Hastings is on the hill side west of Friend Street and residents were posting pictures from lower elevations of the burning structure. 
 
"I was just walking along Friend Street and well what I thought was maybe like a forest fire turned out to be a house fire. It's pretty bad," said Jackson Rysz, who spotted the flames about the time the fire was reported.
 
 A friend lives in a nearby house, he said, so he was curious and walked up the hill and was passed by police and an ambulance before the fire trucks arrived.  
 
"And then by the time I got to around the bend down there, the whole thing was gone," Rysz said.
 
Pansecchi on Thursday morning said the fire is under investigation and but that the smoke detectors likely saved her life. 
 
Owner Tracy Videtta told The Berkshire Eagle she was able to flee the structure and call in the fire from a neighbor's home. She was able to save one of her dogs but three dogs and three cats are missing and presumed perished. 

The home was owned by Videtta and Laura J. Videtta and was purchased on Dec. 16, 2021, for $300,000, according to documents on file with the Registry of Deeds.   


Tags: structure fire,   

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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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