BArT Says Goodbye to Class, Principal

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Correspondent
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Outgoing Principal Benjamin Klompus congratulates Dalton Lampro during Saturday's graduation ceremony. More photos can be found here.

NORTH ADAMS — On Saturday morning Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' dean of continuing education told the members of BART's 2013 graduating class to go out into the world ... and fail.

Well, Howard "Jake" Eberwein III told the Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School graduates a little more than that. But, he did remind the class of 2013 that failure is neither avoidable nor something to fear.

The charter school's largest class to date, numbering 18, gathered in MCLA's Church Street Center to celebrate their time at BArT, receive their diplomas and hear one more piece of advice from their elders before they head off to college.

Eberwein used his time at the podium to deliver four "challenge statements:" find ways to create, fail, embrace change and make joy.

On a day when so much of the emphasis is on students' accomplishments, the second challenge may seem out of place, but Eberwein explained it is just as important as the other three.

"Just last year, my son learned how to ride his bike without training wheels, at the age of 8," Eberwein said. "This was several years in the making... Let's get something straight today: You're all going to fail. I know because I've failed more times than I can count... But please recognize that failure can either be a gift or a curse. It all depends on whether you choose to learn from and use your mistakes to grow and motivate or whether they become chains that weigh you down with fear and apathy."

In short, Eberwein encouraged the grads to, "get on that bike."

As BArT's Class of 2013 rides off into the proverbial sunset, it does so along with the school's principal. Benjamin Klompus is leaving the school after seven years to pursue a doctorate at Harvard University.

On Saturday morning, Klompus picked up another kind of sheepskin, his very own BArT diploma, and the thanks of school's Executive Director Julia Bowen.

Klompus joked with the grads that the former Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue was an appropriate venue for graduation given how much he prayed over the last year that the seniors would make it to Saturday.

But then he turned serious and exhorted the graduates to find their passion in life and let that passion guide their career choices.

"Search hard and fast for the thing that drives you, the thing that when you get up you can't wait to do, the thing you think about when someone like me is droning on and on and on about," Klompus said. "Once you find that thing, try to get someone to pay you to do it."

The graduates were met by friends and family outside of the Church Street Center.

Klompus then pointed out to the graduates that over the years they have been exposed to people who have followed their own passions — the BArT faculty.

"Graduates, you have been surrounded by adults who love what they do and excel at it," he said.

The 2013 grads continued a touching school tradition in which each graduate presents a long-stemmed rose to a faculty or staff member who has particularly touched his or her life.

"We are the largest class at BArT so far, still 18 roses are not enough," graduate Nicole Allen said in explaining the tradition.

Allen was one of five graduates to speak during the ceremony. Bradley Pandell offered reflections on the senior class' time at BART, John Adams read an original poem and Dean Covert introduced the senior class video.

Dalton Lampro shared some thoughts about Klompus' impact on the school.

"During his tenure at BArT, the school has been recognized statewide and nationally for its academic success by Gov. Deval Patrick, New Leaders for New Schools and the Harvard Graduate School for Education. Mr. Klompus has played a critical part in shaping the school's academic program, ... developing systems within the school to support each student at his or her academic level... He has helped create a school that feels safe, motivational and preparatory for what's ahead of us."

In an interview last week, Pandell talked about what makes BArT special.

"It's different from every other school," he said. "We have a different curriculum, a different environment, a different protocol. I feel accepted at BArT more than i would at a public school because you're able to be yourself at BArT. No one judges you. I'm accepted for who I am, and I don't need to worry about people judging."

"The thing that sticks out at me is we're family, We have our ups and downs, good times and bad times. And it meant a lot to me to be asked to say goodbye to all of them in a why that they'll remember how much I care about all of them."

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North Adams Committee Rejects Changes to Airport Commission Ordinance

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The General Government Committee is recommending the City Council reject a proposal for council approval of appointments to the Airport Commission.
 
The question had been raised after an appointment to the commission by Mayor Jennifer Macksey had come under fire at a council meeting. Macksey had withdrawn his name and appointed him without council approval, as laid out in the city charter. Prior to that, she had put forward all appointments to boards and committees for confirmation.
 
The 2-1 vote, with committee member Ashley Shade voting nay, came after a sometimes testy debate on Tuesday over whether the current language aligns with state and federal laws. 
 
The committee also recommended, again with Shade voting no, to not amend the ordinance to prohibit anyone with business at the airport from serving on the commission. Attorney Joel Bard of KP Law, the city solicitor, said state laws were in place to deal with the conflicts of interest on the independent commission that Shade sought to deter. 
 
"There's a whole apparatus at the state level to enforce the conflict of interest law. That's not self-enforcing, so if there is a violation that's occurring, somebody needs to bring it to the attention of the staff of the State Ethics Commission," Bard said, attending via Zoom. "There's a large state bureaucracy that enforces that law."
 
Shade had put forward the language she said would bring the ordinance in line with MGL Chapter 90, Section 51E that states airport commissioners "shall be appointed, in cities, by the mayor with the approval of the city council, and in towns by the selectmen." 
 
"It's this MGL provision that allowed us to establish an airport commission. Airport commissions did not exist before the charter, because this provision is what allows us to even have an airport commission," she said. "We should be following this provision in MGL to the exact letter of the law, because it is what allows us to even formulate and have the Airport Commission to run and operate."
 
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