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State and local officials dig in a ceremonial groundbreaking of the $7.3 million Greylock Glen Outdoor Center on Tuesday morning.
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Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito says the Greylock Glen dream is coming true because of the many local people who believed and supported it.
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Selectmen Chairman John Duval says the town can't wait another 50 years to develop the glen.
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More than 100 community members and area officials attended the groundbreaking.

Baker, Polito Celebrate Greylock Glen Groundbreaking

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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Gov. Charlie Baker, whose administration has provided funding for the project, says it was 'a very long walk to get to this point.'

ADAMS, Mass. — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and more than 100 local officials and residents attended a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center, marking a significant step in developing the 54-acre property. 

 

"For us to have a chance to come out and celebrate this project, given how long people have worked on this and how important it is, to this part of Massachusetts, was important to us," Baker said at the ceremony on Tuesday. The state has committed $7.3 million to the construction of the outdoor center.

 

Preliminary site work began on the glen earlier this month after decades of failed starts on the project. Baker thanked everyone working on the construction and said he remembers having discussions of projects at the site when he was a cabinet member in the 1990s under then-Gov. Bill Weld. 

 

"We were all involved in conversations about a different vision, but a vision, for this property," he said. "... I just want to say I'm really happy to be here and I'm happy for everybody here whose been part of this very long walk to get to this point." 

 

Polito said the work going on at the glen now would not be possible without the years of work put in by local officials. She and Baker both said, as former members of their hometown select boards, that they relate to the time and effort put into the project by local people. 

 

"I heard earlier about dreams coming true, they don't just come true because there's magic and wonder. They come true because there are people who care about seeing those dreams become reality. And in this case, I feel the love and commitment from a lot of true believers that never gave up in this community," she said. 

 

State Sen. Adam Hinds was also present, saying the state's investment in the glen and other local projects shows it cares about resident concerns. He said people in the State House are becoming aware of the unique issues faced by Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts. 

 

"I just wanted to highlight that this project is just one more step to say, we have to step up as a state, we have to invest in our regional economy in our small towns, and if not, we're all going to face a major problem," he said. 

 

State Rep. John Barrett III said he has high hopes for the glen and thinks it can be an economic boon to the town, similar to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams and Tanglewood in Lenox. 

 

"We've had six events here over the years, during my time as a county commissioner, and through today, this is the first event in which you can see something tangible here," he said. "And it's the beginning of a great legacy of this area and this community, because we're going to grow with it, and it's going be terrific

 

Board of Selectmen Chair John Duval said the groundbreaking for the project is no longer a dream but a reality. 

 

"I've seen this area, the glen, go through many different iterations and dreams and hopes, and many discouragements over the last 50 years," he said. "We cannot wait another 50 years to do this."

 

The town of Adams was named developer in 2006 by then Gov. Jane Swift after several private ventures collapsed for lack of funding or direction. Town Administrator Jay Green said both current and past town officials should be proud of getting to this point. 

 

"What the town of Adams decided to do in the mid-2000s is not normal for a small town our size, and I remind people of that often. That's what we've taken on, what the town of Adams has done and what the staff has worked on is not routine," he said. "It's a challenging project. It's a development project. We have more than $20 million worth of projects going on in the town of Adams alone and a lot of those have been funded with support from the people standing behind me." 

 

The center, once finished, will include classroom and meeting space, a cafe, concession and retail space, exhibit areas and a reception space. The entire $50 million development is proposed to also have a campground, a lodge/conference center and an amphitheater. 

 

Baker and Polito were in Adams a year ago to celebrate the original commitment of $6.5 million in state funding for construction. In January, the Baker administration provided an additional $2.8 million onto the $6.5 million in funding when bids for the center came in too high.

 

"We felt that the second tranche of funding gave us kind of an excuse to come back and do this once people put the shovels in the ground," Baker said. "... I'm really glad this project is getting done, I will definitely come back as a private citizen to see it when it's completed." 


Tags: Greylock Glen,   groundbreaking,   

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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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