BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program has reached a milestone by adding the Belchertown School District as its 1,000th School District Partnership to the program.
An event was held on Nov. 10 to highlight this milestone and present the Belchertown School District with a plaque commemorating this new record-breaking partnership.
MassDOT's SRTS program conducts outreach activities and safety sessions, and provides funding for infrastructure improvements that make it safer for students to walk and bike to school across Massachusetts with the goal of reaching every community and school district in the Commonwealth. The program currently serves more than 1,030 schools in over 260 communities. Through these partnerships, the Massachusetts SRTS Program highlights the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety.
"The Safe Routes to School Program provides schools and communities with valuable tools and resources that can be used to help students safely bike and walk to and from schools, said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler. "The program continues to grow, and we look forward to the addition of even more schools in the future."
"Partnering with Safe Routes to School gives our students additional resources and makes learning about bike and pedestrian safety fun. Plus, our teachers will benefit from turnkey lesson plans and professional development courses. We had a great turnout for our first walk to school event on October 12th and we look forward to participating in many more," said Belchertown School Superintendent Brian Cameron.
MassDOT's SRTS Program, which is supported with funds from the Federal Highway Administration, promotes safer routes for students to actively get to and from school by fostering partnerships between community-led organizations, local law enforcement, education leaders, and public health departments. SRTS also provides information, materials, and resources to support schools and communities with their local SRTS initiatives.
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Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at The Berkshire Humane Society
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.
Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.
Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.
"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.
The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.
"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."
The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.
"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.
The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.
"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."
Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.
"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."
The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.
"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.
Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, and a little bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.
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A 700-square-foot outdoor water attraction is planned for the 2.1-acre park at 30 John Street. City officials hope to have it operational by summertime.
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Jewish Federation of the Berkshires President Arlene Schiff opened the festivities with a recognition of the victims of Sunday's mass shooting in Australia and praise for a hero who helped stop the killing.
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