McCann Senior Christopher Sunn Wins Superintendents Award

Sunn, a senior in the school's Computer Aided Design program, is a straight-A student with a 4.4 GPA.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — McCann Technical School student Christopher Sunn has received a certificate of academic excellence from the Mass Association of School Superintendents. 

Sunn, a senior in the school's Computer Aided Design program, is a straight-A student with a 4.4 GPA. When he graduates, Sunn plans to attend UMass Amherst, where he will study engineering. 

Superintendent James Brosnan presented Sunn and his family with the award at the school committee meeting on Thursday. 

"It's our most enjoyable and most exciting evening at our December meeting, where we are able to recognize McCann student that has been selected to receive the Massachusetts superintendent's Association Award," he said. 

Principal Justin Kratz noted several of Sunn's accomplishments at the school, including his time on the cross-country team, his participation in SkillsUSA and his gold-medal award in architectural drafting. He said Sunn and his class were just Freshman when the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

"That's a lot for kids to go through. A lot of changes, a lot of adapting. A lot of flexibility, a lot of patience," he said. "And yet, still was able to make it through on top of his class. And he did a remarkable job," he said.

Kratz also read comments submitted by several teachers about Sunn. The comments lauded him for his work ethic and participation in the classroom. 

"Through all, Chris has brought an attitude of academic excellence, as well as palpable joy to our classroom, and I'm grateful. I can foresee that the future looks bright and promising for Chris, and I'm honored to have him as a student," one teacher wrote.

"Chris exemplifies the qualities and values that the community has come to expect in the McCain student," another teacher commented. "And for this and many other reasons, we think he is the perfect choice for the superintendent's award." 

Committee Chair Gary Rivers congratulated Sunn for his hard work and accomplishments at McCann

"Only one student in each school in the Commonwealth receives such an award," he said. "You should be commended on your work ethic, your sense of purpose, and your intentional fortitude to continue working as hard as you work when, seemingly, it comes easy to you," he said. "It's a wish for all of our students, is that they live up to the talents that they were given. And you certainly have lived up to all of your talents." 

In other business, Brosnan acknowledged a letter from the Clarksburg Select Board, thanking the students from the school for their work replacing the roof on the Peter Cook Memorial Field Pavilion. 

"It was an excellent project for our students, who are only too glad to help," he said. 

• Rivers thanked Committee Member Diane Parsons for her work on the committee. Parsons, a North Adams representative on the committee resigned from her position because she has moved to Adams. 

North Adams Hopes to Transform Y Into Community Recreation Center

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:19AM / Thursday, May 02, 2024

Mayor Jennifer Macksey updates members of the former YMCA on the status of the roof project and plans for reopening. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has plans to keep the former YMCA as a community center.

 

"The city of North Adams is very committed to having a recreation center not only for our youth but our young at heart," Mayor Jennifer Macksey said to the applause of some 50 or more YMCA members on Wednesday. "So we are really working hard and making sure we can have all those touch points."

 

The fate of the facility attached to Brayton School has been in limbo since the closure of the pool last year because of structural issues and the departure of the Berkshire Family YMCA in March.

 

The mayor said the city will run some programming over the summer until an operator can be found to take over the facility. It will also need a new name. 

 

"The YMCA, as you know, has departed from our facilities and will not return to our facility in the form that we had," she said to the crowd in Council Chambers. "And that's been mostly a decision on their part. The city of North Adams wanted to really keep our relationship with the Y, certainly, but they wanted to be a Y without borders, and we're going a different direction."

 

The pool was closed in March 2023 after the roof failed a structural inspection. Kyle Lamb, owner of Geary Builders, the contractor on the roof project, said the condition of the laminated beams was far worse than expected. 

 

"When we first went into the Y to do an inspection, we certainly found a lot more than we anticipated. The beams were actually rotted themselves on the bottom where they have to sit on the walls structurally," he said. "The beams actually, from the weight of snow and other things, actually crushed themselves eight to 11 inches. They were actually falling apart. ...