image description — Ryder Rowett shows off his new toothbrush after a dental checkup with Dr. Dana Burkett last week. Burkett is with the Smile Programs, a mobile dental clinic that visits participating schools.

Smile Programs Visits North Adams Public Schools

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Thursday, March 27, 2025Print Story | Email Story

Ryder Rowett gets X-rays of his teeth done. The Smile Programs also offers cleanings and some restorative care like fillings.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A mobile dental program visited North Adams Public Schools last week to ensure that students had healthy smiles.

Founded by two moms who were also dentists, the Smile Programs has been offering dental checkups at schools more more than 20 years.

"Bringing the care to the patient's hard for families to find care providers that provide care for MassHealth and so we're kind of just bringing the care to the patients," said Dr. Dana Burkett.

Smile Programs is in 17 states and says it has have helped more than 450,000 children.

The program does a complete dental exam, cleanings, X-rays, and other preventative care. And it offers some restorative care like fillings.

School nurse leader Natalie Emery was working with the schools to help find someone who could talk with the kids about dental hygiene and found the Smile Programs.

"In this particular area we don't have a lot of providers that accept MassHealth. Many families have to travel far, which is a barrier to receiving care, as well as kids not understanding how important it is to brush your teeth," she said.

"In the nurse's office, we see a lot of kids with poor dental care and it causes pain, it causes missed days from school and just creates further problems. So, it's a great opportunity to have them come to the school and try to prevent some of that further tooth decay and trouble down the road."

The Michigan-based program estimates more than 51 million school hours are lost a year and that 1 in 7 children are suffering from tooth pain.

The Smile program emphasizes that by coming to the schools, children will miss less school time and parents will not have to worry about transportation or having to take time off work.

Emery says about 90 students in the district have signed up for the program and about 15 to 20 kids are seen when the mobile dentist is there. The mobile dentist went to all three schools: Drury High, Colegrove Elementary, and Brayton Elementary.

The dentists see about 20 students each time they are there and explains to them how important dental hygiene is and leaves them with a free toothbrush to go back to class and continue their day.

Emery said the schools hope to be able to bring back the Smile Programs for students.

Tags: dental, NAPS,

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North Adams Councilors to Speak Against Berkshire Gas Rate Hike

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:16PM / Wednesday, February 04, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Public Services Committee is planning a show of force at Thursday's public hearing on rate hikes for Berkshire Gas Co.

The rate increase was raised at its Tuesday meeting, when Chair Peter Breen said "utilities" had been added to the committee's review.

"Because public utilities are controlled by the municipality — the electric, the natural gas, the cable — those are all part of public service," he said, explaining why Council President Ashley Shade had made the change. "We negotiate, we legislate. And a good example right now is on Thursday, there's a public hearing. The Berkshire Gas company wants to raise the rate 21 percent to 27 percent."

The utility is asking to adjust distribution rates to generate $22.2 million, which it anticipates will result in a 21.6 percent rate increase on average. In filings with the state's Department of Public Utilities, Berkshire Gas is estimating up to about $54 a month increase for residential heating and $12 for non-heating customers.

Gov. Maura Healey has stated her opposition to the proposal, calling the rate hike unaffordable for Massachusetts customers.

"This proposed increase in utility bills could not come at a worse time for families and businesses in Western Mass. It's why we took $180 million off electric bills and pushed the utilities to provide immediate relief to gas customers this winter," she said in a statement, referring to the use of state funds to cut heating costs in February and March.

A public hearing was held last week in Greenfield; a virtual hearing is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and an in-person one at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Berkshire Community College.

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