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The town plans a rededication ceremony of the honor roll on Veterans Day.
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Shingle-style vinyl siding is being placed on the front facade of Town Hall by McCann students.
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The students have been working at the site on during their non-classroom weeks.
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The facade was in poor shape. The town started a donation fund to help defray the cost of repairs to the nearly 90-year-old former schoolhouse.
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McCann Students Repair Clarksburg Town Hall Facade

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — McCann Technical School students are giving Town Hall a facelift using donated funds.
 
With tighter budgets through the years, Town Administrator Carl McKinney said it has been hard to keep up with the aging and deteriorating building that was constructed in the 1930s as the Briggsville School.
 
"We were looking at Town Hall and its many needs," McKinney said. "It is a solid structure, well built but it has had a level of neglect and it really needed some attention."
 
McKinney said about 15 months ago, with the blessing of the Select Board, he started a fundraising campaign and was able to raise $3,200. 
 
"Citizens of the town of Clarksburg donated as well as the Adams Community Bank, and the town put up some money," McKinney said. "If it wasn't for the generosity of the community, we would not be doing this because the budget is where it is."
 
McKinney said he was in contact with the McCann carpentry program to see if it was interested in doing the work. McCann students three years ago put a new roof on the Police Department's one-car garage and last year built an oak case for the some of the town's historic pieces, including its scale.
 
The department was busy with other projects last spring but kept Clarksburg Town Hall on the radar for the fall.
 
McCann teacher Fran Kruzel said projects like the Town Hall are great learning experiences for the students.
 
"It’s great to get them out on a job," Kruzel said. "It really is the best learning experience."
 
McKinney said the main focus of the project is the building's façade. He said the town purchased grey vinyl siding that he hopes will be long lasting.
 
The front will also receive a new coat of paint where necessary.

One of the main drivers behind the project was to provide a better backdrop for the Clarksburg Veterans Honor Roll, McKinney said. The honor roll is installed on the front of the building.

"We wanted to create a respectful and appropriate memorial that was long lasting and historically appropriate," he said.   
 
The town plans to hold a rededication ceremony on Veterans Day.
 
McKinney said the project also addressed some energy efficiency problems in the building with the addition of a house wrap underneath the building and the sealing and insulating of some upper-level windows that were unusable.

He expects work to wrap up soon.


Tags: carpentry,   facade changes,   McCann,   town hall,   

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Pittsfield Council to See 10-Year Charter Review Report

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Following almost two years of work, the Charter Review Committee has made its recommendations to the City Council.

Tuesday's council agenda includes the committee's report dealing with governance items such as the charter objection, term limits, and financial procedures. Every 10 years, a panel reviews the City Charter, which defines the city's structure of government.

"The Charter Review Committee was established by city ordinance in May 2023. Its first meeting took place on August 7, 2023, under the direction of City Solicitor Stephen Pagnotta," Chair Michael McCarthy's executive summary reads.

"Solicitor Pagnotta informed the committee that its mission is to offer recommendations to city government concerning the Charter."

The charter objection was the most discussed issue throughout the preview process.  Members determined "the City's interest in a functioning government is not served well by a Charter' Objection being made by a sole Councilor."

The nearly 50-page report proposes amendments to Article 2 Section 9C, Charter Objection, to allow for discussion, require three supporters, and be prohibited when it pertains to the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

"The Committee felt strongly that the budgetary process should not be held hostage to a Charter Objection. The process of approving a budget under the Charter involves months of hearings with firm calendar restrictions, leading to a budget that must be in place before each fiscal year begins," McCarthy wrote.

"A Charter Objection during this process would have the potential to disrupt and delay the budget being in place on July 1 of each fiscal year."

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