BArT Hosts World Cube Association Competition

10:31AM / Friday, January 23, 2026Print Story | Email Story

ADAMS, Mass. — On Saturday, January 24, Berkshire Arts and Technology (BART) Charter Public Charter School is hosting the first World Cube Association Competition in Berkshire County in almost 10 years.

The all-day competition, open to the public for viewing, will consist of up to 75 competitors from across the country racing against the clock to solve different types of cubing puzzles. Challenges include solving a standard Rubik's Cube while blindfolded and solving a pyraminx — a four-sided puzzle similar to a Rubik's Cube but instead shaped like a pyramid.

The World Cube Association is a global nonprofit that puts on official competitions to solve mechanical puzzles, such as the famous 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube.

BArT's own Gordon Holey, a mathematics teacher who runs BArT's Cubing Club, will also be competing. Holey has competed in World Cube Association competitions across the country.

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Adams Fire District Officials Make Case for Full-Time Chief, Appointed Clerk

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:36AM / Friday, January 23, 2026

ADAMS, Mass. — If Adams Fire Chief John Panescchi had his choice, the town would continue to run as an entirely call/volunteer operation indefinitely, but that is not realistic.

"We have less and less firefighters, less and less people around during the day," he told the audience at an information session on Wednesday afternoon. "In August, we had a garage fire. And we had two people to respond: myself and my driver, who is 72 years old.

"It's nowhere near the department I joined where a call came in and everyone responded. It's scary."

Panescchi appeared with the three members of the Prudential Committee that oversees the district to explain their reasons why the chief's position should be made full-time and the district's clerk/treasurer should be changed from an elected to an appointed position.

Both questions will be put to residents at a special fire district meeting, likely to be held in February.

If approved by the meeting, both decisions would need to then go to a ballot vote – likely this May for the clerk/treasurer question and spring of 2027 for the fire chief decision.

The timing of the ballot votes is slightly different in part because Panescchi's current part-time position, to which he is elected, is up for re-election this May. Officials think it would be confusing to hold a ballot vote on changing the position's nature in the same election where voters would be asked to choose someone to fill the position.

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