MCLA, Berkshire County STEM Network Celebrate STEM Week

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire County Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Week will be held on Oct. 17-22. 
 
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and the Berkshire County STEM Network will offer virtual programming for local public-school students, K-12 educators, and the general community.  
 
Berkshire County STEM Week's theme is "See Yourself in STEM." 
 
The week is free and open to the public and will feature a virtual series of panels, workshops, speakers, virtual tours, and information about opportunities that exist in science, technology, engineering, and math in the Berkshires and beyond.   
 
Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV) will be the platform host for the week's series of events. Community members can access programming on cable access or at www.pittsfieldtv.org. See a full program schedule at www.mcla.edu/stemweek.  
 
Monday, Oct. 17 sessions will include "How to Keep Farmers Farming" with Berkshire Grown, "Fall Owling" with Williams College, "Organic Agriculture" with Full Well Farm, and "A Star Show" at the Williams College Planetarium.  
 
On Tuesday, PCTV will air a workshop on "Predictive Motion." General Dynamics staff will be at MCLA assisting with a science course and the North Adams Public Library will be celebrating STEM Week with an Afterschool STEM Craft at 3:30 pm.  
 
Wednesday at 11:00 am, Berkshire Community College will be celebrating its new One Stop Enrollment Center, Berkshire Science Commons, and other new facilities with a Ribbon Cutting event, and at 3:00 pm the Berkshire Museum will hold a "Berkshire Backyard Exploration" workshop.  
 
Thursday's events include "STEAM Challenge Night," organized by the Flying Cloud Institute, starting at 4:30 p.m. at Hancock Shaker Village. It will include hands-on science, art, and engineering challenges for those in grades K-8 and their families all throughout the Village.  
 
On Friday, at the Berkshire Innovation Center, MassHire will be sponsoring a STEM and Manufacturing Job Fair, in-person from 10 a.m. - noon.
 
STEM Week will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Canoe Meadows Community Garden, where Mass Audubon will conduct a Sparrow Migration Workshop as part of its Fall Birding programming series.  
 
Berkshire STEM Week is part of the state initiative Massachusetts STEM Week. For more information and a listing of all statewide program go to www.massstemweek.org.   
 

Tags: MCLA,   STEM,   

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NAHA Board Accepts Director's Resignation, Unlocks Tenants Association Office

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office.

The board held a special meeting Thursday to vote to accept Hohn's resignation and determined that there are currently no plans to replace her.

"We didn't make any final determinations in terms of the executive session so we will schedule another meeting at another time," Chairwoman Leigh Uqdah said after returning from more than an hour session. "Day-to-day operations will continue to be managed as normal by staff."

Per their bylaws, board member Marie Harpin will continue to handle finances, and Uqdah will manage contracts.

Hohn stepped down on Oct. 8 after 24 years leading the agency. Her resignation followed rising tension between her and the NAHA Tenants Association, culminating in the scheduling of a formal grievance hearing between both parties.

The boiling point was the locking of the association's office this summer. Tenants alleged the lockout was retaliation for posting a video on social media depicting improperly functioning door alarms. Hohn claimed the office was locked for tenant safety and to stop the spread of misinformation.

Tenants Association President Corey Fortin asked if Hohn's security access had been removed. Uqdah confirmed her credentials were revoked the day she resigned, meaning she can no longer monitor security cameras remotely.

Jennifer Barbeau, a former city councilor who was liaison to the Housing Authority, asked when the board met to discuss Hohn's severance package. Uqdah stated that Hohn did not have one.

The board also accepted the resignation of Commissioner Richard Lavigne, though they will vote officially on the matter at their next meeting.

The open portion of the meeting was brief, with nearly an hour and a half spent in executive session. Before entering executive session, the board opened the floor to tenants.

"The tenants requested an opportunity to talk to the board," said Uqdah. "It has been quite a while, but we have decided to honor that."

Fortin, who posted the original video to social media, was the first to speak. He was clear in his request: unlock the office door.

"Let's cut straight to the chase tonight. The former resigned Director Jennifer Hohn ordered the office locked," he alleged. "She is gone. The lockout is a direct violation, and the board has a duty to end that tonight."

He cited federal and state laws that mandate the tenants association be provided with office space, including computer and network access.

"We are here with a direct administrative demand. We demand that the board vote tonight to unlock the doors," he said. "Do not let a resigned director's illegal action remain the board's ongoing liability. Open our door tonight, and let us get back to work."

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