Letter: The Best Summer ... Until

To the editor:

Oh what a summer it's been. I cannot remember a nicer summer than 2024. We used our pool more this year than the past 25 years we've lived here.

Hot, weeks at a time, pretty much no rain other than a few heavy storms that rolled in, and the real purpose of this letter, motorcycling. What an amazing summer, almost every day, sunshine and more sunshine, so much so that at times you would forget that biking is a defense ride more so than a true blast through the hills of the Berkshires especially the fall.

Every day out the door, the same "I love you, and be careful" see you in a bit.

Now my purpose, the roads. Everywhere I go there's people talking about that unbelievable poor conditions and the amount of construction going on, well, if you're in a car it's terrible but bearable (no pun intended) unless your on an air cooling motorcycle, that relies on air to cool the engine, which brings me to ... "The most atrocious set of speed bumps put in the middle of the road." Where you're asking? Exactly, Partridge Road, Pittsfield.

I wish someone had told me because I wasn't speeding when I hit the first one which I completely did not see, because it blends in so well with this newly paved road which I'm sure has brought on more traffic, speeding, texting while driving ect. ... until the residents said, "ENOUGH." But as I said, I wasn't speeding the day I traveled through going to the doctor's on my motorcycle, I hit the first speed bump going the speed limit and almost got killed.

It broke something on the front of my motorcycle and the bike couldn't stop from veering to the left as I tried to ride away, still wondering what happened, so thanks for the sign, you know the one, motorcycles take caution, milled area ahead, warning construction ahead, nope, none, a broken motorcycle, a real long day getting towed, almost got killed, and I was not speeding or offending anyone.

William Tatro
North Adams, Mass.

Clarksburg Students Write in Support of Rural School Aid

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
07:25AM / Sunday, March 15, 2026

Mason Langenback calculated that Clarksburg would get almost $1 million if the $60 million was allocated equally.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Eighth-graders at Clarksburg School took a lesson in civic advocacy this week, researching school funding and writing letters to Beacon Hill that call for fully funding rural school aid. 

 

The students focused on the hardships for small rural schools and their importance to the community — that they struggle with limited funding and teacher shortages, but offer safe and supportive spaces for learning and are a hub for community connections.

 

"They all address the main issue, the funding for rural schools, and how there's a gap, and there's the $4 million gap this year, and then it's about the $40 million next year, and that rural schools need that equitable funding," said social studies teacher Mark Karhan.

 

A rural schools report in 2022 found smaller school districts cost from nearly 17 percent to 23 percent more to operate, and recommended "at least" $60 million be appropriated annually for rural school aid. 

 

Gov. Maura Healey has filed for more Chapter 70 school aid, but that often is little help to small rural schools with declining or static enrollment. For fiscal 2027, she's budgeted $20 million for rural schools, up from around $13 million this year but still far below the hoped for $60 million. 

 

Karhan said the class was broken into four groups and the students were provided a submission letter from Rural Schools Advocacy. The students used the first paragraph, which laid out the funding facts, and then did research and wrote their own letters. 

 

They will submit those with a school picture to the governor.