MCLA Announces Tamar Sarai as 2024 Hardman Journalist in Residence

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— Writer and journalist Tamar Sarai will deliver the Hardman Journalist in Residence Lecture on Monday, April 8, at 6 p.m., in the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation Atrium. 
 
The lecture is free and open to the public.
 
"Tamar Sarai represents a refreshing journalistic practice which our Beacon and Beacon Web News journalism students will find energizing and modern," said MCLA Professor Michael Birch. "Her writing will offer new topics and focus for their learning, as will her emphasis on the power and value of good writing in the service of exceptional storytelling. This will be an excellent learning opportunity for our students."
 
According to a press release, Tamar Sarai is a writer and journalist currently based in Philadelphia. She is a features writer at Prism, a non-profit media outlet that seeks to highlight the perspectives and voices of those directly impacted by some of today's most pressing issues. Tamar's work focuses on race, culture, and the criminal legal system. Both her writing for Prism and her freelance work often focus on the ways Black women and girls are impacted by policing and the prison system. Her work has been featured in outlets including Shadowproof, Capital B, and Essence. Tamar is a graduate of Wellesley College and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
 
MCLA's Hardman Lecture Series presents in-depth discussions with some of the leading journalists of our time and is made possible through the Hardman Family Endowment.

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North Adams Helmet Giveaway A Success

By Daniel MatziBerkshires correspondent

Mayor Jennifer Macksey with Sebastyn Donovan, who let her ride his scooter. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — On a bright, hazy Saturday afternoon, three North Adams institutions joined forces to bring a little safety to the community.
 
Representatives of the North Adams Police Department, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (NBCC), and North Adams School Public Schools set up shop at the Noel Field playground to give away bike helmets to citizens of all ages, and to raffle off bicycles and scooters to a few lucky children in the neighborhood.
 
The initiative was sparked by the Police Department's acquisition of bike helmets as part of a Municipal Road Safety Grant, according to Police Chief Mark Bailey.
 
Bailey, who was stationed behind a smoking barbecue grill, spent the day serving up hot dogs and his own homemade chili.
 
The grant, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, provides federal funds to localities to address a variety of traffic-related safety issues.
 
While the helmet giveaway began Saturday, free helmets will continue to be available at the police station to anyone who wants one. "We have so many helmets to give away throughout the summer," Chief Bailey said. "All ages … adults, too."
 
Officer Khalil Paul said the department was raffling off three scooters and five bikes. "We got a great day for it, and a good turnout," he noted, referencing the dozens of kids donning new helmets at the playground and at the adjacent UNITY Skateboard and BMX Park.
 
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