Clarksburg Boards Discuss School Renovation Needs

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — In a joint meeting with the Select Board and the Americans with Disabilities Act Commission, the School Committee discussed building renovation needs. 

The most significant upcoming renovation is the installation of a chair lift, for ADA compliance. The lift will allow access from the main floor to the lower level of the split-level school, including the cafeteria, gymnasium and playground. 

"We haven't sat down all together. So, before we go and spend this money, let's make sure we're all in agreement and it sounds like we all are, so that's great," said Superintendent John Franzoni. "Thank you very much, because that was a big problem for the school." 

Town Administrator Carl McKinney said there is already funding available, via American Rescue Plan Act funds, to almost entirely pay for the lift project. He said he is working on a draft request for proposals and will do whatever is needed to work around summer programs. 

"The company that does make [the lift] will install it. And they would like to come and see it, but ultimately, I need to know what your time window is going to be," he said. The project, he explained, is expected to cost about $110,000. "Financially, we're good with that. We're using ARPA funds for the fact that the money's in the bank, we already have it. So if you have the time, we got the money." 

McKinney also suggested possibly putting solar panels on the roof of the school. He said the payments from a lease for the roof space could help finance a more significant roof renovation. 

"We do understand it's rather vital," McKinney said of the school's roof. "If we were to do a request for proposals to lease the space on the roof for a solar panel company, you're looking probably about a quarter to a third of an acre of land on the roof and get a 20-year lease agreement where the lease payments would pay for the roof." 

The group also discussed the end-of-year report required by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Franzoni said communication has been better recently. 

"I think the fact that we're talking face to face, and we're talking on the phone, that's the only way this is gonna get solved and move forward so that we can get all the funding that we need for our school and get all the grants everything else that we need to keep the school going," he said. "We need to do that, we need to work together. Otherwise, it's not going to work."  

Newly installed committee member Mary Giron said creating a schedule of important events would be helpful for communication between the school and the town. 

"If we had a schedule, I would think that everyone would know the schedule. The Select Board would know the schedule, the School Committee would know the schedule," she said. "... We can check in to make sure things are being followed, and we would just have a clear approach for all of us. And I think it would be helpful." 

In other business: 

• Giron was recognized as the committee's newest member after her appointment at the last meeting. 

Giron is the third member on the board, replacing former member Eric Denette, who stepped down recently after moving out of Clarksburg. Denette had declined to run for a second term last spring but accepted after winning through write-in votes.

North Adams Unveils Hometown Heroes Banners

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
04:30PM / Friday, May 22, 2026

Carol Ethier-Kipp holds up the first aid kit her father used as an Army medic in World War II. See more photos here. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City of North Adams honored its own on Friday afternoon, unveiling 50 downtown street banners representing local veterans who served — and continue to serve — the community and the country.

 

More than 300 residents packed the front lawn of City Hall as the community took a moment to reflect on its "Hometown Heroes" during the morning unveiling ceremony.

 

"In a city like North Adams, service is personal. The men and women we honor today are not strangers to us. They are our neighbors, our classmates, our parents, our grandparents," Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the crowd. "... These banners are far more than names and pictures hanging along our streets. They are visible reminders of the values that define North Adams: courage, sacrifice, humility, duty, resilience, and the love of country. They remind every person who passes by that this community remembers our veterans."

 

The banner program launched exactly a year ago. Veterans Services Agent Kurtis Durocher opened applications in October and spent the next six months working with families to bring the project to Main Street and over the Hadley Overpass. 

 

"We gather to recognize the brave men and women from our community who have served or who are currently serving in the United States armed forces," Durocher said. "These banners are more than images. They bear a tribute to service, sacrifice, courage, and pride, and they remind us that the freedoms we enjoy every day have been protected by our neighbors, family members, friends, and Hometown Heroes."

 

Each banner features a portrait of a veteran alongside their military branch and dates of service.

 

Durocher noted that the program was something residents clearly wanted, pointing to how fast applications flooded his desk. He praised the volunteers who stepped up to get the banners made and displayed — including city firefighters and Mitchell Meranti of Wire & Alarm Department, who were installing them as late as Thursday night.